The Fiscal Cliff

The debate on the financial matters is important in our nations history. I am a controversial man at times. I am who I am, but I do believe in equality. That means that people deserve equal rights, dignity, respect, and true justice. As human beings, we have to continually fight for that equality. Trials and tribulations exist, but hope and perseverance. Fundamentally, happiness is an overarching goal of us in this life. Even in the afterlife, if we do the right thing, then true happiness is an assured conclusion. There are still bipartisan talks on spending cuts. Democrats, Republicans, and the White House have made their first meeting recently. This meeting is about them discussing about the financial reform plan. Experts believe that the final deal will include budget cuts and possible tax increases. They want this plan to be adopted by the end of the year. The proponents of this plan want to avert what they deem as a "fiscal cliff." The fiscal cliff is when the Bush tax cuts of 2001 will expire. This will cause an across the board spending cuts and other tax and budget measures (like higher taxes for everyone, not just the super wealthy). This is set to take effect by January 1, 2013 unless Congress and the White

House form a plan. The corporate dominated media believes that harsh measures must be manufactured in order for the fiscal cliff to be obliterated. So, most of the corporate dominated mainstream media agree to have huge cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social

Security. They want cuts to other necessary domestic social spending (when we need more resources geared to health care, fighting against poverty, and sustaining the elderly in retirement). The first 70 minute meeting was ceremonial and important for the political
establishment. The people in the meeting include the following individuals: Vice President Joseph Biden, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House aides, sitting down with the four top congressional leaders: Republican House Speaker John Boehner, Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Obviously, President Barack Obama has been reelected. We see that the House is most ruled by Republicans and the Democrats control most of the Senate. The first meeting of these politicians unfortunately represent the union of 2 corporate, cartel-capitalist political parties that try to defend the interests of Wall Street (at the expense of the poor & working class). The President met with the CEOs of the 12 biggest U.S. corporations including other liberal leaders (from labor to civil rights activists). The President believes that he wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for lower and middle income families. I agree with him on that point. The President said that he wants to reduce the deficit in a balanced way. He wants to work with the Republicans. The reactionaries are wrong to claim that barriers to growth are federal taxes and regulations. The barriers to growth are the anarchy and profit gouging of the corrupt corporate internationalist system. Republicans Boehner and McConnell have a willingness to discuss revenue increasing plans. It reminds to be seen if both men will support tax increases for the wealthy for real. The Democrats Reid and Pelosi say that they want flexibility on cutting spending on social programs as demanded by the Republicans. Boehner said that in his remarks at the White House meeting he proposed a combination of tax and spending measures "consistent with the president's call for a fair and balanced approach." He added, "To show our seriousness, we put revenue on the table as long as it's accompanied by significant spending cuts." The Republicans even want cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, etc. Ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy will get about $850 billion over the next ten years. So, the establishment wants more than 3 trillion dollars in cuts from domestic social programs. A secret

document proved that in July 2011 (during the debt ceiling crisis), the White House was willing to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, cut future inflation-linked increases in Social Security benefits, and imposed other significant cuts in social spending. The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House are trying to postpone the 110 billion dollars in spending cuts called sequester that is scheduled to happen in January (half of these cuts deal with military programs). The administration is considering an income tax rate increase of 37 or 38 percent for those making more than $250,000 per year. The current rate is 35 percent. This issue is known by people, but it has been downplayed during the 2012 election campaign.
The Tea Party, the GOP, and some Democrats all agree now that they want to cut the social safety net. I thought I will never see that day that even some so-called progressives like Durbin would agree with the Grand Deception (not a Grand Bargain), but this is the age in which we live under. The fiscal cliff is heavily an exaggeration to put it lightly. The White House and the Republicans seem to agree that austerity is a succinct plan that they want under certain circumstances. The corporate media have mostly agrees with austerity, so you can't say that the media is super liberal on economic issues. It just isn't there. Alan Simpson's extremism ought to be opposed at every turn. Alan Simpson bashes Social

Security every chance he gets, but Social Security contributes no money to the federal deficit. Alan Simpson once said the lie that Social Security will go broke by 2037. For decades, Social Security has run a surplus. In 2009, an estimated 94 percent of Social Security tax revenues were spent to meet current expenditures (benefits and administrative costs). The surplus tax revenues, along with interest credited to the Trust Fund, contribute to a growing Trust Fund balance. He believes that the Social Security creators didnt form it as a retirement program. Thats a lie. Social Security was explicitly designed as a retirement program. There's no question about it, as its drafters, including Labor Secretary Frances Perkins and Edwin Witte, head of the Committee on Economic Security appointed by President Roosevelt in 1934, explained to Congress. FDR himself, weeks before the Social Security bill was introduced on Capitol Hill, explained it thusly: Old age is the most certain, and for many people the most

