Countdown: Thom Hartmann on the GOP Busting Unions

[leftwingersunited]

THE G.O.P. ARE ACTING LIKE RADICAL RIGHT-WING FASCISTS!

[BloatedSensations]

@leftwingersunited That might be because, for the most part, THEY ARE radical right-wing fascists. Just because they might not be quite as radical as some other ridiculously radical right-wing fascists that have popped up once or twice throughout history, doesn't mean they aren't radical right-wing fascists as well.

[MagicKirin]

@BloatedSensations

Actually the union are the facists.

Organized crime is more honest than the labor union and steal less money from the public.

[BloatedSensations]

@MagicKirin "Actually the union are the facists." - Really? I've never seen a union characterized by ardent nationalism, militarism, obsessions with national security and criminal punishment, the advocation of protections for corporate power and the marriage of religion to government, nor one which held a disdain for intellectualism and the arts, etc. These are, of course, the defining characteristics of fascism. Where are these "fascists" unions you speak of?

[MagicKirin]

@BloatedSensations

did you see their actions in WI. We should just call all the goverment pensions on non essentials which would include the teachers. Then privitize and thenn prosecute allunion leader under RICO.

Walker is a labor hero.

[TruthTeller878]

REASON, EMOTION & TRUTH!

Tom Hartmann either is lying or has never read the U.S. Constitution. Tom says America is a Democracy. America is not a Democracy! Article 4 section 4 of the U.S. Constitution says America is a Constitutional Republic! Democracies lead to dictatorships! Please research this fact. The evil ILLUMINATI / FREEMASON politicians in Washington D.C. (District of Criminals) want a world wide democracy dictatorship with their leader from Rome.

Private Investigator Sinn

U.S.A.

[Petekiv]

Bill O'Reilly has been instructed by Ruppert Murdock, whose boss is Saudi Arabia, that whatever you do, stay away from obama being a homosexual, illegal muslim. Everything else you do is OK! Go to Aaron Klein, Phil Berg, and James Manning for more info. Also: Her Name is Ms Ann.

[whiteypowers]

@biggerturd No we DO need government. The type envisioned by the founders. One which works for all its citizens, and not the corporations and other big money interests

[Lightmane321]

Prophetic words from Thom, wouldn't you say, in light of what's happening in Wisconsin.

Too bad we were dumb enough to put these crooks back in power.

Oh well. The democrats have only themselves to blame.

Maybe if they get lucky & get power back one day (which I doubt), they will have finally learned their lesson.

Maybe we will too... but I doubt it.

[louiethegreater]

He is totally right, Hamilton's tariffs made the ameican middleclass, and ushered on the ameican dream.

[MsZeitgeist85]

Ludlow Massacure, Haymarket Massacure, Homsted Massacure and you glorify this. People like you are what is wrong with this country.

[MagicKirin]

Tom I know you are a part of the Union Mafia.

But most American see them for the parasites they are.

Take the Pinkerton apporach to them.

I only wish I had been old enough to punch that coward George Meany in the fact when he had a picket line.

Break a union picket line, for a free workplace.

Go SCABS!

[MsZeitgeist85]

@MagicKirin WRONG Most of America is pro union and does not want to be Right to Work or poverty wages. 

[MagicKirin]

@MsZeitgeist85

Wrong only a few percentage support the union Mafia.

I want the right to choose who I sub contract to.

Proud to have walk through a picket line

[MsZeitgeist85]

@MagicKirin The Pinketons murdered union organizers and "Right to Work" states have the highest poverty rates.

[MagicKirin]

@MsZeitgeist85

the Pinkerton brought Union thugs to justice. James McPOharland is far more worthy of a statue and the Dept of Labor than Cesear Chavez.

Labor Unions states have unemployment and high taxes.

We need to break the union movement and prosecute Andy stern under RICO.

The Pinkertons were heroes

[STUBBORNOTTER]

@MagicKirin Pinkertons were thugs and murderers. your heroes eh? says a lot about TeaBaggers

[MagicKirin]

@STUBBORNOTTER

Your deogratory yerm for a peaceful group (unlike Unions who have been shown on videos beating people up) shows where you are coming from. The Pinkertons brought union terrorists like the Molly Muguires to justice

[bonfirejovi]

Unlike Reagan, what Thatcher did was necessary. This retard didn't live in the UK in the 70s with power cuts, grave digger strikes, winter of discontent, stagflation, 3 day works weeks, pound devaluation, up to 25% inflation, garbage pile ups etc... The 70s was a disaster in the UK and main reason was Union thugs like Arthur Scargill who took advantage of the weak 70s governments. Don't equate Thatcher with Raygun.

[runned]

We have a small I.T. Marketing company that was located in San Jose, california in which we just made the move to Tennessee last month to stay afloat. The tax system in california was to much for us to survive. Unfortunatly 4 people lost their job,1 came with us. Unions get a lot of that tax money

[RELATEDXXX]

teamster for 37 years ; and i love the fight : It was all good : { no fight no money or healthcare : }

[crabtrap]

bullshit mr hartman! the industrial base of the US started leaving because of increased regulations on enviromental standards and madatory wages and perks for workers.the it became much easier to pay move the factory to mexico and pay a mxican straight cash then to satisfy all US mandates. the same happened to mexico where the industry left and want to china now(china factories are more diverse in products). we know this because the same thing happened to EU industry(it moved also)

[RELATEDXXX]

@crabtrap ; Don't no much about American History ; by Kenneth c. Davis ;  The peoples History By Howard zinn & Let's quit Beating around The bush ; by jim Hightower : For starters :

[crabtrap]

@RELATEDXXX "creature from jekyle island; G .Edward Griffin. anything by Dr anthony sutton. i assume we are speaking of books here.

[xaviqaz]

@crabtrap The US industrial base is pretty much the same for the last 50 years: 16-18% of real GDP (inflation adjusted). There are less jobs because of productivity growth and increasing competition.

[crabtrap]

@xaviqaz nonsense



[crabtrap]

this guy is all potatoes and no meat. Alex Jones is a way better host and film maker,he actually makes a dfferance

[ClamsOnDemand]

Thom is a freakin awsome. I dont know how Glen beck and Rush Linballs get more attention.

[Lightmane321]

@ClamsOnDemand cause we're dumb

[ClamsOnDemand]

@Lightmane321  True!

[desertdetroiter]

This guy is frighteningly smart. I wish he had a bigger forum. His radio show is the bomb...i wish i had time to listen to it more.

[xadam2dudex]

corporate America and the wealthy hate the unions.. the unions are the only thing standing between them and the total control of the workers..the US is a 3rd world country because we don't manufacture anything.. Nixon opened China to take US industry overseas to destroy the middle class and unions and lastly to increase profits..profits weren't the driving motive they already had excessive wealth

[judyleasugar97]

Thom, I listen to you on the radio every morning and learn something. You tell it like it is!

[willingtorisk]

JFK was killed because he was going to stop the plan, the NWO people want a world financial system, world banking system, empire. They've been using the international banking and finance, military industrial complex, and assasination, bribary, blackmail, seduction, terrorism, to pull off their plan. Wake up, its consciousness that terrifies them. Wake UP

[ajd1211]

I'm a Republican union member. I believe in the union ability to negotiate for higher wages and better benefits. But on the other side, I believe that the United States ties the hands of businesses by high taxes, too high of standards, and unfair trade policies. Busting the unions isn't the answer. Especially when China makes our companies pay significantly high tariffs for our products, and we don't do the same on Chinese products.

[xadam2dudex]

@ajd1211 even tho ur comment was 5 months ago I'll say that business pays lower taxes than at any time in the country's modern history.. EXXON/MOBILE paid $0 in US taxes last yr and they weren't the only corporation...many corporation hide their income by using offshore account as do the wealthy and use Swiss accounts..the wealthy and corporations are the biggest tax cheats by far

[ajd1211]

@xadam2dudex You need to read the Rich Dad series by Robert Kiyosaki. Whatever they don't spend on their business, they pay taxes on. That's why they spend as much money as they can on their business, so in the end, they don't pay any taxes. Them and their family could be the sole stockholders of their company, and guess what? A trip to Europe is a company board meeting, and everything they spend on that is a tax write off. The rich know how to play the tax game. We don't.

