One of the Biggest Reasons Our Nation Is So Divided and Polarized

Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the Fairness Doctrine:

“The devolution of the American press began in 1986 when Ronald Reagan abolished the Fairness Doctrine.

We had a law in this country that we passed in 1928 that said that the air waves belong to the public. The broadcasters can be licensed to use them, but only if they use them to promote the public interest, to inform the public and advance democracy. That’s why we have the 6 o’clock news. They didn’t want it. The broadcasters didn’t want that because the news departments were chronic money losers.

But they were forced to put on the news at 6:00 and even today you hear news on the music radio stations and that’s an artifact of the Fairness Doctrine. They said, if you’re using the broadcast air waves, you have to do that…

They no longer have an obligation to serve the public interest. Their only obligation is to their shareholders. They serve that obligation not by informing us, telling us the things we need to understand to make rational decisions in a democracy, but rather by entertaining us...

We know we’re the best entertained, the least informed, people on the face of the world. They got rid of their investigative reporters. 85 percent of them lost their jobs in the last 15 years.

They got rid of their foreign news bureaus so the Bush and Cheney administration can say to the American people, ‘Oh, we’re gonna go into this 800-year-old fist fight in Mesopotamia and they’re gonna meet us with rose petals in the streets’ and the Americans believe them.

The Canadians didn’t believe them because the Canadians still have a Fairness Doctrine…

England has the same kind of rules and in Europe, but in our country, we lost those rules and, as a result, we know a lot about Britney Spears’ gradual emotional decline and we know a lot about Charlie Sheen, but we don’t know much about global warming or the fact that the Appalachian Mountains essentially no longer exist.”

On Our Nation, Donald Trump, the Damage He's Done and On Going Forward

I never thought we'd be or do worse than Richard Nixon.
I never thought we'd be or do worse than Ronald Reagan.
I never thought we'd be or do worse than George W Bush.

I was wrong. I was very wrong.

While now we need to defeat this Donald Trump come November, I wonder to the point of fear our ability to put this all behind us, all of Mr. Trump's words and actions and emotions, and to heal and become one nation again.

A Timely Reminder of Things Republicans Have Gotten Us All

It was honestly quick and easy to do but I was thinking the other day about just how many things Republicans had gotten us Americans in the last several years. Republicans alone, too.

First, let's start with the Gipper--none other than Ronnie the Raygun, Ronald Reagan.

Iran–Contra affair

The Iran–Contra affair (Persian: ماجرای ایران-کنترا‎, Spanish: Caso Irán–Contra), popularized in Iran as the McFarlane affair[1], also referred to as Irangate,[2] Contragate,[3] the Iran–Contra scandal, or simply Iran–Contra, was a political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo.[4] The administration hoped to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. Under the Boland Amendment, further funding of the Contras by the government (except for the Office of the President and the National Security Council) had been prohibited by Congress.

And that just gets us started.

Then we go to the Shrub---George W. "Dubya", Not the Brightest Lightbulb in the Pack, Bush.

9/11

Very Republican Party President George W. Bush got us 9/11. The attack. Everything. The whole thing. It's documented.

The Bush White House Was Deaf to 9/11 Warnings

Look it up.

He completely ignored a Daily Presidential Briefing warning of such an event.

And now, geez, this is too easy. Way too easy. 

Now we have--shudder--The Orange One. Again, Republican Party President Donald "The John" Trump.

Where to even start? Where to stop?

A Complete List of All the Times Donald Trump Has Broken

Another Way Trump Breaks the Law. Intimidating Witnesses

How Trump Built an Obstruction of Justice

Emoluments Clause Case Against Trump

All of Donald Trump's Lies

Lies, damned lies and Donald Trump

Every false claim Donald Trump has made as president

Donald Trump lies more often than you wash your hands

New York Times used a full page to print Trump's lies

Trump’s lies corrode democracy - brookings.edu

I'll stop there. It can go on. Easily. And at length.

