Bruce Bacon: "My Reply to My Conservative Friend"

Spread the Word
Re-pinned by Bruce Bacon  |  June 1, 2014  |  Bryan TX

My Reply to My Conservative Friend: "My Reply to My Conservative Friend August 26, 2012 at 3:22pm by Bruce Bacon on NOTES in faceBook

"...Today I got an email from a conservative friend who implored me to go watch the movie “2016 Obama’s America.”

Here is my response to her.

Marilyn, please bear with me. Here is my take on the history of what has happened to our country.   Back in 1971, a corporate lawyer by the name of Lewis Powell penned a document that is known as the “Powell Memorandum.” In this document, which was sent to his friend at the US Chamber of Commerce, Powell extolled the virtues of blending business interests with political interests…attacked the hard work of people like you and me who care about our environment, attacked the education system, arts and sciences, in that they impede business interests. That memorandum eventually spawned right wing “think tanks” and created a massive lobbying effort that we are paying for today. Literally. With our tax dollars. http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/powell_memo_lewis.html"

'via Blog this'

In the later 70’s, the Republican party initiated an agenda that they called “Starve the Beast.” The purpose of the agenda was to intentionally run up the debt to a point where the cutting of social programs would be a necessity. Reagan bought in and ran up deficit and debt to previously unequaled levels. It would take a president and congress that subscribed to this doctrine to bring it to fruition. We lived that reality during the Bush tenure.  Massive tax cuts for the wealthy, a trillion dollar big pharma giveaway, and a couple of wars ensured that the beast would indeed be starved. The deficit accumulated under Republican “leadership” amounts to approximately $12 trillion dollars. Here’s proof:
http://zfacts.com/p/1170.html 
Starve the Beast analysis:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/paul-krugman-starve-the-beast-fiscal-calamity-is-the-gops-plan-to-shrink-government-234845/

Combined with the starve the beast mentality, came the part two of the double whammy - deregulation of the financial markets. During the first decade of the 21st century, we realized a fraud perpetrated against all the participants of Capitalism that dwarfs any fraud previously. Trillions of (non-existent) dollars were literally scooped up from the global public and created a breathtakingly unimaginable debt vacuum. Cheap credit, loans to anyone who could fog a mirror were made, and we (and nearly every Capitalist country on earth) are living the results of this mentality. State and local government who invested deeply are bankrupt. Ratings agencies rated these packaged bundles of garbage at triple A (why? Because they could) and everybody bought in.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-last-mystery-of-the-financial-crisis-20130619 

By 2007, everything was in place. The US debt had run up into the multi-trillions. The financial markets were ready to implode. Then, it happened. The global recession, brought on by conservative economic and regulatory policies, hit with a force that we still reel from. State and local governments that invested heavily started to financially collapse. Millions of Americans who trusted in our economic system were left bankrupt from the fraud. State and local governments were left in a vacuum. International governments imploded from the financial toll.  Millions and millions of people are suffering from this outright fraud perpetrated against humanity.

When President Obama was elected, within the first days of his leadership, Mitch McConnell made it clear. The first thing on his agenda was not reversing the massive unemployment brought on by this fraud. It was not turning around a battered economy. It was to make President Obama a one term president. Republicans in Congress agreed. The evidence is there for all to see. The number of filibusters in Congress is unequaled. Nothing, repeat NOTHING the president has done to help our citizens has been embraced by the Republican party. The level of vile hatred generated against our president is absolutely unprecedented via unsubstantiated lies and repeated via chain email, and talking points. A record number of anti-citizen’s rights bills have been penned by Republicans at the state and federal levels. This information is all out there, Marilyn. Women’s reproductive rights, equal pay for equal work, gay equality.

I won’t even go into the fact that Republicans have made every effort to undermine our government from within. Unqualified appointments, making decisions against the best interests of the country to “prove” that “government doesn't work.” It’s nothing but a corporate sell-out, with the blue-print being the Powell Memorandum.

Needless to say, I am passionate about this. I am absolutely disgusted that America has come from being number one in the world on nearly every aspect, to trailing far behind other western countries. Health care, public education, the list is nearly endless. By every measure, our country has suffered from the conservative-corporate collusion. We are literally living the results of an agenda that has taken 40 years to complete.

I, for one, want to see the United States Republican party outlawed as a treasonous entity. Their successes have brought on the failure of the American institution. I am thoroughly disgusted with the lies, the hypocrisy, the outright fraud perpetrated against you, me and  every participant of Capitalism. Capitalism is a failure, Marilyn, it is a failure that was ensured by a deliberate stacking of the deck AGAINST the participants.