[MrSamsquansh]

Jobs exist because of social demand, if money didn't exist would we not still feed ourselves, clothe ourselves. Jobs existed before money and business. Business and money are a structure imposed on the work of the people so that an elite few may benefit more greatly from the labors of the many.

[blabblab1212]

Jobs are leaving America because BUSINESS is too greedy to pay them a decent wage and would rather pay Chin Lee $1.25 an hour to build a microwave oven.

[bpentium]

Unions are no good without jobs created by, that's right, BUSINESS you dorks. And you keep wondering why jobs are leaving the USA? What a bunch of idiots.

[MrTabby5000]

They are leaving to get cheap slave wages,china is communist not a democratic country,and walmart has 85% chinese and asian products.

[bpentium]

Slave wages? Isn't the idea of slavery to NOT pay wages? Walmart is one of the few businesses that are employing people. Now you're against people employing other people? I'm confused. Oh, do you think K-Mart doesn't carry Asians products? Oh, and you do realize that "chinese" and "asians" is the same thing right? How about you finish getting an education and come back to make more points.

[MrTabby5000]

Walmart is a huge profit maker and can afford to paymore and health care for their employees,If they were a mom and pop store I could understand,lower wages and no health care,but they arent.They take business away from those mom and pop store so they go out of business.

[hostilel7]

Wage slavery refers to a situation where a person is dependent for a livelihood on the wages earned, especially if the dependency is total and immediate.

Plus:

Chinese = Asian

Asian = not necessarily Chinese

(google Japan, Iraq and India for some examples of non-Chinese Asian countries).

Oh, please refer us to the institution(s) where you received your "education" (so we can avoid it/them).

[Xonk61]

@hostilel7 Iraq is in asia?

[madilyneh]

Think... Demand is the only reason to grow business, have business or be successful in a business.

[virtuousvoice]

Thom Hartmann is another retarded statist who needs to realize that if we had a true cottage capitalist/libertarian society free of unions, taxes, regulations and corporate welfare, GM wouldn't be bankrupt and the workers would make better wages with better benefits.

[MrTabby5000]

true capitalism is no rules,which means that slavery is legal and so is child labor,we had both of them,and we the people decide thats wrong.

[crabtrap]

@MrTabby5000 true socialism is total rule, which means slavery is legal as long as the state says so. we have seen that before too,it ended badly

[MrTabby5000]

@crabtrap

so before the civil war we were a socialist country?Give me a break.

unregulated laissez-faire capitalism was the reason for slavery.

[crabtrap]

@MrTabby5000 what are you rambling about? i was speaking of other countries that made slaves out of it's citizens (soviet russia for one). and don't try your obermann strawman argument shit on me,you know no one is speaking about ZERO regulation.we have OVER regulation now compared to other countries.if you can overregulate them too then we will see a equal business playing feild

[MrTabby5000]

@crabtrap

communism is not socialism,they are two different things.There are many subdivisions of each.

[crabtrap]

@MrTabby5000 ummm,yes communism is socialism as is facism also .socailism is the root of those forms of governance. but ill play your game;there are many subgroups of capitalism and free markets

[Ahzpayne]

@crabtrap "Fascism is capitalism in decay."-- Vladimir Lenin. guess someone forgot to tell the communists that the fascists were on their side

[crabtrap]

@Ahzpayne modern fascism was defined by Mussilini as "a merging of corperatism and the state"

Lenin said his qoute as propaganda.

At any rate, under the US constitution if it was allowed to be used as directed the state would remain extremely small and under local control. (to your over reg rebuttel)> under the constitution a factory could not dump toxic waste that traveled onto my property as it would violate my property rights>>>

[Ahzpayne]

@crabtrap which industries are over-regulated?and please define "over-regulation". do you mean making our companies pay a fair wage and adhere to environmental and product safety laws? are you implying that if we were more willing to let business owners pay what they want and treat us how they want, with little or no regard for health or safety concerns, that america would be a better place to live?

[crabtrap]

@Ahzpayne >>cont why is it better for the govt to set wages? the only reason wages seem low to you is because the average American has to much of everything 2500+sqft homes ,$100 cell bills,2 year old cars etc. in the 70's the average house was 900-1200sqft with one car(which usually was kept for 10years). get the picture?? america is the only place in the world where 60% of people below poverty line are obese! free market capitalism which youi have not seen (ended in1913) is better for growth.

