Made In China!

Richard Clark asks why Germany has avoided the Great Recession.  It goes back, like so much else, to the administration of Ronald Reagan.  During his first term, as a gift to his corporate pals, he pushed through legislation that made it possible for US corporations to do their manufacturing overseas in low-wage countries (like China) but avoid taxation on the imported products.  Germany never did such a thing.  So over the last 25 years, we’ve lost factories, middle class jobs, and tax income while the corporations have grown richer and richer.  This is a terrific article, well worth your time.  The car on the left is China’s newest offering to the US market.  Not built with UAW wages you can bet.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Why-is-America-suffering-s-by-Richard-Clark-100828-74.html

Meet The War Profiteers

This is the first of a series of articles called “Call Them Out” about who the war profiteers are, how they live, and how they control our government.  This article  focuses on Stephen Lorenger, CEO of ITT, a major “defense contractor,” among whose products is the bomb release mechanism for drones.  Included is a list of Congressional beneficiaries of their campaign spending. 

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/54575

Protect Social Security

From our friends in Beaver County, PA-04, in the western end of the state.  Demanding support for Social Security – no cuts in benefits, no changes in start age – should be a major subject at our next Brown Bag vigils.

http://beavercountyblue.org/2010/08/25/congressional-progressive-caucus-pledges-to-defend-social-security/

Strike Up The Band

Walter Pincus of the Washington Post has been looking at military bands.  We have hundreds of them.  Easily more than 6000 members drawing salaries above $50,000/year plus health care, housing, dependents care, etc.  It is said we pay more band members than Foreign Service employees.  It may be time to pipe down.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082304711.html

Letters About Social Security

We often find that some of the best “op-ed” pieces in The Times are letters to the editor.  These were published August 23 and make some excellent points.  Our favorite senator, Bernie Sanders, says all we have to do is seriously raise the payroll cap and we can make Social Security safe for at least 75 years.  Is anybody listening?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/opinion/l23krugman.html?_r=1&ref=letters

The Geography Of The Great Recession

Krugman On Tax Cuts For The Wealthy

The Republicans and conservative Democrats want to extend the Bush tax cuts at enormous cost to the federal budget.  They say it would benefit small businesses.  How many small businessmen do you know who make several million dollars a year?  No.  This is about greed and it is a serious threat to the Republic.  Read our favorite economist on the subject.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/opinion/23krugman.html?emc=eta1

Who Do The Rich Give To?

Not to the poor.  Studies for years have shown that rich people give a smaller percentage of their income to charity.  But they also tend to give most of that money to cultural institutions and the alma mater.  Very nice if you’re the Philadelphia Orchestra or Penn.  Not so good if you’re making less than a living wage. Read on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22FOB-wwln-t.html?scp=2&sq=judith%20warner&st=cse

There Goes The Neighborhood

Jack Cafferty On Social Security

This video is almost two years old, and the time it was made makes it even more trenchant now.  Where is Jack Cafferty now that we really need him?