TomCat

UBI?

Posted by TomCat at 1:50 pm Politics

Aug 152017

Way back when I was in college, I wrote a paper for my Economics class, in which I suggested that structural unemployment would increase to the extent that after fifty years, there would be far more job seekers than there are jobs. I said the causes would be automation and the development of third world manufacturing. That was fifty years ago. I also determined that it would cause economic distress, because too many unemployed people would not have the income to buy those third world and automation products. Does this sound familiar? I suggested that since the needed jobs don’t exit, the solution is to change the manner in which we distribute wealth. I’ve mentioned this over the years from time to time. Other minds have fallen into the same ditch, and people are talking about it again.

Is the idea of cash handouts for everyone, no strings attached, a breakthrough solution for unemployment and social inequality, or a road to profligacy and idleness? Attracting left, right, and center, the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the perfect Rorschach test in the public debate over “the future of work.” For Americans, the universal benefits just might outweigh the universal costs.

The UBI model is radically simple: a basic payment designed to cover basic expenses. After giving to each according to need, people are freer to give according to ability. UBIvangelists argue that automatically providing for basic nutritional and shelter needs liberates people to ascend the hierarchy of needs and focus on more valuable activities, like developing social relationships and civic and cultural engagement. Others hope a UBI would foster a more harmonious, cooperative post-work society simply by countering scarcity and selfishness.

The idea of free cash has inherent public appeal. Surveys by the Economic Security project show that 46 percent of respondents favored giving every individual “a base income,” especially among youth and people of color, while 35 percent were opposed…

From <The Nation>

For more, you can visit basicincome.org. And think of all the activism this could enable.

I was surprised to learn today that someone I respect has also been playing with this idea.

Wooo Hooo! The Reich on the left is right!

There is a whole article without one single mention of you know who. Now…

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 8/15/2016

Posted by TomCat at 1:49 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 152017

Yesterday’s eye appointment was completely successful. My right eye is 20/20, and my left eye is scheduled for cataract surgery on 7/28. The only bad news is that I’ll need to wait six months before a plastic surgeon can correct the excessive droop in my eyelids, and three months after that before my left eye can be surgically repaired to point straight. So it will be spring before the long process of seeing right again is finally done. The temperatures are back in the 80°s, so I’m back on AC, but at least it isn’t murderous! I hope you’re having a great day!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:43 (average 5:22). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football Update:

Lefty Blog Friends has a new team. Welcome the Country Raiderettes. It’s Wendy!

Short Takes:

From YouTube (GQ Channel): Trump And Charlottesville: Too Little, Too Late | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Keith says what we have all been saying, buy more of it. However, calling Trump filth insults filth. RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: A disturbing hostage video surfaced on Monday showing an American man woodenly reciting words that were not his own.

The video, which was broadcast on all the major news networks, raised concerns for the man, whose robotic performance indicated that he was reading a prepared statement under duress.

While the man appeared well fed and, to a certain extent, healthy, his facial expressions and body language convinced experts that the act of reciting the prepared text was an extraordinary ordeal for him.

Harland Dorrinson, a forensic psychologist, compared the man’s performance with hours of earlier footage of him and said that the man had “never expressed these sentiments before.”

Dang Andy! That’s NOT satire! RESIST!!

From NY Times: The white supremacists and right-wing extremists who came together over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va., are now headed home, many of them ready and energized, they said, to set their sights on bigger prizes.

Some were making arrangements to appear at future marches. Some were planning to run for public office. Others, taking a cue from the Charlottesville event — a protest, nominally, of the removal of a Confederate-era statue — were organizing efforts to preserve white heritage symbols in their home regions.

Calling it “an opportune time,” Preston Wiginton, a Texas-based white nationalist, declared on Saturday that he planned to hold a “White Lives Matter” march on Sept. 11 on the campus of Texas A&M — with a keynote speaker, Richard B. Spencer, who was featured at the Charlottesville event.

These Republican Alt-Right Nazis are emboldened because they literally got away with murder with the tacit support of the US Resident. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

0815Cartoon

Open Thread – 8/14/2017

Posted by TomCat at 8:18 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 142017

I’m hurrying to get this posted, before leaving for my eye appointment, as I’ll be dilated and useless when I return. Have a great day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:31 (average 5:27). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Trae Crowder Channel): Liberal Redneck – Virginia is for Lovers, not Nazis

"Your silence is your complicity." How true of Republicans that is! RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): President Trump’s Initial Response To Charlottesville Draws Criticism

Barf Bag Alert!!

Trump said, "It’s not Trump." He lied. It is Trump. He has been feeding hate to Alt-Right Republican Nazis from the beginning of his campaign through the present. If you are a Republican, and this isn’t you, it’s time to get out, or accept your complicity in what these Nazi criminals do. RESIST!!

From NY Times: North Korea’s success in testing an intercontinental ballistic missile that appears able to reach the United States was made possible by black-market purchases of powerful rocket engines probably from a Ukrainian factory with historical ties to Russia’s missile program, according to an expert analysis being published Monday and classified assessments by American intelligence agencies.

