Friday, October 21, 2011

Why I'm neither a Republican nor a Democrat

At some point I always feel I have to defend myself as not a pinko commie radical fascist. After my last post, now is such a time.

Mike Krieger says it perfectly:
I stand for a free and fair market system for the economy, for a fierce defense of Constitutional rights in all circumstances NO MATTER WHAT threat we supposedly face, and a cessation of the brutal violence and war we perpetrate abroad. (Source: Mike Krieger On The "Useful Idiots")
 Amen!  Where is that option is the Democrat-Republican duopoly?

Krieger rightly calls out Soros and Buffet as self-serving Democrats:
Michael Moore and Other Carpetbaggers    Let me be clear about one thing.  There are plenty of disconcerting things that have emerged in the Occupy Wall Street Protests.  The main threat is the clear attempt of disingenuous elites to co-opt the movement and steer the “useful idiots” right into the concentration camps.  You think George Soros is an idiot?  You don’t think he knows exactly what he is doing when he voices his support?  He is trying to co-opt it and own it.  He didn’t start anything.  He is a carpetbagger of the highest order. (Source: Mike Krieger On The "Useful Idiots")
and
Michael Moore, George Soros, Warren Buffett and all the others have their castles and they don’t give a crap about you. Furthermore, did you see what Tiny Timmy Geithner just said?  From Bloomberg: *GEITHNER: `YOU SHOULD BE DEMANDING BETTER RESULTS' FROM GOV'T.  Don’t make me laugh.  Here is the biggest insider crook on earth trying to tell us what we should want.  Truly a disgusting character. (Source: Mike Krieger On The "Useful Idiots")
I think he wrongly calls out Michael Moore:
One of the more disturbing things I have seen is this video of Michael Moore at the protests. The key point I am trying to make here is whenever someone worth tens of millions of dollars pushes a agenda based on “end capitalism” turn and run the other way.  Run as far and as fast as you can. (Source: Mike Krieger On The "Useful Idiots")
Yes, Michael Michael said down on Occupy Wall Street that we have to end capitalism.  Capitalism has become a dirty word for me too.  If what we have now is called capitalism then I'm for ending it too. However, Michael Moore has always said we need to replace capitalism with democracy. If he had said that we need to replace capitalism with socialism, I would understand and sympathize but I do not share that position myself.

I'm not against the 1%. If you work hard and make $380,000 a year, good for you and keep up the good work.  I hope you make more next year. (Source: How Much Money Do The Top Income Earners Make?)

I'm against the 0.1% who use their wealth to buy politicians, set up phony self-serving think tanks and political lobbying organization.  Not to mention collusion by having secret meetings. I'm against CEO's who hijack large corporations and pay themselves hundreds of millions of dollars due to government access or voting shareholders' shares who didn't exercise their vote in the annual shareholder meeting.  I'm against CEO's who exhibit sociopathic behavior by maximizing short term profits for bonus purposes while putting the long term viability of the company in jeopardy. I'm against criminal CEO's that commit outright fraud.

With that said, some things should be run by the government: healthcare, education, the military, the postal system and some natural monopolies.  We call this a mixed economy.  The United States is currently a mixed economy.  Nothing new there - move along.

The Republicans and Democrats has severely limited the debate of what is left and what is right.  Nowhere is there a party that is free-enterprise, pro civil liberties and anti-war.

More from ZeroHedge's article Mike Krieger On The "Useful Idiots"
From Mike KriegerFirst they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.- Mahatma Gandhi

The Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street are Two Sides of the Same Coin I am extremely disappointed by the way most people are belittling the Occupy Wall Street protests, which I firmly believe is an extraordinarily important moment in American history that will be seen as the moment when rebellion arrived on the streets of America.
One thing that I think people are really missing is how similar Occupy Wall Street is to the early stages of Tea Party protests.  Do you remember how the fake liberals dismissed that as a bunch of uneducated, racists wearing George Washington costumes?  Many claimed it was “astro turf” and would die out.  I recall the very day that I saw Rick Santellii on CNBC call for a new “tea party” in America.  The moment that event got posted on youtube I sent it out to the entire trading floor at Bernstein saying it was the beginning of something big.  People looked at me as if I was insane (as usual) and said that it was an irrelevant comment and nothing meaningful could come out of it.  Fast forward a few years, here we are and not only did the Tea Party not peter out but it has become one of the most vibrant and influential political movements in America today.  Those that dismissed the Tea Party most forcefully in the early days were from what I would call the “fake liberal” camp and the mainstream media (MSM).  This is unsurprising because they simply did not understand it (the MSM aren’t paid to understand anything their job to help maintain the status quo and minimize and trivialize revolt).  What the Tea Party represented was a rebellion within the Republican Party which had long ago sold itself out to the 0.1% financial elite class, the military industrial complex and large multi-national corporations that pay no taxes.

