Being a way for awhile, I’m now catching up on Dennis Miller radio shows I’ve missed. Here’s one segment from this past Monday’s show that hit several chords with me. I also heard it shortly after talking with a longtime Vancouver friend of mine who has consistently voted Liberal/NDP/Green throughout his 40 years. But he recently lost his job, has bills and taxes mounting and is wising up to the fact that the promised land of the Left is not all it’s cracked up to be. Plus, the never ending “tent city” in the heart of downtown Losercouver is getting harder & harder to stomach.
Gary in Lagoon’s rant needs to be heralded far and wide. Bang on.
Not to worry, Gregor Robertson is on it.
Worst mayor EVER!
That’s why I try to listen to his show every day. Miller isn’t doctrinaire or a party hack/cheerleader. Either things make sense to him or they don’t. If he changes his mind on an issue, he says so. He fights with callers — then apologizes. Or not.
Plus the guest lineups are amazing: politics AND entertainment A listers.
Kathy,
I believe Miller is a right wing Libertarian and that’s why he’s influencial and refreshingly modern thinking IMO than say old school Conservatives like Bill O’reilley and dare I say, Ann Coulter.
Again I say, he’s Right Wing Libertarian. Not free for all Libertine.
Terry Tory – you make “old school Conservative” sound like its some kind of disease. I personally hold “old school” in much higher reverence than the “anything goes – if it feels good-go-for-it” type of doctrine typical of the left. I at least stand for something. Many on the left stand for everything which really means they stand for nothing.
Which do you prefer?
The last caller made a statement that was absolutely true. Miller blows the guy off as a leftist kook (This bone headed ignorance is a primary reason I seldom listen to Miller’s show).
The fact remains that corporate welfare and zombie bank bailouts accounted for the government’s largest debt spending items and that will be passed to the struggling tax payer in tax increases to service an unmanagable debt load.
These same bailed out zombie banks and their speculating in toxic debt (outside the perview of the Federal Deposit Insurance rules) and the fed’s reaction to monitarize the debt is directly responsible for the extended stag-flation that has the US unemployment and loan default figures rising. That relates directly to the college educated guy who is struggling on a double income and whose wife is now layed off.
But brain trust Miller blows it off as “gotta stop using them big words” (like neo-liberal economics) – what dupe, you won’t learn much on that show, but I suppose its ok if all you want is to hear someone call lefty names. Another display as to why morbid ideological partisanism is toxic to finding practical solutions to the forces corrupting free market capitalism.
While I normally support Miller’s comments and really enjoy his cutting humour Occam has a point. There is way too much crony capitalism that the taxpayer is being fleeced to pay for and this does nothing to help the first callers difficulties and in fact exacerbates the situation.
This reminds me, is the Atlas Shrugged movie out yet?
Occam…and WHOSE fault is it that they were bailed out???? Couldn’t be the narricistic,marxist, TOTUS??
When I was a kid I collected bottles and scrap metal for pocket change. When I saved enough, I bought a carrier and got myself a paper route.
On weekends, I would bug my neighbours and ask to weed their gardens, cut their grass, or do odd jobs. When I was a teenager, I baled hay, cleaned stalls and did whatever I could to make some money for the savings account.
After gaining “real” employment, I continued to save, and do odd jobs. I saved enough and invested enough that I bought my first house at 24; after living in a series of crappy basement appartments, or rented rooms. I had my 1st house fully paid off at age 30. I bought another house after that…and another, etc…etc. I never bought a car, as that is a losing asset. I don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or any other useless “gadgets” that the 99% seem to covet so often.
I am now one of the 1%. I’ve worked my butt off to get here. I scrimped and saved – I’ve never asked for a freebie. I never needed charity and would have refused it if offered. I don’t complain about others’ with more than me, as I consider that for the most part, they too have earned it. I’ve never protested when I didn’t get my way, and my only act of civil disobedience, or direct action was a rather creative response to the census takers when I received one of the long-form versions.
I work while you protest. I sit in an office for 10 to 12 hrs. a day working, while the 99% prefer to sit in parks all day, banging drums and smoking pot.
I pay taxes, you demand them.
I obey the laws – you break them.
I am one of the 1%. I’ve earned it. I deserve it.
You are the 99%…..for the very same reason.
Occam’s comment above happens to raise several undeniable facts the economies, domestic and global happen to be struggling with — namely, the major banks since 2008 have done virtually nothing regarding amending the toxic assets (cdos and derivatives) that caused the econmic crash of 2008.
