Rebooting the American Dream - 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country

[Jimaz]

Truthout is proud to bring you an exclusive series from America's No. 1 progressive radio host, Thom Hartmann. Starting today, we'll be publishing weekly installments of Hartmann's acclaimed new book, "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country." We invite Truthout readers to join us over the next 12 weeks as, chapter by chapter, we explore these groundbreaking ideas for national transformation. We begin today with the book's introduction.

Rebooting the American Dream - 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country

• Chapter 1: “Bring My Job Home!”
• Chapter 2: “Roll Back the Reagan Tax Cuts”
• Chapter 3: “Stop Them from Eating My Town”
• Chapter 4: “An Informed and Educated Electorate”
• Chapter 5: “Medicare ‘Part E’—for Everybody”
• Chapter 6: “Make Members of Congress Wear NASCAR Patches”
• Chapter 7: “Cool Our Fever”
• Chapter 8: “They Will Steal It”
• Chapter 9: “Put Lou Dobbs out to Pasture”
• Chapter 10: “Wal-Mart Is Not a Person”
• Chapter 11: “In the Shadow of the Dragon”

I intend to add a link here as each chapter becomes available online. If the Alexander Hamilton quote becomes too tedious just skip to the end of the indent.

[maxx]

In the meantime, here is some interesting info on FDR's dream for us. Gee, I wonder why no one ever saw this film until 2010.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-a...=hp:mainpromo7
"...Moore’s movie includes rarely seen footage of Franklin D. Roosevelt discussing his hope for the creation of a second Bill of Rights for workers, guaranteeing the right to a living wage, access to health care, and education. “You are amongst the first Americans to see that footage,” Moore told the audience. Moore said the film of FDR’s remarks had been nearly lost, but his crew found a reel in a South Carolina library. “When this opens on Wednesday, the American people are going to see his vision of this, what he wanted for this country, that he felt 65 years ago…he wanted to leave behind a film record of what he hoped America could be and unfortunately nobody got to see it.” Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, told The Daily Beast that Moore “is absolutely right” to focus on FDR’s second Bill of Rights. She said she has never seen a film clip of Roosevelt describing his proposal..."

And from the Truthout site:
"...Washington couldn’t find a suit made in America because in the years prior to the American Revolution, the British East India Company [[whose tea was thrown into Boston Harbor by outraged colonists after the Tea Act of 1773 gave the world’s largest transnational corporation a giant tax break) controlled the manufacture and the transportation of a whole range of goods, including fine clothing. Cotton and wool could be grown and sheared in the colonies, but it had to be sent to England to be turned into clothes..."

If the Tea Partiers knew any history, they would be going after the Republicans that gave tax credits to companies that outsourced.

[oladub]

Why stop there? The Tea Partiers should, as you suggested, have gone after "Republicans [[and Democrats) that gave tax credits to companies that outsourced." I would extend that to ridding us of any politician who tolerates the continued existence of NAFTA and GATT or who sided with the mega bankers by voting for Bush's Wall Street bailout or supported the expansion of the bank owned Federal Reserve.

Fotunately, tea partiers had brains enough to not want to go back to the gloomy days of Roosevelt's perpetuated depression unemployment, collapsing dollar, expanded corporatocracy, and other failures. Paying farmers to burn their crops while simultaniously setting up soup kitchens to feed those who couldn't afford food was an especially touching moment showing Roosevelt's sympathy for the people he was starving. Obama accomplishes the same with food stamps so that is change for the better.

Masochistic nostalgia aside, how about once again requiring that half of all US non-governmental imports be delivered on US built, manned, and owned ships within ten years and substituting income taxes, dollar for dollar, with import taxes to make US manufactured goods more competative.?

[Mikeg]

.....America's No. 1 progressive radio host, Thom Hartmann.

Never heard of him, but I was curious as to what kind of airwave footprint is commanded by "America's No. 1 progressive radio host'.

Turns out, it's 71 AM and FM radio stations scattered about 36 states. Based on that, it probably doesn't take too much to become America's No. 2 progressive radio host.

[Jimaz]

You can sample his show at ThomHartmann.com.

[Jimaz]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter One: Bring My Job Home!

[lincoln8740]

Never heard of him, but I was curious as to what kind of airwave footprint is commanded by "America's No. 1 progressive radio host'.

Turns out, it's 71 AM and FM radio stations scattered about 36 states. Based on that, it probably doesn't take too much to become America's No. 2 progressive radio host.

ha!!! nice!!!!

You really should have run the numbers for the number two spot just for a laugh!!!

[Relayer76]

Bring my job home - END FREE TRADE:
Could this be the issue that would unite a wide range of the population. We Canadians hate it too? Unfortunately the bigger question is whether or not there is a party that is willing to go against to the corporations and even take it on.

Free trade = reduced choices for those who want to buy local, buy Canadian
or even just buy North American!
Free trade = job loss
Free trade = more power for corporations/corporations usurping the power of
elected governments
Free trade = globalization including globalization of poverty


Huffington Post - Will "Free Trade" Save Obama in 2012?

