Al Jazeera: Greek Unemployment to Top Spain

Source:Al Jazeera- welcome to Athens, Greece.

"Greece's government says it will run out of money next month unless it gets the next batch of international bailout money - which is dependent on painful austerity measures.  The finance minister has presented the 2013 budget which includes $21bn in cuts, mainly from pensions and public sector wages.  Greece's unemployment rate could break EU records, surpassing even Spain which hit 25.8 per cent in September.  Al Jazeera's Nadim Baba reports." 

From Al Jazeera 

"Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة Al-Jazīrah [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ], lit. 'The Peninsula') is a Qatari state-owned[a] Arabic-language international news television network. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

The patent holding is a "private foundation for public benefit" under Qatari law.[3] Under this organizational structure, the parent receives funding from the Qatari government while maintaining nominal editorial independence.[4][5] At the onset of the Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017, several national governments of the Arab League called for the closure of the entire Al Jazeera conglomerate as part of a list of thirteen demands that were presented to the Qatari government in exchange for re-normalized relations.[6] Al Jazeera has been accused of pushing "Qatari propaganda" by many countries and organizations, including those in the Arab world." 

From Wikipedia

A big problem that Greece has right now with its deficit and debt, is that their government is simply too big doing too much for the Greek people. Greeks expect way too much from their government. Which might be find when times are good and maybe they can bring in the taxes to pay for it. But when times are bad or real bad, it leads to high debt and deficits because the economy is way too slow to finance such a large socialist government that Greece has. Which is why they are being forced to not only cut the size of the Greek Government but to reform it so the Greek people are doing more for themselves and being less dependent on the Greek Government to support their lives. 

But the good news is that with more privatization, comes more tax revenue to fund the things that the Greek Government should be doing for its people. So Greece right now needs to cut, reform and generate more economic growth, so more Greeks are working and collecting less public assistance.

Brave New Foundation: 'Former Prosecutor John Amabile- Drug Policy Kills More People Than The Drugs Themselves'

Source:Brave New Foundation- former Boston, MA prosecutor John Amabile.

"John Amabile was a prosecutor in Boston and saw the effects of the War on Drugs first-hand. What he saw confirmed that current policies aren't working. 

This is part of the SafeKeepers video series produced by the Beyond Bars campaign and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). ABOUT BRAVE NEW FILMS 

Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films (BNF) are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Greenwald and BNF create free documentary films that inform the public, challenge corporate media, and motivate people to take action on social issues nationwide. Brave New Films’ investigative films have shined a light on the Trump administration, voter suppression, U.S. drone strikes, the prosecution of whistleblowers, and Wal Mart’s corporate practices. BNF's mission is to champion social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation and makes a difference." 

From Brave New Foundation 

If you add up all of the people we lose in the War on Drugs, from people who get shot in the streets over it or even get shot by law enforcement officer prosecuting this so-called War or the people we lose to prison each year who never come out the same as when they went in and generally come out worse or better criminals then when they went in, it wouldn't surprise me that we lose every year more people to the so-phony War on Drugs, then we lose people to illegal narcotics in America. 

The War on Drugs is really more a war on people who use or sell illegal narcotics. We arrest and put people away and in a lot of case for long sentences for simply possessing or using illegal narcotics. We arrest and lockup people for what they do to themselves and we arrest and lockup people for selling illegal narcotics, selling a product that we clearly have a large market for in America or we wouldn't be fighting this so called war for now over forty years and working with other countries to keep these illegal narcotics out of the country in the first place.

How America deals with narcotics should be done with two principles in mind: freedom of choice meaning that adults are smart enough to make these decisions for themselves instead of Uncle Sam making these decisions for them and that regulation and taxation would be a better way to control. narcotics, then locking up people for what they do to themselves which is wrong on many levels. 

Rehabilitation for the users of narcotics who are addicted, not incarceration, unless they commit another felony while under the influence. I'm not say I'm for full legalization of narcotics in America, but taxation, regulation and decriminalization would be a much more effective approach.

Al Jazeera: Official Promise Fails to Halt China Protests

Source:Al Jazeera covering the People's Republic of China.

"This article is about the Arabic-language TV channel. For the network's sister channels, see Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Balkans, and Al Jazeera Mubasher. For their parent company and the media conglomerate of Qatar, see Al Jazeera Media Network. For other uses, see Jazira (disambiguation).

For the geographical region with the same Arabic name, see Upper Mesopotamia.

Al Jazeera

The patent holding is a "private foundation for public benefit" under Qatari law.[3] Under this organizational structure, the parent receives funding from the Qatari government while maintaining nominal editorial independence.[4][5] At the onset of the Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017, several national governments of the Arab League called for the closure of the entire Al Jazeera conglomerate as part of a list of thirteen demands that were presented to the Qatari government in exchange for re-normalized relations.[6] Al Jazeera has been accused of pushing "Qatari propaganda" by many countries and organizations, including those in the Arab world." 

From Wikipedia

Good to see the Chinese being able to protest anything, in that gigantic, Communist state.

NBC News: Lyndon Johnson’s Last Day as President (1969)

Source:Mike Gardner- President Lyndon B. Johnson, leaving The White House in 1969. 

Source:The Daily Journal

“LBJ’s last day as President …as reported on 1/20/1969 (Nixon’s first day as president.)” 

