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Cliff Notes on the Three Real Perils Ahead

robertreich:

The “fiscal cliff” is a a metaphor for a government that no longer responds to the biggest challenges we face because it’s paralyzed by intransigent Republicans, obsessed by the federal budget deficit, and overwhelmed by big money from corporations, Wall Street, and billionaires.

If we had a functional government America would address three “cliffs” posing far larger dangers to us than the fiscal one:

The child poverty cliff.

Between 2007 and 2011, the percentage of American school-age children living in poor households grew from 17 to 21%. Last year, according to the Agriculture Department, nearly 1 in 4 young children lived in a family that had difficulty affording sufficient food at some point in the year.

Yet federal programs to help children and lower-income families – food stamps, aid for poor school districts, Pell grants, child health care, child nutrition, pre- and post-natal care, and Medicaid – are being targeted by the Republican right. Over 60 percent of the cuts in the GOP’s most recent budget came out of these programs.

Even if these programs are preserved, they don’t go nearly far enough. But the Obama Administration doesn’t talk about reducing poverty in America. It talks only about preserving the middle class.

Yet unless we focus on better schools, better health, and improved conditions for these poor kids and their families, in a few years America will have a significant population of under-educated and desperate adults.

The baby-boomer healthcare cliff.

Healthcare costs are already 18% of GDP. Between now and 2030, when 76 million boomers join the ranks of the elderly, those costs will soar. This is the principal reason why the federal budget deficit is projected to grow.

The Affordable Care Act offers a start but it isn’t nearly adequate to limit these rising costs. The President and the Democrats have to lead the way in using Medicare and Medicaid’s bargaining power over providers to get lower costs and to move from a fee-for-service system to a fee-for-healthy outcomes system of healthcare.

But we can’t avoid the fact we have the most expensive and least effective system of health care in the world that’s spending 30 percent more on paperwork and administration than on keeping people healthy. The real healthcare cliff can only be avoided if we adopt a single-payer healthcare system.

The environmental cliff.

Global emissions of carbon dioxide jumped 3 percent in 2011 and are expected to jump another 2.6 percent this year according to scientists, putting the human race perilously close to the tipping point when ice caps irretrievably melt, sea-levels rise, and amount of available cropland in the world becomes dangerously small.

Yet Republicans (and their patrons, such as Charles and David Koch) continue to deny climate change. And the Administration is no longer pushing for a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax.

Yet unless we act to reduce carbon emissions, other major emitters won’t do so. The only binding pact so far is the Kyoto Protocol, which the U.S. never joined. And we’re taking no leadership at the international climate talks now taking place in Qatar.

Yes, America does face a cliff — not a fiscal cliff but a set of precipices we’ll tumble over because the GOP’s obsession over government’s size and spending has obscured them. And Democrats so far haven’t been able or willing to sound the real alarms.

(via wilwheaton)

Filed under politics american politics ahhhhhh

265 notes

KRUGMAN / NY TIMES: The Twinkie Manifesto

“There are, let’s face it, some people in our political life who pine for the days when minorities and women knew their place, gays stayed firmly in the closet and congressmen asked, “Are you now or have you ever been?” The rest of us, however, are very glad those days are gone. We are, morally, a much better nation than we were. Oh, and the food has improved a lot, too.  Along the way, however, we’ve forgotten something important — namely, that economic justice and economic growth aren’t incompatible. America in the 1950s made the rich pay their fair share; it gave workers the power to bargain for decent wages and benefits; yet contrary to right-wing propaganda then and now, it prospered. And we can do that again.”