So now the Occupy Wall Street protests have begun and the EXACT same thing is happening.  Yet this time most of the ridicule and contempt is spewing from what I would call “fake conservatives.”  The MSM of course is playing their traditional role as is to be expected.  Fortunately for me, I hold no attachment to any fake political party in America and I never have.  I stand for a free and fair market system for the economy, for a fierce defense of Constitutional rights in all circumstances NO MATTER WHAT threat we supposedly face, and a cessation of the brutal violence and war we perpetrate abroad.  As a result of this non-partisan stance I have an excellent group of friends and contacts across the entire ideological spectrum.  From this standpoint, I think I can see things for what they really are and what I am here to say is that Occupy Wall Street represents in part a rebellion within the Democratic Party (ie, the other side of the tea party coin).  This is why most of the attacks are coming from the “right” side of the fake political divide.  Just like the fake liberals couldn’t understand the tea party, the fake right can’t understand Occupy Wall Street.  This is alright.  It is all part of the process.  Next they will fight us.  Just like Gandhi said.
From:  If the “Occupy” Movement and Tea Party Join Together, We Can End the Malignant Partnership Between Big Government and Big Corporations Which Is Destroying America
If the “Occupy” Movement and Tea Party Join Together, We Can End the Malignant Partnership Between Big Government and Big Corporations Which Is Destroying America
Posted on October 20, 2011 by WashingtonsBlog 
If the “Occupy” Movement and Real Tea Party Join Together, We Can Save America
Mike Krieger writes today: 
The reason the liberal mainstream corporate media demonized the Tea Party is because it threatens the status quo. 
The reason the conservative corporate mainstream media demonizes Occupy Wall Street is because it threatens the status quo. 
These are textbook divide and conquer strategies being used on the American people. Do not fall for it.  Yesterday I read a really interesting gallup poll that stated: “Not surprisingly, Americans who consider themselves supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement (26% of all Americans) are more likely to blame Wall Street than the federal government for the nation’s economic problems. Supporters of the Tea Party movement (22% of Americans) are overwhelmingly likely to blame the government.” What is most compelling to me is that 26%+22% = 48% so basically almost a majority. 
All we need to do is teach people that Washington D.C. and Wall Street are now the same corrupt entity. They are one gigantic rogue trader sucking the lifeblood out of America. If we can unite these forces, which I can say with certainty agree on the important issues, we can put an end to the status quo and free ourselves of this bondage.
I'm all for getting everyone (100%) onside for a democratic government with accountability and transparency.  I see the two sides of the coin as follows:  the OWS movement representing the 99.9% on one side of the coin and the Tea Party representing the 0.1% on the other.  Tea Partiers - it isn't too late to come on board.  Your Tea Party tenants have already been co-opted by the self-serving elite.

NON-NEGOTIABLE CORE BELIEFS OF THE TEA PARTY

1. Illegal Aliens Are Here Illegally.
2. Pro-Domestic Employment Is Indispensable.
3. Stronger Military Is Essential.
4. Special Interests Eliminated.
5. Gun Ownership Is Sacred.
6. Government Must Be Downsized.
7. National Budget Must Be Balanced.
8. Deficit Spending Will End.
9. Bail-Out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal.
10. Reduce Personal Income Taxes A Must.
11. Reduce Business Income Taxes Are Mandatory.
12. Political Offices Available To Average Citizens.
13. Intrusive Government Stopped.
14. English As Core Language Is Required.
15. Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged.
So Tea Partiers - join OWS and let's return democracy to the people of the United States. Then the left and right can go their separate ways and whatever will be, will be.