[chiefrc77]

The workers would make better wages with better benefits? Right, just like they do in China. You trickle-down retards just have no clue what it would be like without restrictions on corporations. Everytime your intelligently and morally bankrupt economic policies fail you say "well if only the market were more free". All trickle-down economics does is transfer wealth from the middle class to the top 1%. Maybe when you're homeless along with a good majority of society someday you'll understand.

[senjahcore]

so well said

[77katrine]

I have personally seen the mafia mean side of unions. Sure they need tough leaders, but they typically don't try to work with management at all. Why? My father worked for the union for Alcoa and he told us about a lot of crooked crap with them. I BELIEVE WE NEED UNIONS but they need to be started over clean.... It's time.

[captainkill1]

MSBNC is the nazi network that hates hates hates hates AMERICA. They would probably love Osama Bin Laden if they could meet him. Hell Keith Olbermann would love to suck the dick of Bill Ayers his terrorist friend.

[benzodiazapines]

Wow, you crammed a whole lot of stupid into just two sentences. Good work!

[nfwvideo]

this coming from a fox news watcher lol

[Borat980mis]

hartmann's mustache is pimp

[xj2yzz]

The high paying jobs of the future dealing illegal narcotics.

[killerbandit]

At least he was allowed to say this on national T.V. I haven't heard that kind of talk for a long time. It is refreshing.

[Idude893]

What are you, some kind of answering machine?

[OmarThePug]

the govt is going to make jobs, dictate the terms of employment (i.e unions) and lessen the power of independent organizations from forming unions. You should even though you're working for government be able to form a union independently. So Obama will keep unions, but they will be GI unions.

[MaliciousMutant]

It's all about a balance in power to me. Labor Unions negotiate with CEOs and Execs to balance out the power struggle. If one gets too much power, they become corrupt and take advantage of the other. I'll agree that $27/hour is a litte much for an assembly job(coming from and assembly worker). But I won't go absolute and stand against organized labor, because if the other side had their way 100%, they'd pay them 1/3 of that at best. Like I said, all about balance.

[walter777777]

The problem has been set up by the auto companies. How can the CEO of Ford who made $21,000,000 last year expect serious givebacks from the unions when his failed period at Ford rewarded him so hugely?

W.

[sidrosteel]

And if you divided up what that CEO made equally for every employee, they would make an extra dollar a week.

[walter777777]

The CEO made $21,000,000 in 2007. Ford has 245,000 employees. The amount comes out to a bit less than $18/wk per employee. The CEO has a personal contract which gives him far greater economic security than the line worker. The knowledge that the Cis in such a dominant position makes for damned poor morale among the ine emplyees.

W.

[digitalcntrl]

So we, the taxpayers, should bailout the company where the CEOs have golden parachutes and the assembly workers have companies paying them even more than what many engineers w/ a 4 year degree make?? Everything you have said only makes an argument that we should let nature take its course and let these failed companies got bankrupt.

[josephthesailor]

Sounds like to me the Engineers need to form a union! You think wealth is going to trickle down get real man. Horse and sparrow economics has never worked.

[killerbandit]

Just watch what happens to the country when the unions are destroyed. We will have to start from square one, you maybe lucky enough to witness child labour in the USA during your lifetime.

[77katrine]

This is true, but I don't think starting at square one means child labour. I love the idea of organized labour but it needs revamping for sure. It's out of date practices are crippling to industry. Ever since the global economy crap started we have not been able to compete with our industries because we constantly do everything like it's still 1950.

[killerbandit]

Unionized labour costs 10% of a companies overhead. This is an acceptable cost for the simple fact that the economy exists to serve people. Taking 10% to live off of day to day is hardly asking to much. Democracy in the work place means the CEO's do loose power, and that is fine.

The difference between now and then is that many companies in the USA are forced to compete with companies that can afford to pay their employees less than it would cost to live as a homeless person in the USA today.