(Source: inothernews, via maibeitsmayberlline)

Filed under politics article NY Times

4,009 notes

the-danimal:

Rachel Maddow explains the 2012 election and its result

“Ohio really did go to President Obama last night. And he really did win. And he really was born in Hawaii. And he really is legitimately President of the United States. Again. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not make up a fake unemployment rate last month. And the Congressional Research Service really can find no evidence that cutting taxes on rich people grows the economy. And the polls were not skewed to oversample Democrats. And Nate Silver was not making up fake projections about the election to make conservatives feel bad. Nate Silver was doing math. And climate change is real. And rape really does cause pregnancy sometimes. And evolution is a thing. And Benghazi was an attack on us, it was not a scandal by us. And nobody’s taking away anyone’s guns. And taxes have not gone up. And the deficit is dropping, actually. And Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. And the moon landing was real. And FEMA is not building concentration camps. And UN election observers are not taking over Texas. And moderate reforms of the regulations on the insurance industry and the financial services industry in this country are not the same thing as Communism.” —Rachel Maddow

(via maibeitsmayberlline)

Filed under video rachel maddow politics news YES I LOVE YOU

42,837 notes

superbookwormy: csi-bakerstreet: theheartwithin: almostisntgoodenough: fucknobarackobama: ok who the fuck cares though? if we’re “trying” to be equal why should we bring up peoples races or sexuality? George Washington isn’t known as “the first white president” what is the constant need to bring race and sexuality into every little thing? im sure there have been gay senators in the past they just weren’t openly gay. who the hell cares if she’s gay? is she going to do a better or worse job based on her sexuality, race or gender? no probably not! stop giving a shit and then we’ll all be “equal” cause we all already are equal. ^^ 100% agreed. I couldn’t say anything on FB about it because some of my gay friends would have been offended but like really if we want to get rid of discrimination between races and genders and sexualities then STOP POINTING THEM OUT.  I think the reason it should be pointed out is because there are still people that are  scared of ‘coming out’ as being gay/lesbian/bi-sexual, and this isn’t just about equality.The more it’s seen that being having a, what some may consider ’different’ (and I use that term very loosely, so don’t bite my head off) sexuality or race, especially when they are people with power, or that are in the public eye often, the more likely it is that they it will become accepted as an average occurrence. When a celebrity comes out and says they are gay, or support gay marriage, they’re applauded, and cooed at. Why should it be different for politicians? ‘I’m sure there have been gay senators in the past they just weren’t openly gay’  I’m going to come right out and say, this is why it’s a big deal for it to be made clear that they are gay. It shouldn’t be something anyone has to hide. It should be something they can talk about openly and that everyone can know. This woman could inspire more people to be open about their sexuality, just by being open about her own. End rant.  It’s a big deal because even as far back as FOUR YEARS AGO she might not have been elected solely because she’s openly gay. It’s a big deal because in the past people of the lgbtq community have had to HIDE in order to be able to be members of mainstream society. We DO NOT have equality and to see us making leaps towards achieving that is WORTH celebrating. We DO NOT have equality and we never will if you disregard it as no big deal and think that it shouldn’t be addressed because it is a big deal. When you’re gay in this country, it is a struggle. Some people lose their entire families. They lost their friends. They can lose their jobs. They aren’t granted the same civil rights as heterosexual Americans and people who aren’t in that position can never fully understand how that feels. They can be denied so much and to have someone elected to office who is openly gay, it says ACCEPTANCE and it’s starting on EQUALITY and it’s a HUGE DEAL. If you have any experience having to hide from the world, from any person in your life, for fear of rejection and/or discrimination, you might understand. And George Washington wasn’t celebrated for being a white president because it wasn’t a big deal. Being the first president? HUGE deal, but being the first white president? NOT SO MUCH. because of this thing. It’s called white privilege. Back then there wasn’t even a question as to what race the president would be. We’ve come so far since then and we still have far to go. Erasing a persons race and sexuality doesn’t do anything. Accepting someone doesn’t mean denying individuality. It doesn’t mean denying race, sexuality, etc. It means finally understanding that diversity is NOT something to be afraid of and to get rid of the ignorance that surrounds these issues. We’re at tolerance and we need to reach acceptance. We need to stop turning on the television to hear someone say ‘marriage is only supposed to be between a man and a woman’ or that they ‘don’t believe in homosexuals.’ With Tammy in office as an OPENLY GAY WOMAN, for the first time the Senate will have to talk about gay issues WITH someone who is gay instead of talking ABOUT it without anyone there who really knows. It’s a HUGE DEAL. Don’t belittle or erase it. Tammy is the first openly gay woman to take office and it is a fantastic, wonderful, glorious thing. As a gay woman, I am above and beyond happy about this because it is a giant step in our society.

superbookwormy:

csi-bakerstreet:

theheartwithin:

almostisntgoodenough:

fucknobarackobama:

ok who the fuck cares though? if we’re “trying” to be equal why should we bring up peoples races or sexuality? George Washington isn’t known as “the first white president” what is the constant need to bring race and sexuality into every little thing? im sure there have been gay senators in the past they just weren’t openly gay. who the hell cares if she’s gay? is she going to do a better or worse job based on her sexuality, race or gender? no probably not! stop giving a shit and then we’ll all be “equal” cause we all already are equal.

^^

100% agreed. I couldn’t say anything on FB about it because some of my gay friends would have been offended but like really if we want to get rid of discrimination between races and genders and sexualities then STOP POINTING THEM OUT. 

I think the reason it should be pointed out is because there are still people that are  scared of ‘coming out’ as being gay/lesbian/bi-sexual, and this isn’t just about equality.
The more it’s seen that being having a, what some may consider ’different’ (and I use that term very loosely, so don’t bite my head off) sexuality or race, especially when they are people with power, or that are in the public eye often, the more likely it is that they it will become accepted as an average occurrence. 
When a celebrity comes out and says they are gay, or support gay marriage, they’re applauded, and cooed at. Why should it be different for politicians?


‘I’m sure there have been gay senators in the past they just weren’t openly gay’ 
 I’m going to come right out and say, this is why it’s a big deal for it to be made clear that they are gay. It shouldn’t be something anyone has to hide. It should be something they can talk about openly and that everyone can know. 
This woman could inspire more people to be open about their sexuality, just by being open about her own.

End rant. 

It’s a big deal because even as far back as FOUR YEARS AGO she might not have been elected solely because she’s openly gay. It’s a big deal because in the past people of the lgbtq community have had to HIDE in order to be able to be members of mainstream society. We DO NOT have equality and to see us making leaps towards achieving that is WORTH celebrating. We DO NOT have equality and we never will if you disregard it as no big deal and think that it shouldn’t be addressed because it is a big deal. When you’re gay in this country, it is a struggle. Some people lose their entire families. They lost their friends. They can lose their jobs. They aren’t granted the same civil rights as heterosexual Americans and people who aren’t in that position can never fully understand how that feels. They can be denied so much and to have someone elected to office who is openly gay, it says ACCEPTANCE and it’s starting on EQUALITY and it’s a HUGE DEAL. If you have any experience having to hide from the world, from any person in your life, for fear of rejection and/or discrimination, you might understand.

And George Washington wasn’t celebrated for being a white president because it wasn’t a big deal. Being the first president? HUGE deal, but being the first white president? NOT SO MUCH. because of this thing. It’s called white privilege. Back then there wasn’t even a question as to what race the president would be. We’ve come so far since then and we still have far to go. Erasing a persons race and sexuality doesn’t do anything. Accepting someone doesn’t mean denying individuality. It doesn’t mean denying race, sexuality, etc. It means finally understanding that diversity is NOT something to be afraid of and to get rid of the ignorance that surrounds these issues. We’re at tolerance and we need to reach acceptance. We need to stop turning on the television to hear someone say ‘marriage is only supposed to be between a man and a woman’ or that they ‘don’t believe in homosexuals.’ With Tammy in office as an OPENLY GAY WOMAN, for the first time the Senate will have to talk about gay issues WITH someone who is gay instead of talking ABOUT it without anyone there who really knows. It’s a HUGE DEAL. Don’t belittle or erase it. Tammy is the first openly gay woman to take office and it is a fantastic, wonderful, glorious thing. As a gay woman, I am above and beyond happy about this because it is a giant step in our society.

Filed under politics tammy baldwin it is important

9,797 notes

President Barack Obama Re-elected Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. 

President Barack Obama Re-elected

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. 

(Source: lastisle, via godtiss)

Filed under politics election 2012 barak obama