Of course a state pension bankrupts a state if no tax revenue comes in. In my country our pool of pension funds is among the largest sources of money on the planet and my country among the strongest economies on earth. Why? Cause we also have among the highest taxes (based on income) on the planet. And guess what, after all the rich people here have paid taxes, they are still rich. Tax works. See it every day. Totally dont get the American anti-tax obsession.
@Efteling4Ever You do not get the American Anti-tax obsession? There nothing 'to get' you would not believe how many selfish idiots are in the US. Every single day I am amazed at how stupid people are. The anti-tax jackasses are unable to comprehend what taxes pay for that they use DAILY. Our roads, bridges, railroads, mail, water system, ect. Then there are the emergent services that taxes pay for like firemen, police, army, Lifesaving ER Care even if you cant pay.
Fear mongering from Republicans: exposed here and in every other area. The public is finally beginning to see through the Republican scam operation. Exaggerate some "threat" like hell and then pass laws which "seem" to fight the "threat" but really just advance the welfare and wealth of... Republican big shots.
The Republicans are the real America haters: they hate and want to control the entire American population.
@kingsalamander123 That's not news. The distinction and "honor" still go to the rightist extremists because they've outdone the Democrats consistently when it comes to propaganda and undercutting everything to do with public services. Obama has apparently sold out to Corporate America too and so have all the other politicians who are dependent on "corporations as persons" donating to their campaigns.
Ok, so if the pensions aren't bankrupting states, what is?
How can collective bargaining be a right? It forces people to give money to ideologically partisan political groups aka unions. This means that no matter what a government worker believes, a significant chunk of THEIR MONEY is effectively extorted by force to the Democrats, whether they like it or not.
While 26-33% government workers are unionized, you should have mentioned it's 11% in private sector.
Wisconsin didn't have a deficit problem before the tax cut to the rich. Union is not even a problem in this case, it is simply Republican agenda at play. Give money to the rich, and then says the middle class have to pay for it.
Remember, the Unions already agreed to a take pay cuts and increased taxes to get the country through the tough time, but Republican went back on their words and try to bust Unions and give tax cuts to the rich as the first thing they did.
@Neosaigo Isn't the goal fix the deficit before it is a problem?
The middle class have to pay for tax cuts to the rich? Do most middle class people get their income from the government or from a rich boss? How is it coming out of their pocket? Does pulling down the wage payer lift up the wage earner?
Remember government doesn't create any wealth in the first place. If you can find ways to make it function without consuming as much taxpayer money, that leaves more in the economy for jobs.
@Knightmessenger "Pulling down the wage payer"-- ??? What a famous pile of misleading crap. All of these "pulled down" wage payers are doing their damndest to create Universal Serfdom in the United States. NONE of them has been "pulled down" - the earnings gap has been growing since the 1980s from 20x the national working wage to 400x the average working wage. While: NONE of these people have shown an ounce of honesty or decency to anyone.
@Neosaigo Wisconsin didn't have a deficit problem before the last Democrat governor(Jim Doyle) who spent like a drunken sailor and who instituted combined reporting(double taxing for businesses who had locations in other states). This has nothing to do with tax cuts and everything to do with typical liberal tax and spend policies.
Wisconsin pensions are hunky dory for 18 years huh? Alright, let's just put it out of the state budget for 6 years, as it is, on it's own. I'm sure the state worker unions would be OK with that.
I love how when I prove just unfair a "fair" tax is you go on this rant about about paying taxes in the first place. Sorry but hording 100s of millions and billions of dollars helps no one. And as today shows only screws up the global economy.
"You have no logic, run along now child"
Oh the irony of that coming from you.
I'm through with you, enjoy your worldview that is the complete opposite of reality.
You're both wrong. The United States hasn't been a Democracy or a Republic for decades. It's an Oligarchic Plutocracy: rule by the wealthy few.
watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q
And the sooner both you blockheads and others like you who've 'bought the trip' wake up to reality, the better the chance we'll have of actually restoring it to what it was originally intended to be: Rule by the people, FOR the people.
@bla34112 Sorry, bla. A ) I didn't realize this was your channel. B ) Distinctions of Democracy vs. Republic being what they are these days (i.e. irrelevant) I tend to get rather impatient with idealists who still think their vote counts for anything next to the agenda of the Oligarchs, and C ) I'm old and cranky. Please accept my apology...just for YOU, not for the stuffed shirt you were arguing with...
what is bankrupting States and America as a whole, are idiot loons that listen to, and support, the left wing USA hate and America destroying voices of people like Cenk and Obama
@ForTheRepubl1c Hey, Douche bag, you are an idiot. How much money did you make this week using the public roads and your public education? How much more money did you make this week because you could travel freely without worrying about getting harassed by local thugs or having to bribe corrupt local officials? How much money do you think Walmart made this week using the roads, and your public education? Corporations are making billions and you're paying for their infrastructure, douche.
@ForTheRepubl1c I'm sorry...but I have tell you the truth, we are not a Republic nor a Democracy.
We are a "Corporation", Corporation own by the Queen of England and we are just "Stock Market".
If you want to see it yourself go to Google.com and look for "Illuminati News" Who Owns You?, and then let me know what do you think, and if you want to do a favor to others spread the news
Phew!....So does that mean that the young people today won't have to financially support their poor old parents when their parents retire?!....
I hope so, cos the young have enough financial burden (higher education fees etc.) to look forward to, without having to support parents who have already contributed towards the state pension!
BTW...I liked Ben's presentation of this subject, keep it up Ben!
Some great points. Haven't heard anyone speak so cogently about the "principles" behind Walker's inconsistency in preserving collective bargaining for police and firefighters.
Thats it I am fucking tired of this it's obvious that the government does not care about what's good for the people or what they want all they care about is corporations
We as Americans must revolt against the corrupt government.
@johndutchcain187 But what is causing the government to become corrupt - it's special interest from corporations. Even if the government was changed it doesn't solve source of the corruption which is coming from special interest.
So the target should be special interests from corporations not government itself.
corporations are important because they supply the stuff people in society all need and want!!!!,.. AND they employ people and pay wages that all need with which to BUY things they need and want
unless corporations are healthy, unemployment can reach levels that prevent politicians from being elected. very high levels can lead to violence and gov being overthrown
My god, now the far-right gun-spreading cowboys of America are going after old people too? I thought only poor in general, have they no shame. What's next, going after invalids too?
Oh forgot, the 9/11 rescue workers' health care, haha already done!
Obama is doing the right thing. No one can beat the establishment of bought politicians, the courts are even lifting restrictions on contributions to political parties. Instead of fighting fires, Obama is allowing the extreme right to burn the house down. It worked to bring down Napolean and his supporters.
If we're "supposed to sacrifice and suffer together", then what the fuck are the rich giving up? All I see from them is more tax cuts as they get richer. SO, all of us who work for a living give up more of what little we have while the rich continue to be allowed to hold onto more of their money that they make from other money. I guarantee the richest in this country aren't doing work to earn the majority of their money - they're "investing" it (using tricks like high freq. trading) to get it.
Actually their situation has improved since they kicked the government out. They had a civil war, you want to compare a country in a civil war to US or other Western countries? Sure, a fair comparison, why not.
You don't like cutting gov't spending? You don't like stopping wars? You don't like having more money in your pocket by not paying income taxes and being able to decide how to invest yourself?
@romanmir01 That's not what really happens though in the end. Corporations would work in their own best interest and if it hurts people, oh well.
I'm all for stopping wars, hell, I didn't think Iraq should've been started in the first place. I agree nearly 100% with Ron Paul on the size of our military, but I do have small disagreements with him.
Oh and FYI - I'm more liberal than centrist, but that isn't close to communist. I know right-wingers and libertarians like to blur that line though.
@DisturbedHavok If corporations are not propped up by government and they have to compete with other companies, then the net result is deflation in prices as more efficiencies are found by corporations.
If people do not buy products from those companies, then those companies must stop doing what they do and change it, unless ..... unless they are government propped up monopoly/oligopoly.
I know what communism is, I was born in USSR, we were 10 years away from Communism every 5 years.
@romanmir01 How would we know if something bad happened inside a company like rat droppings in food or maybe someone bleeds into the meat that's made and the company sends it out? Yeah, these things happen. Government intervention didn't just happen for the sake of happening. There IS a historical reason for it and it seems like libertarians tend to ignore that.
It's important to learn why government institutions were created in the first place because they are usually significant.
@DisturbedHavok Excuse me, I am unmoved. The rat droppings and blood can happen any time, it is happening less only due to better processes, but these increases in quality have nothing to do with gov't, they have to do with competition among companies.
Do you understand that today in USA the food manufacturers do not see anybody from FDA for years in a row? That when FDA does arrive sometime, it's about license payments and not much more?
Shit happens all the time, that's why recalls happen
@DisturbedHavok No, what you mean is that you have been indoctrinated to believe that there is a gov't official standing over each pot at every food manufacturing plant. Food manufacturing is a process, that had to be automated more and more every year, and automation is what really increases ability of food manufacturers to provide safer food, it's not gov't intervention. FDA is a glorified certificate dispensary, with the power to take bribes, and it should be dismantled.
@romanmir01 This always happens when I talk to a libertarian - they become condescending as if I'm some naive child. I'm not. The system isn't perfect, but to act like the original idea and the actual intent of the system isn't worth doing is to ignore historical facts.
You tried to claim that because you grew up in the USSR, you knew more than me about communism. I grew up in the USA, so by your same rules and standards, I know a bit more about our system right?
@DisturbedHavok It's possible that you do know more about your rules and standards. However you are also under impression that FDA for example is more than just some sort of a glorified certification authority.
The real changes in food safety came out with free market inventing refrigeration and other types of food preservation. The modern processing plants are mostly automated, with automated procedures including whatever concerns safety, as nobody wants to go through an expensive recall.
@romanmir01 I work near a Tyson food plant. I know people who have worked there because they work under me. They couldn't handle working on the line. Parts of the process are automated, but there are still people doing the work by hand - with knives and other dangerous tools that could draw blood near the food.
As for food safety, the initial changes came about because of the government - not the free market. If the govt doesn't inform the public of health issues, you really think corp. will?
@DisturbedHavok Has nothing to do with gov't. Gov't gives out certifications - licenses. So what? Anybody can give out licenses. Gov't charges for them monopolistic fees, that's all. As to safety - real safety is created by the free market, when competition forces companies to increase quality/decrease prices. Gov't can't have competition, competition kills monopolies. Gov't loves monopolies - monopolies have plenty of money to throw at gov'ts to get more help and less competition.
@romanmir01 Again, re learn US History. The free market ultimately failed at safety. THAT is historical fact and it's always something libertarians "free marketers" ignore.
@DisturbedHavok You should re-learn history. Free markets didn't 'ultimately fail' safety. The gov't has usurped power that it never could have legally.
Did anything become safer? Did the oil spill over and over again, despite whatever systems the gov't sets up? That's because gov't creates incentives, and the incentives are to do bad shit.
When gov't passes a 10 million dollar oil spill liability cap for deep water drilling, while outlawing shallow water drilling, it invites an accident.
@romanmir01 Oh to be sure safety and regulations have been so weakened or not even enforced (as was the case with the Gulf oil disaster) that things are shit, but are you actually arguing that something like the Gulf Oil Spill wouldn't have happened had there been ZERO government involvement?
Crony capitalism policies like the one you mentioned are a reason to FIX government regulations, not get rid of them.
@DisturbedHavok I am arguing that if there were no gov't involvement at all (yes, zero) and the gov't was only doing its actual job - minimum military and justice system (though I do not trust gov't with justice system or the military either, but people are definitely not ready for a more sound system), if gov't wasn't owning property, and all property was private and contract and criminal laws were enforced, and if gov't didn't provide insurance to companies, didn't take away liability ctd
@romanmir01 Again, gov't did that in the past. We ended up with child labor, unsafe working conditions, mass pollution, blood and body parts in food, locked doors to keep workers going long hours, basically slavery (look up the Miners' Revolts and the reasons leading up to them), etc., etc.
Gov't stepped in because it had to and because the people demanded it. After all, this is a gov't that is for the people, by the people.
@DisturbedHavok Wrong, the societies STARTED with child labor, with various inequalities, and lack of rights, because for a society to have any of those things, it must be wealthy, so that people have time and resources to fight those battles.
The society started with a child labor, much before the industrial revolution happened under capitalism.
The unsafe working conditions were improving with improving technologies.
The pollution is inevitable in a growing economy, it's a temporary problem
@DisturbedHavok Also what do you think food was before industrial revolution and capitalism? Because any improvements in production are due to increases of efficiencies, which are only possible with automation and mass production, which is natural outcome of competing markets.
Gov't couldn't step into anything before there was money in it, this kind of invasive gov't couldn't even exist before capitalism provided so much wealth, that so many people became part of gov't.
@romanmir01 Read the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. THAT was what the meat packing industry was like before the government got involved.
Pure capitalism is as much a farce as communism. It HAS to be a balance between the government and private corporations in order for the system to work. Private citizens keep the government in check through elections but we can also use the government to protect us from corporations whose sole purpose is to make money.
@DisturbedHavok Hey, everybody is in business making money, don't pretend that if you are not a business owner you don't want to make money. In free market the margins are low, so the prices are low due to competition, and value of money goes up
In your gov't dictatorship the prices always rise because of gov't intervention and printing and corruption
Without gov't corruption, counterfeiting people would have more resources, more wealth, and gov't can't stand free people - they can't be ruled
@romanmir01 Again, READ "The Jungle". Before ANY government intervention, that is the way things were. It's not some fantasy bullshit like "Atlas Shrugged".
There's historical evidence to support the points your making about how government interaction has, when corrupted, fucked things up, but you can't point that out and then go on to ignore historical evidence that proves my point that when there is no government intervention, things suck worse.
@DisturbedHavok When there is no gov't intervention, then what yard stick are you using to measure how things were?
You are confusing cause and effect. You do not understand that it is the improving economy that increases amount of government, not the other way around.
Gov't is a parasite of society, which grows as society starts creating more wealth. As gov't increases in size, it kills the host economy but its appetites do not slow down, so it kills every bit of wealth society has left.
@romanmir01 You're not even reading what I wrote and just continuing with Libertarian nonsense.
The Jungle is a journalistic account of what things were like before government regulators. You know journalism - the 4th estate. The thing we have in this country to make sure government and corporations stay honest. Granted it doesn't do a very good job of that now in many cases, but it did back then.
@romanmir01-Evidently you're unaware of what conservative Al Greenspan told Congress in late 2008 regarding the financial meltdown.He said "The conservative ideology I had believed in for decades is flawed and caused the financial crisis. Banks cannot be trusted to self regulate even to protect their customers". Writer Thomas Frank, author of "The Wrecking Crew" and former conservative does a great job of exposing conservatism for what it truly is. Your Conserve rhetoric simply isn't reality
@urparanoia I am WELL aware of the fact that Greenspan is a liar, yes.
He can't blame market for what he has done to it himself, when he pushed interest rates down to 1 percent, allowing "free money" to flow into the banking through the discount window, all while having FDIC perpetrating the moral hazard of banks, not caring about sound investment, because they are 'covered' by the government insurance, just like BP was 'covered' with 10 million liability cap.
@romanmir01-So, in effect what you are saying is "Banks cannot be trusted to self regulate". So, if they cannot be trusted to self regulate and conservatives believe in "hands off" when it comes to regulation of business you agree with Greenspan and conservatism IS flawed. Of course the taxpayers once again get the bill for conservative failures. History shows us that on the average the economy, stock market etc does better when dems are in power but sadly voters have a short memory
@urparanoia Aaah, haaaa, no. In effect I am saying: Greenspan cannot be trusted to do what he says, and government must never print money and give special privileges to anybody, that's all I said. I don't know where you got that other stuff from, but that's the OPPOSITE of what I am saying, so congratulations, you have completely misinterpreted everything I am saying
Banks, and all other businesses self regulate in absence of gov't force, which distorts the market and creates wrong incentives
@romanmir01-The true intent of your comment was not clear. Conservatives always throw other conservatives under the buss when conservatism is in danger so it was no surprise that you did not speak favorably of Greenspan when he told us what we already knew about conservatism.Their was a time when they turned against their beloved Reagan and when things came around for him they welcomed him back into the flock.Still no one can tell me anything he did that helped the average Joe but I digress.
@romanmir01-Maybe you should attempt to articulate your thoughts one more time. Maybe you could explain "special privileges". and why FDIC is a problem. My point is that government regulation came about because of the problems business has caused.Lets not forget the goal of corporations is to put their "bottom line" above all else-even the public good.They are legally obligated to do so.Other people are often effected by problems caused by corporations such as air pollution, water pollution etc
@romanmir01-When conservatives succeed with their ongoing battle for deregulation of business taxpayers pay the price. Mortgage lenders became greedy and wrote mortgages with little regard for the ability of home buyers to repay their loans. Conservative attempts to blame the Community Readjustment Act were found to be incorrect by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Bankers simply didn't do their job and felt they wouldn't be the ones holding the bag if it all came crashing down.
@urparanoia Deregulation is not good when it's partial. Partial deregulation is worse than regulation, because it skews the market quickly further. Glass Steagal is an example of counterbalance regulation, that was place there to fight the problem that gov't created in the first place - FDIC (or gov't insurance to banks, regardless of their business practices.)
You can't remove Glass Steagal without removing FDIC as well, but they did it. They should have taken FDIC out with Glass Steagal.
@DisturbedHavok If liability was not taken away from corporations, if there was actual personal responsibility involved in running a corporation, if the gov't didn't set various minimum liability laws, if gov't didn't tax income but also didn't subsidize anybody, if gov't didn't destroy the free market, then yes, there would have still been SOME cases of accidents, but they would have been legitimate accidents, not incidents that occur due to gov't incentives for them to occur.
@DisturbedHavok The accidents do happen, nobody is 100% risk free.
That's why companies must insure themselves against such odds with best practices that they know of and with enough insurance funding to be able to cover the costs of accidents.
This would mean lower profits for those companies on average, but on average it also would mean fewer incidents and companies would actually be learning to avoid and to manage risk better, unlike what is happening with gov't involvement.
@bla34112 You are calling me a dumbass and yet you don't understand that US treasury bonds are NOT money? US treasury bonds are debt, that needs to be realized to get money? You don't understand debt and you don't understand bond market and you call me a dumbass? :)
@DrakeIcn Zimbabwe. USA will be like Zimbabwe soon enough, you won't have to move at all to experience all the pleasantries of a failed monetary system, and since USA is a net importer with 50Billion/month trade deficit, this will also come with an added shock of not being able to buy anything because nothing will be imported.
Since US has no hot-stand by factories and production facilities, this will take a little while, before US can bounce back.
@bla34112 what am I, Gandalf? Let's say the US bond market collapsed in 21 days from now, how would I know it is going to be 21 days?
Let's say the bond market collapses 221 days from now, how can I say that it will be in 221 days?
What is known, you idiot, is that the long term interest is going up, that 71% of all US bond purchases are made by foreign central banks, who do not need to see a return and are doing this out of desperation.
@romanmir01 See, the problem im having with you is, you'll be "yeah america will be like Zimbabwe...." but you folks NEVER say when. If i come to you and i'm like "what happened now fool" You'll always be like "oh later later, see you have this and variable z and then this happens when the fed does this..." you don't have a clue what will happen, but you pretend you do. You are like people warning us of the apocalypse, You contribute nothing, you are useless.
At least people who understand and have EYES, they see that US dollars are being destroyed.
What? Silver going to USD35/ounce is NOT good enough? Oil at 105? Gold at over 1400? Cotton at highest price EVER? Rice? Sugar? Coffee? Wheat? Corn? Milk? Everything is going up up up and you are saying:
when when when? When will I be totally bankrupt? Well, you are getting poorer every single day, you are a blind fool because you can't even observe reality
@bla34112 You are presenting a shifting target. Why don't YOU shut the fuck up? I don't think you can actually learn anything.
tiny url:
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those are links to my comments on a normal forum, not youtube. I know inflation, I expected the 2008 collapse and acted accordingly, I expected loss of USD purchasing power ever since I looked up the history of gov't inflation, and that was back in mid-nineties. Do you own US dollars? If you do, then shut the fuck up.
Alright Gandalf, you have fun preaching the apocalypse that will happen sometime further down the road, you just can't quite predict when this will happen but oh trust me, it's coming.
You know what bugs me about this? You'll probably take the next fucking crisis that people like you will have caused, OR an actually decent reform bill that might happen in the future and be like:
@bla34112 I think the rich people of this country are looking at third world dictators and thinking to themselves, "Gee, how can I get me some of that action!"
@bla34112 Oh, it's here. If you owned dollar denominated assets for the past years, you have lost plenty of purchasing power. You didn't need a complete collapse to lose over 78% of dollar value just this past decade, as gold went from under 300/ounce to over 1400 today. You keep your dollars, I'll be doing what I do.
The crisis that's coming is not about communism, it's about government destroying economy and currency.
Hahaha... ok i wanted to end this threat long ago, but sorry, you keep putting you're ass out there for spanking.
78% in the last decade? lol you just took that from the price of gold didn't you? SHIT man... what am i gonna do with you?
No you god damn Moron, the purchasing power of the last decade did NOT loose 78 percent of it's value in the last decade, nowhere near that. I mean.. how old are you? where you around 2001?
@bla34112 Yes, you dolt, gold. Real money, ever heard of it? Actual real money. Not the pieces of green bullshit paper (half paper, half shit). Gold. From under 300 to over 1400. Gold. The definition of worth and value.
While you can buy with your dollars 1/5th of what you could buy in 2000, in all commodities. Sure, Fed has been pumping so much of this green trash through US into the world, that the world saw the prices jump while US stayed half stable without production. This is changing now
The purchasing power of the USD is not at all determined by how much Gold it can buy, it is determined by how much stuff it can buy. The prices of Gold has gone up, that is all, that means with Gold, you can now buy more shit than you could before.
@bla34112 hey, dumbfuck. Gold is money. Gold has always been used as money. When even there was idea of fiat gold was money. When the fiat is gone a decade from now, gold will be money.
The fiat that you are holding is being destroyed every day by the helicopter Ben and the rest of them, that's why you can only get 1/5 of the money with it that you could 11 years ago. Price of your fiat is going down down down in flames, and you are asking me 'when is it going to crash'? fucking fuck.
@bla34112 What is known that almost 30% of US bonds are bought by the Fed - that's the sign, you fool. Monetizing debt, printing money, that's the sign.
What is known is that this coming spring US will have to sell quite a number of US bonds to meet its State and municipal pension and medical obligations to the municipal and State workers (about 30% of them are in unions, but the rest are not, but it doesn't matter.)
What is known is that except national banks nobody is buying US bonds, cretin
You know, you keep hearing republican propaganda about some GOP state rep getting roughed up and harassed. Hearing this, I wish it were true. I would love to see these morally bankrupt pigs get beaten to the ground.
This is BULLSHIT! Pensions like Social Security and Medicare IS bankrupting our country! We NEED President Palin for she will completely eliminate these plans along with those liberal pork programs!
@ecwaufisxtreme Yeah! There’s a plan!! Take it out on the people who did everything right, and continue to feed the top 1% who are responsible for all the pain this country is feeling right now. It’s quite easy to STOP SPENDING when you’re willing to cut the legs out from under our most vulnerable citizens. Much harder when you actually have a heart. There are better ways, but they require deep thought, so we won’t be waiting on that from Palin anytime soon.
@ecwaufisxtreme Where's your fucking evidence? Of course you have none whatsover, just assertions. Sarah Palin is an inompetant piece of shit. She isn't qualified to run a hot dog stand. She is a threat to the United States, and our SECULAR way of life. What Sarah Palin needs is a sledge hammer to the head.
no money, no government , no insane prison like control structures like what we have today , a system that meets the needs of everybody one the planet and maintains stability not hindered by asking "can we afford it?" but by simply doing it because it's the right thing to do
that's what The Venus Project is about , join TZM and let's all work together to save ourselves from ourselves....
