Hey, this is an open thread. What's happening? A lot in the news recently. Hundreds killed in a battle in Afghanistan. The nation's largest and most powerful financical institutions need more capital. $15B for Wells Fargo. $35B for Bank of America... Lt. Watada's case at Fort Lewis clears one hurdle and moves forward. Port Protesters continue to resist the use of municipal transportation facilities to export the tools of imperialism. Unseasonaly big storm. A lot of rain. Big sales tax increase on tobacco and liquor. What else is going on?

Here's the May 7, 2009 Free Speech Radio News report:

Newscast for Thursday, May 7, 2009 | FSRN

AMERICAN MONETARY INSTITUTE
Stephen Zarlenga, Dir., Author, The Lost Science of Money.
http://www.monetary.org

FREE MONETARY
SEMINAR

Why is Our Money System
Broken Again?
Why doesn’t it work for America?
Learn more about money in 2 hours than some
economists learn in a lifetime.
The Seminar will Discuss:
* How America's Monetary Power has been
usurped and privatized, leading to war.
* How and why the money power must be
restored to society for the general welfare,
instead of corrupt private agendas.
* How the money power became privatized, and is
kept in place by false theory.
* And much more.
This is a hands on reality based program, not a theory,
with many U.S. historical precedents, and more
going as far back as Classical Greece and Rome.

Location: Traditions
Water Street and 5th Ave, Olympia, WA
May 14th, 2009, 7:30 pm
If you would like more information please contact:
Robert Poteat ~ 360 978 4226, or Michael Kelly ~ 360 339 3329
For the government to permit banks to issue money, borrow that money back,
and pay interest on it is idiotic!....Bill Hixson

transcript

Stop Harmful Economic Activities

What's happening with the stock market...Will it crash today? I think the condition of the financial markets are on the mind of many people today...

This instability in the market - what is the reason? Why the bubbles and then the bursting? Do some profit from while others suffer as a reslt of these market booms and busts?

Is the instability in the market a symptom of systematic corruption?

I argue that we need change - deep change. What we need is a cooperative and equitable distribution of resources. What we need, I am speaking of the needs of humanity now, is to seek policies that are uplifting, rather than oppressive. I desire a culture of compassion, cooperation and forgiveness as opposed to a culture of control, conquest and vengeance. There are decisions to make. There is potential for change, deep and meaningful change.

Instead of supporting and enabling a system of boom and bust - why don't we, as a society, invest in pursuits that will generate lasting, sustainable, and equitable wealth and prosperity - for all people?

Instead of militarism, instead of spending half of the national budget on military, why don't we spend on education, green jobs, health care, arts, and ecological preservation, protection and restoration?

This is from the blog of Erik Magnuson at FUSE

Illinois-style campaign corruption in Washington?

by ErikJamesMagnuson

So its not as bad as Blago-gate, but it could have been.

The Governor of Illinois' appalling attempts to auction a Senate seat sets a new low for campaign fundraising corruption. Could it happen in Washington State? The sad truth is that it already is. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's justified the crime with a simple conclusion: "This Senate seat is worth a lot of money."

At the heart of the crime was his simple decision: "Screw the law." Not to mention a few other choice things he had to say about the president elect.

The Building Industry Association of Washington, with help from Republican Dino Rossi, made the same decision in disregarding campaign finance laws to raise and spend $7 million in their failed efforts to defeat the progressive candidate, Governor Christine Gregoire.

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Hey, let's be careful so that private interests aren't allowed to dominate public policy!

Even if the funding for a park doesn't currently exist, that is no reason to deny the eventual opportunity to build a park. I believe that a park on the Isthmus is feasible. Why? Well, most importantly, I think that the residents and future residents of Olympia need a park. Why do we need a park?

We need a park on the Isthmus because

The Nader Campaign is closing down on the $3 Million mark. This is impressive given the lack of media attention. In fact, the establishment mainstream corporate media has completely ignored - completely left out - the Nader campaign. It's a disservice to the American people.

 

But the $3M shows that regular Americans like you and me do care, and do want something different. Americans deserve a real choice on corporate and foreign policies...

Nader Gonzales '08

An update from the campaign website:

Only $10,000 from $3 Million Mark Posted by The Nader Team on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 06:06:00 PM

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www.votenader.org

description:

2008 Presidential Candidate, Ralph Nader explains the causes and solutions for the Economic meltdown. Interviewed by Bree Walker on the campus of the University of Southern California, Candidate Nader outlines the solutions to our current economic crisis.

The Plan, from the Institute for Policy Studies:

IPS Plan to Pay for Recovery

Talking Points by Sarah Anderson, Chuck Collins, Dedrick Muhammad, Sam Pizzigati. Published September 26, 2008 12:12PM

Where to Find $900 Billion from the Wall Street Speculators

Executive Summary

• Don’t finance the bailout with more debt
• Make Wall Street speculators pay now
• Raise $900 billion in new revenue
• Stimulate Main Street and the real economy

As Congress debates the particulars of the inevitable bailout, one key question has gone largely unexplored: Who will pay for this mess?

Lawmakers in Congress appear to have assumed that the federal government will simply borrow more money to foot the bill for the bailout. The national debt ceiling will rise to a whopping $11.3 trillion, up from $8 trillion a year ago.

But this rush to borrowing merely shifts the bailout burden onto the backs of future taxpayers. Congress needs to change course — and develop a “pay as we go” plan that makes Wall Street pay. The lion’s share of bailout funding should come from the high-finance gamblers and the wealthy CEOs who have so profited from our casino economy.

Funding the Bailout: Basic Principles

• Wall Street and speculators should pay now for the mess they created.
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Read More: IPS Plan to Pay for Recovery