Editorialists at the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los
Angeles Times all agree: President Obama should ignore trade unions and his
Democratic supporters and try to push through "free trade agreements"
negotiated by George W. Bush. But here's what the editorialists don't tell
you: voters don't think these agreements are good for the country or for
them personally, and Republican and independent voters are no exception to
this, according to recent poll data released by the Pew Research Center.
..........

Overall, Pew found that 35% say that "free trade agreements" have been good
for the United States, while 44% say they have been bad for the U.S. Among
Republicans, 28% said "free trade agreements" have been good for the US, and
54% said that they have been bad. Among independents, 37% said that they
have been good, and 46% said that they have been bad. Among Republicans who
say they agree with the Tea Party, 24% say that "free trade agreements" have
been good for the U.S., while 63% say they have been bad.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert..._b_783656.html

[Jimaz]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert..._b_783656.html

Link repair: Will "Free Trade" Save Obama in 2012?

[maxx]

...how about once again requiring that half of all US non-governmental imports be delivered on US built, manned, and owned ships within ten years and substituting income taxes, dollar for dollar, with import taxes to make US manufactured goods more competative.?

If U.S. corporations aren't using U.S. build ships, it's because it's cheaper to not use them. They are all about being competitive, but now would not be the time to raise the price of consumer goods since most of them now come from China. The economy has slowed down enough from people not consuming the way they used to. Our economy has undergone a critical structural change and it will need time to adjust.

[oladub]

If U.S. corporations aren't using U.S. build ships, it's because it's cheaper to not use them. They are all about being competitive, but now would not be the time to raise the price of consumer goods since most of them now come from China. The economy has slowed down enough from people not consuming the way they used to. Our economy has undergone a critical structural change and it will need time to adjust.

Right. It is more expensive to use US ships. They are a rarity now. We are even dependent on foreign ships to haul our military supplies some of which are foreign made. If other countries refused to ship our military supplies, we would have a problem. Considering the volume of imports, having half of our imports delivered on US ships would create some jobs. The income tax revenue and jobs provided with US manned ships would offset higher retail consunmer import costs and would be useful for national defense.

[maxx]

Our defense budget is crazy. Aren't huge military bases rather passe in the satellite/internet age? And if we are becoming the world's police force, we should get some compensation from other nations.

[GOAT]

Maxx, how about the USA pay their UN bill first? Then ask the world if we want the USA to be the world's police. Last time I checked most don't.

People want the USA to rebuid. Stop the damn spending, increase your pittance of the small taxes you people pay and you would have a helluva lot of money to become the powerhouse that the USA once was.

[Jimaz]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter 2: Roll Back the Reagan Tax Cuts

[maxx]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter 2: Roll Back the Reagan Tax Cuts

"...We’d been discussing taxes on the air and the fact that Denmark has an average 52 percent income-tax rate. I asked him why people didn’t revolt at such high taxes, and he smiled and pointed out to me that the average Dane is very well paid, with a minimum wage that equals roughly $18 per hour. Moreover, what Danes get for their taxes [[that we don’t) is a free college education and free health care, not to mention four weeks of paid vacation each year and notoriety as the happiest nation on earth, according to a major study done by the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom...."

Oh, those crazy Danes. Don't they realize they are courting socialistic disaster? lol

[firstandten]

Never heard of him, but I was curious as to what kind of airwave footprint is commanded by "America's No. 1 progressive radio host'.

Turns out, it's 71 AM and FM radio stations scattered about 36 states. Based on that, it probably doesn't take too much to become America's No. 2 progressive radio host.

Beck, Rush Hannity and the like never had a deep thought in their lives. Thats why they are political entertainers and they cater to the lowest common denominator. A dumbed down america eats it up and that why they get big numbers. Hartmann on the other hand will challenge you intellectually which in this day and age gives too many people headaches. BTW born and raised in Michigan.

[maxx]

Chapter 17b of the Crash Course makes our impending energy situation pretty clear. I never could understand all the fuss about the "hydrogen economy".
http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashc...ergy-budgeting

"...
And what about the allegedly massive amounts of oil contained within the so-called tar sands and oil shales? The ones often described as equivalent to “several Saudi Arabias?” The net energy values for these are especially poor and in no way comparable to the 100 to 1 returns found in Saudi Arabia. Further, the water and environmental costs associated with them are disturbingly high.
And what about renewable energy sources? Methanol, which can be made from biomass, sports a net energy of about 3, while biodiesel offers a net energy return of somewhere around 2. Corn-based ethanol, if we’re generous, might produce a net energy return of just slightly over one, but could also be negative according to some sources. If we add in all the other new sources for usable liquid fuels that we just talked about, we see that they are all somewhere “on the face of the cliff.” Unless we very rapidly find ways of boosting the net energy of these options, we’ll simply find far less surplus energy for our basic needs and discretionary wants.
Solar and wind are both capable of producing pretty high net returns, but these are producing electricity, not liquid fuels for which we already have an extensive investment in distribution and use. Oh, and by the way, where’s the so-called “hydrogen economy” on here? Right here! Because there are no hydrogen reservoirs anywhere on earth, every single bit of it has to be created from some other source of energy at a loss. In other words, hydrogen is an energy sink...
Now, to make an absurd argument because nobody would be this foolish, suppose Congress made the decision to, saaaaay, try and run our society on corn-based ethanol? What could we expect there? Well, if we adjust our graph to reflect that decision, we see a whole lot of red and very little green. The tax is very high, while our take-home pay is very low. By way of commentary, I find it somewhat telling that out of all the possible alternative energy sources, this is the one that Congress chose to advance..."