Beavis, you are immediately ordered to watch the '60 Minutes' episode from last December - 'The Day of Reckoning'. Excerpt 'California, which faces a $19 BILLION budget deficit next year, has a credit rating approaching JUNK status. It now spends more money on public employee pensions than it does on the state university system, which had to increase its tuition by 32 percent.'
And CITIES have to fund pension programs for police, firefighters, and municipal employees. THEY CAN'T GET BAILED OUT!
GOP will tank the country, and there will still be dumbasses saying, "If we didnt have a socialist president we would have been just fine." Ignorance isnt bliss, its fucking destructive.
@CrossTheGrigori - We'll always need unions for the same reason we'll always need some form of law enforcement.
Anyone who thinks capitalism or the government will do right on their own without organized bargaining or pressure from the working public is dreaming. You're not dealing with people doing favors out of the goodness of their heart, the government and business world are shark dens for the Greedy and Power-Hungry. Under capitalism (and Soviet socialism) they're a class of their own.
huh BEN is back , his own brothers the disciples of caliper the ones who banished him, would they know how to quench his thirst for power and revenge.
This simply doesn't add up. How can pensions funds NOT go bust when a teacher I know in NY state retires at age 52 (after 25 years) with a $60,000 pension plus health benefits? Multiply that times 30 years, and that times the tens of thousands of public workers. The GAO had estimated that pensions are underfunded by over 1 trillion nationally. I think McClatchy is McWacky.
Of course a state pension bankrupts a state if no tax revenue comes in. In my country our pool of pension funds is among the largest sources of money on the planet and my country among the strongest economies on earth. Why? Cause we also have among the highest taxes (based on income) on the planet. And guess what, after all the rich people here have paid taxes, they are still rich. Tax works. See it every day. Totally dont get the American anti-tax obsession.
Efteling4Ever 7 months ago
@Efteling4Ever You do not get the American Anti-tax obsession? There nothing 'to get' you would not believe how many selfish idiots are in the US. Every single day I am amazed at how stupid people are. The anti-tax jackasses are unable to comprehend what taxes pay for that they use DAILY. Our roads, bridges, railroads, mail, water system, ect. Then there are the emergent services that taxes pay for like firemen, police, army, Lifesaving ER Care even if you cant pay.
xinecallaw 5 months ago
In order for these studies to have any real merit, they are going to have to show what is bankrupting these states? Unless that's a lie as well?
BlacksAreBeautiful 10 months ago
Fear mongering from Republicans: exposed here and in every other area. The public is finally beginning to see through the Republican scam operation. Exaggerate some "threat" like hell and then pass laws which "seem" to fight the "threat" but really just advance the welfare and wealth of... Republican big shots.
The Republicans are the real America haters: they hate and want to control the entire American population.
Dunkleosteus3691 10 months ago
@Dunkleosteus3691 got news for you bro, the dems are doing much better here in california either.
kingsalamander123 8 months ago
@kingsalamander123 That's not news. The distinction and "honor" still go to the rightist extremists because they've outdone the Democrats consistently when it comes to propaganda and undercutting everything to do with public services. Obama has apparently sold out to Corporate America too and so have all the other politicians who are dependent on "corporations as persons" donating to their campaigns.
Dunkleosteus3691 8 months ago
Ok, so if the pensions aren't bankrupting states, what is?
How can collective bargaining be a right? It forces people to give money to ideologically partisan political groups aka unions. This means that no matter what a government worker believes, a significant chunk of THEIR MONEY is effectively extorted by force to the Democrats, whether they like it or not.
While 26-33% government workers are unionized, you should have mentioned it's 11% in private sector.
Knightmessenger 10 months ago
@Knightmessenger
Wisconsin didn't have a deficit problem before the tax cut to the rich. Union is not even a problem in this case, it is simply Republican agenda at play. Give money to the rich, and then says the middle class have to pay for it.
Remember, the Unions already agreed to a take pay cuts and increased taxes to get the country through the tough time, but Republican went back on their words and try to bust Unions and give tax cuts to the rich as the first thing they did.
Neosaigo 10 months ago
@Neosaigo Isn't the goal fix the deficit before it is a problem?
The middle class have to pay for tax cuts to the rich? Do most middle class people get their income from the government or from a rich boss? How is it coming out of their pocket? Does pulling down the wage payer lift up the wage earner?
Remember government doesn't create any wealth in the first place. If you can find ways to make it function without consuming as much taxpayer money, that leaves more in the economy for jobs.
Knightmessenger 10 months ago
@Knightmessenger "Pulling down the wage payer"-- ??? What a famous pile of misleading crap. All of these "pulled down" wage payers are doing their damndest to create Universal Serfdom in the United States. NONE of them has been "pulled down" - the earnings gap has been growing since the 1980s from 20x the national working wage to 400x the average working wage. While: NONE of these people have shown an ounce of honesty or decency to anyone.
Dunkleosteus3691 8 months ago
@Neosaigo Wisconsin didn't have a deficit problem before the last Democrat governor(Jim Doyle) who spent like a drunken sailor and who instituted combined reporting(double taxing for businesses who had locations in other states). This has nothing to do with tax cuts and everything to do with typical liberal tax and spend policies.
kndrice 9 months ago
Wisconsin pensions are hunky dory for 18 years huh? Alright, let's just put it out of the state budget for 6 years, as it is, on it's own. I'm sure the state worker unions would be OK with that.
socialistcontainment 11 months ago
Well said Ben, but there are bigger liars than Scott Walker, no doubt about it.
MyTemporaryAccount88 1 year ago
Then what is?
Edgerunner10 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
Hahaha.
I love how when I prove just unfair a "fair" tax is you go on this rant about about paying taxes in the first place. Sorry but hording 100s of millions and billions of dollars helps no one. And as today shows only screws up the global economy.
"You have no logic, run along now child"
Oh the irony of that coming from you.
I'm through with you, enjoy your worldview that is the complete opposite of reality.
mecher3k 1 year ago
Don't give em ideas Ben, they'll want to liquidate the pension plans next. :P
BloodStoney 1 year ago
Find a bigger lier.... Glen Beck!
In the immortal word of the great Charlie Sheen
Winning
vitalem4 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
Let put in pure maths so you can understand. Let's use 10% as an example.
Someone that makes $20,000 will have $2,000 taxed away.
Someone who makes $200,000 will have $20,000 taxed away.
Thing is that $2,000 is needed for the guy that makes $20,000 to live off of.
Where as $20,000 means a difference between what type of high-end car that guy will get.
It not hard to understand at all, well maybe for you it is.
mecher3k 1 year ago
the koch brothers, theres your bigger liars
InfamousArmstrong 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
Funny, they should pay a lot more than half, considering they own more than half of this country.
bla34112 1 year ago
@ForTheRepublic @bla34112
You're both wrong. The United States hasn't been a Democracy or a Republic for decades. It's an Oligarchic Plutocracy: rule by the wealthy few.
watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q
And the sooner both you blockheads and others like you who've 'bought the trip' wake up to reality, the better the chance we'll have of actually restoring it to what it was originally intended to be: Rule by the people, FOR the people.
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye
ok.. thanks for calling me a blockhead
i am quite aware of what you re talking about, thank you very much
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 Sorry, bla. A ) I didn't realize this was your channel. B ) Distinctions of Democracy vs. Republic being what they are these days (i.e. irrelevant) I tend to get rather impatient with idealists who still think their vote counts for anything next to the agenda of the Oligarchs, and C ) I'm old and cranky. Please accept my apology...just for YOU, not for the stuffed shirt you were arguing with...
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
@TheMercilessEye
It's cool, but
WTF, why does everybody recognize my channel lately?
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 Um...could be the TIMELINESS of your MESSAGE, maybe....?
TheMercilessEye 1 year ago
wtf this stuff doesn't end up on my YT recent subscription uploads till days after.
ooMONKEYoo 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
Jesus fucking Christ, you write like a 14 year old,
not only when it comes to spelling or grammar, but also when it come to the way you structure you're thoughts and the way you present them.
Could there be a more stereotypical representation of a conservative?
Question, do YOU own?
Or is my assessment of you correct, and you are a just common fuck?
bla34112 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
But the "flat tax" has been proven to fuck over the poorest people.
Good job Nazi.
mecher3k 1 year ago 2
what is bankrupting States and America as a whole, are idiot loons that listen to, and support, the left wing USA hate and America destroying voices of people like Cenk and Obama
cam1126 1 year ago
@cam1126
Learn to speak English and then try to talk.
mecher3k 1 year ago
The super-rich are paying, on avg, an overall tax rate of about 16%.
Meanwhile middle class folks on avg are paying an overall tax rate of about 32%.
THIS IS HORRIBLY UNFAIR TO PEOPLE MAKING BETWEEN $25K AND $250K
DillonDee1 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
mhm.. are you rich?
Do you have an income over 1000.000?
I kinda doubt that, you come across as an imbecile, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WRITE ALL CAPSIZE!!!!!
Allow me to enlighten you:
1. The wealthy get wealthy using our infrastructure. They are the ones gaining from our roads and school systems the most.
2. The wealthy usually don't work, they own. Me, and most likely you are the ones doing the work.
btw.
3. The poorest of us are often the most hardworking.
bla34112 1 year ago
@DeepSouth16
well.. raise taxes on the rich and.. problem solved, all of a sudden you CAN spend more..
bla34112 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
The richest 5% in our country now have more wealth than the combined total of the bottom 95%
The generous absurd tax rates on the wealthy over the last 10 years are partly responsible for that.
WE MUST PUT THE MAX TAX RATES TO WHERE THEY WERE UNDER RONALD REAGAN.
DillonDee1 1 year ago
Ohh dear, please take the TYT staff to take an economics course....please!!!!
Agree with the social stance, show sis entertaining, but when it comes to any economic analysis it's just painful to watch.....so painful
airbreather123 1 year ago
Pensions Are NOT Bankrupting States ...
Really ? when were you elected governor ???
ForTheRepubl1c 1 year ago
@ForTheRepubl1c Hey, Douche bag, you are an idiot. How much money did you make this week using the public roads and your public education? How much more money did you make this week because you could travel freely without worrying about getting harassed by local thugs or having to bribe corrupt local officials? How much money do you think Walmart made this week using the roads, and your public education? Corporations are making billions and you're paying for their infrastructure, douche.
peoplepowered1 1 year ago
@ForTheRepubl1c
wow.. , what an authoritarian dumb ass comment.
Even for Internet standards this a rare display of mental retardation.
Yes, let our benevolent leaders decide what's best for us, this isn't a democracy after all.
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112
you right, it's not a democracy and never has been.
It's called a REPUBLIC, Ever heard of it ?
you might know that if you've ever read a book
ForTheRepubl1c 1 year ago
@ForTheRepubl1c
Ohh shit... one of those
Yes, America is a republic, BUT ALSO a democracy. Those things are NOT mutually exclusive.
Not that that has anything to do with the point that you are a evil authoritarian by nature.
And i know that right about now you're gonna have that impulse to write back that "oh no you're wrong it's a republic and blah blah blah"
DONT!!!
Go punch republic-democracy into fucking google and look this shit up
Im not here to educate all of you fucktard neocons.
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112
I know I'm right.
We are a republic, have never been a democracy and we never will be.
ForTheRepubl1c 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ForTheRepubl1c
NO!! FUCK YOU; FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU!!!
I WILL NOT have this conversation with you.
A republic is a representational democracy, no ands, ifs or buts about it!
You do not know what you are talking about, look this shit up, somewhere else than conservapidia please.
bla34112 1 year ago
@ForTheRepubl1c I'm sorry...but I have tell you the truth, we are not a Republic nor a Democracy.
We are a "Corporation", Corporation own by the Queen of England and we are just "Stock Market".
If you want to see it yourself go to Google.com and look for "Illuminati News" Who Owns You?, and then let me know what do you think, and if you want to do a favor to others spread the news
veneno1969 1 year ago
More lies from the left
DeathKorps94 1 year ago
18 years is nothing.
Rakly3 1 year ago
@Rakly3 That's 18 years with out putting another dime into the fund, dumb ass.
peoplepowered1 1 year ago
I was looking away from the video when he said "I'll wait" and it froze. I thought he was just waiting a long time. :)
WispierTetrahedrons 1 year ago
It doesn't suprise me that the biggest dumbasses in the country want to cut education spending
xxbss4lifexx 1 year ago
French people: Smart?
Ben, you are an Anti-American liberal, uh, fascist socialist.... Commie... Nazi... Um...
Anyway, the point is: why don't you believe in American exceptionalism?
We all know anyone with a foreign name isn't American.
And by foreign I of course mean not western European.
Wait, I thought I was supposed to hate Europe because they're socialist. But wait, Obama is a socialist too, right? So shouldn't I hate America too?
I'm so confused.
RUSH! I need your help!
xJoeEDangerouslyx 1 year ago
Pensions have been no more than 2-3% of state budgets for years.
Scott Walker has told all his many lies because he's working for the super-rich & trying to beat down the middle-class.
He's a very vile disgusting "human being".
DillonDee1 1 year ago
Counter Spin recently had a very good article on this.
tcdowning666 1 year ago
Phew!....So does that mean that the young people today won't have to financially support their poor old parents when their parents retire?!....
I hope so, cos the young have enough financial burden (higher education fees etc.) to look forward to, without having to support parents who have already contributed towards the state pension!
BTW...I liked Ben's presentation of this subject, keep it up Ben!
12235117657598502586 1 year ago
Okay, will you people have more of a transition for your commercials. It feels like your guys get cut off mid-sentence.
Peteman12 1 year ago
Ben is getting better and better. They're setting him up to take over when Cenk gets his own show on MSNBC...
Yewon2001 1 year ago
@Yewon2001
Benji doesn't have the knowledge Cenk has. When Benji talks about economic issues, he is far, far over his head to a point of being comical
genie0390 1 year ago
Some great points. Haven't heard anyone speak so cogently about the "principles" behind Walker's inconsistency in preserving collective bargaining for police and firefighters.
theotormon 1 year ago
1:23 lol Ben!
Sanorpas 1 year ago
I don't want netflix all over me, it sounds dirty.
Helghastl33t 1 year ago
Go Ben.
hollygolightly66 1 year ago
Get 'em, Ben.
skorchedutopia 1 year ago
Thats it I am fucking tired of this it's obvious that the government does not care about what's good for the people or what they want all they care about is corporations
We as Americans must revolt against the corrupt government.
I love America but I hate the people in charge.
johndutchcain187 1 year ago
@johndutchcain187 But what is causing the government to become corrupt - it's special interest from corporations. Even if the government was changed it doesn't solve source of the corruption which is coming from special interest.
So the target should be special interests from corporations not government itself.
RZetlin 1 year ago
@RZetlin Even if those were changed the corruption would stem from elsewhere.
silencesoloud12 1 year ago
@johndutchcain187
just how mind boggling stupid are you??
corporations are important because they supply the stuff people in society all need and want!!!!,.. AND they employ people and pay wages that all need with which to BUY things they need and want
unless corporations are healthy, unemployment can reach levels that prevent politicians from being elected. very high levels can lead to violence and gov being overthrown
How stupid are you really??
genie0390 1 year ago
My god, now the far-right gun-spreading cowboys of America are going after old people too? I thought only poor in general, have they no shame. What's next, going after invalids too?
Oh forgot, the 9/11 rescue workers' health care, haha already done!
underbjorn 1 year ago
Why are there always a few idiots that just like to hit the dislike button just for the sake of disagreeing no matter what the message is.
Louieinoz 1 year ago
@Louieinoz haters gonna hate
Cuddlebunzzzz 1 year ago
Ben is on fire!
KakashiBallZ 1 year ago
You know what is really bankrupting the states? crooked politicians and faild conservative idials.
Dahgrostabphri 1 year ago 7
"peach" that is all.
MikeandSara88 1 year ago 4
Obama is doing the right thing. No one can beat the establishment of bought politicians, the courts are even lifting restrictions on contributions to political parties. Instead of fighting fires, Obama is allowing the extreme right to burn the house down. It worked to bring down Napolean and his supporters.