I will never support another Republican at any level of government. The Republican agenda is poison.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If feels good to finally get this off my chest in one sitting.

Bruce

Update: 18 May 2014 - I've seen a lot of "hate Bush" memes on FB recently and would like to comment on that. Understand this: Bush really just executed the Republican game plan. Any "good" Republican would have done exactly the same thing. That's why we need to hate the party, and not necessarily the person. That game plan included leveraging tragedy to perform a massive transfer of public wealth to private interests leaving the taxpayers holding the bag. Once you wrap your head around the depth and breadth of the fraud perpetrated against us (and continues to be perpetrated against us) you either throw your hands up in the air with disgust and say "I quit" or you choose to spread the truth. I choose the latter. And please, vote blue like your life depends on it. Because it does.

Update 1 June 2014 - I'd like to add one more point. How could they pull something like this over on us, and brainwash a large percentage of the population that EVERYTHING is "Government's Fault"? How could outright lying in broadcasting be tolerated? No opposing voice? This is the last piece of the puzzle. Repealing the Fairness Doctrine is what created today's American right wing: http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-21/news/mn-8908_1_fairness-doctrine And these are the people we need to get through to..."

CONCLUSION
It appears that high rollers have divvied up the United States into regions that will succumb to their long range development plans regardless of any thought of people this may harm.

________________________Reference
https://www.facebook.com/notes/10151037975418017/

Port of Call :: Sizes of Ships

[Picture LINK]

Biggest ship yet calls on Port of Tacoma | Business - The News Tribune: "None of the ultra-large container ships will be calling on the United States in the near future but instead are destined to operate in the Asia-Europe trade. The largest container ship to call on the U.S. is the MSC Beatrice, which calls on Long Beach, Calif. That ship is 1,200 feet long and 167 feet wide."

A container ship longer and wider than a Navy aircraft carrier called Wednesday at the Port of Tacoma’s Washington United Terminal, setting a record for vessel size at the port. The Zim Djibouti has a capacity of 10,000 container units, about 40 percent larger than the typical container vessel that calls on port terminals.

[PHOTO LINK] The ZIM Djibouti, the largest container ship to ever make call in Tacoma, moves through the Blair Waterway before docking at Washington United Terminals, at the Port of Tacoma, July 10, 2013. (JANET JENSEN/Staff photographer)

  'via Blog this'

____________________________Reference
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/07/10/2673345/biggest-ship-yet-calls-on-port.html?storylink=rss

Vacationing Like the Kennedys' :: PR Nightmares, Cruises

The call came into the Lake Worth Coast Guard at 2:52 a.m.
Retrieved by Pat Darnell  |  May 28, 2013  |  Bryan TX

Here's the Advertisement:
Cruise from Baltimore on the newly renovated Grandeur of the Seas! There is no limit to the possibilities for fun and relaxation on this reimagined cruise ship.

BBC News - Royal Caribbean cruise cancelled in Bahamas after fire:   EXCERPT  |   "A fire has broken out aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, forcing more than 2,200 passengers to end their trip early.

"The Grandeur of the Seas had left Baltimore on Friday and was en route to CocoCay in the Bahamas when fire broke out in the mooring area in the early hours of Monday, the company said. Passengers were mustered to assembly points for several hours while the fire was put out.

"No serious injuries were reported."

'via Blog this'
Come hell or low water, and fire, many people will still go on cruises. Each of modern cruise ships today carries upwards 2000 passengers and 700 or more crew members. The fire on this vessel was a "Class A" which means wood and combustibles were on fire. On today's calamity at sea, aboard the Grandeur of the Sea, "... all 2,224 guests and 796 crew have been accounted for, and there have been no injuries of guests or crew reported. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to focus on their needs and concerns. ( WPTV Web Team. 5.27.2013. LINK) ... "

One passenger tells of her 3AM "abandon all hope" cruise ship experience:
  

________________Reference
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22685364
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/fire-onboard-royal-caribbean-grandeur-of-the-seas-cruise-ship-out#ixzz2UZCfUmEO

BBC News - Costa Concordia: What next for the stricken ship?

Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Jan 28, 2012 | Bryan TX
Originally published Feb 14, 2012

UPDATED Today [May 10, 2013]

Published on Apr 15, 2013
More than a year after the Costa Concordia sank, a major salvage operation is underway to stabilize the wreck before floating it and towing it to a port for dismantling. VIDEOGRAPHIC




BBC News - Costa Concordia: What next for the stricken ship?: "This goes on all the time but you don't hear about it because they aren't as spectacular as this one. But there's always a ship in trouble somewhere."

