We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Jared Polis, the Democratic Party and Bowles-Simpson

Click here to access article by Jim O’Reilly from Comments on Global Political Economy. 

This surprising blogger who retired from a long career in banking and finance goes after his local congressman from Colorado and the Democratic party for all their deceptions regarding the Bowles-Simpson budget proposal. 
Bowles Simpson slashes social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other vital programs while cutting taxes substantially below where they would be if the Clinton era tax rates were simply continued.  It imposes a maximum spending level as a percent of GDP at historically low levels and is designed almost like a constitutional amendment in that it will require a 60% super majority in the senate to overturn.  While it may close some corporate tax loopholes, it eliminates taxes on foreign operations, a gigantic giveaway given how easily corporate flows can be manipulated in the global economy. 
Obviously, this represents another attempt to fool the American people in more "change we can believe in". (sarcasm)

So, who are you going to vote for? Tweedledee or Tweedledum? Isn't it wonderful that we live in a democracy where one can vote?