Beyond the Food Fight: What the Mainstream Media Is Missing in the Budget Battles

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/29-0


The La Tomatina festival -- held each year on the last Wednesday of August in Bunol, Spain -- evolved from a street fight in the 1940s when a group of young men who wanted to participate in the "gigantes y cabezudos" parade used tomatoes from a vegetable stand as weapons. (Heino Kalis/Reuters)

The mainstream media is missing the real issues when it comes to the serial budget brinksmanship being perpetrated by Republicans.

***SNIP

Using tactics straight out of the terrorist playbook, the corporate shills have made sure that the public’s preferences no longer matter, and as a result, democracy is being subverted. Here’s a few of the more egregious examples:

— 90% of the citizens support legislation requiring background checks for gun purchase, but Congress can’t pass one.

— 74% of Americans want to end subsidies to big oil – but there’s no chance of it happening;

— The majority of citizens favored allowing tax cuts for those earning over $250,000 to expire, but the best we could do is compromise on $400,000

— 70% of Americans consider climate change to be a high priority issue, yet Congress has taken no action;

— Some 80% of Americans favor shoring up Social Security even if it means higher taxes and a similar number support retaining Medicare as is, but we seem to be moving inexorably toward cuts to both programs;

— Or take this gem … more than 80% of Americans want to clamp down on Wall Street but the best we could get was weak-sister legislation that is being completely eviscerated as it is translated into regulations.

Not only are they ignoring the people’s will, they are actively undermining our welfare. Students can’t discharge debt through bankruptcy but banks, fat cats and corporations can. Income inequality is at record levels. Our emails, faxes and phones are being systematically monitored without following the requirements of the 4th amendment for warrants providing specific justification for that action.

[Rex]

1. When the plutocracy owns the govt, Wall Street and the M$M

and LEOs...well you can always go protest, just don't take any pictures. This is America.

[xchrom]

2. +1

[Rex]

4. I was informed of 1st amendement zones by some libertarians a few weeks ago

and I thought to myself, 'you JUST now are catching up and still a decade behind'. The Tea Party rolls on like a wildfire, while neo-cons get drunk off their asses and celebrate more economic terrorism, a few months off work and considerations for a yearly raise.

I would say they need to worry, but since gerrymandering and lobbying firms actually dictate who gets elected, I can see why they just don't care anymore.

The pretense is gone, the crazies are driving the car and drunk good old boys are singing 'glory days' again.

And Ted Cruz got Green Eggs and Ham wrong...of course.


PICKED A SHITTY TIME TO QUIT SNORTING GLUE.

[daleanime]

3. K&R....