Disenchanted Citizen

Perhaps reading the First Amendment will ‘refresh’...

2011-05-25T05:10:40.885-07:00

Perhaps reading the First Amendment will ‘refresh’ your memory.
http://www.adl.org/issue_religious_freedom/separation_cs_primer.asp

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

-- The First Amendment

The right to freedom of religion is so central to American democracy that it was enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution along with other fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

In order to guarantee an atmosphere of absolute religious liberty, this country's founders mandated the strict separation of church and state. Largely because of this prohibition against government regulation or endorsement of religion, diverse faiths have flourished and thrived in America since the founding of the republic. Indeed, James Madison, the father of the United States Constitution, once observed that "the [religious] devotion of the people has been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the state."

Americans are still among the most religious people in the world. Yet the government plays almost no role in promoting, endorsing or funding religious institutions or religious beliefs. Free from government control -- and without government assistance -- religious values, literature, traditions and holidays permeate the lives of our citizens and, in their diverse ways, form an integral part of our national culture. By maintaining the wall separating church and state, we can guarantee the continued vitality of religion in American life.

Where does it say anywhere in the constitution tha...

2011-05-25T00:20:05.430-07:00

Where does it say anywhere in the constitution that there will be "seperation of church and state"?

If you think evolution is proven read 'The New...

2010-11-08T06:07:04.087-07:00

If you think evolution is proven read 'The New Introduction' to Darwin's 'Origin of Species pblished by Dent in 1959/ Prof/ W. R. Thompson writes: "I am not satisfied that Darwin proved his point or that his influence in biological circles has been beneficial."His whole 'Introduction is a scathing attack on evolution by one of the greatest biologists of the 20th century. ALL THE REAL FACTS ARE AGAINST EVILUTION!

Excellent analogy between poker and the economy. ...

2009-06-07T09:28:39.615-07:00

Excellent analogy between poker and the economy.

Also, amazing statistics. I knew there was a connection between Reagan and the mess we are in but could not put my finger on it.

Thank-you for helping clear this up.

This depression is going to get a lot worse for mo...

2009-06-07T08:09:33.471-07:00

This depression is going to get a lot worse for most of us. Millions will go cold and hungry. It didn't have to be this way. Greed ruins everything. Its true. Ask any professor of economics.

"As mass production has to be accompanied by mass consumption; mass consumption, in turn, implies a distribution of wealth -- not of existing wealth, but of wealth as it is currently produced -- to provide men with buying power equal to the amount of goods and services offered by the nation's economic machinery. Instead of achieving that kind of distribution, a giant suction pump had by 1929-30 drawn into a few hands an increasing portion of currently produced wealth. This served them as capital accumulations. But by taking purchasing power out of the hands of mass consumers, the savers denied to themselves the kind of effective demand for their products that would justify a reinvestment of their capital accumulations in new plants. In consequence, as in a poker game where the chips were concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, the other fellows could stay in the game only by borrowing. When their credit ran out, the game stopped."

Marriner Eccles, FDR's Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank - 1959

In other words, the first Great Depression was caused by greed. The rich couldn't settle for reasonable pay. They had to have more and more and more. That caused a giant shift in buying power from the majority to the rich. When the majority lost their buying power, they lost their ability to support the economy. Einstein said basically the same thing in 1949.

Its even worse now. Ordinary people havn't only lost their relative buying power. They have also lost their savings, home values, pensions, and benefits. Meanwhile, the rich have become super incredibly rich. The richest 500 Americans are worth about 2 trillion dollars. More than the bottom 40% of American housholds combined. The richest 1 percent are worth about 18 trillion dollars. More than the bottom 98% of American households combined. Thats just insane. I don't care how much work for humanity the rich claim to do. Its nothing but a cover for their own greed. We don't need anymore rich people to create jobs or make donations for charity. We need them to get reasonable about how much money and assets they keep for themselves.

Don't believe their excuse about paying more income taxes. They don't pay enough. For every tax the rich pay, they get an obscene profit, bailout, contract, or kickback from our government to cover it. We had a progressive tax system that worked for over 40 years. It prevented too much wealth from being concentrated. In 1976, the middle 80% owned about 2/3 of America's total wealth. Reagan lowered taxes for the rich. Bush lowered them again. Now, the richest 5% own about 2/3 of America's total wealth. The lower 95% own about 1/3. America's wealth has been transfered from poor to rich again. Now, we have another depression.

