Where's My Recovery?

The recession "ended" in the summer of 2009 - except it didn't.  GDP Growth has to run ahead of Population and Productivity Growth by a percentage point or two in order to maintain a healthy expansion. +1 or 2% GDP ain't gonna cut it.

Via WaPost, here's a good illustration of why we'll be waiting for a good while before we see anything that looks and feels like a real recovery.

St Ayn Sez

Paraphrasing - Contradiction exists, but it cannot prevail.

Quick Tho't

Trying to make some connections.
There are those who feel the need to keep certain facts of the world away from us - or so it seems when I try to figure out why the Theocons attack something as essential as Evolution.

So here we go:
1) without an understanding of Evolution Theory, you can't make much sense of biology.
2) without understanding biology, you can't do much about cancer (eg).
3) being unable to attack the causes of cancer, you have to be satisfied with a status quo.

Who benefits from the status quo?
Who makes money and holds power now with the way things are?
If we could find cures for diseases - or relatively simple ways to prevent them - would we still support the Pharmaceutical Industry the way we do now?

Who makes it possible for the Theocons to raise doubt and create resistance to science education?

Because Money Talks

Sister Sarah

Here's a load of the usual gag-inducing mutual stroking, but near the end Levin brings up Palin's new book, and I can't help but think she's definitely in the race for 2012 now (she's polling 2nd, just behind Romney).  The book is her attempt to establish herself as the Giver of the National Myth, which is a vital part of a Leo Strauss-type strategy, with a slight Christianist twist.  And that basically goes like this:   She has been to the mountain and she's back now to deliver God's word to His chosen people - and of course, since God has chosen us, and since God has told us this thru her, then it should be obvious that God has chosen Sarah Palin to lead us.

It could also still mean that she's really just making sure she's at the front of line of power brokers and king makers.

Must Read

Matt Taibbi is a curmudgeon, and a contrarian, and royal pain in the ass when it comes to cutting thru the political bullshit; and his conclusions are almost never wrong.

From Rolling Stone:

The individuals in the Tea Party may come from very different walks of life, but most of them have a few things in common. After nearly a year of talking with Tea Party members from Nevada to New Jersey, I can count on one hand the key elements I expect to hear in nearly every interview.

One: Every single one of them was that exceptional Republican who did protest the spending in the Bush years, and not one of them is the hypocrite who only took to the streets when a black Democratic president launched an emergency stimulus program. ("Not me — I was protesting!" is a common exclamation.)

Two: Each and every one of them is the only person in America who has ever read the Constitution or watched Schoolhouse Rock. (Here they have guidance from Armey, who explains that the problem with "people who do not cherish America the way we do" is that "they did not read the Federalist Papers.")

Three: They are all furious at the implication that race is a factor in their political views — despite the fact that they blame the financial crisis on poor black homeowners, spend months on end engrossed by reports about how the New Black Panthers want to kill "cracker babies," support politicians who think the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an overreach of government power, tried to enact South African-style immigration laws in Arizona and obsess over Charlie Rangel, ACORN and Barack Obama's birth certificate.

Four: In fact, some of their best friends are black! (Reporters in Kentucky invented a game called "White Male Liberty Patriot Bingo," checking off a box every time a Tea Partier mentions a black friend.)

And five: Everyone who disagrees with them is a radical leftist who hates America.

Austerity

Tea Partiers ain't gonna like this one.

Today's Pic

Today In Pictures

Truth In Politics

Your Tax Dollars At Work

A Little Something To Remember

I was reminded today of something I hadn't tho't about for a long time.  It popped into my brain as I was half-listening to an interview with Jimmy Carter on his new book.

It was during Carter's term that we formalized diplomatic relations with China.  Nixon first made the effort at rapprochement, but it was Carter's actions that made it all real and concrete.

A Democrat actually followed up and followed thru on an initiative of a previous (and VERY) Republican president.  So I'm thinking that's what real bi-partisanship looks like.  Not the bullshit we hear about now.  Where is that kind of thing now?

Quick Note

The culture war is back in a big way, and one of the favorite themes is "Poor Down-Trodden Rich People".

It's become Accepted Political Fact that the top 1% of Income Earners make 19% of Adjusted Gross Income, but they carry 37% of the tax burden.  What nobody ever seems to notice is that these same 1%-ers actually own 43% of the wealth.

If your argument is all about taxing people according to the benefits they receive from the economy, then you must be in favor of raising taxes on the Top 1% to more closely reflect the benefits they get.

Just sayin' - everybody oughta pay for what they get.

Shameless

Endorsed by Sarah Palin, Renee Ellmers is running for congress in NC's 2nd district.  Here's an ad That shows a lot of what's wrong with politics in general; and what's wrong specifically with these "New Repub Insurgents".



Shouldn't somebody be asking: What exactly does she propose to do to prevent people from building this "mosque"?

What Just Happened

Some good things have just kicked in, no thanks to Repub and Blue Dog opposition to healthcare reform laws.

• Many plans will be prohibited from placing lifetime limits on medical coverage, and they will not be able to cancel the policies of people who fall ill.
• Children with pre-existing conditions will not be denied coverage.
• Dependent children will remain on their parents' health insurance plans until age 26.
• Private plans must cover peventive services with no co-payments, and with preventive services being exempt from deductibles.
• Insurers will no longer be able to cancel your health insurance retroactively due to an unintentional mistake made by you or your employer on your paperwork.
• A way to appeal insurance company coverage determinations or claims is established along with an external review process.
• States are granted money to investigate unreasonable rate hikes by private insurance companies.