ItsAReefer 1 year ago
If we're "supposed to sacrifice and suffer together", then what the fuck are the rich giving up? All I see from them is more tax cuts as they get richer. SO, all of us who work for a living give up more of what little we have while the rich continue to be allowed to hold onto more of their money that they make from other money. I guarantee the richest in this country aren't doing work to earn the majority of their money - they're "investing" it (using tricks like high freq. trading) to get it.
DisturbedHavok 1 year ago
lil' tongue tied today?
pyr666 1 year ago
"They want it ALL, and they'll get it"!!
TruthAndMoreTruth 1 year ago
18 years my ass.
18 years funded with US bonds? That's NOT money, that has to be SOLD FIRST. That's DEBT.
Make income taxes 0%.
Get rid of public unions completely.
Abolish all government departments.
Cut military spending by 99%.
Get rid of all business regulations.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01 Being done in Samolia. How's that working out for them?
DisturbedHavok 1 year ago
@DisturbedHavok Samolia? Somalia probably?
Actually their situation has improved since they kicked the government out. They had a civil war, you want to compare a country in a civil war to US or other Western countries? Sure, a fair comparison, why not.
You don't like cutting gov't spending? You don't like stopping wars? You don't like having more money in your pocket by not paying income taxes and being able to decide how to invest yourself?
Maybe USSR or North Korea are better for you.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01 That's not what really happens though in the end. Corporations would work in their own best interest and if it hurts people, oh well.
I'm all for stopping wars, hell, I didn't think Iraq should've been started in the first place. I agree nearly 100% with Ron Paul on the size of our military, but I do have small disagreements with him.
Oh and FYI - I'm more liberal than centrist, but that isn't close to communist. I know right-wingers and libertarians like to blur that line though.
DisturbedHavok 1 year ago
@DisturbedHavok If corporations are not propped up by government and they have to compete with other companies, then the net result is deflation in prices as more efficiencies are found by corporations.
If people do not buy products from those companies, then those companies must stop doing what they do and change it, unless ..... unless they are government propped up monopoly/oligopoly.
I know what communism is, I was born in USSR, we were 10 years away from Communism every 5 years.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01 How would we know if something bad happened inside a company like rat droppings in food or maybe someone bleeds into the meat that's made and the company sends it out? Yeah, these things happen. Government intervention didn't just happen for the sake of happening. There IS a historical reason for it and it seems like libertarians tend to ignore that.
It's important to learn why government institutions were created in the first place because they are usually significant.
DisturbedHavok 1 year ago
@DisturbedHavok Excuse me, I am unmoved. The rat droppings and blood can happen any time, it is happening less only due to better processes, but these increases in quality have nothing to do with gov't, they have to do with competition among companies.
Do you understand that today in USA the food manufacturers do not see anybody from FDA for years in a row? That when FDA does arrive sometime, it's about license payments and not much more?
Shit happens all the time, that's why recalls happen
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01 Then you've failed to learn history, and I can't help you.
Without government intervention, the reduction of those occurrences would never have happened. I grew up in the USA and I know our history.
DisturbedHavok 1 year ago
@DisturbedHavok No, what you mean is that you have been indoctrinated to believe that there is a gov't official standing over each pot at every food manufacturing plant. Food manufacturing is a process, that had to be automated more and more every year, and automation is what really increases ability of food manufacturers to provide safer food, it's not gov't intervention. FDA is a glorified certificate dispensary, with the power to take bribes, and it should be dismantled.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01 This always happens when I talk to a libertarian - they become condescending as if I'm some naive child. I'm not. The system isn't perfect, but to act like the original idea and the actual intent of the system isn't worth doing is to ignore historical facts.
You tried to claim that because you grew up in the USSR, you knew more than me about communism. I grew up in the USA, so by your same rules and standards, I know a bit more about our system right?
DisturbedHavok 1 year ago
@DisturbedHavok It's possible that you do know more about your rules and standards. However you are also under impression that FDA for example is more than just some sort of a glorified certification authority.
The real changes in food safety came out with free market inventing refrigeration and other types of food preservation. The modern processing plants are mostly automated, with automated procedures including whatever concerns safety, as nobody wants to go through an expensive recall.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01 I work near a Tyson food plant. I know people who have worked there because they work under me. They couldn't handle working on the line. Parts of the process are automated, but there are still people doing the work by hand - with knives and other dangerous tools that could draw blood near the food.
As for food safety, the initial changes came about because of the government - not the free market. If the govt doesn't inform the public of health issues, you really think corp. will?
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok Has nothing to do with gov't. Gov't gives out certifications - licenses. So what? Anybody can give out licenses. Gov't charges for them monopolistic fees, that's all. As to safety - real safety is created by the free market, when competition forces companies to increase quality/decrease prices. Gov't can't have competition, competition kills monopolies. Gov't loves monopolies - monopolies have plenty of money to throw at gov'ts to get more help and less competition.
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01 Again, re learn US History. The free market ultimately failed at safety. THAT is historical fact and it's always something libertarians "free marketers" ignore.
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok You should re-learn history. Free markets didn't 'ultimately fail' safety. The gov't has usurped power that it never could have legally.
Did anything become safer? Did the oil spill over and over again, despite whatever systems the gov't sets up? That's because gov't creates incentives, and the incentives are to do bad shit.
When gov't passes a 10 million dollar oil spill liability cap for deep water drilling, while outlawing shallow water drilling, it invites an accident.
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01 Oh to be sure safety and regulations have been so weakened or not even enforced (as was the case with the Gulf oil disaster) that things are shit, but are you actually arguing that something like the Gulf Oil Spill wouldn't have happened had there been ZERO government involvement?
Crony capitalism policies like the one you mentioned are a reason to FIX government regulations, not get rid of them.
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok I am arguing that if there were no gov't involvement at all (yes, zero) and the gov't was only doing its actual job - minimum military and justice system (though I do not trust gov't with justice system or the military either, but people are definitely not ready for a more sound system), if gov't wasn't owning property, and all property was private and contract and criminal laws were enforced, and if gov't didn't provide insurance to companies, didn't take away liability ctd
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01 Again, gov't did that in the past. We ended up with child labor, unsafe working conditions, mass pollution, blood and body parts in food, locked doors to keep workers going long hours, basically slavery (look up the Miners' Revolts and the reasons leading up to them), etc., etc.
Gov't stepped in because it had to and because the people demanded it. After all, this is a gov't that is for the people, by the people.
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok Wrong, the societies STARTED with child labor, with various inequalities, and lack of rights, because for a society to have any of those things, it must be wealthy, so that people have time and resources to fight those battles.
The society started with a child labor, much before the industrial revolution happened under capitalism.
The unsafe working conditions were improving with improving technologies.
The pollution is inevitable in a growing economy, it's a temporary problem
romanmir01 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok Also what do you think food was before industrial revolution and capitalism? Because any improvements in production are due to increases of efficiencies, which are only possible with automation and mass production, which is natural outcome of competing markets.
Gov't couldn't step into anything before there was money in it, this kind of invasive gov't couldn't even exist before capitalism provided so much wealth, that so many people became part of gov't.
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01 Read the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. THAT was what the meat packing industry was like before the government got involved.
Pure capitalism is as much a farce as communism. It HAS to be a balance between the government and private corporations in order for the system to work. Private citizens keep the government in check through elections but we can also use the government to protect us from corporations whose sole purpose is to make money.
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok Hey, everybody is in business making money, don't pretend that if you are not a business owner you don't want to make money. In free market the margins are low, so the prices are low due to competition, and value of money goes up
In your gov't dictatorship the prices always rise because of gov't intervention and printing and corruption
Without gov't corruption, counterfeiting people would have more resources, more wealth, and gov't can't stand free people - they can't be ruled
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01 Again, READ "The Jungle". Before ANY government intervention, that is the way things were. It's not some fantasy bullshit like "Atlas Shrugged".
There's historical evidence to support the points your making about how government interaction has, when corrupted, fucked things up, but you can't point that out and then go on to ignore historical evidence that proves my point that when there is no government intervention, things suck worse.
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok When there is no gov't intervention, then what yard stick are you using to measure how things were?
You are confusing cause and effect. You do not understand that it is the improving economy that increases amount of government, not the other way around.
Gov't is a parasite of society, which grows as society starts creating more wealth. As gov't increases in size, it kills the host economy but its appetites do not slow down, so it kills every bit of wealth society has left.
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01 You're not even reading what I wrote and just continuing with Libertarian nonsense.
The Jungle is a journalistic account of what things were like before government regulators. You know journalism - the 4th estate. The thing we have in this country to make sure government and corporations stay honest. Granted it doesn't do a very good job of that now in many cases, but it did back then.
DisturbedHavok 11 months ago
@romanmir01-Evidently you're unaware of what conservative Al Greenspan told Congress in late 2008 regarding the financial meltdown.He said "The conservative ideology I had believed in for decades is flawed and caused the financial crisis. Banks cannot be trusted to self regulate even to protect their customers". Writer Thomas Frank, author of "The Wrecking Crew" and former conservative does a great job of exposing conservatism for what it truly is. Your Conserve rhetoric simply isn't reality
urparanoia 10 months ago
@urparanoia I am WELL aware of the fact that Greenspan is a liar, yes.
He can't blame market for what he has done to it himself, when he pushed interest rates down to 1 percent, allowing "free money" to flow into the banking through the discount window, all while having FDIC perpetrating the moral hazard of banks, not caring about sound investment, because they are 'covered' by the government insurance, just like BP was 'covered' with 10 million liability cap.
You know nothing.
romanmir01 10 months ago
@romanmir01-So, in effect what you are saying is "Banks cannot be trusted to self regulate". So, if they cannot be trusted to self regulate and conservatives believe in "hands off" when it comes to regulation of business you agree with Greenspan and conservatism IS flawed. Of course the taxpayers once again get the bill for conservative failures. History shows us that on the average the economy, stock market etc does better when dems are in power but sadly voters have a short memory
urparanoia 10 months ago
@urparanoia Aaah, haaaa, no. In effect I am saying: Greenspan cannot be trusted to do what he says, and government must never print money and give special privileges to anybody, that's all I said. I don't know where you got that other stuff from, but that's the OPPOSITE of what I am saying, so congratulations, you have completely misinterpreted everything I am saying
Banks, and all other businesses self regulate in absence of gov't force, which distorts the market and creates wrong incentives
romanmir01 10 months ago
@romanmir01-
urparanoia 10 months ago
@romanmir01-The true intent of your comment was not clear. Conservatives always throw other conservatives under the buss when conservatism is in danger so it was no surprise that you did not speak favorably of Greenspan when he told us what we already knew about conservatism.Their was a time when they turned against their beloved Reagan and when things came around for him they welcomed him back into the flock.Still no one can tell me anything he did that helped the average Joe but I digress.
urparanoia 10 months ago
@romanmir01-Maybe you should attempt to articulate your thoughts one more time. Maybe you could explain "special privileges". and why FDIC is a problem. My point is that government regulation came about because of the problems business has caused.Lets not forget the goal of corporations is to put their "bottom line" above all else-even the public good.They are legally obligated to do so.Other people are often effected by problems caused by corporations such as air pollution, water pollution etc
urparanoia 10 months ago
@romanmir01-When conservatives succeed with their ongoing battle for deregulation of business taxpayers pay the price. Mortgage lenders became greedy and wrote mortgages with little regard for the ability of home buyers to repay their loans. Conservative attempts to blame the Community Readjustment Act were found to be incorrect by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Bankers simply didn't do their job and felt they wouldn't be the ones holding the bag if it all came crashing down.
urparanoia 10 months ago
@urparanoia Deregulation is not good when it's partial. Partial deregulation is worse than regulation, because it skews the market quickly further. Glass Steagal is an example of counterbalance regulation, that was place there to fight the problem that gov't created in the first place - FDIC (or gov't insurance to banks, regardless of their business practices.)
You can't remove Glass Steagal without removing FDIC as well, but they did it. They should have taken FDIC out with Glass Steagal.
romanmir01 10 months ago
@DisturbedHavok If liability was not taken away from corporations, if there was actual personal responsibility involved in running a corporation, if the gov't didn't set various minimum liability laws, if gov't didn't tax income but also didn't subsidize anybody, if gov't didn't destroy the free market, then yes, there would have still been SOME cases of accidents, but they would have been legitimate accidents, not incidents that occur due to gov't incentives for them to occur.
romanmir01 11 months ago
@DisturbedHavok The accidents do happen, nobody is 100% risk free.
That's why companies must insure themselves against such odds with best practices that they know of and with enough insurance funding to be able to cover the costs of accidents.
This would mean lower profits for those companies on average, but on average it also would mean fewer incidents and companies would actually be learning to avoid and to manage risk better, unlike what is happening with gov't involvement.
romanmir01 11 months ago
@romanmir01
...
that's it?
simply.. my ass
you sir, are an idiot
.. has to be sold first..jesus christ you are a dumbass
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 You are calling me a dumbass and yet you don't understand that US treasury bonds are NOT money? US treasury bonds are debt, that needs to be realized to get money? You don't understand debt and you don't understand bond market and you call me a dumbass? :)
OK. Have it your way, idiot.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
i am quite aware of those things.
You're conclusions however are ridiculous.
bla34112 1 year ago
@romanmir01 Go back to Somalia
DrakeIcn 1 year ago
@DrakeIcn Zimbabwe. USA will be like Zimbabwe soon enough, you won't have to move at all to experience all the pleasantries of a failed monetary system, and since USA is a net importer with 50Billion/month trade deficit, this will also come with an added shock of not being able to buy anything because nothing will be imported.
Since US has no hot-stand by factories and production facilities, this will take a little while, before US can bounce back.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
MORON!!! You fucking moron...
please tell me, when will that be?
when will the USA be like Zimbabwe?
When?
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 what am I, Gandalf? Let's say the US bond market collapsed in 21 days from now, how would I know it is going to be 21 days?
Let's say the bond market collapses 221 days from now, how can I say that it will be in 221 days?
What is known, you idiot, is that the long term interest is going up, that 71% of all US bond purchases are made by foreign central banks, who do not need to see a return and are doing this out of desperation.
But there are NO private buyers. That's the sign.
romanmir01 1 year ago
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 Hey, keep doing what you are doing.
At least people who understand and have EYES, they see that US dollars are being destroyed.
What? Silver going to USD35/ounce is NOT good enough? Oil at 105? Gold at over 1400? Cotton at highest price EVER? Rice? Sugar? Coffee? Wheat? Corn? Milk? Everything is going up up up and you are saying:
when when when? When will I be totally bankrupt? Well, you are getting poorer every single day, you are a blind fool because you can't even observe reality
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
what you are talking about is inflation....
and that tells me you don't understand how inflation works.
Why do you think things like unions are necessary? So they can bargain for higher and higher wages, to at least match the inflation.
Is it getting worse? Yes, but mostly because we lack a real democracy.
but hey keep doing what you are doing, keep crying wolf... no wait, actually
shut the fuck up please!
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 You are presenting a shifting target. Why don't YOU shut the fuck up? I don't think you can actually learn anything.
tiny url:
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those are links to my comments on a normal forum, not youtube. I know inflation, I expected the 2008 collapse and acted accordingly, I expected loss of USD purchasing power ever since I looked up the history of gov't inflation, and that was back in mid-nineties. Do you own US dollars? If you do, then shut the fuck up.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
oh.. you knew of inflation and expected the loss of USD purchasing power?
SHIT NO!!!
OH NO ALL KNEEL UPON THE MIGHTY ORACLE ROMANMIR01 AKA. Caption Fucking Obvious!
.. seriously dude, spare me.
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 I bet with all the obviousness you have done precisely jack shit to protect yourself, douche-bag.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
tss.. protect myself..
Alright Gandalf, you have fun preaching the apocalypse that will happen sometime further down the road, you just can't quite predict when this will happen but oh trust me, it's coming.
You know what bugs me about this? You'll probably take the next fucking crisis that people like you will have caused, OR an actually decent reform bill that might happen in the future and be like:
Ah see? i called it, communism is taking over.