Those instruments are still in play, while the banks are hoarding their taxpayer funded bailouts, preventing reinvesting toward needed job creation (read growth). Govt’s are in collusion with their non working policies. Obama’s rhetoric in campaigning for the jobs’ bill to be passed, confirms that his admin has no intention to put the onus on the private sector to risk capital in job creation. Desperate unemployed Americans can’t be choosy, nor now care where a viable paycheque job is sourced. They need them now not tomorrow. Socialist gov’ts recognize the desperation out there now and are prepared to exploit that.
The GOP field isn’t resonating with Americans due to their lack lustre promotion of the private sector irresponsible response to unemployment. Although there’s been few reports being issued regarding select, but few companies “re-inshoring” American jobs, bringing some needed manufacturing enterprises back from some international locations. The problem being it’s merely a “trickling in” phenomenon at this point.
Donald Trump has been the sole GOP consultant who’s more on point in advising time is of the essence for the above re-employment, specifically in manufacturing, to happen befor it really is “too late” for the American economy. There’s no such thing as the jobless recovery and determining why the protesters are in that category or not is vital.
If they withdraw now from public spaces and say take their issues to the internet it might be more effective, especially with cold weather coming on where say their health and hygiene issues can only hurt their cause.
The Tea Party protests stayed with organized rallies and it worked.
Economic policy initiatives should now consider job sharing by two paid liveable wages, where each works smarter, not harder toward increased efficiencies, quantitative/qualitative results in either products/services assigned to a three day work week, now possible in the tech age. It does mean the private sector factoring in wages once again in their bottom lines (missing for at least three decades due to largely the private sector’s inordinate and inappropriate “greed.”
Think on the richocet benefits involved — health improvements, job effectiveness, transportation congestion in urban centres possible halved. Needed revenue creation kickstarted to great effect, reduced family life stresses… the benefits are incalculable. All dependent on ‘teamwork management’ applied expertise.
The miracle of the tech age, now approx. four decades old, predicted and allowed for this development at its onset.
The influence of the SDA community now might spur both the private sector and gov’ts to evaluate its economic benefits. The ideas economy is a ‘fire sale’ program at the moment.
It beats the endless name calling generalizations hurled at the elites right down to the homeless street beggars. “Meaner than junkyard dog” approaches to the crises are redundant and anti-problem solving. It constitutes what makes partisan politics (stuck on stupid timewasters) boring and useless problem solving.
To those so disenfranchised by the big corporations I have a suggestion.
Create a self directed RRSP and ask your employer for a payroll deduction of $50 per month. Pick a wealthy, greedy corporation and buy their shares. Now you are in the pork barrel making all this profit on your investment. As your tax free profits compound you end up with a nice retirement nest egg.
Now this can only happen if a) you are willing to take a risk and b) you have a job. Something the wealthy, greedy corporate shareholders have done.
What Miller has pointed out is that the lefty ‘concern’ for the underdog is pure theatre. Ross from Connecticut came out swinging with the lefty slogans, and totally ignored that the other guy was struggling…’well poo on him because he didn’t approve of welfare abuse of his taxes’.
I loved Miller’s response!
If anyone caught Shiff’s OWS interview (linked from one of the comments here last night) you saw the 50ish ‘lady’ blasting Shiff for being ‘totally wrong’. She claimed she was one of the 1% and would gladly pay more taxes (to benefit society we assume?)
Really??
Would she hand over a few hundred to help the hard luck guy who called in to Miller? Probably not…she would rather hand it to the tax man to set up a beaurocracy.I can call her on this because I have ‘freely given’…and have been on the receiving end as well.
Posted by: Smitherenzes at October 28, 2011 10:57 AM
Better yet, let’s ask Occam for a list of which corporations are the greediest, in his viewpoint.
Then, go out and buy shares in those companies.
If they increase in value, great.
If they go down, we blame Occam.
Either way, Occam will still be a spectator, not a player.
The thing that bugs me is that homeless people have to live like that all the time — out of doors in the winter — and it’s no fun. People die on the street. For these spoiled Lefties it’s just another fun “Boy Scout” picnic and love-in where they get lots of attention from the Press. Lots of free sex and drugs to go around too while you pretend to be “Ché Guevara”, post-modern Birkenstock redux.