From Mike Gardner

I’m guessing Lyndon Johnson was ready to leave the presidency and had enough. 1966, was a really rough year for President Johnson and the Johnson Presidency. House Democrats, lose over forty seats in the House and three in the Senate because of the Vietnam War and how unpopular it was. Plus with the Republican Party and House Republicans, finally figuring out how to campaign and win in the South, Richard Nixon of course was a huge help there and he campaigned for a lot of House Republicans and House Republican candidates and did that in the South. Which helped him with his 1968 presidential campaign with all of these new Freshman Republican Representatives, who now owed him favors.

1967, the war gets even worst for the Johnson Administration in Vietnam. And now he’s having a lot of problems with his own party in Congress. Starting with Senate Democrats holding Vietnam War hearings that started in 1965, but continued through the next Congress in 1967.

In 1967 several Senate Democrats are now weighing presidential bids against their party leader in President Johnson. Like Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern. The anti-war movement and the New-Left emerges in the late 1960s. And they’re against President Johnson and calling him a war criminal, and war monger and a few things that you can’t say on network TV, even today.

1968, was the topper with LBJ now being the most unpopular elected politician in America. And now there’s talk if he can even win the Democratic nomination for president, let alone with the presidency against Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller, or George Romney, in the Republican Party.

By March 1968, President Johnson decides that he’s had enough and doesn’t want to run for reelection and announces that to the country. But 1968 is just getting started with two great political leaders, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin King, both being assassinated. There racial riots in Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles.

The Democratic Party, is now divided between their mainstream Progressives, which LBJ represents and their Far-Left. LBJ, was really smart not to run for reelection in 1968.

Al Jazeera: 'Longer Lives For Women Smokers Who Quit Early'

Source:Al Jazeera- talking about smoking tobacco in Britain. Holy smokes, Batman! Tobacco is actually bad for you. LOL

"Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة Al-Jazīrah [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ], lit. 'The Peninsula') is a Qatari state-owned[a] Arabic-language international news television network. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

The patent holding is a "private foundation for public benefit" under Qatari law.[3] Under this organizational structure, the parent receives funding from the Qatari government while maintaining nominal editorial independence.[4][5] At the onset of the Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017, several national governments of the Arab League called for the closure of the entire Al Jazeera conglomerate as part of a list of thirteen demands that were presented to the Qatari government in exchange for re-normalized relations.[6] Al Jazeera has been accused of pushing "Qatari propaganda" by many countries and organizations, including those in the Arab world." 

From Wikipedia 

From Al Jazeera

As someone whose not even a prohibitionist, who doesn't even think that possession and usage of current illegal narcotics, for people who are 21 or over, should be illegal in America, who does believe in a high degree of personal freedom (as long as it comes with personal responsibility) I think this is this the way to go when it comes to tobacco. Educate smokers about the dangerous habit and regulate it, to discourage it. But don't legally punish people for simply hurting themselves. 

Alba Gu Brath: Grace Kelly- 'The American Princess'

Source:Alba Gu Brath- The Amazing Grace Kelly.

Source:The Daily Journal

"Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 -- September 14, 1982) was an American Academy Award-winning actress and Princess consort of Monaco. In April 1956 Kelly married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and became styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and was commonly referred to as Princess Grace."

From Alba Gu Brath 

The United States has never really ever had official princess’s. The closest we get to that, is the First Lady of the United States, of course the wife of the President of the United States. And in many ways our First Lady, plays the role of a Princess. Someone without official power as it relates to government, but someone who represents the country wherever they go and does have the power to focus on causes she believes in. And push for things to advance whatever cause they believe in. Without the ability to officially require the President or Congress to draft legislation in behalf of their cause.

But the First Lady can bring attention and awareness to whatever cause or causes they believe in. With First Lady Michelle Obama its fighting against obesity in America. for First Lady Nancy Reagan it was fighting against illegal narcotics and drug abuse. But Grace Kelly is about the closest America has ever produced in coming up with a private Princess. Someone who possessed incredible beauty, hotness, (to be blunt or more accurate) baby-face adorable looks, incredible sex appeal. As well as the ability to act and sing and work with some of the best people who’ve ever worked in show business. 

Thom Hartmann: 'Greece’s New Americanized Health Care System'

Source:Russia Today- Thom Hartmann's talk show, on President Vladimir Putin's Russia Today.

"Just when the austerity-ravaged people of Greece thought things couldn’t get any worse for them, their universal healthcare system is dismantled and turned into an American-style death system.

As the New York Times reports this week, the Greek healthcare system that ensured coverage for all of its citizens before the financial crisis hit has today been completely decimated by Conservative technocrats and austerity-pushers.

In the past, Greece provided universal care thanks to employers, individuals, and the government contributing to a fund to administer medical services to the entire population. Even those Greeks who lost their jobs still received health benefits for one year, and after those benefits expired, Greece made sure those individuals still received the healthcare they needed at no cost to them.

But then, as we all know, the banksters swept into Greece and swindled the country. And when the global financial markets went bust, Greece was left with a debt crisis and the banksters demanded ALL of their failed investments back. So the banksters decided to suck whatever money they could out of Greece’s social services, in particular, its healthcare system.

So in July of 2011, the banksters and technocrats put up their demands. They said they’d give Greece a bailout to ward off complete collapse, but in return they wanted a big chunk of the money that was being used to treat sick Greek citizens. Under pressure from the entire Eurozone, Greece agreed to the deal.

