For 333386

[Hugo Chavez]

Here's Alex Jones and Thom Hartmann doing a simulcast...  This is really cool because they agree on some things and disagree on other things but both agree that this type of talk is important.  Really interesting discussion.

[Soul Crusher]

Thanks.  I will listen. 

[kcballer]

What is the Radical Middle?
by The Thom Hartmann

The Founders of this nation represented the first Radical Middle. Back then they called it "being liberal." As George Washington said, "As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."

They didn't want King George or his military or corporate agents snooping in their houses, mails, or private matters; preventing them from organizing together and speaking out in public in protest of government actions; imprisoning them without access to attorneys, due process, or trials by juries of their peers; or reserving rights to himself that they felt should rest with the people or their elected representatives. (They ultimately wrote all of these in the Bill of Rights in our Constitution.)

They also didn't want giant transnational corporations dominating their lives or their local economies. When, in 1773, King George III signed the Tea Act - a massive tax cut for the British East India Company - they protested this first attempt to WalMart-itize America by preventing the Company's ships from landing in several cities up and down the eastern seaboard, and boarding and destroying over a million dollars (in today's money) of tea in the ships that did dock in Boston. This was the beginning, by the Radical Middle, of the American Revolution.

The Radical Middle has always believed in fairness and democracy, and understood that completely unrestrained business activity and massive accumulations of wealth into a very few hands can endanger democratic institutions.

As James Madison said, "There is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it in perpetuity by … corporations. The power of all corporations ought to be limited in this respect. The growing wealth acquired by them never fails to be a source of abuses." Similarly, John Adams wrote that when "economic power become concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny."

Thomas Paine, among others, wrote at length about the dangers to a free people of the massive accumulation of wealth, and following the excesses of the Gilded Age - which led to massive corruption of the American government by corporate and wealth-based interests - laws were put into place limiting the size and behavior of corporations (such as the Sherman Anti-Trust Act), and taxing inheritance of the most massive of family estates so that a new hereditary aristocracy wouldn't emerge in the nation that had thrown off the economic and political oppressions of the hereditary aristocracy of England.

The Radical Middle always believed in the idea of a commons - the things that we all own collectively, and administer the way we want through our elected representatives. Our parks, roads, police, fire, schools, and our government itself. Our ability to vote in fair and transparent elections. Our military and defense. Our systems for protecting our air, water, food, and pharmaceuticals. Our ability to retire in safety if we've worked hard and played the game by the rules, and to know that an illness won't financially wipe us out.

Regardless of electoral politics (since both of the major political parties often overlook these values, and both have become corrupted by wealth and corporate influence), poll after poll shows that the vast majority of Americans embrace the values of the Radical Middle.

In recent years, America has been hijacked by the Radical Right. Corporations now write most of our legislation. Our elected representatives cater to the interests of wealth rather than what is best for the commons we collectively own, or what will sustain that bulwark of democracy known as the middle class. They have, in large part, seized control of our media, wiped out our family farms, and wiped out small, middle-class-owned businesses from our towns and cities. They seek a "merger of corporate and state interests" - a definition Mussolini used for what he called "fascism."

The Radical Right has even gone so far as to use sophisticated psychological programming tools, like Newt Gingrich's infamous "word list," to paint the Radical Middle as some sort of insidious anti-Americanism.

We in the Radical Middle are calling for nothing less than a restoration of democracy, of government of, by, and for We The People, in a world that works for all.   

http://www.thomhartmann.com

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=182824.0

What a great article to post.  It's a shame the founding fathers warned of what could happen if too much power was given to corporations and still what did we do?

Seems eerily similar to the climate change issues we face today.  People not listening to reason or fact and becoming embroiled in the politics of it all instead of focusing on the real issue at hand.  Not fu*king up the planet.

[Soul Crusher]

Thanks!!!, that article and others from Thom has actually gotten praise from both right and left leaning people.  I really do think of Thom as a common sense kinda fella.  Yea i disagree with some things he says but by far, this guy is one of my favorites.  I absolutely love how he come to a topic with a complete knowledge of American History.  The guy obviously puts a great deal of time in studying the details that pertain to us.

Good article, but for him to say the "radical right" is ridiculous.  Its truly absurd on so many levels.  Most "right wing" people I know are against the NWO, govt/corporate partnerships, execessive taxation, nanny state etc.    

  

[Soul Crusher]

calm down, I agree, it's a very provacative challanging phrase.  I know the instant reaction is to jump from anyone who would say such a thing.  I feel your pain  Relax, he's actually more than meets the eye.  Trust me 333, I've read good in many a word that started out punching the left.  You'll find Thom is much more than just partisan jabs.  In fact those are not the norm with him. check out the other stuff.

I have heard him with Celente and I generally agree with him on a lot of things. 

I think that the govt/media/huge intl corp/ complex is truly evil.  if you look at the crao from GE/Seimens/GS/Coca Cola/ is there any wonder who really is ruinnung stuff. 

To me, I respect the shopkeeper, the small business guy, the plumber, the mechanic, the roofer, the electrician, the local doctor, etc. 

We really need to get back to that.     

[Soul Crusher]

Well why the fucking hell don't you post like this more often.  I like this post and it's post like this that many would like.  You really should focus on this type of language.  IMO, you can't beat it.  There's nothing here to argue with.  good post asshole.  I'll love the shit out of you with more talk/style like this.  Less of the pointless partisan talk.

Uggh, because what what is going on in Wash DC, especially on the Dem side right now is a complete opposite of that? ? ? 

[Soul Crusher]

yea, so?  You think you get people you want to hear you to listen to you by going balistic-confrontational-partisan on them?  Mocking them as stupid libs and all that shit?  Hell no... HELL NO......  Just calm down and talk to people.  Listen to what they have to say.  Understand what they have to say.  Debate what they have to say.  You'll have much more of an effect on people with a more personal approach than confrontational.

When I hear people, mostly on the left, not you, applaud this, its makes me sick. 

I told you I was thrown off FR in 2005 for bashing Bush.