Courtesy of the Guardian:
Conservative groups across the US are planning a co-ordinated assault against public sector rights and services in the key areas of education, healthcare, income tax, workers' compensation and the environment, documents obtained by the Guardian reveal.
The strategy for the state-level organisations, which describe themselves as "free-market thinktanks", includes proposals from six different states for cuts in public sector pensions, campaigns to reduce the wages of government workers and eliminate income taxes, school voucher schemes to counter public education, opposition to Medicaid, and a campaign against regional efforts to combat greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
The policy goals are contained in a set of funding proposals obtained by the Guardian. The proposals were co-ordinated by the State Policy Network, an alliance of groups that act as incubators of conservative strategy at state level.
The documents contain 40 funding proposals from 34 states, providing a blueprint for the conservative agenda in 2014. In partnership with the Texas Observer and the Portland Press Herald in Maine, the Guardian is publishing SPN's summary of all the proposals to give readers and news outlets full and fair access to state-by-state conservative plans that could have significant impact throughout the US, and to allow the public to reach its own conclusions about whether these activities comply with the spirit of non-profit tax-exempt charities.
The most dangerous animal in the forest is the one who has been mortally wounded and is fighting for their lives with their very last breath.
In many ways this describes the conservative movement was we have known it for the last fifty or sixty years.
They are older, whiter, and less progressive than the fastest growing part of the American population.
Eventually they will have to evolve to survive, but for right now they are simply going to use their vast financial resources to alter the political reality to fit their limitations.
If successful they can continue to have a negative impact on our progress for decades to come, which is why it falls to us to report on their behind the scenes manipulations and attempts to circumvent the legal obstacles standing in their way.
I'm doing my part, are you?
Speaking of "most dangerous animals", check out what Sarah Jones of PoliticusUSA is reporting the international press is saying about Sarah Palin:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2013/12/06/sarah-palin-traitor.html
This is a thoughtful, well written and worthwhile article to read.
DeleteTake the time to read and pass it around.
They called her a "Screaming FART"!!!
DeleteWe should send all our evidence to THEM so they will report on HER since US news is afraid too!
Now will she send her flying monkeys after Pravda?
"...Palin stands for a level of vitriolic, simmering revulsion so steeped in delusions of self-righteousness, it’s tough to swim to sanity once you’ve been washed in the blood of her particular lamb."
DeletePlease note that they also stuck a fork in McCain too toward the end of that fabulous article. It's about time.
Delete$arah claims she can see Russia from her front porch. Can we suppose she can now clearly see the handwriting on the wall, which reads "Buh bye, you grifting slut."?
Karma is a bigger bitch than even our dear $arah.
I loved this article, every word of it describes the pariah to a "Tee".
DeleteBREAKING NEWS
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin has been arrested!
In an early morning raid, the Fashion Police arrested Sarah for crimes against humanity. The officer said, Palin's clothing choices have caused people to scream, gag, throw up and pass out.
Gryphen you gotta see this:
ReplyDeletehttp://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/30-11-2010/115998-spankin_sarah-0/
; )
DeleteThey look friendly, benign even, but they attack at will and have the resources to devour their prey.
ReplyDeleteThat photo could easily be labelled "The Two Faces of Evil" and it would be perfectly appropriate.
HEY! Halloween is OVER! Quit posting such scary pictures of goblins and devils.
DeleteNow we will be having more nightmares...
They have built a regressive base since the success of civil rights legislation when they conceived and birthed the John Birch Society. Following generations of "Sons of Birchers" have never stopped adding to that base with the help of huge sums of their own tax deductible corporate largesse to feed the fear and paranoia of those felt threatened by societal changes. They are strictly out for their own enrichment, expansion of influence in political power and financial wealth, and they have masterfully played upon the base instincts of those who follow them. These "Masters of their Universe" are in it for nothing but their own benefits, even though every increase in power for themselves results in a further loss of influence in the political process by their befuddled, fearful followers.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, we must do ever more diligent research, not merely in federal elections, but especially in local School Boards, councils and judicial elections/appointments or confirmation of judges, as each will advance to eventually change the federal and eventually the Supreme Court which can and does change the direction of the Nation over the next generations.
It is "we the voters" who have permitted this build-up of regressive power by being over confident and possibly lazy, but we can, if we apply ourselves to some critical thinking/reading/teaching, change this very dismal picture. Let's Go!
Well said!!! Bottom line - Americans need to pay attention and get out there and vote!
DeleteI’m doing as much as my finances will allow, and I’m educating myself, which is why the hostesses run around saying “don’t talk politics.” If the conservatives start mouthing off, I’ll nail them, and everyone knows it.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say they look benign. The Koch brother on the left looks stoned and self indulgent. The one on the right relies on personality to deceive. And in both cases, an advanced state of entitlement.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, Jesse, I am. Thank you for the links you provide to help with that. They come to me, and I pass them on to others who also pass them on. The word gets out. Exposure happens. Contributions get made. Etc.
I read this yesterday at The Guardian site and forwarded it to the young people in my family. Took the time to explain the history and current function of The Guardian newspaper. Will ask them about it at upcoming holiday parties.
ReplyDeleteWith the speed and information 'density' of 21st century life, these evil-doers have perfected the ability to keep 'under the radar'. I believe they have Miss Sarah out there prancing around as an intentional distraction, though I doubt she has any idea of how she is being used. (Not sure Todd isn't in on it, though...very pimpish of him.)