'via Blog this'

___________________Reference
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16573312
http://www.marinelink.com/news/concordia-salvage-update353812.aspx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19962191

Caught in Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor
Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Feb 22, 2012 | Bryan TX

[Picture, Oil on Canvas, by Patrick Darnell]

Giant Lobster Dropped Off At Maine Aquarium - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland:

WEST BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine -- The Maine State Aquarium in West Boothbay Harbor says it has received a giant lobster weighing 27 pounds.
Aquarium officials said the lobster was brought in on Monday by a member of the Maine Marine Patrol.
They believe a shrimp dragger accidentally caught the lobster. Aquarium officials are still trying to figure out the exact details.
The lobster is the largest one ever brought to the aquarium.

Read more: http://www.wmtw.com/news/30516567/detail.html#ixzz1nAPkDDz5

'via Blog this'

__________________Reference
http://moopigpaint.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-post.html
http://www.wmtw.com/r/30516567/detail.html

MooPig's News Up Department :: "Cruise Ship Search Off Italy Finds 12th Body"

Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Jan 24, 2012 | Bryan TX

Cruise Ship Search Off Italy Finds 12th Body, Hard Disk | Europe | English:
Italian media say police divers searching the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which ran aground earlier this month off the Italian island of Giglio, have found a hard disk containing data of the voyage, as another body was pulled from the wreckage, bringing the death toll to 12. (VOA. Jan 21, 2012. )
'via Blog this'

Divers Find 2 More Victims of Italian Cruise Ship Disaster | Europe | English:
Italian officials say two more bodies have been found on the capsized Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, bringing the number of confirmed dead from the disaster to 15.

Italy's civil protection agency chief, Franco Gabrielli, said Monday divers found the bodies of two women near the ship's Internet cafe. Most of those killed in the January 13 sinking have not been identified. (VOA. Jan 23, 2012. )
'via Blog this'

______________________Reference
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Search-Resumes-on-Wrecked-Cruise-Ship-137815248.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Divers-Find-2-More-Victims-of-Italian-Cruise-Ship-Disaster-137894018.html

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MooPig's Trend Spotter Department :: "Cruise Ship Passenger Blow-Back"

Retrieved by Pat Darnell  |  Jan 22, 2012  |  Bryan TX

Large International Corporations display the most bombastic attitudes when they are caught in their games of negligence, malpractice, and murder on the high seas.

 [Picture LINK]

" ... Lawyers plan to sue both in the US and in Italy, with more than 100 passengers already reported to have joined a class action that is to be lodged in Miami this week.
Each is reported to be demanding between £100,000 and £1 million in compensation.
A spokesman for Costa Cruises said: "The company is trying to do everything they can for those passengers directly affected.
"The company is not only going to refund everybody but they will offer a 30 per cent discount on future cruises if they want to stay loyal to the company." (Claire Duffin, Robert Mendick, Nick Squires in Giglio and Victoria Ward in Meta di Sorrento. 21 Jan 2012) ... "

Costa Concordia: 'insulting' cruise offer to survivors - Telegraph:
EXCERPT  |  " ... Costa's chief executive, Pier Luigi Foschi, who estimated that the impact of the disaster on his firm was £60 million, had expressed confidence that the group would be able to "find a solution that, in the material sense, would satisfy" the passengers.

However, Brian Page, 63, a retired accountant from Southampton, who survived by sliding from one side of the deck to another to find a lifeboat, said: "It is a ridiculous and insulting offer. I'm very disappointed in them.
"They are not accepting their responsibilities at all. Our only back-up is separate legal action." ... "

'via Blog this'

[Picture LINK] They did live up to their advertizing. Costa Concordia promised a "cruise vacation you will never forget."

_______________________Reference
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9030212/Costa-Concordia-insulting-cruise-offer-to-survivors.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9030212/Costa-Concordia-insulting-cruise-offer-to-survivors.html
http://www.bluegrasspundit.com/2012/01/fail-costa-concordia-offers-cruise.html

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MooPig's Trend Spotter Department :: "Lots of Sinking Ships Lately"

Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Jan 22, 2012 | Bryan TX

[Picture LINK]
2 cargo ships sink in Philippines; 32 aboard saved | Inquirer News: "MANILA, Philippines—A cargo ship loaded with cement sank in central Philippines on Sunday and another vessel carrying iron ore went down off the country’s eastern coast, the coast guard said. All 32 crewmen from both ships were rescued."

'via Blog this'

[Picture LINK]
Vietnamese seamen can't get help from Philippines
By EGYolk on January 9, 2012
Tuguegarao City (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The lack of a search and rescue ship has stopped Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel stationed at the northern tip of Luzon from coming to the aid of 22 crew members of a Vietnamese ship, which sank in the Pacific Ocean on Christmas Day.