And of course the wealthiest and most privileged Union reps in the country — such as Sid Ryan, who earn six-figure +plus salaries on the backs their hard-working members — have shown up to lend their support and appropriate the protest for themselves and the wealthy Union elite. So is this protest about Unions, or poor people? Or is it about radical Indians in the Mohawk Warrior Society (many of whom aren’t even real Indians)?
Nobody really knows, it’s just a “let’s all hate capitalist corporations” or no wait because the Unions depend on capitalist corporations!, so maybe it’s “let’s all hate the White man” or no wait because most of the protesters are White men!, but we have to hate something don’t we?
It would be nice, instead, if the protestors actually had a message. How about if the wannabe Marxists take up a collection for the real homeless if they care about the poor? Or how about inviting the real homeless to share your nice expensive tents and fancy camping equipment — purchased from Mountain Co-op (supporters of the Gaza “Sea Hitler”) — so they can be a little more comfortable this winter? Oop’s, I guess you couldn’t do that either — somebody might get their Birkenstocks stolen by a rubby or a wino, and a Wi-Fi or two may disappear with the crack-heads around.
Nope, I guess it’s just going to have to go down in history as another Seinfeldian protest like the G-20 — “the protest about nothing”. Or about everything — global warming, Halloween, Rob Ford is fat, stop putting salt in our food, everybody must apologize to us…
Onward you brave guerrilleros!
To those who happen to believe that our economic problems stem from large evil corporations, I offer that for every toxic asset that was bundled, thanks to overly intrusive state meddling in the housing industry, there was a willing buyer that should have known better. Justice (denied by the state), demanded that these buyers suffer the consequences of their actions. The sellers could be brought to justice if fraud was involved but for the most part it was not.
The worst thing you can do to a corporation that enjoys its cozy relationship with the state (helping write legislation to impede or eliminate competitors for example) is give it a laissez-faire atmosphere to work within.
For anyone who thinks people are not intelligent enough for the principle of caveat emptor as a ruling concept, how are they somehow intelligent enough to be allowed to vote?
I guess some commentators have never heard the term “moral hazard” – well you saw an example when the U.S. bailed out its banks, and now has a “too big to fail list” and you are luckey because you can watch it unfold again with the house of cards the EU has just created!
Is this chart of interest to anyone?
http://bit.ly/sZdO9E
John Chittick: I suspect that the reason we have the caveat emptor principle (and repeat it often) is that people haven’t been bright enough,at least since Roman times, to figure it out themselves. As far as I know there has ever been an intelligence qualification to vote nor has it even been demonstrated that it would be a relevant qualification and, judging by university faculties, it probably isn’t.
Chittick and McCormick,
I can think of lots of legitimate exceptions to caveat emptor, especially where mass production, distribution, “packaging”, etc., exists — the seller should be held responsible.
But that being said, there’s an old adage: “never look a gift horse in the mouth”. I think that better describes what has occurred — “giving away” mortgages for next to nothing to people who could never afford them and didn’t have the credit to back them up, was a recipe for fraud all around. Nobody on either end of the sick horse’s ass was going to bother to ask questions.
🙂
Some of you — Occam – are rather hard on Dennis Miller considering that he used to be – during his young stand-up comedy days – a left winger “artist”. He is, however, intelligent enough to wise-up to the Utopian porridge that is endlessly fed to us by (usually university) Marxists. Like most of us, when I was young, I admired T.C. Douglas. Migawd, I even voted for Pierre Elliot Trudeau, caught up in the Trudeaumania thing. I sort of thought PET’s idea for a “guaranted annual income,” was probably a good thing. Fortunately, a few months of Trudeauopian BS transformed me into a hard-core conservative or, as Easterners call us Albertans, reneck. It didn’t take me long to figure out that wealth redistribution (PET’s National Energy Program) was meant to make all Canadians equal — equally poor. Trudeau, obviously, was a forerunner for Obama. I don’t know how old Occam is, but methinks he outta grow up.
I think you guys are a bit hard on Occam…Most of his post calls out crony capitalism (Bailouts and lobbying) and that is in fact the main malaise for today’s capitalism: Too much Government intervention. Lobbying power is proportionate to the size of any government and right now they are way too big.
Dennis Miller is first and foremost a comedian who is a seasoned wordsmith…That’s his shtick…calling names and ridicule using tongue twisting innuendo.
