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Sunday, March 29, 2015

RE-POST: 15 Sobering Similarities Between Obama & Romney (11-5-12)


Bruce Dixon, managing editor of Black Agenda Report, in a recent article entitled "Closer Than You Think: Top 15 Things Romney and Obama Agree On" provided a list of the SIMILARITIES between Obama and Romney policies.
A distillation of Mr. Dixon's list:
15. Obama and Romney maintain that only the private sector can or should create jobs.
14. Medicare, Medicaid and social security need to be cut to relieve the “deficit”.
13. Climate change treaties and negotiations are to be avoided at all costs.
12. NAFTA-like “free trade” corporate rights agreements should continue to be established.
11. Banks and Wall Street speculators deserve bailouts and protection from criminal liability. Underwater and foreclosed homeowners deserve no moratoriums or help.
.
10. Palestinians should be occupied and dispossessed, Iran should be starved with sanctions and threatened with war, Cuba embargoed, and foreign policy should consist of bombing black and brown populations to expand global empire.
9. Africa should be militarized, destabilized, plundered, invaded by proxy armies or Western power aggression under the guise of “humanitarianism".
8. A US president can kidnap citizens of the US or any nation on the face of the earth and torture and indefinitely detain them or even murder them without trial.
7. Oil and energy companies and other mega-polluters may drill freely offshore almost everywhere, may be allowed to poison land and watersheds with fracking, etc.
6. The FCC should not regulate telecoms to ensure access to the poor or to guarantee network neutrality.
5. “Clean coal” and “safe nuclear energy” are to be promoted despite cancer epidemics and other environmental and medically devastating consequences.
4. Immigrants must be jailed and deported in record numbers, or locked up with little or no due process in atrocious privatized immigration prisons.
3. Private health care must benefit corporate vendors to obscene degrees at the sacrifice of accessible health care for all Americans.
2. There must be no minimum wage increases, no right to form unions, no right to negotiate or strike, no enforcement or reform of existing labor laws.
1. We must escalate the disastrous 40 year war on drugs and keep the prison industrial complex housing a shameful 2.3 million plus people continuing on.
 This is what Mr. Dixon came up with but, as he admitted in his comments section, there are additional (equally chilling) similarities to be added to the list.

VOTE GREEN PARTY -- JILL STEIN 
--------------
Thanks for posting this. I've already voted (for Jill Stein), but I know a lot of people haven't. There was a truly shocking interview on Radio New Zealand this morning about how Team Obama has been systematically monitoring potential voters' on-line viewing behavior to know who to ring and where to door knock. I posted a link to the interview on my blog, as well as to an article in The New Zealand Listener. Even mainstream commentators in New Zealand regard this as pretty sinister and cynical. There is also a lot of concern outside the US that this election won't be decided tomorrow because it will be so close - that there will be recounts and court challenges that will prevent Congress from making crucial decisions on the debt issues. People are really worried that the automatic budget cuts that will kick in will trigger an even deeper recession in the world's largest economy, with devastating results for all us small fry.
I'm a bit confused. Is this a joke? No one could believe this represents Obama's convictions. If you are serious, then this is simply silliness and surely not worthy of serious consideration.
Just a small sample but a good one. There's more where that came from!

They're both clowns!

As you say Vote Green!

For president and when possible for local offices!
Stuart, good for you. I am about to go vote for Stein. The data mining is very very troubling. And the corporate elite whoever wins will be carving up what is left of earned and deserved economic securities for us as citizens, because they can and they want it ALL and our representatives are bullied, bribed or blackmailed or simply crony lemmings and one percenters themselves.

When I joined the Green Party and I started endorsing and talking about Stein I had no doubt with the time we had and how wonderful Stein is she would become a household name by today. Especially considering how dire circumstances are with our economy and with all the vicious militarism by the US/NATO/Israel warmachine. And yet when I try to talk Stein up among most people in cyberworld or IRL it is like I am a visitor from Mars and they either have never heard of Stein, or more significantly the fact that the ENTIRE corporate media has never mentioned her (which is how much the corporate overlords fear her by NOT letting her get in the news, even after being arrested three times for important causes -- foreclosures, ineligibility to the national televised debates, and environmental survival).