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 I think the rich people of this country are looking at third world dictators and thinking to themselves, "Gee, how can I get me some of that action!"
peoplepowered1 1 year ago
@bla34112 Oh, it's here. If you owned dollar denominated assets for the past years, you have lost plenty of purchasing power. You didn't need a complete collapse to lose over 78% of dollar value just this past decade, as gold went from under 300/ounce to over 1400 today. You keep your dollars, I'll be doing what I do.
The crisis that's coming is not about communism, it's about government destroying economy and currency.
Communism? No. Fascism.
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
Hahaha... ok i wanted to end this threat long ago, but sorry, you keep putting you're ass out there for spanking.
78% in the last decade? lol you just took that from the price of gold didn't you? SHIT man... what am i gonna do with you?
No you god damn Moron, the purchasing power of the last decade did NOT loose 78 percent of it's value in the last decade, nowhere near that. I mean.. how old are you? where you around 2001?
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 Yes, you dolt, gold. Real money, ever heard of it? Actual real money. Not the pieces of green bullshit paper (half paper, half shit). Gold. From under 300 to over 1400. Gold. The definition of worth and value.
While you can buy with your dollars 1/5th of what you could buy in 2000, in all commodities. Sure, Fed has been pumping so much of this green trash through US into the world, that the world saw the prices jump while US stayed half stable without production. This is changing now
romanmir01 1 year ago
@romanmir01
HAHAHA.. you can only buy 1/5th of what you could buy in 2000?
That must make you around <10 years old, obviously you weren't around in the 2000.
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 No, YOU can only buy 1/5th of what you could buy in 2000. I have been in gold and silver and mining stocks. You have been in dollars.
romanmir01 1 year ago
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@romanmir01
"No, YOU can only buy 1/5th of what you could buy in 2000. I have been in gold and silver and mining stocks. You have been in dollars."
Lol que?
Wow your stupidity is a endless bottom uh?
mecher3k 1 year ago
@romanmir01
MOTHERFUCKER!!!
Ok, let me explain this to you nice in slow...
The purchasing power of the USD is not at all determined by how much Gold it can buy, it is determined by how much stuff it can buy. The prices of Gold has gone up, that is all, that means with Gold, you can now buy more shit than you could before.
bla34112 1 year ago
@bla34112 hey, dumbfuck. Gold is money. Gold has always been used as money. When even there was idea of fiat gold was money. When the fiat is gone a decade from now, gold will be money.
The fiat that you are holding is being destroyed every day by the helicopter Ben and the rest of them, that's why you can only get 1/5 of the money with it that you could 11 years ago. Price of your fiat is going down down down in flames, and you are asking me 'when is it going to crash'? fucking fuck.
romanmir01 1 year ago
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@romanmir01
"you are a blind fool "
Hilarious ironic coming from a known idiot such as yourself.
mecher3k 1 year ago
@bla34112 What is known that almost 30% of US bonds are bought by the Fed - that's the sign, you fool. Monetizing debt, printing money, that's the sign.
What is known is that this coming spring US will have to sell quite a number of US bonds to meet its State and municipal pension and medical obligations to the municipal and State workers (about 30% of them are in unions, but the rest are not, but it doesn't matter.)
What is known is that except national banks nobody is buying US bonds, cretin
romanmir01 1 year ago
You know, you keep hearing republican propaganda about some GOP state rep getting roughed up and harassed. Hearing this, I wish it were true. I would love to see these morally bankrupt pigs get beaten to the ground.
Newenlightenmentnow 1 year ago
I like the young Turks but they need to get rid of this dude not a fan.
jordanmcddd 1 year ago
This is proof that this was never about money.
dude12nothin 1 year ago
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This is BULLSHIT! Pensions like Social Security and Medicare IS bankrupting our country! We NEED President Palin for she will completely eliminate these plans along with those liberal pork programs!
ecwaufisxtreme 1 year ago
@ecwaufisxtreme I voted your comment up because I feel bad for you.
xXRazorSharp101Xx 1 year ago
@xXRazorSharp101Xx ahahahaha
Dayonetheone 1 year ago
@ecwaufisxtreme Yeah! There’s a plan!! Take it out on the people who did everything right, and continue to feed the top 1% who are responsible for all the pain this country is feeling right now. It’s quite easy to STOP SPENDING when you’re willing to cut the legs out from under our most vulnerable citizens. Much harder when you actually have a heart. There are better ways, but they require deep thought, so we won’t be waiting on that from Palin anytime soon.
demmmmm1 1 year ago 14
@ecwaufisxtreme Where's your fucking evidence? Of course you have none whatsover, just assertions. Sarah Palin is an inompetant piece of shit. She isn't qualified to run a hot dog stand. She is a threat to the United States, and our SECULAR way of life. What Sarah Palin needs is a sledge hammer to the head.
Newenlightenmentnow 1 year ago 22
Someone get him some fuzzy fruit! He must be starving!
GoneApostate 1 year ago
Wow Ben, you got fired up there at then end... Now show that type of enthusiasm in every story and I think we have a winner!
SgtBriZZle 1 year ago
I smell a petition for a recall vote in 2012.
DAK4Blizzard 1 year ago 2
no money, no government , no insane prison like control structures like what we have today , a system that meets the needs of everybody one the planet and maintains stability not hindered by asking "can we afford it?" but by simply doing it because it's the right thing to do
that's what The Venus Project is about , join TZM and let's all work together to save ourselves from ourselves....
watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
iamLI3 1 year ago
Just print some more money; thats been working out okay so far on the federal level. Right?
crocfme 1 year ago
Beavis, you are immediately ordered to watch the '60 Minutes' episode from last December - 'The Day of Reckoning'. Excerpt 'California, which faces a $19 BILLION budget deficit next year, has a credit rating approaching JUNK status. It now spends more money on public employee pensions than it does on the state university system, which had to increase its tuition by 32 percent.'
And CITIES have to fund pension programs for police, firefighters, and municipal employees. THEY CAN'T GET BAILED OUT!
RAMKING61 1 year ago
there's a fantastic peach.
Ben's talking about Anna :)
redryan20000 1 year ago
GOP will tank the country, and there will still be dumbasses saying, "If we didnt have a socialist president we would have been just fine." Ignorance isnt bliss, its fucking destructive.
biggydx 1 year ago 3
@SamDeRe81 PROPERTY IS THEFT.
oJKBo 1 year ago
@CrossTheGrigori - We'll always need unions for the same reason we'll always need some form of law enforcement.
Anyone who thinks capitalism or the government will do right on their own without organized bargaining or pressure from the working public is dreaming. You're not dealing with people doing favors out of the goodness of their heart, the government and business world are shark dens for the Greedy and Power-Hungry. Under capitalism (and Soviet socialism) they're a class of their own.
A86 1 year ago 2
huh BEN is back , his own brothers the disciples of caliper the ones who banished him, would they know how to quench his thirst for power and revenge.
ridimwave 1 year ago
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This simply doesn't add up. How can pensions funds NOT go bust when a teacher I know in NY state retires at age 52 (after 25 years) with a $60,000 pension plus health benefits? Multiply that times 30 years, and that times the tens of thousands of public workers. The GAO had estimated that pensions are underfunded by over 1 trillion nationally. I think McClatchy is McWacky.
StepUPNJ 1 year ago
whenever Ben says McClatchy, he adds an h to his next c.
McClatchy.
It's a tough word to enunciate.
bugglewump 1 year ago
@bugglewump wouldn't that then be "enunchiate"? :D
cheezbawl2003 1 year ago
Scott Walker is the biggest liar but Governor or Texas Rick Perry is ready and willing to put Walker into second place.
hollywoodt00 1 year ago
The five people who don't like this don't like to hear facts.
thehobbsguy 1 year ago
letting them off the hook because they voted in scot walker.
ShellySummers 1 year ago
My prediction for the next elections in WI? Scott Walker is going to be a one-termer.
jezmundberserker 1 year ago
@jezmundberserker There's a move to recall him in 2012. Probably won't fly, but it'd send a great message.
theotormon 1 year ago