So once again, to our Right Wing, Republican Party fellow citizens, we'd just like to say a great big, juicy THANK YOU! to one and all. Thank you for these incredible gifts you've given us all, bestowed on us, forced on each and every one of us.

We don't know what we'd do without you.

Obey the law?

Have a Democracy?

Proof Gun Legislation Works

This right here.



So now, by all means, go online. Do a search. You'll find this--and more--is what these things cost.

Let's do this.

Just the Facts, Ma'am

That one guy also oversaw the saving of the US economy, after the 2008 financial near-collapse, among other improvements.

Huh.

Right Wing, Republican, Conservative Saint Ronnie, On Assault Rifles

Quote of the Day -- On Gross Inequality

“ It’s one thing to recognize capitalism for the powerful economic tool it is and to acknowledge that, for better or for worse, we’re stuck with it and, hey, thank God we have it. There’s not a lot else that can produce mass wealth with the dexterity that capitalism can.

But to mistake it for a social framework is an incredible intellectual corruption and it’s one that the West has accepted as a given since 1980—since Reagan.

Human beings—in this country in particular—are worth less and less. When capitalism triumphs unequivocally, labor is diminished. It’s a zero-sum game. People paid a much higher tax rate when Eisenhower was president, a much higher tax rate for the benefit of society, and all of us had more of a sense that we were included.

- David Simon

Since When, America?

From a friend's Facebook post today:

Since when did wanting a society:

* that is as inclusive as possible
* that works effectively for all its members
* that provides opportunity equally regardless of accidents of birth
* that places the rights of people above the rights of corporations.
* that protects its resources for future generations
* that treats its citizens equally before the law
* that protects its most vulnerable members
* that cooperates in preference to dominating
* that values education and wisdom

become a "radical" idea?

Thanks, Doug.

Guess Which Republican Presidential Icon Said the Supreme Court Vacancies Need To Be Filled

None other than very Republican and Conservative and Right Wing icon President Ronald Reagan himself said Congress should do its job, especially regarding the Supreme Court and any vacancy.

Ironic, huh?

On This Day, 1986

U.S. President Reagan and Attorney Gen. Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to rebels in Nicaragua. 

National Security Advisor John Poindexter resigned and Oliver North was fired.

Nothing came of the federal laws being broken.

Nothing. Ever.

To this day, legions of Americans have nothing but praise for Ronald Reagan.

Republican's Kansas in the New York Times Tomorrow

The Republican's Kansas hits the Sunday New York Times in a pretty big way tomorrow with an article on the state in the rather prestigious front cover article of the New York Times Magazine.

The Kansas Experiment

Needless to say, given what that Right Wing political party, led by their governor, Sam Brownback, has done to the state and their finances and gun laws, etc., it isn't pretty. It's honest and truthful but certainly not pretty.

It's online now. You can read it at the link above.

Not to be done there, Kansas also gets fair and honest but critical treatment at the Atlantic, too, from last April, in case you missed it.

Kansas's Failed Experiment

And then there's the Washington Post's evaluation a year ago in July.

In Kansas, Brownback tried a red-state 

'experiment.'

Finally, at least for now, there is coverage from The Week, last April.

Kansas' experiment in concentrated 

conservatism keeps getting grimmer

The one reason I think it's so very important to note the mistakes and failures of Governor Brownback's and the Republican's efforts in Kansas just now is no way to gloat over their being wrong, no. The reason it's important to point out these huge, ugly mistakes is because virtually every candidate for president in 2016 from the Republican Party are espousing the same, so-wrong, even ignorant policies that have gotten Kansas into the fiscal and financial mess they're in now. 

That is, the Republican candidates are still pushing "trickle down economics." They're emphasizing tax cuts for the wealthy. 

It's not just wrong but it's been proven wrong nationally as well as more locally in states. Kansas is certainly one of the biggest and worst---best?---examples. And Americans need to stand up, say as much and vote accordingly.

The NYT article, after reading it and after watching the Republican debates this last Thursday evening, make it clear---very clear--what a destructive, negative mess the entire political party is.

The Republican's and Right Wing's economics for the wealthy and corporations have not only been proven wrong by states like Kansas and Wisconsin and others where debt has been wrung up but it's also been disproven by states like California that did the opposite. That is, California raised taxes on the wealthy, grew their economy and paid off their debt. This from 3 days ago.

California Pays off $14 Billion in Costly Debt From 2004

At long last, can we kill the "trickle down", "supply-side" economics nonsense?

Please?

Harry Truman on "Trickle Down Economics"

We think of the Right Wing's and Republican's "trickle down economics" as having begun with Ronald Reagan back in the 80's, most of us but the fact is, it's a much older idea than that.

It's especially poignant and applicable to us all now because the latest Republican budget introduced in the last few days calls for much the same tactics of cutting social programs like Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid while increasing defense spending and slashing more taxes for the wealthy and corporations, tragically.

Our own Missouri President Harry S. Truman wrote on it, all that long ago.  News flash: he wasn't for it, either:

The reactionaries hold that government policies should be designed for the special benefit of small groups of people who occupy positions of wealth and influence. Their theory seems to be that if these groups are prosperous, they will pass along some of their prosperity to the rest of us. This can be described as the "trickle down theory."

The vast majority of us reject that theory as totally wrong.

We know that there will be more prosperity for all if all groups have a fair share of the wealth of the country. We know that the country will achieve economic stability and progress only if the benefits of our production are widely distributed among all its citizens.

We believe that it is the Federal Government's obligation, under the Constitution, to promote the general welfare of all our people--and not just a privileged few.

The policies we advocate are based on these convictions.

We maintain that farmers, like businessmen, should receive a fair price for the products they sell.

We maintain that workers are entitled to good wages and to equality of bargaining power with their employers.

We believe that cooperatives and small business should have a fair opportunity to achieve success, and should not be smothered by monopolies.

We hold that our great natural resources should be protected and developed for the benefit of all our people, and not exploited for private greed.

We believe that old people and the disabled should have an assured income to keep them from being dependent on charity.

We believe that families should have protection against loss of income resulting from accident, illness, or unemployment.

We hold that our citizens should have decent housing at prices they can afford to pay.

We believe in assuring educational opportunities for all our young people in order that we may have an enlightened citizenry.

Links: 

Truman Library - Public Papers of the Presidents: Harry S. Truman

America: We're number....what?

Kevy Cat

Quote of the day -- on the last 40 years

How We've Nearly Destroyed Our Media In the US

We did it to ourselves.

Or, rather, as so many bad things done in and to our country in the past 30 years, at least, the Republicans did it to us:

Twenty-seven years ago this month, the Reagan administration eliminated the Fairness Doctrine, thus allowing American commercial talk-radio stations licensed over our public airwaves, to become shamelessly slanted towards the radical right. Just under a year later, Rush Limbaugh's radio program, originally based out of Sacramento, California, was syndicated nationally --- a falsehood factory that distributed its defective products to millions of customers.

Limbaugh was widely credited with ginning up the faux-outrage towards President Clinton that brought about the GOP's House and Senate victories in the 1994 midterms --- victories that ultimately led to the blocking of further gun-safety reforms, as (MSNBC's Steve) Kornacki noted. To this day, Limbaugh and his talk-radio imitators demonize any effort to keep Americans from dying prematurely from gun violence, and rhetorically assault politicians who advocate tough gun-safety measures.

Ever since that fateful month, we've had ugly, extremist reports, replete with subtle, no so subtle and blatant lies, all represented as "media" reports, "news", if you will.  It's yet one more reason the American populace is so polarized. When you have the likes of, yes, Rush "Porkulus" Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and Bill O'Really, Ann "I'll Say Anything" Coulter and others, spewing out extremely emotional, one-sided stories, half-truths, untruths and, again, blatant lies, frequently with vitriol and/or anger or even tears, what result can we expect but that some people pick up those pieces and run with them, out here in the world?

And if someone eventually tries to reintroduce it to our government and nation--as they ought--it will be said it prohibits free speech and curbs First Amendment Rights.

Nonsense.

It merely requires, for every viewpoint or side taken, for an opposing view to be given, that's all. (See the link below for a fuller definition and description of the policy).

As we are today, this is not a good way to get good, important, solid, non-biased information out to the nation. This is no way to run media. It's no way to inform a populace.

As it is, it's no way to run a nation.

It won't happen easily, it won't happen without a fight but we need the Fairness Doctrine back.

We need it badly and we need it as soon as possible.

Here's hoping.

Link:  Fairness Doctrine

Link to associated article: In This Present Crisis: How Ronald Reagan Killed 'Fairness' and Wounded the World

Brownback--and Brownbackistan--in more news today

Yessirree, ol' Kansas Governor Sam Brownback just keeps getting the news coverage lately, doesn't he?  Just seems it's nothing he's going to like. Here's another, today, from The New York Times:
:

Yes, if You Cut Taxes, You Get Less Tax Revenue

With the wonderful byline:

Kansas Tax Cut Leaves Brownback With Less Money

Gee, imagine that.

Except isn't that what a lot of people SAID would actually happen?

A bit from the article:

Kansas has a problem. In April and May, the state planned to collect $651 million from personal income tax. But instead, it received only $369 million.

In 2012, Kansas lawmakers passed a large and rather unusual income tax cut. It was expected to reduce state tax revenue by more than 10 percent, and Gov. Sam Brownback said it would create “tens of thousands of jobs.”

In part, the tax cut worked in the typical way, by cutting tax rates and increasing the standard deduction. But Kansas also eliminated tax on various kinds of income, including income described commonly — and sometimes misleadingly — as “small-business income.” Basically, if your income results in the generation of a Form 1099-MISC instead of a W-2, it’s probably not taxable anymore in Kansas.

The idea of the Right Wing and Republicans that if you cut taxes, more companies want to come to your state--and Kansas, at that?--is just silliness, if not absurd.

That whole "trickle down" theory of Ronnie the Raygun's was just so much patent hokum.  From the time he was elected--1980--to now, we've had 3 decades to see this play out, economically and for the nation.

Except it's anything but played out.

It's left us with fewer jobs, higher profits for corporate America and the wealthy, low growth and at least as low demand for goods and services in the marketplace. It has famously actually shrunk the middle class.

But the Samster wanted more of it.

And for a while, his cronies in the Republican Party and even Kansans gave it to him.

But the chickens are coming and have come to roost and it isn't pretty.

Less money in the coffers. Less money in the budget. Less money for schools.

Fortunately, it seems like Kansans are finally waking up and they aren't liking what they have, what they see and what they're left with.

The Republican problem with all that debt?

So suddenly they're concerned about all that debt?

Where, anyway, did most of it come from?

Oh, THERE...

Happy birthday, Ronald Reagan

Click on picture for better, easier viewing/reading:

But everyone's pissed at the black guy.

Right.

Wonderful.

Happy birthday, Ronnie.

You got away with it.

You got away with it all.

Just as Dubya' did, years later.

Reagan: A man concerned about the wealthy not paying enough taxes

Click on picture for better viewing.

The most-esteemed Ronald Reagan wouldn't make it in today's far Right Wing, Tea Party-forced Republican Party.

Thanks, Ted

I got a bit of a history lesson this morning, listening, as usual, to NPR as I prepared for work.

Naturally, the media is still abuzz about all things Ted Kennedy. They were telling of the Senator's famous speech on "Robert Bork's America" and they broadcast this quote:

"Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists would be censored at the whim of government, and the doors of the federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is often the only protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy."

And then I realized--with George W. Bush and the push of the Republican Party since Ronald Reagan was President, that's exactly what they've been working for.

And they got a some of this.

And they haven't given up on some of the rest of this, either.

Link to the original speech:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Robert_Bork's_America