So as far as I am concerned, we live in the proverbial banana republic. Free APPEARING BUT NOT IN REALITY elections if you vote for the PUPPET candidates who will not represent the serious needs of all citizens, won't even mention ALL citizens when they communicate. And for an exciting, dynamic candidate who is a real fighter and who is really smart and who has plans to help us all -- to employ us, to save our planet, to give us sustainable healthcare which won't bankrupt us, who will end murderous wars and believes in diplomacy and integrity and right makes right, not might makes right, she is not taken seriously by voters even to those who are hearing about her by an impassioned few of us.

Everybody is so cynical they decide that the best candidate won't be voted for because other citizens won't vote for them and they don't want to vote for a non-winner even if they are on their side because they want to believe that their lesser evil choice will be okay, and that takes so much serious denial, or that they need to snuff out the spirit of their fellow citizens for daring to dream and visualize repairing our broken democracy that as far as I can see is full out fascistic by this time or they must wait like good little automatons until the "idiot" box tells them they will be voting for whomever and they will bobbleheadedly nod and oblige. INVASION OF BODY-SOUL SNATCHER America!

We got punked by Obama in 2008 and I blamed Obama and the craven Democratic Party that had turned corporate totally -- Nader had been trying to tell us that but we all felt with the Bush horror that if only we could get the Dems back in power all would be right again with America. But no, the Dem Party had been destroying itself -- morphing itself into the Republican party -- to be competitive in an anything goes, throw out responsibility to the citizenry to keep the high stakes money game going.

Having been punked, we are REWARDING the punker by restoring him to power to give him all the more power to betray us and some of us have regressed to believing this time he will not punk us as much. Punking is really too mild a word. Not really a joke when you consider poverty, health crises and war. What a rude surprise it was when Obama started the assembly line of betrayals. And they continue. People can't even point to serious things to justify voting for him. Just the anti-Republican hysteria that he was obstructed. Obama didn't seriously TRY!!!! Hello?????

I know others are crying about the doom we will have with Romney and Ryan. No argument. I focus my attention on Obama because people seem to believe that Obama is superior to the other corporate overlord puppet and I have this thing about the denial of others that is dooming the world for me and my loved ones. No, Obama is just being more covert. As Stein says Romney is a wolf, Obama is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Ferocity of denial, ruthlessness of corporate overlords, power of media, and lack of integrity and courage of our politicians. The US is corrupt. As someone wrote people in other countries think we are deranged or hypnotized we are endorsing so much EVIL.

They must be right.

best, libby
desert rat -- so not joking and if you go back over my blogs I have blogged continuously on all the evidence of the list above and more about your "friend" Obama. Obama/Romney are a US citizenry's WORSE enemies. But the illusions/delusions of the "lesser evil" folk are ferocious, the bubble has turned bell jar. Harder, more brittle, and all the more bonded to unwarranted Democrat/Obama "exceptionalism." Our US citizenry's won't even go down fighting, they go down DENYING! best, libby
Zachd, thanks for commenting. It is black armband day for me. Not as much for the craven and shallow candidates that have a shot at winning and serving their corporate overlords in the destruction of the US citizenry, the citizens of the world and even the very planet, but a black armband to mourn the choice of millions of my fellow citizens who willfully and/or ignorantly turn their backs on the salvation of the US citizenry, planetary citizens and planet itself just to stay in their own short-term bell jar of denial and "truthiness" and cynicism and ego. Yeah, that is about the tragic -- or maybe PATHETIC is a more deserving adjective -- size of it.
best, libby
voting green is probably less danger to obama than crooked electronic machines, but if it makes you feel good, go right ahead. the only american issues that urgently concern people outside the usa are war, obama marginally better, environment, obama marginally better, and economy, obama much better. but vote green, if you think world salvation will come from electing your favorite aunt. it won't, but nothing will until the people who pay the bills make the decisions.
wow, al, how fast you came along with that wet blanket! my favorite aunt? CONDESCEND MUCH? so I left out above the too cool for school types from the faux-hard left, I guess, eh?