The studies may solve the mystery of how North Korea began succeeding so suddenly after a string of fiery missile failures, some of which may have been caused by American sabotage of its supply chains and cyberattacks on its launches. After those failures, the North changed designs and suppliers in the past two years, according to a new study by Michael Elleman, a missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Such a degree of aid to North Korea from afar would be notable because President Trump has singled out only China as the North’s main source of economic and technological support. He has never blamed Ukraine or Russia

How ironic! Trump threatens war over missiles, when the same person, who put him in the White House, Putin (R-RU) is responsible for North Korea’s missile tech. RESIST!!

Cartoon:

0814Cartoon

Unanimously ratified by the Senate, when most Senators were founding fathers.

Republicans on Parade – 8/13/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:34 pm Politics

Aug 132017

Here is the ninety-second article in our Republicans on Parade series, featuring individuals who personify what the Republican Party has become. It is the first in almost six months. Today’s honoree is Trump supporter and White Supremacist Domestic Terrorist, James Alex Fields Jr. He is so honored for driving his car into counter-protestors against a Republican Alt-Right Nazi rally, murdering a woman for his Fuhrer and injuring several others.

A car plowed into a crowd of people peacefully protesting a white nationalist rally Saturday in a Virginia college town, killing one person, hurting more than a dozen others and ratcheting up tension in a day full of violent confrontations.

Shortly after, a Virginia State Police helicopter that officials said was assisting with the rally crashed outside Charlottesville, killing the pilot and a trooper.

The chaos boiled over at what is believed to be the largest group of white nationalists to come together in a decade. The governor declared a state of emergency, and police dressed in riot gear ordered people out. The group had gathered to protest plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and others arrived to protest the racism.

Matt Korbon, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student, said several hundred counter-protesters were marching when "suddenly there was just this tire screeching sound." A silver Dodge Challenger smashed into another car, then backed up, barreling through "a sea of people."

The impact hurled people into the air. Those left standing scattered, screaming and running for safety in different directions.

The driver was later identified by police as James Alex Fields Jr. of Ohio. Police say Fields, 20, has been charged with charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and one count related to leaving the scene. A bond hearing is scheduled for Monday…

From <Chicago Tribune>

I identified Fields, as opposed to the other terrorists, by labeling him with the symbol of his Reich.

Here are some CNN commentators discussing the hate crime.

Note how the Republicans tried to minimize their associate’s actions and blame the peaceful victims for this Republican Domestic Terrorism.

Fields could not deserve a parade more, so it’s time I dusted off the series. However, the cost was much too high.

0813heather

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 8/13/2017

Posted by TomCat at 1:30 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 132017

Wendy will be here before I finish this article, and we have lots to do, so excuse me while I hurry. Tomorrow I have a post-op/pre-op eye exam. Please expect no more than a Personal Update. "Later: we found the keys. I just got a Mariachi strap for my guitar. I have not had time to try it yet, but on the way to bed I had put it around my neck to see how it fit. Then I took it off and put it on top of my dresser, which is out of my line of sight. The strap has too hooks, and when I took it off, one of the hooks caught my key lanyard and lifted it off my neck. ARGH!!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:21 (average 5:15). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MoveOn Channel): Defend DACA

Those young people are as American as we (who are American) are, and far more American than Putin’s Puppet and the racist Republicans that want to deport them. RESIST!!

From Daily Kos: Good news for Oregon workers in the retail and fast food industries. The state has become the first to pass a law protecting workers from some of the worst scheduling abuses employers love so much.

One in six Oregonians receive less than 24 hours of notice before their shifts, according to a survey the University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center published in February.

Now, Oregon is mandating that the state’s largest employers in the retail, hospitality and food service industries — those with more than 500 workers — give employees their schedules in writing at least a week ahead of time.

They’ll also have to give workers a 10-hour break between shifts, or pay them extra.

Oregon leads the way! RESIST!!

From NY Times: Senator Elizabeth Warren used a speech to a grass-roots conference Saturday to take direct aim at Democrats’ diminished moderate wing, ridiculing Clinton-era policies and jubilantly proclaiming that liberals had taken control of the party.

While not invoking former President Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton by name, Ms. Warren sent an unambiguous message that she believes the Clinton effort to push Democrats toward the political center should be relegated to history.

“The Democratic Party isn’t going back to the days of welfare reform and the crime bill,” she said, highlighting measures Mr. Clinton signed into law as president that are reviled by much of the left. “It is not going to happen.”

Here is the speech:

She said one thing that I’ve been saying for some time: "We need to see each other’s fight as our own." Other than that highlight, "Woooo Hoooo Liz!" RESIST

Cartoon:

0813Cartoon

Bill Maher from 8/11

Posted by TomCat at 2:22 pm Politics

Aug 122017

It’s that time of week again, and I’m happy to share three excellent video clips from Bill’s show last night. Enjoy!!

Monologue: Fat Man and Little Boy

"Make America Glow Again!" I have to steal that for a cartoon. In fact, I just did!