tragic, of hazards. There is no tragedy in growing old, but there is tragedy in growing old without means of support.
The corporate media is trying to brainwash people to accept austerity as an inevitable solution. The corporatists want to gut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other services that help the poor. The Grand Deception placed so-called "entitlements" on the table. The good news is that the vast majority of Americans oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Even most Americans want the expansion and maintenance of the meager U.S. social safety net. The controversy now is that the political establishment is trying to convince the American populace that we need to destroy part of our social safety net as a means to fulfill the goal of handling the economic deficit. In the summer of 2011, both sides agreed to about 4 trillion dollars in cuts. We need no cuts to education, services needed to the poor or legitimate funds at all. The election of 2012 came and this issue was talked about. Now, corporate Democrats and Republican can't hide their goal of cutting human services. They are placing corporate profits above human life literally. That is how real it is. Again, Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit. Robert Reich is the liberal former Labor Secretary in President Bill Clinton's administration. He said that facing down the Republicans is important. I don't want the deadline to come without a

plan, but if it were to come, at least new tax cuts for the middle class (and other reforms) should come in 2013. That is better than a weak deal. There is nothing wrong with tax increases on the wealthy, but many in the GOP won't even desire that aim. People all agree with legitimate revenue rising. On the other hand, it's a bad strategy for some in the GOP to hold middle class tax cuts hostile as a means to keep the tax cuts for the super wealthy. Today, we will see that real legacy of the White House. Ironically, we are approaching
the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. We know exactly what Dr. King would advocate on economic issues. In the final analysis, we need to be about the people's business not the interests of Wall Street. Scholars like Michael Hudson believe that the fiscal cliff is an artificial crisis. Propaganda from the Ludwig von Mises Institute isn't the answer. The answer is to embrace concern for the least of these and having policies that promote economic growth (which caused a boon from 1945 to 1975). Grover Norquist is dead wrong, because historically, his trickled down economics has failed the American human beings. Having a tax increase is neither evil nor immoral if done in the right fashion. Only 3 percent of businesses earn more than $250,000 per year, so a slight tax increase on the super-rich is not the end of the world as we know it. Some in the GOP and others want to promote the interests of the one percent. The Bush tax cuts proved that record tax cuts for the wealthy don't necessarily create more jobs. The Bush tax cuts increased our national debt and deficit though. The reality is that the U.S. gave the big banks about $13 trillion of new debt giveaways since September 2008 and little crumbs to the poor and working class. It is obvious that privatization of all aspects of society doesn't work at all. Our issues deal with a wide spectrum of subjects. Our issues relate to health care, the environment, human civil liberties, foreign policy, the war on Drugs, education, and other subjects. We should have passion and strength to continue the great job of making America a better place than in the past. There are alternatives to austerity though. Webster Tarpley, Bernie Sanders, and others have talked about these alternatives. In the stage of the human rights movement, we should fight austerity for real. The union of reactionary Republicans and corporate Democrats seek to have austerity. Some wise proposals include the following actions: We can have amnesty for student loans because of the ca. 1 trillion dollar student loan debt. We should have no cuts in wages, benefits, social services, public services, and the social safety net. We should have only cuts in waste, fraud, and abuse (which don't affect any human being in an immoral fashion). All foreclosures should end. We should have single payer health care for all. We should end the war on terror ASAP. We should a living wage. Economically, the super wealthy and large corporations ought to pay their fair share of taxes. All corporate, unjust loopholes should end (doing this including stopping offshore tax shelters can reduce the deficit is about 1 trillion dollars over 10 years). We can tax capital gains and dividends in a fair way to raise over $730 billion over 10 years. Wall Street paying a speculation fee or tax (in 1 percent on the sale of credit default swaps, derivatives, etc.) can reduce the deficit by $350 billion over 10 years. A progressive estate tax on inherited wealth of more than $3.5 billion can raise more than $70 billion over 10 years. Ending all tax breaks and subsidies to big

oil, gas, and coal companies can reduce the deficit by more than $40 billion over the next ten years. We can reform our tax code and do other actions to raise billions of dollars in revenue over 10 years. These actions and more than handle our deficit issue. I do believe in at least a middle class and poor tax

cuts that can be handled by Congress. The vast majority of the Americans agree with tax increases on the super wealthy, so the GOP has no leg to stand on. Radical austerity will harm future generations. Some of them even oppose a payroll tax holiday that disproportionately benefits the middle class. Regardless of what the Republicans says, spending money to help society is not immoral. Even 40 percent of the stimulus bill including tax cuts (according to economist Paul Krugman), so the stimulus bill wasnt some spending orgy. Recent nonpartisan studies have shown that the Bush tax cuts for the rich those on income above $250,000 dont boost the economy, while providing relief to lower and middle class Americans could significantly speed up the recovery. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), for instance, Extending both the current 2 percentage-point cut in the payroll tax and emergency unemployment benefitswould boost real GDP by about three-quarters of a percent by the end of 2013.

Economic populist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. even wanted a guaranteed annual income as a means to help society: Two conditions are indispensable if we are to ensure that the guaranteed income operates as a consistently progressive measure. First, it must be pegged to the median income of society, not the lowest levels of income. To guarantee an income at the floor would simply perpetuate welfare standards and freeze into the society poverty conditions. Second, the guaranteed income must be dynamic; it must automatically increase as the total social income grows. Were it permitted to remain static under growth conditions, the recipients would suffer a relative decline. If periodic reviews disclose that the whole national income has risen, then the guaranteed income would have to be adjusted upward by the same percentage. Without these safeguards a creeping retrogression would occur, nullifying the gains of security and stability. -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967.