And for the first time, unemployed Greeks who had lost their health benefits now had to pay out of their own pocket for any medical care they needed. If that sounds familiar to you, it’s because that’s essentially how our healthcare system works today. If you don’t have a job, and you don’t have healthcare, you’re on your own.

And while Conservatives here tout our healthcare system as the best in the world – even though every international study disproves this claim – the Greek people are horrified with that they now have to deal with: Americanized healthcare.

As Dr. Kostas Syrigos, the head of Greece’s largest oncology department told the Times, “We are moving to the same situation that the United States has been in, where when you lose your job and you are uninsured, you aren’t covered.”

Today, that’s the case for roughly half of Greece’s 1.2 million long-term unemployed workers.

As reported by the Times, one of those unemployed workers is a woman named Elena who was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, but under the new Greek law could not receive any medical care because her benefits had expired and she had no money. Without treatment, her cancer grew to the size of an orange and broken through her skin leaving a gaping wound. At this point, any sort of medical treatment for Elena was hopeless. She was, essentially, given a death sentence by the banksters.

After seeing Elena, Dr. Syrigos told the Times, “Things like that are described in textbooks, but you never see them because until now, anybody who got sick in this country could always get help…In Greece right now, to be unemployed means death.”

The same is true in the United States right now where being unemployed and being sick is literally a death sentence in the American healthcare system. As a 2009 study by Harvard University found, 45,000 Americans die every single year because they lack health insurance.

The difference between the United States and Greece is we’ve never had a universal healthcare system that covers everyone like Greece has. So when we hear that tens of thousands of Americans die because they don’t have health insurance – plus thousands more who are condemned to death by for-profit health insurance death panels denying treatment – most Americans shrug it off as just the way things work here.

And there are those like Mitt Romney who say, “We don’t have people that become ill, who die in their apartment because they don’t have insurance…No, you go to the hospital, you get treated, you get care, and it’s paid for.” Unfortunately, that’s only after your cancer has grown to the size of an orange and ruptured through your skin and you’re already well into your death sentence. That’s the sort of ignorance you’d expect from a Plutocrat who resides in a different United States than the rest of us.

That’s why we should all be paying close attention to how the Greek people handle their new Americanized healthcare system, because it will give us a clue as to what we as Americans, living in the wealthiest nation on the planet, should be demanding from our government when it comes to health services.

In the face of rising unemployment, lost pensions, and skyrocketing suicide rates, we’ve seen Greek workers pour into the streets demanding an end to austerity. And now, faced with a new healthcare system like ours that doesn’t care for the nation’s most vulnerable, then expect those protests to grow even fiercer.

It’s still unclear what the endgame will be for Greece in its fight against Conservative austerity. But they certainly won’t go down without a fight. And it’s time for us in the United States to at least begin our fight for universal healthcare."

This article is from TruthOut

Maybe Greece will move to design their health care system like France, where the French get to decide for themselves how and who they pay for their health care, as long as they pay for it. Meaning they pay for their health insurance and they have the choice of buying the public option. Which is what Democrats wanted to do in America in 2009-10. Or they can purchase private health insurance. 

The fact is there is no such thing as free health care. You pay for it out-of- pocket, or you purchase health insurance, you pay for it out of your savings or you pay for it through taxes. But the fact is you pay for your health care and its just a matter of how you pay for it. And maybe this will give the Hellenic Republic of Greece and opportunity to realize that their socialist government is simply too big and there's a limit to what the Greek Government can do for its people with their money. And they'll empower Greeks to be able to make more decisions with their own lives.

The Nation: Buddy Roemer: 'Banks Need to Put the Customer First'

Source:The Nation- 2012 Reform Party nominee for President Governor Buddy Roemer.

"The repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 paved the way for big banks to gamble with customer money, and eventually trigger the biggest financial crisis in the US since the Great Depression, says former Louisiana governor and Republican presidential candidate Buddy Roemer. "I'm not against large," Roemer says about banking practices in the country, "What I'm against is dumb. What I'm against is greed. What I'm against is the banker first and the customer second. It ought to be reversed." 

From The Nation

Governor Roemer is sort guilty of stating the obvious here but he's correct. Big banks need to put their customers first, or least calculate them in their profit motive thinking. And then they'll make more money at the end of the day, because more people would want to do business with them.

Mitt Romney: 'Big Day Marred by Etch A Sketch Remark'

Source:CNN- Ann Romney vs Rick Santorum.

Source:The Daily Journal 

"Mitt Romney picked up a highly prized endorsement Wednesday from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush after a convincing victory the night before in the Illinois primary but then saw a top adviser’s televised comment provide new ammunition to his trailing rivals in the Republican presidential race.

Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney’s senior campaign adviser, was asked in a CNN interview Wednesday morning whether the former Massachusetts governor had been forced to adopt conservative positions in the rugged race that could hurt his standing with moderates in November’s general election.

“I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes,” Fehrnstrom responded. “It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again.”  

From CNN 

"For a candidate who has spent months battling the title of "flip-flopper," perhaps the last thing he would want associated with his name is an Etch A Sketch, those do-over drawing boards that let you shake your scribbles away with the flick of a wrist.

Unfortunately Mitt Romney won't be able to shake away this comparison any time soon. When his campaign spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom was asked this morning on CNN how the GOP frontrunner would make the pivot to the general election, Fehrnstrom compared Romney's primary campaign to an Etch A Sketch, a gaffe that spread like wildfire to Romney's rival's stump speeches." 

