Change will not happen until the people of this country get off their asses and demand change. I don't mean just writing your congressmen...I mean marching on Washington in a show of force the way we used to do. If they don't see a show of force they won't take anyone seriously and will just continue doing what they want.

And I'm not suggesting a violent show of force...and I'm also not ruling it out...but a physical show of force of what's needed. And it's not only your right to do that...it's your duty as citizens of this country. In case you forgot ...we didn't gain anything worth getting by holding hands...people have fought and died for what everyone else seems to take for granted these days. We've become lazy and they are taking advantage of it.

When they decided to "vote themselves a raise" I was floored that there wasn't so much as a peep out of people. These people work for us...we don't work for them. I wrote a letter to the editor of my local paper about this and after that I didn't see anyone else raising hell about it. My letter was as follows:

"To the Editor:

Isn't it wonderful that in this time of corporate layoffs and downsizing and divisive uncertainty about who's working and who isn't, that last month members of Congress gave themselves another substantial raise? In 1975, the annual salary was $44.600.00. In 1990, it was $97.500.00. On January 1, it goes to $157,105.00. Has anyone else's salary increased by 48 percent in the last decade? Has anyone's salary increased even 13 percent since 1999? According to the U.S. Congress Disbursing Offices quarterly report, our congressman's have.

There were 374 votes for and 54 votes against this new pay raise. I hope everyone remembers this in the next election."

Of course nobody did. Which is the biggest part of our problem. Until we all stop this finger pointing/blame game and look at ourselves things will continue to get worse. We have no one to blame for our current situation except ourselves. They are only doing what we allowed them to do.

For starters...we need to demand term limits as well as salary limits. We need to remind them that the jobs they hold is not there for them to fill their pockets by taking advantage of the positions they hold...or give their friends an unfair advantage by awarding them government contracts in which they can charge $40,000 for a toilet seat or a tool you can buy at sears for $10.00. We need a clause that allows us to tar and feather them the second they get out of line and forget who they are working for. We need a forum that allows anyone to run for an office position and not just the rich. We need to ban any person or corporate entity from giving money to someone running for a position for favors in return. We need to start watching them with a magnifying glass. We need to get more involved in our future...or we won't have a future to look forward to.

So stop finger pointing...no political party is without guilt.

Presidents are just mouth pieces for the rich...stop blaming them for what's happening...they don't have the control you think they do.

Start working together...because we're all in the same boat...and the boat is sinking.

And enough with the political correctness...there's nothing correct about it.

Boycott businesses that choose to outsource our jobs but yet expect us to buy their products.

Demand that our leaders start enforcing laws already on the books by deporting illegals in this country and preventing possible terrorists from entering...immigration is fine...but please use the front door.

Rant over

Brilliant.

Well stated Steve. 

"free market" to "socialism" that's quite a swing. but if I had only these two to choose from, I'd probably choose socialism.

Says it all for me.

Night all.

Thanks for the voice of sanity, Steve.

It wouldn't matter which party is in right now, neither side is going to pull the US from the brink of bankruptcy because other forces are at work.

What that means is that [primarily] bankers and big business created the situation, and until they see that the situation has improved considerably for them, they will sit on their wealth and not invest, spend or create jobs, and nothing the government does/can do will change that.

It happened during the great depression, where the wealthy sat on their money while they watched the world suffer, and the same thing is happening now... right around the world, except for China and those Asian economies who are willing to invest and create jobs through manufacturing.

Sadly, the US and other Western nations saw a quick and easy buck in sending jobs offshore to greedily exploit cheap labour, and that played right into the hands of China, Taiwan, India and S Korea, etc, who were not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty even if it was for a pittance. For them it meant building the infrastructure and amassing a skilled workforce which would eventually dominate the manufacturing world, and yes, they have succeeded in achieving that goal.

Worse still for the US and those Western economies who thought it profitable to export their manufacturing jobs to Asia, their infrastructure has fallen into decay/disrepair and the workforce has become unskilled to to an aging population [read retirement] and the lack of practical, on-the-job training for those now entering the workforce.

So, the road to recovery, if there is to be one, is a long, drawn out and expensive one, and even then there is no guarantee that these 'emerging' manufacturers in the West have a hope of competing with well established Chinese/Asian ones. 

Yup, the stable door was opened and the horse bolted, and no Democrat or Republican government [Liberal/Labor/whatever elsewhere] is going to fix it... unless the wealthy loosen their purse strings to allow for greater investment and employment growth. Until this is done, and goods are being exported rather than jobs, no government can balance the books or reduce the national debt, plain and simple.

Unfortunately, the people who CAN make a difference WON'T.

One funny thing that's happening now is that all those businesses that went overseas for that cheap labor are finding out it isn't so cheap anymore since workers in China for instance are now asking for higher wages. So some businesses are thinking about coming back here...I say screw them.

Here's a great article for anyone that hasn't seen this: http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/19/7763968-chinas-soaring-costs-could-help-american-jobs

Trouble is, there's NO coming home for some... many businesses.  As much as they hate paying the Chinese more money, it would cost them far more to build/re-establish factories and train/retrain workers at home.

I worked for a plumber supplies manufacturer back in the 70's... until the company exported our jobs to Asia to exploit slave labour.  There were 4 fully operational factories closed down and 5400 people put out of work as a result.  Now it would cost that company hugely if it wanted to bring back production to Australia: firstly, because the factories and land are no longer there; and secondly, the wealth of skilled workers to operate the lathes and other machinery has evaporated.  There are too few machinists to get it off the ground, and to train/retrain a whole new workforce would run into millions before a cent of profit was realised.