Don't believe it when the rich claim to be getting poorer. Property values have gone down for everyone. Thats because of the concentration of wealth and income. When the economy slows down, property values tank. So when rich people complain about lower net worth, its a trick. They still have the same buying power on average.

Too much wealth has already been taken away from the majority and concentrated into the private vaults of rich people. The same ones on TV telling us how much they want to help the world. Its a big lie. Just another way to promote their own names. Rich people don't want to help the world. They want to own it.

Now, the economy is ruined. Obama can't fix it because the rich won't let him raise their taxes. There will be no bailout for the people because the rich won't let it happen. The rich always want more. The same thing has been happening in other economies around the world. The world's rich have been getting richer. Now, we have a global recession. Its going to get a lot worse. It didn't have to be this way. Greed ruins everything.

Please copy and spread the word.

Wow. I don't even know what to say, but that you'...

2009-03-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. I don't even know what to say, but that you're right: it is truly reprehensible. Callous and sad.

Thanks Jason. I have not yet read his books but wi...

2009-01-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks Jason. I have not yet read his books but will check out your suggestions.

You should check out some of Peter Breggin's s...

2009-01-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

You should check out some of Peter Breggin's stuff, I think you'd like it:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=peter+breggin&x=0&y=0

I hadn't heard about the speech thing. That's hil...

2008-11-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

I hadn't heard about the speech thing. That's hilarious! (and sad). That lady is crazy. Why in the world did McCain pick her? It makes no sense at all.

Do you not realize that Obama is the same way? Wh...

2008-10-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Do you not realize that Obama is the same way? What he says to people in PA is totally different to what he says to people in CA. It's is like he thinks no one will notice.

Thank-you for your kind words Michael. It is good ...

2008-09-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Thank-you for your kind words Michael. It is good to hear from like-minded people of Russia.

I feel we are headed in the wrong direction and can no longer hold my thoughts to myself.

I welcome your comments.

Good luck to you, from deep behind the zion curtain. Greg

Yours is a great blog, Greg!
Kudos to you for y...

2008-09-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yours is a great blog, Greg!
Kudos to you for your courage and good sense!
Greetings from Russia!

Michael

I agree totally

2008-09-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

I agree totally

You are correct, Katz, Obama must defeat McCain fo...

2008-07-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

You are correct, Katz, Obama must defeat McCain for so many more important reasons than this.

I only hope corporations don't have the reach to decide who the next president will be. Anybody has got to be a better choice than McBush.

The sheer fact that Obama recognizes the importanc...

2008-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

The sheer fact that Obama recognizes the importance of diplomacy shows that he is a more effective leader than McCain. If we elect McCain get ready for 4 more years of cowboy politics that will continue to ruin our relations with the rest of the world.

The fact that John McCain took so much money from ...

2008-07-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

The fact that John McCain took so much money from lobbyists and that Obama is so concerned about not taking any money from lobbyists is the key reason we must elect Obama in November. Unfortunately when corporations realize they won't be able to control him, it may be the key reason he looses.

The really sad thing about all of this is that a l...

2008-07-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

The really sad thing about all of this is that a lot of these things about Bush were glaringly apparent 4 years ago, and somehow he still managed to magically get re-elected. It completely blows my mind.

Especially if like-minded corporate puppet cronies...

2008-06-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Especially if like-minded corporate puppet cronies get re-elected. A cold chill just ran up my spine.

It's good to hear another voice from deep behind the Zion curtain. Welcome, Jason.

Couldn't agree more. My biggest worry though is t...

2008-06-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Couldn't agree more. My biggest worry though is that the damage done to this country done by the Bush administration may be irreparable.

In my attempt to get all viewpoints on as many iss...

2008-05-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

In my attempt to get all viewpoints on as many issues as I can I do subject myself to some very painful truths as to how some journalist have prostituted themselves.

Although I cannot give Rupert Murdoch's news/entertainment circus very much of my time I do find I get a good chuckle every time I am exposed to his trash.

A good sense of humor is the only way to get through it.

Do you really expect anything less than complete y...

2008-05-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Do you really expect anything less than complete yellow journalism from Rupert Murdoch owned fox news? You must have a strong stomach to be able to watch that station at all.

Right on. I've been watching this case (and CNN's...