Source:ABC News- 2012 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

From ABC News 

A President Mitt Romney and I doubt this would ever happen, but if it did it would be better for comedians. Because he's a gaffe and flip-flopping machine, that would provide comedians and bloggers mountains of material to make fun of him. 

Every comedian in America should endorse Mitt Romney for president for their own careers. Because they would make all the material they had against George W. Bush look as original as the New York Yankees winning the World Series, or Lebron James playing in the NBA Finals and losing. Because when it comes to taking political positions for Mitt, it depends on which group he's talking to and which Mitt is speaking to that group. 

Businessman Mitt, religious fundamentalist Mitt, or whoever Mitt is when he's not running for whatever political office he's interested in at the time.

The fact that someone like Mitt Romney who flips backs and forth more often than tennis balls at a tennis match, could win the Republican nomination for president, is like a quarterback winning the starting position for an expansion team: "Since no one else seriously tried out and you haven't done any time in any mental institutions and don't see same-sex marriage as a threat national security, we'll give the job to you. And good luck to you as we're more interested in 2016 anyway. When we might have at least on candidate who can actually win." 

Mitt Romney won the GOP presidential nomination, because he seemed like the only person who was sane to the GOP establishment and would embarrass them the least and not cost them the House of Representatives. Which they can't afford to lose in 2012.

So yeah, a President Mitt Romney (I'm shitting bricks just saying that) would have been great for comedy and blogging interesting. Especially bloggers who right comedy and I'm one of them. But bad for the American people, because for them to have any idea what their President thinks about any issue, they would have to listen and read every single he says. Because his positions could change the next time he opens his mouth about anything depending on who he's talking too. And what the polls in the Republican Party are saying.

President Romney Senior Adviser- "Aw Mr. President, your current position on that issue is not popular."

President Romney- "Okay, I'll change it."

Senior Adviser- "But you just took that position yesterday."

"Romney-  "So what! I'm speaking to Americans. Their memories aren't that long anyway."

That is what a President Romney would be like. Who knows what the President, because he doesn't even know. Great for comedy, but bad for the country. 

Ora TV: '2012 Third Party Presidential Debate'

Source:Ora TV- with the 2012 third party debate.

"The entire 2012 Third Party Presidential Debate with participants Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode, & Justice Party candidate Rocky Anderson. 

The debate was moderated by Larry King & hosted by the Free And Equal Elections Foundation at the Hilton Chicago. Topics discussed include war on drugs, legalization of marijuana, foreign policy, civil liberties, economy, education reform, government reform, domestic policy, & more." 

From Ora TV

I'm not trying to take credit for this but I did suggest in at least a couple of posts the last few weeks that networks should be hosting president debates made up of the third party candidates. Because we do need more choice in this huge country of 320M people, thats as politically diverse as we are and are all over the political spectrum.

CBPP: Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go?

Source:CBPP- talking about the U.S. Federal budget.

"The Center's Tax Policy Analyst, Chye-Ching Huang, and Director of Federal Tax Policy, Chuck Marr, discuss where our federal tax dollars go.  Topics include defense and international security assistance, Social Security, and health insurance and safety net programs.  

Chuck Marr, "Obviously, paying taxes is an obligation.  It's not always fun.  But I think as you've seen in this video if you step back and think about where your tax dollars go -- whether it's for gear for a soldier, whether it's to provide a new hip to an elderly person, or a college scholarship to a kid to be the first person in his family to go to college -- I think you'll feel a little bit better."

From the Center On Budget & Policy Priorities

Our Federal tax revenue goes to pay for defense, entitlements, and payments to on our national debt. Thats what most of the Federal budget funds, with money left over to cover things like education, agriculture assistance, environmental protection, and other programs.

The Daily Beast: The Kings of Pot

Source:The Daily Beast- left to right: John Avlon & Tony Dokoupil.

"The election isn't the only big vote in two U.S. states this year. On today's NewsBeast, Tony Dokoupil talks with host John Avlon about his Newsweek cover story about marijuana growers who cash in if Colorado and Washington vote to make pot legal." 

From The Daily Beast

People turning out to vote for marijuana legalization, should favor President Obama, even though the President doesn't officially support marijuana legalization himself. But people who support this, tend to be young people who lean Democratic.

ABC News: Good Morning America: 'George McGovern Dead: Former US Senator, 1972 Presidential Candidate Dies At Age 90'

Source:ABC News- former U.S. Senator and 1972 Democratic Party nominee for President, George McGovern (Democrat, South Dakota)

"McGovern family spokesman releases news about former Senator's passing. 

ABC News: George McGovern Dies: Former US Senator from South Dakota Dead at 90

George McGovern, longtime senator from South Dakota and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee, died today at the age of 90, according to a statement from his family.

"At approximately 5:15 am this morning, our wonderful father, George McGovern passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by our family and life-long friends.

We are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace. He continued giving speeches, writing and advising all the way up to and past his 90th birthday, which he celebrated this summer," the statement said.

Service will be held in Sioux Falls according to the family.

McGovern's family issued a statement on Oct. 17 saying that the 90-year-old was "no longer responsive" in hospice care, the Associated Press reported." 

From ABC News

Al Jazeera: 'Significance of Cuba's Municipal Elections'

Source:Al Jazeera reporting on municipal democracy in Cuba.