Richard Dawkins: Science in the Soul

As a Christian, I disagree with and oppose extreme evangelical atheist proselytizers, like Dawkins and Maher. In fact, I oppose all heavy-duty proselyting, even when I agree with it. However, I’d rather listen to them than to Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians.

New Rule: The Troll Party

The irony is that he was far too accurate to be funny.

Enjoy? Break’s over! Back to work!

RESIST!!

Open Thread – 8/12/2017

Posted by TomCat at 2:22 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 122017

Today has been a better day. It hags been much cooler. The sun is about to come out, and the temperature will climb to the low 80°s, my outside wall will become a heater, and I’ll have to button up the room and turn on the AC, but until is does, I’m enjoying an open window and fresh air. I took my first trip without using the lift bus in a long time. I went to the Ubank in a mall two blocks away. I found getting around much easier with one eye that can see well than it has been in years. I hope you are having a great weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:08 (average 4:37). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football Update:

I reset the live draft of our fantasy football league, Lefty Blog Friends, from next Saturday to Saturday, September 2 at 10:00 AM PDT (11 MDT, 12 CDT, 1 EDT). I did it so we will have a better idea, who the starters will be in the NFL. However the regular season opener is the evening of Thursday, 9/7, just 5 days after the draft, so set your lineups right away. I cut the league from ten teams to eight. Two players stopped playing last year in mid-season. I think I have confirmation from every player except Rob. I sent him one last email, and if I don’t hear from him this weekend, I’ll replace him with Wendy.

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Funny or Die Channel): Mike Pence on Currency

And in a Republican Pence Reich, we would get to be the goats. RESIST!!

From NY Times: The roster of villains in President Trump’s world is legion. The list of people he has been willing, even eager, to publicly attack includes not just Mitch McConnell, his latest target, but Jeff Sessions, Chuck Schumer, Paul D. Ryan, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

And don’t forget James B. Comey, Robert S. Mueller III, Andrew G. McCabe, Rod J. Rosenstein, John D. Podesta, Nancy Pelosi, Lisa Murkowski, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rosie O’Donnell, Meryl Streep, the mayor of London and the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” The countries he has assailed include not just North Korea and Iran but also Germany, Canada, Mexico, China and Sweden.

But for all of that feistiness, for all of those verbal and online fisticuffs, there is one person who is definitely not on Mr. Trump’s target list: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

My opinion…

RESIST!!

From Bloomberg: Some White House and Republican officials are exploring the idea of putting West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin in charge of the Energy Department, according to four people familiar with the discussions, a move that could boost President Donald Trump’s stalled legislative agenda.

Manchin is such a DINO, that he would not be a big loss except for one thing, and that thing is huge. It also explains all the hoopla surrounding Gov. Jim Injustice’s conversion from DINO to goose-stepping Republican. If Manchin moves to Energy, Injustice gets to replace him with a Republican Senator. The only thing Manchin did right is voting against RepubliCare. Do you see what the Reich are plotting now? RESIST!!

Cartoon:

0812Cartoon

Ammosexuals on Steroids!

Posted by TomCat at 2:14 pm Politics

Aug 112017

I don’t have to tell you that Republicans are drop-dead Ammosexuals. The love their Second Amendment solutions. To them weapons are the hammer for every nail, screw, nut and bold, staple and even marshmallow. But now, Republican Senators and Representatives have become Ammosexuals on steroids, and we’d better stop them.

The U.S. Congress is on the verge of authorizing new nuclear weapons, trashing a major Reagan-era arms control agreement and putting us on the road to a new arms race with Russia. This is a huge mistake that would put U.S. and global security at risk, and proves the old saying: Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

The number of nuclear weapons in the world has declined significantly since the end of the Cold War, and we continue, slowly, to progress toward disarmament. As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday, the 72nd anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima, Japan would “firmly advance the movement toward a world without nuclear weapons.” Today, there are about 15,000 weapons left. Still far too many, but at least we are heading in the right direction.

And yet many in the Republican-controlled Congress now seem to have forgotten what got us this far: nuclear arms reduction agreements with Russia, negotiated mainly by Republican presidents. President Ronald Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987, and President George H.W. Bush signed the START Treaty in 1991. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama continued the process, most recently with the 2010 New START Treaty bringing U.S. and Russian arsenals down to levels not seen since the 1950s.

These agreements provide the “rules of the road” so arsenals can be reduced in a safe, stable and predictable way. No one wants surprises when it comes to nukes. They set equal limits on weapons, and allow for inspections so both sides can trust, and verify, the process.

Now, all of this is at risk. Republicans in both the House and Senate are promoting legislation to authorize a new nuclear-capable ground-launched cruise missile that would, if tested, violate the INF Treaty…

From <Politico>

Of course, Republicans will blame Obama. If the black man had not followed in the footsteps, of the rest, they would not need to remove the black stain from America’s nuclear policy. What is the answer? Every Republican in office is one Republican too many.

RESIST!!

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