In a 1966 article, John Kenneth Galbraith wrote in favor of a guaranteed annual income as a means to defeat poverty. He wrote the following words in that article: We need to consider the one prompt and effective solution for poverty, which is to provide everyone with a minimum income. The arguments against this proposal are numerous, but most of them are excuses for not thinking about a solution, even one that is so exceedingly plausible. Idleness, we agree, is demoralizing. But even here there is a question: Why is leisure so uniformly bad for the poor and so uniformly good for the exceptionally well-to-do? We can easily afford an income floor. And there is no antidote for poverty that is quite so certain in its effects as the provision of income

The fiscal cliff debate continues in the world. We have to not ignore financial problems. I oppose the Republicans and the Tea Party movement all of the time since it's the right thing to do. They are made up of numerous extremists and anti-immigrant, anti-poor type of individuals. That's a given and that's a fact. It's like what person of color would respect people (being reactionaries) that call their integrity, responsibility, and intellectual skills into question. The reactionaries from Rush Limbaugh to Michael Savage did do us a favor by overtly revealing their hatred of the social safety net. They allowed us as black people to see much of the GOP for what they are (being extremists). Real black people aren't owned by some party in a plantation as the deceivers mention. We, as black people, are smart enough to realize that record tax cuts for the super wealthy, divisive anti-poor rhetoric, and immature hatred of the President aren't reasonable prescriptions to accept. Yet, the Blue Dog Democrats are just as wrong as the GOP, because they seem to love cuts without promoting radical solutions to assist the poor. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) made a vague proposal to the American people. The reason is that he offered 800 billion dollars in revenue by closing unspecified loopholes plus deductions and 1.4 trillion dollars in spending cuts. Republicans haven't presented specifics and they pressed Democrats to detail which cuts they would accept. One large reason for this financial crisis is that Wall Street is rigging the tax code, so that the main money center banks pay little or nothing in taxes. That is why I see no issue with a 1 percent Wall Street sales tax. Wall Street banks are corporations and U.S. corporations are supposed to pay a federal corporate income tax of 35% on their profits. Over the decades, government revenue from the federal corporate income tax has been in sharp decline. The reason is that the companies learn more secrets of using tax loopholes, offshore tax shelters, and other accounting tricks to avoid certain taxation. Citizens for Tax Justice (a think tank supported by organized labor) and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont document how Wall Street can evade taxation. Even in 2008, Goldman Sachs paid just 1.1% tax on its total profits. Even Goldman's boss named Lloyd Blankfein went on CBS television as a means to advocate draconian cuts involving the meager payments received by the poor, the sick, and the old. Citigroup paid 0% taxes on $4 billion in profits. In 2011, Bank of America also managed to pay 0% on 4.4 billion of its profits. Another leading bank which managed to avoid the federal corporate income tax altogether is Wells Fargo, which succeeded in paying nothing to the US Treasury in 2008, 2009, and 2010 (See Pat Garofalo, 30 Major Corporations Paid No Income Taxes in the Last Three Years,

While Making $160 billion, Think Progress, November 3, 2011). GE of course paid nothing in federal corporate income taxes back in 2010 when it had worldwide profits of $14.2 billion. GE accountants even got a $3.2 billion refund from the U.S. Treasury when folks are starving in the world, especially in America. This was when GE laid off 21,000 U.S. workers and closed 20 U.S. factories form 2007-2009. That is why many groups from the AFL-CIO to the National Nurses United want some version of the Wall Street sales tax. The average Americans pays sales taxes every day. This is just one solution out of many that can come about to handle our economic complications. In the final analysis, we must support the interests of poor and working class people in the world. We still live under a strong repressive apparatus in the world. The Reagan Revolution is gone since 2012 and that's good. Yet, the philosophy of Reaganism is still here with rhetoric about unregulated markets, indifference to the poor and stagnant wages. So, to solve poverty, we need a radical redistribution of economic and political power. We are in a period of time that a Rockefeller Republican back decades ago (in the 1960's and the 1970's) would be considered a liberal extremist to the Tea Party crowd. That is why some Democrats now want cuts mixed with a modest revenue increase with the tax from the wealthy. I believe in increased revenues and other solutions without austerity. That is why the mainstream political establishment refuse to talk about a massive investment to society via public and private means for jobs, universal housing (that's in high quality and affordable), and for universal education (that's for free for the public). As Cornell West (I don't agree with him on every issue) accurately pointed out: "...Not necessarily! Clarence Thomas? No! Barack Obama is much more progressive than Clarence, but hes in the center. Hes a centrist..." That means that we should continue to fight for the people. The people have the preeminent role and superior priority than the super-rich.