2007-12-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

Right on. I've been watching this case (and CNN's biased reporting on it) for several months as well.

Well, I guess the writer of this article has it al...

2007-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess the writer of this article has it all figured out. I'm a Lazy American worker? You missed a important point...a Sacred Cow if you will. CORPORATE GREED! Your so called Lazy American Workers HAVE made this country great, not just the Politicians and Corp Fat Cats. When the discouraged oppressed American worker falls down to the poverty level, you won't have to Bitch about it any more, will you? And don't worry about us, Wal-Mart will help us make ends meat!!

Great article.

Unfortunately, this is exa...

2007-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Great article.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened and is happening.

But we should also be seeing is that all of a sudden, all of G.W. Bush's supporters have been dropping him like a hot potato. Why?

Well, whoever is really pulling the strings on the fascists who are ruling right now want to quiet all of the people who are waking up to what is going on in the U.S., they make it look like there are just a couple of people who are responsible for this calamity, have them voted out and vote in another puppet who does not have quite the bad reputation. Then, all of those who have woken up can go back to sleep. Out with the old boss, in with the new boss. Same story, same fascist government, different puppet.

For more information on what is going on in the world I have been reading Signs of the Times. Anyone who is looking for news of all different kinds can go here:

http://tinyurl.com/ezvz9

Thank you for putting the word out. We all need to see what is really going on.

If you were US District Judge James I. Cohn, what ...

2007-09-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

If you were US District Judge James I. Cohn, what would you have done? It's clear that laws were broken. What penalties should Mr. Pedro Zapeta have had applied in the delivery justice for his failure to file the correct form and tax evasion infractions?

In pursuing this case, Judge Cohn had a choice, a criminal or a civil proceeding. Clearly, everyone who feels like Mr. Zapeta is guilty of something here would agree this should have tried as a criminal matter. Had he been found for a criminal violation, the fine would have been up to $5000 on the matter of the form.

Judge Cohn, however, instead chose to try this as a civil matter. What's the liklihood he knew enough about the case in advance to suspect Mr. Zapeta's guilt? Hard to say. We would like to believe our federal judges are honest and ethical and are commited to delivering justice. What Judge James I. Cohn did know in advance, and very well to be sure since this is the essence of his job, was that the damages Mr. Zapeta faced as a civil defendent against the government were vastly higher.

This is injustice, not justice.

As to the taxes, an appropriate claim for taxes due could have filed by the IRS. Even the additional punitive charges for failure to file/pay could have been applied. Damages would still not equate to the justice Mr. Pedro Zapeta has received as a result of this civil suit.

If anyone disagrees with this ruling of US District Judge James I. Cohn, they should let him know what they think. They should hold him accountable.

After a quick google search, this is the phone number to his office. You can leave him a voice mail by dialing:

1-954-769-5490

and then pressing 6

Or you could write him, this is his address:

299 East Broward Boulevard, 203F
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301

and his email is cohn@flsd.uscourts.gov

This is a federal judge, he works for you.

Let him now how you feel.

Disenchanted Citizen

Perhaps reading the First Amendment will ‘refresh’...

Where does it say anywhere in the constitution tha...

If you think evolution is proven read 'The New...

Excellent analogy between poker and the economy. ...

This depression is going to get a lot worse for mo...

Wow. I don't even know what to say, but that you'...

Thanks Jason. I have not yet read his books but wi...

You should check out some of Peter Breggin's s...

I hadn't heard about the speech thing. That's hil...

Do you not realize that Obama is the same way? Wh...

Thank-you for your kind words Michael. It is good ...

Yours is a great blog, Greg!Kudos to you for y...

I agree totally

You are correct, Katz, Obama must defeat McCain fo...

The sheer fact that Obama recognizes the importanc...

The fact that John McCain took so much money from ...

The really sad thing about all of this is that a l...

Especially if like-minded corporate puppet cronies...

Couldn't agree more. My biggest worry though is t...

In my attempt to get all viewpoints on as many iss...

Do you really expect anything less than complete y...

Right on. I've been watching this case (and CNN's...

Well, I guess the writer of this article has it al...

Great article. Unfortunately, this is exa...

If you were US District Judge James I. Cohn, what ...

Yours is a great blog, Greg!
Kudos to you for y...

Great article.

Unfortunately, this is exa...