Though Occam should understand that Miller is no William F. Buckley and his job is not to educate but to entertain, mainly.
Tory:
Then Occam should be upset at several examples of fascist economic theory as practised by the current US regime.
Solyndra, that Finnish car company and various other solar panel manufacturers.
If the Occupy guys are for less corporate welfare, I’m all for that.
If the Occupy guys are for smaller government, I’m all for that.
The first party to renounce corporate welfare and move the US model of political contributions closer to Canada’s (corporations and unions not allowed … only limited individual contributions), will be in power for a long time.
It’s good to see some Republican candidates and commentators now using the corporate welfare phrase.
Yet, when the Republicans are in power, they do the same thing the Democrats do.
On that point, the Occupy meme is correct.
Clearly what we need is more taxes and more spending! That’s the Obama “jobs plan”. I’m sure it will work this time guys so just pass the bill!
JamesHalifax — It may be true that you have earned every penny of your wealth, but I do not believe it is universally true for the 1% — some inherited their wealth, while others took advantage of corporate benefits — as an example, John Roth, former CEO of Nortel walked off with HUGE payouts and benefits — he is a multi-millionare, but it was under his watch that Nortel began it’s creep to the bottom. In the mean time, thousands of workers lost their jobs. In short — most people work hard and not all of them make it to the top of the financial heap. Some who do got there by luck, rather than talent or hard work. While I am not a big supporter of the Occupy movement, they have identified an issue, specifically, the increasing disparity between top 1% and everyone else. I am not sure what can be done about this if anything, and I feel that our system works effectively for most — but I am not about to agree that all those rich folks deserve to be rich because they worked hard. I think that’s naive.
Ww — a very interesting graph — thanks.
It’s hard to believe banks can be so incompetent as to go broke, considering they can lend 10, or more, times what they have in actual deposits. Literally creating money out of thin air. And charge interest on money they created.
A pyramid scheme, if there ever was one.
fiddle recommends buying stocks in banks.
Right Honourable @9.25
You don’t know O’Reilly, right? Old-school Conservative? Not half right.
He’s an old-school Roman Catholic left of centre who tired of the crap that has come in with the Obama administration.
He was a bit slow on the uptake, but finally common sense won.
Your reading of Miller is just as incorrect.
You really don’t know how many people leaning heavily to the left have swung to the middle and right of it since Obama has shown his true colours?
Miller is one of them. He uses his brains.
Took O’Reilly a bit longer.
Posted by: LindaL at October 28, 2011 2:49 PM:
“While I am not a big supporter of the Occupy movement, they have identified an issue, specifically, the increasing disparity between top 1% and everyone else.”
Why is that “an issue”? It’s like saying “the sun rises in the east and sets in the west” therefore there is a disparity between east and west. They haven’t identified any issue at all, otherwise I would be out there protesting with them. So long as the rich come by their wealth honestly and legally then nobody should have anything to say about it.
And if the rich get too greedy, then they usually end up paying for it in the end — either because avarice will blind them from making sober business decisions, or they will discover that money cannot buy happiness. The irony of course is that I have never seen a more public display of avarice than that of the “Occupy Wall Street” crew — why are they so jealous of the wealthy and want all their money? And if they’re not avaricious, then why do they want to make us all equally poor?!!
Should the rich be taxed more? Sometimes. Should the rich be taxed less? Sometimes. Taxes go up and taxes go down, then they go up again then they go down again depending on the state of the economy. So long as it follows that rhythm I think eveything balances out in the end.
The problem is when taxes forever keep going up, which usually occurs when Government gets too bloated and we spend more on supporting bureaucracies than the necessary services demanded by the voting taxpayer.
fiddle recommends buying stocks in banks.
Sooner take in deposits and lend that amount out ten times over, and charge interest. Like they do.
Not only that, charge the depositor for the use of their money. Nice work, if you can get it…
So, fiddle, buy shares and you too can get some of the profits.
If that’s who you figure are the ‘greediest,’ nobody is stopping you from plunking down your money so you can get a piece of the action.
It could be an important part of your retirement fund?
Or, do you still believe the government will take care of you?
Linda L
Why the fudge do you care how someone came about their income?
Furthermore, it’s not the responsibility of high income earners to care what lower income earners make. It’s the responsibility of the individual to increase their income; or, reduce their standard of living. Anything else is social engineering that makes everyone poorer.