SINCE 9/11 9/11 was the event that changed everything. It caused a paradigm shift in America including the world. 9/11 still to this day impacts me. I think about 9/11 every day of life since those events motivate me to find the truth. It was used as a pretext by the establishment as means to continue the wars on Afghanistan, Iraq, and possibly Iran. There is no question that the U.S. government was repeatedly warned of terrorist like attacks (that were similar to 9/11) for years before 9/11. Morocco, Germany, Russia, Israel, France, etc. warned America about similar 9/11 related attacks as well. At least five FBI investigations were squashed when these investigations were investigating certain terrorist actions. Cheney's secretive Energy Task Force examined maps of Middle East oil fields in the months before 9/11 and the start of the alleged "War on Terror" allowed Western interests to increasingly control resources in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. That is why Western oil corporations are reaping record profits since 9/11. The attacks caused the creation of the Homeland Security police state that harmed human rights. Dissent is regularly suppressed with harsh police brutality and harsh police measures against protests nationwide (even against OWS protesters in NYC). You can look at mainstream media shows to see the record police brutality against us or the people. When you see cops praying pepper spray on TV against innocent OWS protesters, and then imagine what they do behind closed doors without cameras. The cameras presentations even expose grotesque stuff now in our faces. A great list of "unanswered questions" about 9/11 is from the 9/11 Family Steering Committee, which includes the widows who forced through the creation of the (severely flawed) official 9/11 commission. Their list is posted at their website - www.911independentcommission.org. There were many military and intelligence war games on 9/11. So, we have the responsibility to do as much as we can do to improve the world society. There must be peace and justice. The global corporate elite control financially both major parties and we know this for long years. Today, lobbyists dominate and influence the political system in Washington. Many of these lobbyists don't advocate peace or true fairness in the Middle East. Some of them advocate war and international organizations (like the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO, etc.) as a means to continue forth with the agenda of globalization. We need independence not a new world order system. We should pay attention to domestic and international affairs since these events affect all of us literally. I believe in a strong social safety net and human liberty. What I don't believe in the destruction of national sovereignty and the crushing of our human civil liberties (since the Bill of Rights means something). As human beings, we have every right to make our grievances known plus to protest any evil that transpires in the globe. There must be separation of powers and checks and balances as a means to make sure that the government doesn't act nihilistic. The government should provide the general welfare as a

means to promote the general welfare without the government being ruled by corporate interests. For decades, especially since the late 1950's, the oligarchs promoted their counterrevolution as a means to promote oligarchy (and stop numerous real progressive

movements). Some extremists may demonize people on welfare when transnational

corporations receive record corporate welfare. I think we should be politically independent, but we as a people should not be like JBS/Tea Party folks (which uses the guise of "independence" as a slick means to advocate reactionary anti-immigrant, anti-poor, and anti-economic social justice policies). We all realize the serious cultural problems in America, but these problems will never allow me to express bigotry against a person of another background or lifestyle for all men are created equal. For we treat our neighbor as we would want to be treated. All people have that right to live and to have happiness. Also, true love is superior to unjust hate. Also, these problems will never propel me to activate some arrogant attitude against those less fortunate than I am since we are our entire brothers' or sisters' keeper. Whether we like it or not, we are connected to each other as human beings.

People understand about the Michigan GOP's right to work assault on workers. The Michigan Governor Rick Snyder backtracked on his commitment to avoid so-called "right to work" legislation and by the end of the day, both the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan State Senate has introduced (and passed bills aimed at the state's union workforce). The Michigan Republicans always say that these state measures are necessary for Michigan to stay competitive with Indiana. These laws have negative effects on workers and little effect on economic growth though. The legislation prohibits private sector unions from requiring members to pay dues. The Senate passed a different and similar measure that extends the same prohibition for public sector union, though firefighters and police officers are exempt. Union leaders and Democrats claim that Republicans are pushing the legislation through in the lame-duck session to hide the intent of the measures from citizens (and because the legislation would face more trouble after the new House convenes in January). Michigan Republicans hold a 63-47 advantage in the state House, but Democrats narrowed the GOP majority to just eight seats in November. Six Republicans opposed the House measure; five of them won re-election in 2012 (the sixth retired). Also, Michigan Republicans have good reason to pursue the laws without public debate. 78 percent of voters said that the legislature should focus on issues of creating jobs and improving education not on changing state laws that would impact unions or make further changes in collective bargaining. Studies prove that the right to work law will cost workers money. The Economic Policy Institute found that the right to work laws cost all workers unions and otherwise $1,500 a year in wages. It will make it harder for workers to obtain pensions and health coverage. If benefits coverage in non-right-to-work states were lowered to the levels of states with these laws, 2 million fewer workers would receive health insurance and 3.8 million fewer workers would receive pensions nationwide, David Madland and Karla Walter from the Center for American Progress wrote earlier this year. The decreases in union membership that result from right-to-work laws have a significant impact on the middle class and research shows that there is no relationship between right-to-work laws and state unemployment rates, state per capita income, or state job growth, EPI wrote in a recent report about Michigan. Right-to-work laws also decrease worker safety and can hurt small businesses. Of course, union leaders are against Snyder and the GOP's right to work agenda. In a state that gave birth to the modern U.S. labor movement, it is unconscionable that Michigan legislators would seek to