[xaviqaz]

@killerbandit Latest news: Embraer opens a facility in Florida, Rolls Royce in Virginia, GE has its largest gas turbine manufacturing site in South Carolina... With the 2nd Boeing facility in SC, the South becomes headquarters of US aerospace industry (Spirit, Cessna, Hawker, Beechcraft, LearJet, Gulfstream, Bell). Foreign automakers produce 95% of their stuff in right to work states. Etc, etc. While the industrial midwest is outsourcing jobs. Repeat after me: forced unionism is good.

[sidrosteel]

Unions suck. Its all about power.. union power. Not freedom and not protecting jobs.

[armadilloze]

sidrosteel: Unions are democratic. The rich and powerful think they know what's best for you. Unions think individual citizens know what's best for themselves. They invented the weekend, not the bossman. They're pro-America, the bosses are anti-America. Simple as that.

Look up "plutocracy." If you want to be a serf, there are plenty of third-world countries you can move to since you can't go back to the weekend-free 1890s.

[sidrosteel]

touche...

How about the leadership not informing members of negotiation breakdowns and the plant closing in the wake of union decisions?

I just think there are better ways than handing another group of folks your hard earned money and not having much say in the actions. Its another tax.. maybe if they worked a weekend it would make up for it. (pun intended)

I have little faith in folks that yell the sky is falling constantly. Fear is a tool used for coercion a little to often.

[armadilloze]

sidrosteel: How about plants closing with less or no notice as required by contract or law, as Michael Moore documents so many times? Except in that case, you can't vote in new leadership, since corporations are mini-dictatorships. You've just lost months of planning time. I'll take the democratic way, thanks. I don't need some self-serving CEO telling me how to run my life. Perhaps you do. If so, plenty of third-world countries out there looking for subservient peons with no self-respect.

[digitalcntrl]

I voted for Obama and ironically grew up in Michigan, however, the behavior of labor is only making wish the bailout fails. Their sense of entitlement is nauseating. $27/hr?? Give me a break that is more than many engineers with a 4 year degree make.

[sidrosteel]

Or how about the folks that still get paid and havent worked for a factory in years? Unions do a heck of a job for companies trying to compete.

[SpanishForkOutcast]

And yet, the Republicans claim to represent the average American worker.

[webgeek6]

Thom speaks the truth!

[phoenixatom]

It's amazing that in less than 30 years, Republicans have been able to destroy over 200 years of work in building this great nation. This is finally the end of the Reagan era...and it couldn't have come sooner. I'm hopeful that this new administration will have what is needed to start rebuilding America.

[sidrosteel]

Bush was no Reagan. Thats just unfair analogy. Reagan wouldnt have invaded Iraq or Afghanistan. Wouldnt have coached the Patriot Act into passing and wouldnt have such a douchebag VP.

[phoenixatom]

You're right he didn't invade Iraq, or Afghanistan...he invaded Libya, and Grenada. He found that Libya. Bush holds to Reagans ideals (which, incidentally, are his father's ideals as well) and he follows the beat to the same drum. Given this, I don't think Reagan wouldn't have at least considered the Patriot Act if he was president during 9/11 times. This country has been on a steep decline since the 80's...all thanks to Reagan worshiping policies. Hopefully that will change now.

[sidrosteel]

I do believe every single president, since the CIA's inception has used it to overthrow and back various evil elements. To place 100% of the blame seems childish to me.

I disagree, one thing that Reagan respected was our rights. I dont think he would have buckled. If there is one thing the old guard that he came from respected was individual liberty... and a sensible foreign policy. Nobody is perfect.. but Reagan and Bush are far from the same.

[phoenixatom]

See that's where you're wrong. In the onset of Reagan's administration, he successfully dismantled a large amount of human rights policies (both foreignPresident. He never had any real human rights policy. He supported a very hard-core right wing agenda, and funded contras (aka terrorists) in Nicaragua among other places, and supported many violent dictators.

[slickjilly]

I listen to you on my way to work every day Thom. You are brilliant. Sometimes I'll listen for a minute to hear what Rush (cyst ass) is lying about. His snarky mean-spirited tone kills me. You Thom, sound so thoughtful and considerate. Such a stark contrast.

[whiteypowers]

The current state of the economy of the U.S. and the world, is the direct result of the failed policies of the Republican Party and Reaganomics in particular. Well said Thom.

