I am a progressive

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Thursday January 21, 2010 · 8:24 AM PST

2010/01/21 · 08:24

This is a response to the diary, "Don't call me a progressive."

First, I am a Progressive Democrat, not a liberal.

An old school definition of a progressive:

An amorphous, cross-party tendency towards economic and political reform prevalent in the United States especially from 1896 to 1916.

In that era Democrats, Republicans, and non-partisans alike became alarmed by developments in American life that had been under way for some time. They viewed with concern the rise of trusts—monopolies in commerce and industry—and the parallel emergence of party bosses and political machines. Such concentrations of economic and political power, so it was argued, not only led to exploitation and corruption, but also ran counter to the values of equality, individualism, and democracy upon which the country had been founded. Progressivism and its forerunner populism were responses to these concerns. Progressivism, while it drew strength from Populist agrarian protest, had its roots in the cities among the urban middle class...

Follow me below the fold please.

bartct

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Thursday January 07, 2010 · 6:16 AM PST

2010/01/07 · 06:16

Ran across this article today, and wowsers it is a sad day for the U.S. I remember when, in Iowa, I was so jazzed that, then candidate, Obama stated that every American should have access to the same health care coverage given to U.S. Senators.

Yet now, the coverage given to my wife and family could face an excise tax of up to 60%.

bartct

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Thursday December 17, 2009 · 12:16 PM PST

2009/12/17 · 12:16

This diary entry is used to promote an idea originally posted in this diary. The basic idea is that we decide to light a candle at 8pm local time in support of real and meaningful health care reform, and that we keep doing this, ever night, until real reform is achieved.

Obviously one candle is not much, but it is a start.

bartct

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Wednesday December 16, 2009 · 12:14 PM PST

2009/12/16 · 12:14

I mean OMG, how many defeatist articles can you put together? Of course the Tea-bagging nuts win, because we let them. You heard me: we let them! Did we call a general strike until we get real change? No! Did we make an effective threat for a general boycott of the 2010 election? No!

So why the freak would any politician listen to us, the modern American progressive movement is a patsy pushover movement. Until we are ready to stop all consumer activity, all working activity, everything until we get change we can believe in---exactly nothing will get done.

So bitch about we don't have the power, we don't have the power because we do not have the chutzpah to take the power. We all knew that the politicians, including Barack were corrupt, but we fooled ourselves into thinking voting was enough. Voting isn't enough. Call in sick, or simply walk out on your jobs, else exactly nothing will happen. Unlike Hillary I don't think a village can do it, but I think a mob will do just fine.

Poll

36 votes Show Results

Most effective change comes from?

36 votes Vote Now!

Most effective change comes from?

Inept Politicians

0 votes

Faux Noise

3 votes

General Strike

9 votes

General Election Boycott

1 vote

Revolution

14 votes

Nothing ever changes, everything remains the same, so I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay wasting time

9 votes

5 years WTF

bartct

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Wednesday November 25, 2009 · 8:26 AM PST

2009/11/25 · 08:26

I began the day as I always do, reading the funny's section on NYtimes.com, and I got the shock of my life when I read Jay Leno's Monologue. He made a claim that those who do not get acceptable insurance could face up to 5 years in prison.

I was like that has to be fake, no way the Democrats would punish someone who falls into a category that can't pay the average individual premium of over 5K a year. However, sure enough I found evidence for this 5 year nonsense here, here, and here.

bartct

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Thursday November 19, 2009 · 8:28 PM PST

2009/11/19 · 20:28

Just wondering if anyone knows a response to this:

The healthcare bills that are under consideration all contain language that everyone must have health insurance coverage.

If healthcare coverage is not obtained a fine may be levied by the U.S. govt.

So here come my questions:

Without a PO or an expansion of free healthcare coverage, would there be a penalty for someone too poor to receive coverage?

If someone is too poor to get coverage, and too poor to pay a fine would they then be subject to incarceration?