drive down living standards for Michigan workers and families with a law that will do nothing to improve either the states economic climate or the quality of life for Michigan residents, RoseAnn DeMoro, the executive director of National Nurses United, said in a statement. Another report says that spending cuts will hurt economic growth and revenue increases will not. We are near the fiscal cliff (or automatic spending cuts and tax increases that will come by 2013). Another study found that spending cuts pose a major threat to economic growth. This study is from the International Monetary Fund. It found that the negative impact of spending cuts during economic downturns in the United States are statistically significant and sizeable, while the impact of new revenues is very small and not significantly significant. The IMF found that each dollar during an economic downturn, the USA could lose as much as $1.80 in economic activity. One percent in revenues would shave 0.1 percent of growth from the nation's gross domestic product. Revenues increases from the super wealthy would be negligible to the economy if done the right way and billions of dollars of investments (into infrastructure and jobs programs) can offset the negative effects of spending cuts. Republicans still clung to the view that tax increases on the wealthy will derail the economic recovery. They or the GOP view deficit reduction and spending cuts alone as a way to speed it up. We know that austerity has caused to double dip recession in Europe. Speaking of Europe, there was the pro capitalist Krupp working with Hitler, so unregulated capitalism isn't infallible at all. The libertarians need to realize that you can never place personal economics above the liberation of the people against white supremacy. There is no real success unless you have total liberation of the people. Wealth has the right to be redistributed to the poor.

That means that we have the right to oppose imperialism, gentrification, materialism (you cant be a revolutionary and promote materialism. There is nothing wrong with legitimate economic power, but there is a serious problem with economic exploitation and downing the poor in a foul way. Regardless if a brother or a sister has a degree, if that person is speaking the truth then that human beings ought to be respected. We have a communal spirit not an unregulated capitalist spirit since that is in our blood or cultural identity. Real power deals with ownership of real resources and my people have the right to fight for more ownership in our own community), police brutality, the prison industrial complex (which uses people in a slavery like capacity day in and day out. Most people arrested for drugs are for mere possession not violent offenders. Even the 13th Amendment never abolished slavery completely since it says except when youre convicted of a crime), the Wests imperial evil wars against Africa, environmental pollution, and other evils in the world. I think that we shouldn't worship Democrats or Republicans. Even some Democrats believe in drone attacks, wars, and imperialism (we have the war in Congo where evil M23 rebels are killing and even raping the Congolese people. Kambale Musavuli is a human rights activist that is promoting the human rights for the Congolese people). We can be independent excluding extremism and an arrogant attitude toward brothers and sisters who live in certain straits. The power of cartels has grown exponentially and some corporations have more
powerful than governments now. We witness the military industrial complex being potent and the promoters of peace being unfairly reviled in the world. It's a shame that we still have poverty and war. So, there is nothing wrong with a person being anti-war and anti-Patriot Act as well. I dont have to believe in the ways of a hypocritical country or some fake god. I believe in the real Most High God. We

shall overcome, but we will have to overrun ignorance, poverty, and injustice in order for us to overcome. The knowledge of self and the wisdom from the ancestor is a great path to follow.

The new Fiscal Cliff Law of 2013 The fiscal cliff deal was weakened parts because of political reasons. Boehner and Reid couldn't deal with each because of obvious reasons. Yet, some members of both parties created the deal. The fiscal cliff package includes many changes to our country It will definitely raise taxes on some of the rich and other slick items in it. The deficit cutting measures has some surprises too. The economist Jack Rasmus document the President's comments after the passage, which signal what we can expect. President Barack Obama said the following words: "...I am very open to compromise . . . Medicare is the biggest contribution to the deficit. The truth is that Medicare does not contribute to the deficit because it is funded by a separate tax. Obama has been laying the ground work to cut social insurances since 2010. The deal will cut the deficit by 620 billion dollars of the bipartisan goal of 4 trillion dollars. There are a lot of budget cuts ahead and these cuts won't come from the military or the national security state. They will come from the necessities of the people. Even if the U.S. had gotten over the cliff cuts to the military were minimal. DoD cuts scheduled to take effect in 2013 were only $24 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office (much less than the oft mentioned $500 billion reported in the media). The $500 billion are cuts over ten years, mostly back loaded to the out years. Thus these are cuts the military would likely never see. The deficit cut was little since the raising of taxing is just to the top 1.5 percent or those earning over $400,000. This is not the raising of taxes on the top 2%. Instead of rather raising 1.2 trillion dollars in revenue, the deal only raised 600billion. That part came from working people as payroll taxes were reinstated. This can increase more cuts on the rest of us. There can be more bipartisan cuts to corporate tax rates as well in this year. The deal wasn't just about cuts.