[biggerturtle]

@whiteypowers No it is the failed policies of the WHOLE government on both sides of the aisle. Less government= better society . Too many lazy slackers sucking off the government tit. Anarchy is the best solution

[1oblomovjr]

Mr. Hartmann laid out the real consequences of Reaganomics so completely and with so few words. Simply beautiful!

[kurd55]

Great stuff---he should be on Olbermann's show more---much more. Liked the way he brought in the founding fathers in contrast to Raygun.

[ArmwoodProspects]

I always find him to be the most rational, thought out voice on the radio.

[Stentor7]

One of the truest aphorisms that he ever created was this:

"A monolith does not create a critical model"

Thom Hartmann

[garthggarth]

I simply cannot fathom how republicans can wave the patriotic card around constantly, adn when it comes to helping out working class americans, and american-based companies, they'd rather support the foreign-based factories. I live in the south, and I'm fairly ashamed. Saxby Chambliss, Go To Hell!

[MaliciousMutant]

heh, i can understand. I live in GA, where everybody claims they're "Conservative Republican". Yet when you ask them what it means, they repeat the icing-on-the-cake rhetoric: "Against gay marriage, anti-abortion, pro gun", yet, they bitch and complain about low wages and corporate tyranny on a regular basis. Still, they vote for the guys who generally support it.

[pelayostyle]

I love Thom. Smartest guy on the radio by far.

[armadilloze]

garthggarth: "I love Thom. Smartest guy on the radio by far."

Darn, beat me to it.

I love it when he has a winger guest on and refutes him by saying something like "Well, Jefferson and Adams said in an exchange of letters in 1782..."

He thoroughly humiliated Grover Norquist by asking him what he would eliminate from the federal budget. "OK, all those account for only 2% of the budget. Duh." No one can win against him. He shoulda replaced the ineffective Alan Colmes on Vannity & Colmes.

[custallion]

I will say it once again. In my humble opinion, Thom is the smartest, most articulate and well-researched person in any media environment. Unfortunately, he mentioned on the air recently that he has no desire to replace Colmes. However, even if he did, Fox would most likely not tolerate him wiping the floor with Hannity on a nightly basis and exposing the Neo-Con agenda with the truth.

[armadilloze]

custallion: No doubt on all points. In fact, Faux Noise admits it's beaten by having Hammity go solo. He can't stand up against ANYONE anymore, even Colmes.

But, we do have Olbermann and newcomer sensation Rachael Maddow. Both are trending WAY up as Newscorp continues tanking in proportion to their new irrelevance. The viewers have spoken.

Olbermann should give Thom a 3 to 5 minute segment every show for the erudite among us. With a translator or subtitles for dimbulb conservatives. :)

[custallion]

Armadilloz-

I have had several people send emails to Rachel suggesting that she let Thom fill in for her when she is out. She had Arianna fill in a few weeks ago and she did great. Rachel and Thom are good friends and I believe both her and Keith should have him on at least a few times a week both to provide excellent truth telling and to destroy cons like Yaron Brook and Carrie Lukas just like on his radio show.

[TheKkronic420]

@pelayostyle the smartest guy in the room....almost every room i've seen so far.

[Z200a]

Thom Hartmann is awesome. He really needs more exposure in the MSM.

[Plutonwolf]

His radio show is a four foot long thorn in the side of the Neo-Con agenda. They go to extreme lengths to drive him off the air. They even buy out stations that carry him and convert the stations to revenue negative operations just to see him silenced.

Unlike the Hannity's and Limburgers he is knowledgeable and intelligent and has a firm grasp of our country's true foundations and reality based economic theory. In other words, a Neo-Cons Anti-Christ. Go Thom GO!

[nfwvideo]

@Plutonwolf what u explained about Neo Cons buying stations just to quiet hism is 100% communism

[TyroneTasty]

@Plutonwolf "When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him."

-Jonathan Swift

[ajd1211]

@Plutonwolf and yet he only gets an hour on Sirius radio. I wish he had a 3 hour show like everyone else.

[jrudy585]

I hope Thom gets more cable news bookings. He always speaks truth to power

[Z200a]

So true. He's in a class my himself.