you should break down and read some of Jill Stein's actual ideas. but believing in a human being is just too pollyanna, eh? and her being a woman -- I'm wondering if some have trouble with that one though won't admit it I am sure -- though I'm thinking a woman is a great choice to fight a murderous patriarchy with. humanism. we need a paradigm shift to humanism. mlk was a humanist. rfk was becoming one. and jill stein IS one! and she could have gained traction except for incredible stubbornness and denial and ignorance and I am going to throw in EGO.

I guess I was minimizing the other front for Jill Stein's challenge. Those who would rather play ain't it awful to such a degree they want to snuff out those of us trying to find a solution with real human beings.

but apparently it makes YOU feel better to patronize me, and put me down! I thought we had a similar sensibility but was I naive which is clearly what you are saying.

More evidence of the circular firing squad of the left.

libby
ps do you know how "sexist" you were being, I'll call it out after all, to both me and Stein with that "aunt" remark???? Geeeeeez!!!!

Dissing Stein -- who has run without corporate money, who has been roughed up by the cops and arrested THREE TIMES in acts of civil disobedience. Who has an economic plan that dazzles when economists actually take a look at it. Who talks morality and justice. She is resourceful, committed and COURAGEOUS!

al, you jumped the shark for me with that disdain for someone who is role modeling the politics of courage.

libby
Yes. Thanks. Respect - I try to Not Express my ant-LIE, and anti-HATE views.
It wearies Mind - Please Know I Thank You, and Your Father-Friends anti-Deceit Creeps -
`
I listen to the Vain politicos and seem to Gasp. As in `I don't Breath -
very . . . . calm/peace -
Well. I sense Ill-nature.
Human Nature Be` Vain.
Human can Be Despicable.
A Human can Be a` EVIL.
`
I still Focus Upon` GOOD.
No Be Surrounded by` Moo-
Cow- politico's know-it-all-
as in-dullard's know hiccup?
`
as in?
`
We'd rather burp-hick's?
as in burp turnip-soups?
I did cook a Great-Soup.
`
Thanks. Never Dull @
Open Salon. We Wake.
I'll re-Read. Thank You.
It's Best To Be So Sober.
We Be Seeking a` Truths.
We Do Need` Eloquence.
I Believe I Go Be` Sleepy.
It's Been So` Wild` Here.
Yes. Thanks. Respect - I try to Not Express my ant-LIE, and anti-HATE views.
It wearies Mind - Please Know I Thank You, and Your Father-Friends anti-Deceit Creeps -
`
I listen to the Vain politicos and seem to Gasp. As in `I don't Breath -
very . . . . calm/peace -
Well. I sense Ill-nature.
Human Nature Be` Vain.
Human can Be Despicable.
A Human can Be a` EVIL.
`
I still Focus Upon` GOOD.
No Be Surrounded by` Moo-
Cow- politico's know-it-all-
as in-dullard's know hiccup?
`
as in?
`
We'd rather burp-hick's?
as in burp turnip-soups?
I did cook a Great-Soup.
`
Thanks. Never Dull @
Open Salon. We Wake.
I'll re-Read. Thank You.
It's Best To Be So Sober.
We Be Seeking a` Truths.
We Do Need` Eloquence.
I Believe I Go Be` Sleepy.
It's Been So` Wild` Here.
&
&
POKE-Kerry & Jake?
Why No Goes` Gin?
Yes. Thanks. Respect - I try to Not Express my ant-LIE, and anti-HATE views.
It wearies Mind - Please Know I Thank You, and Your Father-Friends anti-Deceit Creeps -
`
I listen to the Vain politicos and seem to Gasp. As in `I don't Breath -
very . . . . calm/peace -
Well. I sense Ill-nature.
Human Nature Be` Vain.
Human can Be Despicable.
A Human can Be a` EVIL.
`
I still Focus Upon` GOOD.
No Be Surrounded by` Moo-
Cow- politico's know-it-all-
as in-dullard's know hiccup?
`
as in?
`
We'd rather burp-hick's?
as in burp turnip-soups?
I did cook a Great-Soup.
`
Thanks. Never Dull @
Open Salon. We Wake.
I'll re-Read. Thank You.
It's Best To Be So Sober.
We Be Seeking a` Truths.
We Do Need` Eloquence.
I Believe I Go Be` Sleepy.
It's Been So` Wild` Here.
&
&
POKE-Kerry & Jake?
Why No Goes` Gin?
`
Salon/Open-Salon?
I Predict ` RUINS!~
You NO BE` Level!
Nice to see you, Art, though I am not sure exactly what you are trying to tell me. Will try to decipher further. best, libby
This is from Billy Wharton on dissident voice:

http://dissidentvoice.org/2012/11/obama-re-elected-the-fightback-begins/

"On the health care front, four more years of Obama will mean that the terms of his Obamacare legislation will be frozen into place. The possibility of re-initiating grassroots campaigning for single-payer health care will be mostly foreclosed until the causalities of this new system emerge en masse. Obama made sure to protect the pharmaceutical companies and further entrench private health insurers into the health care system. No wonder then that a major health care company such as Kaiser Permanente lavished more than $500,000 on the Obama campaign while ignoring Romney. Private health care companies were the real winners in the first Obama presidency and they will certainly consolidate these gains in the next four years. Poor and working class Americans will pay the price for this.

"And the same will be true as the hysteria about the “fiscal cliff” gets ramped up. This discussion will be the pretext for bringing the kinds of harsh austerity measures currently being enacted in Europe across the Atlantic to America. The Obama administration has already begun negotiations with Republican members of Congress for what they are calling a “compromise budget.” The compromise will entail cutting social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and social security in return for slightly higher taxation on the rich. Such cuts will bring the federal government in line with state and local governments who have been engaged in harsh budget cuts for the past four years. What once were called the “third rail” programs of American politics – Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security – will instantly be converted into a target for an Obama administration intent on slashing the federal budget.

"A second Obama term will also mean more of the same for foreign policy. Far from advancing a peace agenda, the Obama administration had intensified aspects of the military aggression in the Middle East initiated by George W. Bush and has, in some cases, accelerated the erosion of civil rights. The two symbols of this militaristic approach are the homicidal drone bombing campaign that Obama has personally overseen and Private Bradley Manning who currently sits in a military detention facility. The drones demonstrate that even if Obama slightly reduces the military budget, he will remain committed to using the military industrial complex as a tool to enforce American global interests even if this violates international human rights. Manning is Obama’s prisoner – a brave whistle blower who refused to comply with criminal military aggression. He stands as a permanent symbol of Obama’s war on civil rights and his case should be a point of struggle for left-wing activists.

"Finally, both Obama and Romney have almost entirely disregarded issues related to climate change. Obama’s administration has the advantage of actually recognizing that climate change exists. Yet, this has meant little in regards to either pro-environment legislation or even a shift to renewable energy sources. Obama’s environmental bankruptcy has been on vivid display during the periodic environmental disasters. He was asleep at the wheel during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, coddling the multinational corporate offenders at BP as they foot dragged through a clean up. More recently, he was purely reactive during Hurricane Sandy, offering consoling words, but nothing in the way of a strategic plan of action to ensure safety today and environmental balance in the future. Four more years of Obama will bring us no closer to this vision that lies at the heart of Eco-socialism."

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