According to Matt Sooller, the deficit cutters were very generous to Goldman Sachs: "...Goldman got $1.6 billion in tax free financing for its new massive headquarters through Liberty Bonds. Another gift to big finance and multinationals: a provision was included that allows U.S. multinationals to not pay taxes on income earned abroad at a cost $1.5 billion to the budget. NASCAR got $43 million in tax breaks over two years to build race tracks and associated facilities. Hollywood studios received $150million in tax breaks for 2010 and 2011. There is a lost to the small foreclosure relief programs that involve human beings facing foreclosure and living in underwater houses. There is a delay for the tax change if a mortgage was written down by $100,000 the tax payer had to pay taxes on $100,000 income. The taking care of ill family members at home was dealt with a setback. The deal allowed a provision in the Affordable Care Act designed to let millions of elderly and disabled human beings get help at home rather than be placed in institutional care being repealed. This is the repealing of the Class Act. This was a project that was a dream of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Mr. Obama also won a new commission to look at long-term care. The commission is supposed to come back and report on ways to boost health coverage for those the CLASS program was designed to reach. There are dozens of provisions would extend credits and incentives for plug-in electric vehicles, energy-efficient appliances, biodiesel and renewable diesel, and other alternative energy initiatives. I have no issue with this part of the deal. At the end of the day, some of the deal was legitimate. Yet, the rest of it shows the lower taxes on some of the wealthy, low taxes on corporations, giveaways to businesses, and takeaways form the American people. We must continue to fight against austerity in the weeks and months ahead. This deal was a slick bipartisan attack on the people. Some say compromise. I will never compromise allow families to starve. I will never compromise in funding a criminal war on terror. I will never compromise in believing that corporate giveaways are somehow progressive either.

What is sequester?
Sequester is the automatic cuts to the American social safety net and the military by March 1, 2013. Sequester is about a historic assault on U.S. social programs. If it is to take effect, it will cause an $85 billion in across the board budget cuts in 2013. The ruling class continues their assault on the social conditions of the working human beings in America. The budget sequestration of January 1 was postponed until March 1, because of the bipartisan deal to head of the fiscal cliff (both parties used tax increases, cuts in jobless benefits, and other actions) in the fiscal cliff deal. Some populists view this whole March 1 deadline as contrived or the result of the 2011 deal between the White House and congressional Republicans to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. If the White House and Congress fail to have a deal by March 1, the cuts will come. It will be devastating to social programs at every level of government. Education, housing, home heating assistance, health care, nutritional assistance, road repair, and air transport will be negatively affected via the sequester. There will be cuts to civilian and military budgets. Thousands of furloughs and layoffs of public sector workers will come alone. The drive for the unprecedented cuts and structural changes in the basic social entitlement programs did date from the 1930's and 1960's like the Social Security and Medicare. The sequester entails a five percent cut in nonmilitary discretionary spending, amounting to $28.7 billion, as well as a $9.9 billion cut to Medicare. Public housing will be cut by nearly $2 billion, special education programs will be cut by $840 million, and Head Start will be slashed by $406 million, kicking 70,000 children out of the program. More reports show that 350 teachers would be laid off in Ohio. 4,180 fewer children in Georgia would get vaccinated and Virginia would be unable to provide assistance for 400 victims of domestic violence if the sequester continues. The sequester will have 42.7 billion dollars in cuts to the military spending, which the two parties don't support. The White House already agreed to 1.4 trillion in spending cuts for the past 2 years. Still, the White House says that the sequester is for them to want shared sacrificed and a balanced approach to deficit cutting. A balanced approach is made up of token tax increases on businesses and the wealthy (along with new cuts on social spending). The GOP doesn't want more tax increases on the rich. At the same time, Obama and the Democrats are pushing for a bipartisan agreement on a comprehensive tax reform that will slash corporate taxes, eliminate tax deductions on which millions of ordinary people depend, and shift the tax burden even more heavily onto the working class. The White

House wants to cut spending. The difference is that that Republicans want more draconian cuts to the social safety net. White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri made this statement about the White House's position: "...The President is serious about cutting spending, reforming entitlements and the tax code to reduce the deficit in a balanced way. It goes on to boast, The President has already reduced the deficit by over $2.5 trillion, cutting spending by over $1.4 trillion, bringing domestic discretionary spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy since the Eisenhower era. The White House wants billions of cuts in Medicare and Medicare, $200 billion in cuts in mandatory domestic spending, and $100 billion in discretionary domestic spending, including a $35 billion cut in federal retirement programs and a $50 billion cut in unemployment insurance. This is not populism, but the audacity of the status quo. Austerity is highly unpopular with the American people. A poll conducted last week by Pew Research found that 87 percent of the population is opposed to cuts in Social Security, 82 percent are against cuts in Medicare, and 89 percent oppose cuts in education. Wall Street has corporate record profits. We have colonial style wars and drone assassinations. Yet, the reactionaries lie and say that we have no money. Both parties are responsible for the sequester saga. For example, the SimpsonBowles agenda was created heavily by Democrats. That committee influenced the White House to offer massive cuts in 2011. Gene Sperling of the White House National Economic Council Director came up with the sequestration scheme when the Republicans rejected a modest tax increase to the rich. The saga involved the lie that Medicare, Social Security, and Medicare play a huge role or is a root cause of the national debt. We must not advance profit for the ruling class at the expense of the poor including the suffering at all. The two party system is in league with big business and we have the right to advance independent populism. Even some in the Congressional Progressive Caucus made the Balancing Act of 2013, which will replace all of the sequestration cuts with new revenues (and then add a $276 billion stimulus to the economy. This bill is rejected not only by the Republicans, but by the Democratic establishment, who are pro-slick or smart austerity.