Talk about the killing the goose that laid the golden egg.  Companies sold out the worker in the name of a fast, easy buck, and without the land, infrastructure and labour with which to counter the Chinese demands, they're reaping exactly what they've sown, and deserve... which is being screwed over big time for an easy dollar.

There is no turning back for the Western world.  It burned its bridges in favour of the almighty dollar... a fast buck, and now the price is too great to rebuild them.

I have to agree with you, Steve.

They get a huge pay raise for not doing their job. Perfect.

In this Bizarro-World where farmers get paid for not growing crops and huge agricorporations can squeeze out the families which settled the west, where artificial 'shortages' are created while children starve and are ill from malnourishment and special cattle are raised for the ultra rich to feed upon instead of healthy food could be grown for everyone, what else should we expect?

We get the government and world we deserve. 

Your answer has nothing whatsoever to do with what I said.

You and your kind live in a box where you are fed Fox News feeds. You believe the lies that they spew out.

Apparently you think that because I believe in real American principals that I am a communist. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Tea Party types who you seem to support are the ones who are in bed with big money. That fat ass fool from New Jersey is a good example.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/audio-chris-christie-koch-brothers-seminar

That is what I am up against and intend to fight against. Those people are talking about raping Social Security and Medicare, programs which I have paid into all my 40 plus years of working as a U.S. citizen born and raised in the U.S.A. I am not a communist nor am I a socialist.

The Koch Brothers work through the Tea Party to undermine our basic way of life. Privatize everything so that big money can make profits at the expense of the people. That is the problem. When profit comes before the well being of the people the profit takers must be stopped.

As much as I'd like to say that political parties don't make a difference the sad truth of the matter is that this is war. Democrats vs. Republicons. Yes CONS. CONS like in being Conned. We are not going to come together. We are not going to agree. It's us against them and we aim to win. In places like Wisconsin and Ohio the people are rising up. They don't like what's happened to them since the Tea Party got control. On Wall Street people have come together in protest to show their distaste of the charlatans and crooks there. People can only take so much of the lies and thievery. The Democratic party is not perfect but it is a hell of a lot better than, as Robert E Lee said about the Union, "Those people".

This to me says that u want everyone to march to the same beat, get the same pay, all for one , and one for all, How cavalier.

I suppose From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs is somewhere in the union handbook too.

Me, I believe in he who works hardest, and longest, and is most true to their trade, that provides the best service, product, uses his originality, his brains, his desire and motivation...builds himself up, while building others up, that uses his dream, to drive him to be the best, to prosper.... should be able.. to prosper.

I do not believe in entitlement, taking from one hard working person, to give to another less hard working, or not working at all.

I wouldn't join a union if my life depended on it, I'll fight my own battles, and see no reason to hide behind anyone else to achieve what I want in life.

We obviously have different belief systems, and, thats fine, fortunately we are all still free to speak our minds.. but.. You sound very angry. Your choice of language, to me at least, says a lot about you... Spewing, raping, fat ass, etc, Do you hate everyone?

Then it is unfortunate for you, that you will not.

After all, I've guaranteed it.

And just for the hell of it... I do hope that 'fat ass' gets in the race. I will like to see the faces of those who hated on him, If he won.

I hope you get a smile out of this one.  (I don't care what party you 
like, this one's funny!!)
           
         A Republican, in a wheelchair, entered a restaurant one afternoon and 
asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. The Republican looked across the 
restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus sitting over there?"
 
         The waitress nodded "yes," so the Republican requested that she give 
Jesus a cup of coffee, on him.
 
         The next patron to come in was a Libertarian, with a hunched back. He 
shuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down, and asked the waitress for a cup 
of hot tea. He also glanced across the restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus, 
over there?"
 
         The waitress nodded, so the Libertarian asked her to give Jesus a cup 
of hot tea, "My treat."
 
         The third patron to come into the restaurant was a Democrat on 
crutches. He hobbled over to a booth, sat down and hollered, "Hey there honey! 
How's about getting me a cold mug of Miller Light?" He too looked across the 
restaurant and asked, "Isn't that God's boy over there?
 
         The waitress nodded, so the Democrat directed her to give Jesus a cold 
beer. "On my bill," he said loudly.
 
         As Jesus got up to leave, he passed by the Republican, touched him and 
said, "For your kindness, you are healed." The Republican felt the strength come 
back into his legs, got up, and danced a jig out the door.
 
         Jesus passed by the Libertarian, touched him and said, "For your 
kindness, you are healed." The Libertarian felt his back straightening up and he 
raised his hands, praised the Lord, and did a series of back flips out the door.

         Then, Jesus walked towards the Democrat, just smiling.
 
        The Democrat jumped up and yelled,  "Don't touch me .... I'm 
collecting disability

The Unions Theme song is "Das International"

First stanza

Stand up, damned of the Earth
Stand up, prisoners of starvation
Reason thunders in its volcano
This is the eruption of the end
Of the past let us make a clean slate
Enslaved masses, stand up, stand up
The world is about to change its foundation
We are nothing, let us be all
 |: This is the final struggle
  Let us group together, and tomorrow
  The Internationale
  Will be the human race 

Second Stanza

There are no supreme saviours
Neither God, nor Caesar, nor tribune.
Producers, let us save ourselves
Decree the common salvation
So that the thief expires,
So that the spirit be pulled from its prison,
Let us fan the forge ourselves
Strike the iron while it is hot
 |: This is the final struggle
  Let us group together, and tomorrow
  The Internationale
  Will be the human race 

Sounds like communism to me

Gotta love someone talking about Fox News, then links to ultra-left wing propaganda motherjones.  LOL