Any input is appreciated. This thought just occurred to me while sitting a talking with my wife.

Thanks.

Sure pass Health Care Non-reform

bartct

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Monday November 16, 2009 · 7:55 AM PST

2009/11/16 · 07:55

Single payer...would be reform.
Bargaining with Drug companies...would be reform.
Making doctors salaried rather than fee based...would be reform.

This legislation doesn't introduce single payer; this legislation does not bargain with drug manufacturers; this legislation will not reform the way doctors are paid.

This legislation, requiring all to join an insurance plan or pay a fine is a tax and a boon to insurance companies. The most likely to not have insurance are under 35's, and consequently have the lowest risk of injury. That is why they do not choose to carry insurance. Forcing them to buy or pay a fine just helps the insurance companies.

We already pay more Per Person, Total, or as a % of GDP than any nation on earth on health-care. Now we have bought on to the idea that we just need to pay 1 trillion more and it will get better.

bartct

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Saturday October 10, 2009 · 1:21 PM PDT

2009/10/10 · 13:21

This diary is in response to comments received in yesterday’s diary entry. The first complaint that was received was that somehow teachers are against all forms of accountability—this is untrue. Teachers are in favor of accountability, but there is an overwhelming belief that they alone should not be held wholly responsible for student performance.

bartct

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Friday October 09, 2009 · 2:00 PM PDT

2009/10/09 · 14:00

Here is an idea let's get rid of experienced professionals, and replace them with private companies. Let's take a public good, and try to incentivize it to the hands of private corporations. It has worked wonderfully with prisons, health-care, and the military industrial complex, why not with schools. This is in effect what Arne Duncan, Obama's Department of Education secretary has offered to do.

bartct

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Monday August 17, 2009 · 11:51 AM PDT

2009/08/17 · 11:51

I'm a nutmeg transplant, but I sincerely love this state for many reasons. The most important reason being public health-care, in Connecticut it is called the Husky plan.

Poll

28 votes Show Results

Do you want a Single Payer health-care system?

28 votes Vote Now!

Do you want a Single Payer health-care system?

Yes

22 votes

6 votes

Unsure

0 votes

WTF!!! I'm a liberal not a Democrat

bartct

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Monday June 29, 2009 · 7:52 AM PDT

2009/06/29 · 07:52

OK, so I'm a little steamed by all the regressive taxation going on right now in the U.S., and I'm just a little bit pissed that the democrats have ALLOWED the message of health-care reform and genuine equality of opportunity measures to be hijacked by inaccurate information.

Why not tax the F**king rich jag-offs for health care?

BTW I am not trying to make this a flame, but have just spent the last 22 hours in a care stuck driving screaming 4 y.o.'s from FL. to CT., therefore this article may appear to have been written by a 4-yo too.

Poll

22 votes Show Results

Can you complete the NPR car talk puzzler?

22 votes Vote Now!

Can you complete the NPR car talk puzzler?

yes, always

1 vote

yes, but only occasionally

10 votes

nope

9 votes

I wish I had a car

1 vote

I wich I could talk about cars

0 votes

I wish I could talk

1 vote

Torture: Fundamentally Ineffective

bartct

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Thursday April 30, 2009 · 9:04 PM PDT

2009/04/30 · 21:04

Heard a very interesting piece today on the ineffectiveness of torture today on NPR's Morning Edition. Quotes and analysis in main body.

Newer
Older

RSS

I am a progressive

Obama Urges Excise Tax on (Union) High-Cost Insurance

A Candle at 8

Of Course We Lost on Health Care

5 years WTF

Just a question about Healthcare Reform and Homeless

Sure pass Health Care Non-reform

Accountability and Education: The Perpetual Decline of Public Education

Arne Duncan's Race to the Bottom

Why I love Public Health-care (or go Huskys)

WTF!!! I'm a liberal not a Democrat

Torture: Fundamentally Ineffective