Western societies are known for its oppression and systematic theft of lands, resources, etc. It is armed robbery that represents modern day laissez faire capitalism today. The decline in some quarters of the West is undeniably related to the massive economic exploitation, globalization, and other evils in the world today. Mainstream Western capitalism has failed as any credible scholar can attest to. The reason is that we still have recessions globally after the Western financial collapse and the Western real estate bubble of 2006 to 2007. By September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers Wall Street investment bank could not be saved. The U.S. government admitted to sending over 10 trillion dollars to the Wall Street banks as a means to restore the economy to its pre-bubble burst configuration, but that has proved to be impossible. There has been talk of more showing of quantitative easing and new money creation in the world. Yet, the

IN CONCLUSION:

U.S. economy has weak full time job creation, retail sales, and manufacturing numbers in November 2012. This is related to the Eurozone. The western Capitalist professor named Milton Friedman taught economics at the University of Chicago in Business School from 1976 to 1977. Freidman believed that free markets were the best solution in growing economic development and have overall prosperity. The refutation of that argument is simple. For centuries, the U.S. economy or the American way of life have been created by stolen wealth, the theft of slaves, and stealing resources from nations globally. Colonization, international slavery, and imperialism built up the wealth of the West basically. These policies have been influenced by the U.S. military force as well. In the final analysis, unfettered capitalism doesnt work. What works is an unique, mixed economy that fulfill the individual and collective needs of the people. Ayn Rand said that greed is good and the recession proved that philosophy wrong completely. Another of Rand's protges, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, said it nicely while testifying in front of Congress in late 2008: I was wrong. I always believed that markets were self-regulating. (He also then famously observed that the 2003 Iraqi invasion was all about the oil). These people were wrong in advancing laissez faire capitalism completely. Even Adam Smith was wrong to assume some invisible hand could regulate markets and keep the economic system optimally efficient in a good working order. Adam Smith was an apologist of the British Empire during the 18th century. If an economic system wants folks to look out for their own selfinterests, then they could be free from any responsibility to restrain any of their actions. When you look at mainstream capitalism, it is not related to the Golden Rule at all. An unregulated capitalism wants to promote their self-interests above anyone else. Its about the usage of capital above the communal wealth. Some people of many backgrounds embrace an extreme capitalist ethos, especially in Western society. They are self-absorbed, they obsessed with me ism, embrace materialism, and they believe that corporations running everything is great for humanity (which is a lie). Some people want to blame Christianity for this wicked system. I dont. It is the fault of any religion or atheism. Its the fault of a select group of extremists and their extreme viewpoints. The reason is that Christianity teaches about individual salvation yes, but it allows teachings against oppression against the poor. It teaches about group like religious bodies in the community and it teaches about treating your neighbor as yourself without greed, lust, and other economic exploitative qualities. Christianity doesnt teach that no matter your lot, you should take accept it and strive for faith. Christianity teaches that people should have faith, but faith without works is dead. Therefore, we should have faith and be active to improve the conditions of society. One of the greatest heroes in history were Christians ending slavery, ending child labor, advancing the civil rights movement in the States, ending apartheid in the world, and fighting for real social justice. I dont agree with forcing Christianity to people, but many other people other than false Christians used a distortion of religion or a murderous form of atheism (as opposed to peaceful atheists) as a means to conquer humanity from Stalin to Mao. You will notice that these haters of God never discuss about Stalin, Mao, the killings in Romania, or Pol Pot. Also, many Christians reject greed, imperialism, occupation, and other crimes. Not all Christians are monolithic. Mainstream, unfettered capitalism doesnt have to do with real religion, but with a perversion of religion as a means to justify the evils of colonialism, apartheid, and any injustices in the world. The feudalism of the medieval period that exploited people was wrong including the Western militarist empire using war, conquest, and imperialism as a means to oppress mostly people of color in the world. I dont agree with unfettered Capitalism, but I dont agree with Communism either.