It is ironic that they accuse 'us' of being the evil-doers, when it is them...always it is them. Take care and love each other; we are in for a rocky road. As we get to the darkest time of the year (for us in the Northern Hemisphere...there could be a very interesting philosophical discussion about the fact that so much of Western thought would be inverted if Europe was in the Southern Hemisphere...)
AT ANY TIME AND PLACE...Love each other.
Pagan, Christian, or A-theist, we can all agree on that.
Aurora
Don't you just love how we have to read this stuff in the Guardian? Our "liberal" corporate-owned media doesn't even report on threats to our democracy. I hope Charles and David spend a couple of their billions and have the same results as they did in the last election.
ReplyDeleteI vote, and encourage others to. That's about all we can do.
ReplyDeleteRemember that the Koch Brothers' father helped found The John Birch Society. They're using their inherited wealth to spread his "philosophy" throughout our great land.
ReplyDeleteWe threw off the extreme right wing once, and we must rally to do so again.
Creeps! John Birch Society Koch Brothers. Palin loves the brothers!
ReplyDeleteToday about noon Sarah upstages Nelson Mandela with help from her prisoner, Willow. ROFLMAOYSST
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152071422183588&set=a.10150723283643588.424640.24718773587&type=1
'...walking to interviews incognito in NYC yesterday snapped by Willow...'
Deletetranslated: boo-hoo! nobody recognized me!
Raphael Cruz is getting royally bashed by the Tea Pissers that he praised Mandela. Too bad Sarah didn't say it first. She's probably waiting to see which way the wind blows IF she says anything at all about Mandela. Coward.
ReplyDeleteIf Sarah Palin, her minions and teaparty loudmouths can successfuly unify & demand that Bashir be fired. . . well....... we better get fired up before it's too late!
ReplyDeleteYES! Organize.
DeleteIn California they are trying to pass a law that would allow cuts not only to the future pensions of present teachers but to the current pensions of teachers who have already retired.
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say? These people are beyond scum.
Needless to say there is much work being done by all of the public service sector workers to defeat these bills. We are being vigilant but right now I'd say even if they got put on a ballot, they have little chance of passing.
It sickens me these elitist 1%er cheap ass bastards want to screw over retired teachers who have already sacrificed the work careers with low pay and lousy working conditions so that other people's children can have the best education possible.
The only reason I'm still a Christian is so that I can pray that God will call the Koch brothers home as soon as possible, along with the rest of the fascist, stingy bastards that think this is good for the country and good for the people.
The only thing these policies are good for is their own bottom lines so they have a ready illiterate workforce they can abuse and can lower their taxes further so they can suck up more money to widen the income gap even further.
There are no words negative enough to describe these assholes. Well, there are, but I can't use them here.
Sarah Palin: ‘Angry atheists’ are trying to ‘abort Christ from Christmas’
ReplyDeletewww.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/06/sarah-palin-angry-atheists-are-trying-to-abort-christ-from-christmas/
"Palin said Jefferson would likely agree that secularists had set their sights on destroying the religious themes in Christmas celebrations.
“He would recognize those who would want to try to ignore that Jesus is the reason for the season, those who would want to try to abort Christ from Christmas,” she said. “He would recognize that, for the most part, these are angry atheists armed with an attorney. They are not the majority of Americans.”
Palin said there was a double standard that protected atheists at the expense of the religious."
This is either inexcusable ignorance or a disgusting attempt to recreate Jefferson in the religious right's image so our freedom of/from religion, protected only by the separation of church and state, can be undermined and eliminated.
DeleteIt is no surprise that the wealthy are trying to reclaim their robber-baron status of the late 19th century and reduce the rest of us to serfs.
ReplyDeleteThe ruling-class would like nothing better than to undo eight decades of progress such as minimum-wage, Social Security, Medicare, paid vacations, paid holidays, the 40-hour work week, pensions, access to health-care, etc.
What IS surprising is the number of sheep that are gladly willing to walk right in to be shorn and butchered.
They're using the "be grateful you have a job" to keep the sheep in line. That's why they're obstructing every effort to lower the jobless rate, raise the minimum wage and are eroding as many worker's rights as possible.
DeleteThey must keep the serfs scared and hungry and living on the edge in order to control them. They control the media and so are able to brainwash them into buying into these regressive laws. "If you vote to raise the minimum wage, you'll lose your job."
They're using the same scare tactics against Obamacare, claiming it will kill jobs.
At the article on Raw Story web-site, covering this topic, I posted the following comment:
ReplyDelete'I think 'they' have her [Sarah Palin] out there prancing around as a distraction; not only to rile up her followers but to siphon off and deflate opposition outrage, energy and resolve. Not sure she is aware how she is being used...
I look at her, read an article...experience a self-satisfied spasm of scorn and judgement and the energy of justifiable anger at what she embodies has been dissipated. Sub-consciously, 'energetically', I am
neutralized. Very clever politics.
Very Machiavellian!'
I had not realized that insight into her 'function' as a distraction until I wrote that comment. Just thought I would share it with the IM family as food for thought...
Aurora
I am doing my part
ReplyDeleteTo support the SPN agenda
REPEAL OBAMACARE
IMPEACH OBAMA
TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY
I am doing my part
DeleteTo support the SPN agenda
*********
WTF is SPN you dumbfuk troll?
Go back and take a shower and STFU Happy holidays bitch!
State Policy Network
DeleteCant you read? Idiot
I thought it stood for Sarah Palin Nutjob
DeleteShut up Sarah. Go eat a sandwich, please.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans are trying to destroy public unions, public education, the right to vote, women's rights, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.
ReplyDeleteYet they keep getting elected.
Do the people who vote for them not understand the republican's goals? I really don't get it.