"This weekend more than eight million Cubans will vote in municipal elections. Turnout is likely to be close to 100 per cent. But there is little in the way of campaigning. Angela Castillo has been a delegate since 2007. She explains what the election means to her and how the system works.

At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people's lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a 'voice to the voiceless.'

Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained.

Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on.

We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world's most respected news and current affairs channels." 

From Al Jazeera

"Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة Al-Jazīrah [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ], lit. 'The Peninsula') is a Qatari state-owned[a] Arabic-language international news television network. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

The patent holding is a "private foundation for public benefit" under Qatari law.[3] Under this organizational structure, the parent receives funding from the Qatari government while maintaining nominal editorial independence.[4][5] At the onset of the Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017, several national governments of the Arab League called for the closure of the entire Al Jazeera conglomerate as part of a list of thirteen demands that were presented to the Qatari government in exchange for re-normalized relations.[6] Al Jazeera has been accused of pushing "Qatari propaganda" by many countries and organizations, including those in the Arab world." 

From Wikipedia

Just the fact that Cuba is having elections at all, is a big deal, even if only Communists or Socialists can run for office.

As far as what the Cuban municipal delegate said in the video: she's obviously a supporter for the Communist Castro Regime in Cuba. So before you take anything that she says, even seriously. or anything that Al Jazeera reports, especially about western countries, I suggest you get some independent, honest, information first.

Democracy Now: Amy Goodman- 'As George McGovern Nears Death, How Antiwar Candidate Challenged Vietnam'

Source:Democracy Now- Senator George McGovern, running for President in 1972.

"In a Democracy Now! special, we look at the life and legacy of Sen. George McGovern, best known for running on an anti-war platform as the Democratic challenger to President Richard Nixon in the 1972 presidential election. A family spokesperson confirms the 90-year-old McGovern is no longer responsive and is "at the end stages of his life." He has been in hospice care in South Dakota since Monday, suffering from a combination of age-related medical conditions that have worsened in recent months.

McGovern ran against Nixon in 1972 on a platform of withdrawing U.S. troops from Vietnam, reducing defense spending, and providing amnesty to those who evaded the draft. Although he ultimately lost his election bid by a landslide, McGovern shattered the consensus in Capitol Hill around the Vietnam War as one of the first senators to speak out against the war. As a decorated World War II pilot who flew B-24 bombers over Nazi Germany, McGovern did not fit the stereotype of antiwar leaders in the 1960s and 1970s.

He is also known for transforming how the Democratic Party chooses its presidential nominee, and for his efforts to end world hunger.  We air an excerpt of a 2005 documentary about McGovern, "One Bright Shining Moment: The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern," narrated by Amy Goodman. Exploring McGovern's 1972 grassroots campaign for the presidency, the film features interviews with the candidate himself; supporters and activists like Gore Vidal, Gloria Steinem, Warren Beatty, Howard Zinn; and music from Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Donovan and Elvis Costello."

From Democracy Now

I wrote a blog post about Senator George McGovern a couple of months ago on his birthday but he's worth more than a few blog posts, because he was a true believer in democracy. Not so much liberal democracy, which is what I believe in but more like social democracy.

What I love about Senator McGovern is that he wanted democracy to work for everyone, that all Americans should be able to contribute to it, that we should all vote and that we should all have a stake and a role in democracy and that this was exactly what the Democratic Party should be working for to bring about and that they fad to capitalize on the civil rights battles of the 1960s, that produced all of those laws and to not only be able to communicate to majorities, but minorities as well. And tell them the Democratic Party should be your home.

Even though Senator McGovern only won around 39% of the vote in 1972, he brought in so many new Democrats to the party, that Jimmy Carter was able to capitalize on in 1976. Thats Senator McGovern's legacy, what he was able to do for the Democratic Party and democracy in general, bringing in all of these new voters.

Brave New Films: 'This Is What Happens When Latinos Don't Vote'

Source:Brave New Films with a look at Latin-American voters.

"The stakes in this election for the Latino community are at an all-time high. Instead, anti-immigrant rhetoric, electoral and issue mis-information has been increasingly latent.

This is a problem - while both sides are working hard to court the Latino votes - they are largely neglecting what is truly essential to our community in this country.

Instead of mobilizing Latino voters to the polls, there is a palpable effort and narrative that Latinos are simply "not enthusiastic" this time around. This is a lie.

"Latinos Don't Vote" is designed to bring these issue to the forefront of the political discussion in the last leg of this electoral season. We aim to both combat negative stereotypes about Latinos and prove that our community will go out and vote this November. 

“Pandemic of Hate: Anti-Asian Racism During COVID-19” 

This documentary exposes how Trump’s bigotry is inciting violence against Asian-Americans and putting lives at risk. 

Watch it here:   

 • Pandemic of Hate: Anti-Asian Racism D...  

“Voting By Mail Is Patriotic: Trump Exposed”

This documentary shines a light on Trump’s lies about voting by mail. Our military has been voting by mail safely and securely for 200 years! 

Watch it here:   

 • Voting By Mail Is Patriotic: Trump Ex...  

“Suppressed: The Fight To Vote” 

This documentary takes a deep dive into how Brian Kemp STOLE the 2018 Georgia governor’s election through voter suppression.  

Watch it here:   

 • Suppressed: The Fight To Vote - FULL ...  

“Trump Inc: Lining Their Pockets - White House For Sale”

The documentary exposes Trump and his administration for profiting off the presidency. 