[That's a big thank you for all those political contributions from ADM et al.]

[maxx]

ON "This Week with Christiane Amanpour" today, Warren Buffet said that his income tax rate was 16.5% and that was without tax loopholes, "courtesy of the U.S. Congress." They did his tax planning for him.


http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...1_DDEIB64.html
"...In March, the Buckeye-turned-ESPN commentator sued the IRS for rejecting a $330,000 tax deduction he and his wife, Allison, took for donating their house to the Upper Arlington Fire Division.
The donation -- and the deduction -- have been common for at least two decades for Upper Arlington residents who wanted to build new homes on property where old homes resided. Firefighters have used the old houses for training and burn-down exercises..."

[Jimaz]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter 3: Stop Them From Eating My Town

[canuck]

ON "This Week with Christiane Amanpour" today, Warren Buffet said that his income tax rate was 16.5% and that was without tax loopholes, "courtesy of the U.S. Congress." They did his tax planning for him.


http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...1_DDEIB64.html
"...In March, the Buckeye-turned-ESPN commentator sued the IRS for rejecting a $330,000 tax deduction he and his wife, Allison, took for donating their house to the Upper Arlington Fire Division.
The donation -- and the deduction -- have been common for at least two decades for Upper Arlington residents who wanted to build new homes on property where old homes resided. Firefighters have used the old houses for training and burn-down exercises..."

Thanks Maxx for the Buckarooni news item. I am reminded of all the homeless crazies and how that is a blight on our cities and towns. I am reminded of Devil's night also and how senseless it is. As some like to say; burn that schitt down!

[maxx]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter 3: Stop Them From Eating My Town

"...In the worldview of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman, everybody in the world is motivated purely by “self-interest.” There are the “smart” people pursuing their own self-interest [[also known as “the rich”) and the “lazy” people pursuing their own self- interest by using an instrument of force [[government regulations, minimum-wage laws, collective bargaining laws, and the like) to extract wealth from the “smart” people for themselves. These latter people are labeled by Randians and Friedmanites as “parasites” or “moochers.”

When Reagan stopped enforcing the Sherman Antitrust Act, the result was an explosion of mergers and acquisitions by the “smart” people. Small- and medium-sized businesses were eaten alive by giant behemoths. Mom-and-pop shops went out of business left and right, as did small manufacturing and support companies. All were replaced by national chains, which brought in products from out of town, outsourced their accounting and other back-office work to national headquarters, and every night vacuumed up all the cash they’d collected locally.
They were highly efficient and highly profitable, and the result is a now -unhealthy American retail economy dominated by a few dozen major corporations doing business under thousands of names. Entrepreneurialism has largely vanished from the American landscape; the country of innovation and invention has become the country of imported new gadgets and big-box retailers..."

[GOAT]

"... Entrepreneurialism has largely vanished from the American landscape; the country of innovation and invention has become the country of imported new gadgets and big-box retailers..."

The entrepreneuralism you refer to is what made the USA the leading country in the world [[coupled with coming late into WWII).

I couldn't agree wtih you more. For too long North America invented the wheel while everyone decided to perfect it and sell it back. Now even the inventions have fallen off the mark. Case in point. It is cheaper to buy tooling dies from Korea and China ship them over, repair them from good companies and get the installed than it is to have one built from a local supplier. That in itself is a sad statement of current affairs.

As for everyone doing something for self-interest. Of course everyone does that. That is inate to human survival. Even if you assist at a soup kitchen what you are receiving for doing it is a good feeling. Everything we do is for self-interest to some degree.

[Jimaz]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter 4: An Informed and Educated Electorate

[maxx]

Rebooting the American Dream - Chapter 4: An Informed and Educated Electorate

How is the electorate going to be educated when funding to public schools and adult ed. keep getting cut?

And how is the electorate going to be informed when most information now comes over cable TV or the internet?

[ghettopalmetto]

How is the electorate going to be educated when funding to public schools and adult ed. keep getting cut?

And how is the electorate going to be informed when most information now comes over cable TV or the internet?

It's not just a matter of funding when it comes to education--our system requires an entire attitude adjustment. We can't teach to a multiple-choice test and then expect our students to learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We can't keep easing math and science requirements because those subjects "are too hard", and then wonder why we keep importing engineers from India and Southeast Asia.

Our primary and secondary educational system is average, at best. We can do better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews