by George Shaw
Member since:
February 16, 2006

This is one of the most telling articles that I have seen about the U.S. going to hell in a hand-basket.

November 01, 2012 07:23 PM UTC
views: 0 | 6 people recommend this | comments: 19

I have been saying for years that the U.S. is returning to the Robber Baron Era of the latter 1800's and the early 1900's, and that isn't just happening in the inequity and destruction of the middle class. It is also happening in the poisoning of people through their food and medicines.

http://truth-out.org/news/item/12463-fatalities-in-the-gop-war-on-regulation

Comments: 19

Jim G. Nov 1, 2012, 8:53pm UTC
It seems that all of our federal alphabet agencies are either underfunded or advocates for the industries that they are supposed to regulate. Who gives a damn about US?
George Shaw Nov 1, 2012, 8:57pm UTC
Actually it started under Reagan, it continued under Clinton, and it got worse under the Shrub. Few still look out for the people -- unless you are a corporation.
Jim G. Nov 1, 2012, 9:45pm UTC
I still can't understand why Slick Willie Clinton is still a Democratic hero to so many people.
George Shaw Nov 2, 2012, 1:14am UTC
Well, he did raise taxes on the rich, and he did turn the deficit into a surplus. He also stood up to the Republican nut cases and let them shut the government down. That cost the Republicans dearly.
Lloyd 'Tony' Cope Nov 2, 2012, 8:49am UTC
The Clinton years were 8 years of peace and prosperity I will never, ever forget. You could find a job withing a few days or a week. I checked my 401k account on a daily basis and watched it grow.

It all came crashing down after Republicans cheated their way into the White House. We are still suffering from the Bush years. No one can deny that.
George Shaw Nov 2, 2012, 5:13pm UTC
But Clinton presided over the repeal of Glass-Stegall, and that opened the doors to the banking crisis. He also presided over the butchering of welfare, and the effects of that showed up when the economy crashed.
We have to be fair and true to history if we are to avoid these problems in the future.
Jim G. Nov 2, 2012, 9:14pm UTC
That's what I mean about Slick Willie. He also fast-tracked trade agreements through Congress that helped the export of U.S. jobs without any protection for U.S. workers.
George Shaw Nov 2, 2012, 11:11pm UTC
Yes, Jim, but again, to be fair, we have to recognize that was, to a great extend, due to the Republicans stonewalling all attempts to get labor legislation to protect workers.
Denise L. Nov 1, 2012, 9:03pm UTC
What a sickening (literally) situation. Next thing you know Big Pharma will be wanting immunity from lawsuits on everything else like they have with vaccines. All they have to do is buy congressmen.....
Jim G. Nov 1, 2012, 9:47pm UTC
Spot on, Denise.
Lloyd 'Tony' Cope Nov 2, 2012, 8:52am UTC
"Typical of the Republican thought process is this statement last year from Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA): "The food supply in America is very safe because the private sector self-polices, because they have the highest motivation. They don't want to be sued; they don't want to go broke. They want their customers to be healthy and happy."

The only true deterrent would be to jail those whom harm the American people.
George Shaw Nov 2, 2012, 5:09pm UTC
Yes, Tony, but they don't even jail crooked bankers, let alone crooked food manufacturers.
Larry M. Nov 2, 2012, 9:00am UTC
There's big money in destroying the health of the general public.
George Shaw Nov 2, 2012, 11:14pm UTC
Yes, and in producing shoddy products as long as there is no punishment.
Larry M. Nov 3, 2012, 8:07am UTC
Wouldn't it be better to reward high quality rather than punishing shoddy? If shoddy didn't sell and high quality did sell that would be enough, wouldn't it?
George Shaw Nov 3, 2012, 3:08pm UTC
No, because, contrary to Adam Smith's beliefs, word of mouth doesn't get around fast enough. Many million pieces of shoddy work or contaminated food can be sold before it becomes widely known, and when the corporations own the news media, the news media isn't much help.
Larry M. Nov 3, 2012, 4:22pm UTC
George,

Either way is after the fact.
Sandy Moore Nov 2, 2012, 8:16pm UTC
It sure is going to hell if this is the way things end up.

Thank you for sharing with Watching The Wind Blow By

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