Watch it here:   

 • Trump Inc: Lining Their Pockets - Whi...  

“Sentencing Reform: Part 1 - The Power of Fear”

This documentary investigates our racist criminal justice system and makes the case for why mass incarceration must come to an end. 

Watch it here:   

 • Sentencing Reform: Part 1 - The Power...  

From Brave New Films

When Latinos don't vote, the populist-right (who are stuck in the 1950s culturally, racially, and ethnically) who want to deport them and prevent them from coming into the country in the first place, come into power. If Latinos vote in 2012, they won't have to worry about that.

Thom Hartmann: Mike Papantonio: 'The Decline of Broadcast News in America'

Source:Thom Hartmann talking to left-wing radio talk show host Mike Papantonio.

Source:The Daily Journal

“Thom Hartmann talks with Mike Papantonio, attorney and Host of Ring of Fire Radio about the decline of broadcast news since Ronald Reagan did a way with the Fairness Doctrine and Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act.

If you liked this clip of The Thom Hartmann Program, please do us a big favor and share it with your friends… and hit that “like” button!” 

From Thom Hartmann

If as a country, we want to have strong broadcast news divisions, then Americans have to actually watch network news. Instead of just getting all of their info from cable or online.

We live in a liberal democracy, meaning people get to see what they watch. Rather than programming being forced on them. You can’t force people to do what is in their best interest and make the best decisions for themselves in a free society. Which is what a liberal democracy is.

We have a First Amendment which includes our free press (meaning not controlled by the government) and that means our private media is owned privately. Which means our broadcast networks, including their news divisions have to make money in order to stay in business. Unlike big government propaganda agencies that you see in communist countries that are literally owned and operated by the party in power and the government.

So for hard news to be seen and read in America, Americans actually have to watch and read that news coverage, otherwise it won’t make money and put the operating budgets of news companies, including news divisions, at risk. We get all the soft news and partisan news coverage in this country, because that’s what American watch, listen to and read and what makes money in this country. 

Russia Today: "Housing Boom is Back'

Source:Russia Today is part of President Vladimir Putin's media empire.

"RT (formerly Russia Today or Rossiya Segodnya) (Russian: Россия Сегодня)[9] is a Russian state-controlled[1] international news television network funded by the Russian government.[16][17] It operates pay television and free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in Russian, English, Spanish, French, German and Arabic.

RT is a brand of TV-Novosti, an autonomous non-profit organization founded by the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti in April 2005.[8][18] During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, included ANO "TV-Novosti" on its list of core organizations of strategic importance to Russia.[19][20][21] RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (2010–2022),[22][23] RT UK (2014–2022) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the Ruptly video agency,[5] which owns the Redfish video channel and the Maffick digital media company.[6][7]

RT has regularly been described as a major propaganda outlet for the Russian government and its foreign policy.[2] Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation[58] and conspiracy theories.[65] UK media regulator Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast "materially misleading" content.[72]

In 2012, RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan compared the channel to the Russian Ministry of Defence.[73] Referring to the Russo-Georgian War, she stated that it was "waging an information war, and with the entire Western world".[17][74] In September 2017, RT America was ordered to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[75]

RT was banned in Ukraine in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea;[76] Latvia and Lithuania implemented similar bans in 2020.[77][78] Germany banned RT DE in February 2022.[79] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland and then the entire European Union as well as Canada announced they were formally banning RT as well, while independent service providers in over 10 countries suspended broadcasts of RT.[80][81][82] Social media websites followed by blocking external links to RT's website and restricting access to RT's content.[83][84] Microsoft removed RT from their app store and de-ranked their search results on Bing,[85][86] while Apple removed the RT app from all countries except for Russia." 

From Wikipedia

Russia Today, actually reporting on good news for America: the  housing boom is back. Well, sort of and then they add a leftist doom and gloom slant to it.

This post was updated 9/06/2023.

The Nation: Patricia Williams: 'Paul Ryan's Libertarian America'

Source:The Nation- Patrica Williams with an outerspace view of Representative Paul Ryan. She might be trying to scare left-wingers to vote for President Obama. But that's a guess.

"After four years, many voters haven't quite seen the "change" they were hoping for from an Obama presidency. But a Republican takeover of the oval office would mean the reversal of every policy battle progressives have won—from the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell to the Affordable Care Act. Nation columnist Patricia Williams says Mitt Romney's choice of running mate, the Ayn Rand-inspired Paul Ryan, reveals the GOP candidate's "slow march to the right." 

From The Nation

Al Jazeera: 'Anger At Privatization of British Healthcare'

Source:Al Jazeera- with a look at Britain's health care system.

"If you were describing a country in which state assets are sold off to private investors who have close economic ties with the government then many people would think you'd be talking about a country in the post-Soviet era.

That's the charge health campaigners are levelling against private investors in Britain who are increasingly running hospitals.

Al Jazeera's London correspondent Laurence Lee has the latest in our "Selling off Britain" series." 

From Al Jazeera

"Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة Al-Jazīrah [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ], lit. 'The Peninsula') is a Qatari state-owned[a] Arabic-language international news television network. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

The patent holding is a "private foundation for public benefit" under Qatari law.[3] Under this organizational structure, the parent receives funding from the Qatari government while maintaining nominal editorial independence.[4][5] At the onset of the Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017, several national governments of the Arab League called for the closure of the entire Al Jazeera conglomerate as part of a list of thirteen demands that were presented to the Qatari government in exchange for re-normalized relations.[6] Al Jazeera has been accused of pushing "Qatari propaganda" by many countries and organizations, including those in the Arab world." 