“If you don’t like what you earn, suck-it up and make more money!” – me
or
“if you don’t have a job, or are not rich, blame yourself” – Herman Cain
Or, do you still believe the government will take care of you?
Unlike the banks, I’m not so incompetent I need taking care of…
Why would I invest in a scam that can only operate with gov’t help and authorization?
Gary is an example of a trooper. The poor man has had so much grief. He doesn’t need some yahoo up in his grill with some Marxist nonsense.
Personally, i’m getting sick and tired of those on the Right and the Left whining about the Bank Bail-outs. Grab an ef’n brain you “useless idiots”!
There was no bloody liquidity in the system. In other words, the banks had NO CASH. You know… the bloody banks that lend money to small businesses and big businesses (your employers) so they can make your payroll. Grow-up and grab a brain! The Bank Bail-out was necessary; and it’s not their obligation to continue poor lending practices for the sake of “job creation” or the economy. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING OUR SAVINGS! In fact, it’s a good thing the banks tightened their belts after taking the bail-outs. Especially with the loon in the White House and the Dodd/Frank regulations, but I digress.
What people SHOULD be protesting is the so called “stimulus” that was not but a pay-off to big labor for the election in 2008, that has run-out, hence the new “Jobs Act” Obama is pushing.
I’ll say it now… the OWS protesters have NO VALID POINTS AT ALL! And the ones they appear to have in common with the Right, are strictly lip-service, as they haven’t got a clue about the meaning of what they are saying. The Crony Capitalism they protest against, is inherent in the Utopia the desire, cause their commies.
I expect more from the Right-wing. Call these people out for what they are “idiots”, and tell them to shove their complaints up their arses; and, “get a haircut, and get a real job” George Thorogood
“The Crony Capitalism they protest against, is inherent in the Utopia *they* desire, cause *they’re* commies.
fixed
fiddle:
First you suggest banks are greedy.
Then, you say banks are helpless without gov’t help and authorization?
Who’s forcing you to deal with a bank?
There are such things as credit unions.
This story from Glenn Beck proves my point from comment @11:24
http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/10/28/irony-alert-ows-denying-homeless-people-food/
You know… the bloody banks that lend money to small businesses and big businesses (your employers) so they can make your payroll.
The employers you know have to borrow money to make their payroll? They must be as incompetent as the banks.
Not likely they’ll stay in business long, let them sink. Along with the banks.
Justthinin said’ “Occam…and WHOSE fault is it that they were bailed out???? Couldn’t be the narricistic,marxist, TOTUS??”
Remember GW Bush tried to do this too and his own congress shut him down twice, then Bam Bam overrode congress to do it on an executive order. Crony capitalism and corporate welfare is a two party phenomenon.
Posted by: set you free at October 28, 2011 11:47 AM – “Either way, Occam will still be a spectator, not a player.”
Well, I see the amount of respect one gets here is a matter of being part of an echo chamber chorus.
FYI my entire income now comes from my investments and I am liquid today because I stayed clear Wall Street’s investment pimps and the flakes they represent. Insider corruption has destroyed a once free market for casual investors and federal bailouts of corporate failures just encourages more market/financial corruption.
Beancounter – Your sniffer is pointed in the right direction if you smell a shitstorm brewing over all the toxic debt instruments out there. The derivatives bubble will do irreparable damage to the markets when it busts. Estimates of the value of the worldwide derivatives market range from $600 trillion to $1.5 quadrillion.
Keep in mind that the GDP of the entire world is only somewhere in the neighborhood of $65 trillion
The second global financial meltdown is brewing and it is the direct result of the market raters and regulators being sucked into the corruption – but market cheerleaders carry on ignoring the elephant in the living room.
LindaL…
I should have been more clear. My comments were directed towards the self-proclaimed (and proud of it) 99% who are currently taking up space in our public parks.
The portion of the 99% who ARE NOT PROTESTING and demanding free stuff…..are probably at work, or looking for it. I’ve done my time in the 99%….and I have no time for those who complain about being there.
One simply needs to spend a few minutes looking at the people sitting in these “camps” and read their signs. I’m sure most of them showed up looking dirty and dishevelled the first day the protest began…it is not a result of being in a tent for weeks or months.
And the signs…hmm…who knew that anti-semitism caused poverty? Reading some of the signs against capitalism, for socialism, communism, narcissim…etc..etc….
One would think a few Canadian professors wrote the signs for them.