Though coast guard officials immediately deployed three ships and a helicopter for a search and rescue, it was a Philippine cargo ship and a fishing boat that saved the crew of 12 Indonesians and two Koreans, who had abandoned the ship, coast guard Admiral Ramon Liwag said.

[Picture LINK]

NOTE: This disaster is from Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Amver ship Bright Ruby sinks in South China Sea
The Bright Ruby was reportedly on a voyage from Malaysia to China when it encountered heavy seas. 14 crewmen have been rescued. Seven crewmen remain missing.

You may remember the Bright Ruby was hijacked by pirates for 37 days back in 2008.

[PHOTO Capture HERE]
[Picture LINK]
15 January 2012 :: Three die in South Korean ship explosion

"The explosion took place far below the sea border with North Korea. We see very little possibility (of attacks by the North)," a coastguard spokesman told the AFP news agency.

The ship's owners said that the explosion could have been caused by gases leaking from the ship's oil tanks.

[Picture LINK]
11 January 2012 Last updated at 00:16 ET Three believed dead in S Korean boat fire in Antarctic
The 167-foot fishing vessel Jeong Woo 2 caught fire about 370 miles north-northeast of the U.S. Antarctic McMurdo Research Base and 2,000 miles south of Christchurch, New Zealand. Maritime New Zealand, similar to the U.S. Coast Guard, reports that the fire killed 3 crewmen. Thirty uninjured survivors were transferred to the stricken vessel’s sister ship, the Jeong Woo 3, which will bring them to the Korean icebreaker Araon for transport to Lyttleton, New Zealand.

[Picture LINK]
Italian cruise ship sinking: rescue suspended on ship with 500,000 gallons oil, January 22, 2012
One more body has been taken out from the ill-fated Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia. Rescue has been suspended on the sinking ship with 500,000 gallons oil ...

Once again officials in Italian coast guard have suspended the search for the missing people in the huge cruise ship Costa Concordia that sank in the sea on 13th of this month. So far 12 people have been confirmed dead with 20 people still missing.

INTERVIEW  |  " ... So there is very close connection between governments and cruise ships. They make an incredible amount of money. They have very huge lobbies. And that's here in the U.S. So, in places like Italy, I would not be surprised if things don't turn out the way we would want them to and are not as crystal clear as they would be if the investigation was done here. (RICHARD ALSINA. Interview. Jan 16, 2012. HERE) ... "

__________________Reference
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/132433/2-cargo-ships-sink-in-philippines-32-aboard-saved
http://www.egyolk.com/mt/news/2012/01/vietnamese-seamen-cant-get-help-from-philippines.html
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124161/vietnamese-seamen-can%E2%80%99t-get-help-from-philippines
http://www.transreporter.com/detail.php?pId=2&Id=15&nId=6210
http://amveruscg.blogspot.com/2011/11/amver-ship-bright-ruby-sinks-in-south.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16565208
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120115/explosion-partially-sinks-cargo-ship-off-south-korea-120115/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16499390
http://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/topstories/korean_vessel_rescue.php
http://kalyan98.wordpress.com/2007/11/
http://nvonews.com/2012/01/22/italian-cruise-ship-sinking-rescue-suspended-on-ship-with-500000-gallons-oil/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june12/cruiseship2_01-16.html

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Ship Wreck near Italy Shore

Caption This! :: ... Is this the Singularity?
Retrieved from various Sources by Pat Darnell  |  Jan 15, 2012  |  Bryan TX

Survivors UPDATE: “I just said, ‘Kick Andy! Kick! Swim! We’ve got our children to look forward to!’ And I just pushed and pushed, and eventually I just saw the boat coming down and said 'We’ve got to clear this or we’re going to drown,' ” he recalled.
They eventually made it to solid ground and climbed on some rocks.
“I didn’t have the strength anymore. I was tired from the swimming. The swim to the shore was about 80 to 100 metres, I would estimate it at,” he said. “I know looking back now with the ship lying there it looks like it was just a walk to this, but believe me it wasn’t.”
The couple finally reached the top of the rocks. They sat and turned to watch the ship.
“It just rested, and that’s where it stopped,” said Davis. (CBC News. Jan 15, 2012. LINK)

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MooPig Announcements Segment :: 1:53 AM

@faceBook :: Too many cooks are gonna' spoil the stew ... 
Retrieved from fB by Pat Darnell


"Joey M :: got a boar tonight. Gonna have some tenderloins tomorrow. mmmm."
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"Arline C :: what's boar taste like ??"
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Icht lisse dich nicht

One day we will all be small talk... yes we will.
Aye, Paddy and the Old Salts

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the ship moved on;

yet never a breeze up blew."

[Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner]

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