From Wikipedia

See, leftists, even Socialist Britain has private healthcare. Get use to it, not every developed nation in the world have state-run health care system. Universal health care, simply means universal access to healthcare. Doesn't explain how thats accomplished.

The Real News: Phyllis Bennis: 'Sanctions Against Iranian Banks is Economic Warfare'

Source:The Real News Network with a look at American & European sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Phyllis Bennis: Excluding Iranian banks from the SWIFT system of interbank transfers helped cause a devaluation of Iranian currency and great hardship for ordinary people." 

From The Real News

If you are familiar with the term collateral damage, you know the consequences of economic sanctions. When a rogue state, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, is sponsoring private terrorists organizations, that target the West, you have to expect the European Union, United Kingdom, and the United States, are going to have real issues with that and will respond with real consequences against that rogue regime. 

When a rogue regime first decides whether to not to take action, like sponsoring private terrorists groups, to hit western targets, or western allies in the Middle East, they first decide if their regime, not the people, can afford the negative reactions that will come from their sponsorship of terrorism. 

Phyllis Bennis is right about one key point here: it's not the Iranian theocratic regime that's suffering from western sanctions against Iran. It's the people that are suffering from the bad decisions of their own government (as I would put it) and the international sanctions that have come as a result. But the Iranian regime probably already took into the costs of their sponsorship of terrorism, before they decided to do that and decided it was worth it for their regime, even if their people can't afford it.

Russia Today: Thom Hartmann: 'Now Ireland is Nationalizing the Banks'

Source:Russia Today anchor Thom Hartmann.

"Thom Hartmann will be leaving The Big Picture TV show (on RT TV and Free Speech TV) at the end of September. We’ve had a great run with The Big Picture and earlier this summer we decided to discontinue that evening show so we could focus more directly on our daily 3-hour midday show, The Thom Hartmann Program. 

Having complete editorial control over a TV show syndicated internationally into more than 700 million homes was a great (and rare) opportunity.  We worked hard not to do "sports" or "soap opera" when covering politics, and instead focus on issues; we believe we accomplished a lot in that regard.  We're grateful to RT for the opportunity, and for fully honoring our contractual independence at all times.

You’ll still be hearing and seeing me on The Thom Hartmann Program, which is growing weekly in the noon-3 PM ET daypart." 

From Thom Hartmann

"Hartmann hosted a one-hour daily TV show at 7 pm. ET Monday to Friday, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, which was editorially directed by his wife and was broadcast from the Washington, D.C., studios of the RT America news network. The show featured many conservative guests who routinely sparred with Hartmann. Hartmann co-produced the program with RT, who provided studio and carriage, while Hartmann retained full editorial control of his programming. The RT network aired the program via Dish Network, DirecTV, and on selected local-origination and public-access television cable TV channels globally.[31] After hosting the program for seven years, Hartmann announced his departure as host on September 29, 2017." 

From Wikipedia 

This post was updated 8/28/2023. Since Russia Today is no longer broadcasted in America because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I don't have what Thom Hartmann said about Ireland and their banks back in 2012.

Russia Today: The Big Picture With Thom Hartmann- 'Why Bhutan Did The Opposite of Privatization'

Source:Russia Today- Thom Hartmann doing his nightly talk show on President Vladimir Putin's Russia Today.

"Let's think about what's going on in the United States right now...Everywhere you look - the profit motive is replacing the public good. What used to be our commons: our education systems, our roads and bridges, our social safety nets, our prisons, our water and power systems, you name it - they are all being devoured by billionaires and their for-profit corporations. And they only have one motive - to make higher and higher quarterly profits.

 

So with the privatization of water facilities in Detroit - it's no longer a question of, "How water can be supplied to the most residents in the best way possible?" - it's now a question of, "How can the basic human need for water be used to turn a profit?" With the privatization of prisons in places like Ohio and Arizona - it's no longer a question of "How we can administer our criminal justice system for the good of the society?" - but, rather, "How we can lock up more and more Americans to increase profits?" 

 

 And with the privatization of education - which can be seen in the push for charter schools and billionaire-funded Hollywood movies - it's no longer a question about, "How we can educate our kids to be leaders in the new economy?" - but, rather, "How we can shuffle kids in and out of classes in the most profitable way possible?" The Republican Party has pushed privatizing Social Security since the thirties, and privatizing Medicare since the sixties. Our food supply is now increasingly dominated by one private corporation - Monsanto - that is peddling genetically modified foods that scientific tests have proven to be unhealthy in lab animals - but are extremely profitable." 

From Thom Hartmann 

"RT (formerly Russia Today or Rossiya Segodnya)[10] is a Russian state-controlled[1] international television network funded by the tax budget of the Russian government.[17][18] It operates pay television or free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, and Russian.