Over the years, I have grown and I realize that the concept of human rights is a real principle that should be enjoyed by all people. With the problems in the world, there is some good news as well. Far too often, we get caught up in the negative news. We shouldn't be naive about life, but we should have time to witness some positive events going on in the globe as well. Realizing this can motivate us even further to promote solutions to the serious complications that go on for real. The events in my life will never make blue since I will focus on doing the right thing to do. We ought to continue to understand about fascism. Decades ago, the protofascist FBI harmed the civil liberties of Americans by using COINTELPRO policies including warrantless wiretapping against people who desire to live in a society where human rights are respected. We realize that unemployment is a function of the income inequality in the world and other economic issues. It has nothing to do with the function of individual character of human beings. Unemployment deals with the structural imperfections of the current economy or the current market system. Unfettered capitalism has been documented to be instrumental in causing unemployment, economic exploitation, and other negative problems in America. After the decades of the reactionaries vilifying the Civil Rights Movement, and other heroes, they couldn't crush the spirit of truth. There was the counterrevolution of Reaganism and reaction, but we stood tall to harbor even recent victories from the defeat of some anti-voting policies to the granting of compensation to African American plus Native American farmers who were oppressed by discrimination. There was the victory of many Latin American peasants fighting fascistic juntas and even the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa that ended the tyranny of colonial factions. Even some moderate and progressive Islamic leaders have translated the works of Dr. King into Arabic and Persians as a means to disseminate them in the Middle East. After neoconservative extremism, the spirit of truth and the inspiration of human liberty live on in us. The reason is that despite pain, hope is a reality. When you see evil, there is always a chance where we can use light to shine forth that can assist the human family (as a means for all people to develop into greater depths of moral understanding plus tolerance). Tolerance is a key factor that we must live by in order to enrich our thinking and further grow our fundamental understanding of the Universe.

The NSA is something else monitoring communications globally. The NSA is part of the military industrial complex like the terrorist CIA (that killed tons of people worldwide in an inappropriate fashion for decades) and the DHS.

We still have a fight for justice still. We still have groups like the CFR, the Bilderbergers, the Pilgrim Society, etc. promoting globalization and international imperialism via slick fashion. We still have some Wall Street billionaires, Pentagon warmongerings, and other elitists that are threats to world society. We are dealing with fiscal issues and foreign policy matters. Funding war is the main expenditure now, but we see those who want to massively cut from domestic programs helping folks. We know that the reactionary Tea Party crowd is wrong since you need true respect for human development via progressive means. Yet, the centrism of Geithner, Emanuel, and others represent a policy of compromise not liberation. Today, the Empire is in decline, the political system is very much controlled by the plutocrats, and the culture has been dominated by evil, corporate interests. Even the stimulus was made up of 40 percent tax cuts, which deal with savings not stimulus. The stimulus didn't go far enough to help society. The good news is that some job growth is better than no job growth, but we have a long way to go in making a higher level of economic development. Without the centrist stimulus, our economy would be a lot worse than today. The extremists hate the stimulus since they believe that spending money is silly. The reason is that the correct spending of money to build up our infrastructure can reap great benefits. You need investments in the poor and the middle class in order to see a much better nation of America. Even extending unemployment benefits in 2013 can help to grow millions of jobs. Younger workers are hurting, because a lot of new jobs are gotten by middle age and older Americans. The government can create jobs all of the time from teachers to those in the health field. A reactionary may have an attitude, but the truth will make some of them have gratitude for progressives trying to improve society. More jobs were created under Clinton than during the days of Reagan and Bush Jr. Freedom is a concept and a way of life that ought to be given to people all over the world in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Australia, etc. The 99% Movement is a very powerful movement that I support.

It is a historical fact that when certain people distort markets, exploit merchants, and promotes violence, there is always a negative outcome going on in the globe. One simple example that you can witness this reality is from the testimony from U.S. General Smedley Butler from 1933. He admitted that he acted as the high class muscle for Big Business, for Wall Street, and for the Bankers. He traveled all over the world from Latin America to Haiti as an engine to promote American corporate oil interests. He admitted to the world that: I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested. Smedley Butler at the time in the early 20th century was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. He is known for his famous book entitled, War is a Racket. Smedley wrote about the military industrial complex. He became a popular speaker at meetings organized by veterans, pacifists, and church groups in the 1930s. Even the Scriptures in the NT are clear that the rich will have temptation and a snare as a means to experience destruction if they refuse to do the right thing. Reaganomics is false even since the wealth didnt trickle down to help humanity. That movement gained momentum in the late 1970s. Since that time, the wealth of the nation has stolen wealth out of the poor and the middle class. The top 1 percent in America owns more wealth than the combined wealth of the bottom 90%. There are weaknesses in Communism for certain. Yet, there are weaknesses in Capitalism too. You cant have freedom without justice. You cant empower Capital over Labor. Some in the capitalist system can easily cause money to be more important than people. We ought to be servants of God not servants of Mammon. Legitimate government was instituted to stop evil and promote goodness in the world. For the atheists Mises and Hayek, they wanted to engage in commerce, acquire possessions, and believe in a distorted view of the role of government in society. Hayek had such an extreme view of social justice that he felt that social justice can led into fascism. We need altruism more promoted in society.

In the final analysis, people have the right to be out to have their freedom. Also, we should battle against the evil of excessive materialism in society. Materialism in my view is one major, contributing factor to the pervasive economic recession that we have in the world. We have to defeat materialism and unify with real activists so real change can occur in society.

The most important thing is to outline the potent truth consciously. If you do that and fight for justice, then things will become all gravy in the end. A lot of things are Possible to those that believe.
By Timothy