RT is a brand of TV-Novosti, an autonomous non-profit organization founded by the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti in April 2005.[8][19] During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, included ANO "TV-Novosti" on its list of core organizations of strategic importance to Russia.[20][21][22] RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (since 2010),[23] RT UK (since 2014) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the Ruptly video agency,[5] which owns the Redfish video channel and the Maffick digital media company.[6][7]

RT has regularly been described as a major propaganda outlet for the Russian government and its foreign policy.[2] Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation[58] and conspiracy theories.[64] UK media regulator Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast "materially misleading" content.[71]

In 2012, RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan compared the channel to the Russian Ministry of Defence.[72] Referring to the Russo-Georgian War, she stated that it was "waging an information war, and with the entire Western world".[18][73] In September 2017, RT America was ordered to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[74]

RT was banned in Ukraine in 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea;[75] Latvia and Lithuania implemented similar bans in 2020.[76][77] Germany banned RT DE in February 2022.[78] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland and then the entire European Union announced they were formally banning RT as well, while independent service providers in over 10 countries suspended broadcasts of RT.[79][80] Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube followed by blocking RT's social media content from being accessed in the European Union,[9][81] while Microsoft removed RT from their app store and de-ranked their search results on Bing.[82][83] Apple has removed the RT News app from all countries except for Russia." 

From Wikipedia 

Unless we hire a group, agency, or department of mind-readers (you might need to go to another planet (not just mentally) to find those people, I don't know how you judge people by whether they're happy or not. 

The reason why we look at countries based on how they're doing economically (economic growth, gross national product, unemployment, poverty, education, cost of living, national debt, etc) because that's how you know how a country is doing because there's evidence and factual data that backs up and makes it clear how a country is doing. We can know how a country is doing economically based on a criteria that I just laid out. 

But anyone can say they're happy and perhaps they can back that up as well, but unless you can actually get into someone else's head and read their minds, you'll never know for sure. But we can always judge countries about how they're doing economically. 

Al Jazeera: Muhammad Tumi Talks About Libyan Politics

Source:Al Jazeera talking about Libya.

"Muhammad Tumi, a member of the General National Congress in Libya, talks about the sacking of prime minister Mustafa Abu Shagur." 

From Al Jazeera

"Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة Al-Jazīrah [æl (d)ʒæˈziːrɐ], lit. 'The Peninsula') is a Qatari state-owned[a] Arabic-language international news television network. It is based in Doha and operated by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

The patent holding is a "private foundation for public benefit" under Qatari law.[3] Under this organizational structure, the parent receives funding from the Qatari government while maintaining nominal editorial independence.[4][5] At the onset of the Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017, several national governments of the Arab League called for the closure of the entire Al Jazeera conglomerate as part of a list of thirteen demands that were presented to the Qatari government in exchange for re-normalized relations.[6] Al Jazeera has been accused of pushing "Qatari propaganda" by many countries and organizations, including those in the Arab world." 

From Wikipedia

Generally in Europe, when the Prime Minister loses a no confidence vote in Parliament, new elections are held. Libya might be different and have a different way of replacing their chief executive.

Jim Morrison & The Doors: Live at The Hollywood Bowl (1968)

Source:Integral Options- The Lizard King Jim Morrison: Live At The Hollywood Bowl (1968)

Source:The Daily Journal

“Do they look a bit scruffy, the Doors on live Danish TV in 1968? My image of the Doors is forever colored by Oliver Stone’s The Doors. But the real Jim Morrison had even better hair than his doppelgänger Val Kilmer (“not a case of casting,” quoth Ebert, “but of possession”), even if the above performance is less Lizard King than lounge lizard. John Densmore lays back on the beat, gets out the way of Morrison’s free associative poetry. Guitarist Robbie Krieger riffs intently, looks subdued. Always the one to watch, the recently departed Ray Manzarek plays hypnotic baselines with his left hand while his right dances around melodic blue note phrases. It’s a very cool show, but the lack of an audience is palpable.”

From Integral Options

“Official live video of The Doors performing “When The Music’s Over” Hollywood Bowl in 1968.” 

Source:The Doors- The Lizard King Jim Morrison: Live At The Hollywood Bowl (1968)

From The Doors

I believe Live At The Hollywood Bowl, is the only full concert of The Doors, that's not just live, but live and in color, as if CBS, or some other broadcast network taped it and showed the concert. It's the only concert that's available to watch, that's in color, with Jim Morrison in his brown leather jeans and vest. It's his most famous concert, but the only one in color and with The Lizard King in his brown leather jeans, instead of his black leather jeans, where most his concert footage, he's in the black leathers. And it's also probably his sexiest concert, because you see him go all out in his leather jeans and cowboy boots, with the camera people missing nothing.

Source:The Doors- The Lizard King Jim Morrison: Live At The Hollywood Bowl (1968)

I’ve seen this concert several times and I’m no music expert, but I am a pretty big fan of The Doors especially Jim Morrison and I disagree with the critics about this concert at least to this degree. I don’t believe Morrison was as off as the critics believe he was. I think he did a great job with the vocals and how he entertained the audience in general especially the women, with how he danced and moved around and played around with his leather jeans.

If you watch the PBS film from 2010 about The Lizard King there is this line in it about how Morrison picked out his clothes. That his skin-tight leather pants, which were leather jeans and concho belt were about showing off and showcasing his crotch. And you see him messing around with his pants all through the concert and the camera zooming in on his crotch, butt and legs in those skin-tight jeans, throughout the concert.

Not the best Doors concert and not Morrison at his best. But it was classic Lizard King on the vocals dancing around and showing himself off. And a great chance to see Jim Morrison and The Doors live and in color and I just wish there were more opportunities for that. Especially since they were big in the late 1960s when color TV and movies were very common if not expected by then. It would’ve been nice had they filmed more of their concerts in color.