From: earthactionnetwork@earthlink.net
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011083208/shock-doctrine-fight-back
Shock Doctrine Fight-Back
By Robert Borosage
August 8, 2011
Global economic turmoil is getting worse. Europe’s financial crisis now imperils
Conservative and corporate elites are stoking the turmoil, and using fear to panic a public into accepting harsh measures that would be otherwise unacceptable. The stock market tanks after the debt ceiling debacle. Standard & Poor's, the discredited and corrupted rating agency, rushes to downgrade
One theme emerges; the Gang of 12 – the Super Committee created in the debt ceiling deal – is portrayed as our last hope. It is charged with identifying $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years by some combination of cuts from Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and increased tax revenues. Only if it acts responsibly, we’re told, and the Congress passes its measures under expedited procedures with no amendments, limited debate, and no filibuster, do we have a chance.
Pressure builds on the congressional leaders to pick responsible legislators to the committee, like the previous Gang of Six in the Senate, who will combine cuts in Social Security and Medicare with increased revenues. Republican leaders pledge to appoint members who will oppose any increase in taxes on the rich or the great corporations. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security – the core promises we make to the elderly, the disabled, the dying – in our society are at risk.. In an era of Gilded Age extremes of inequality, the largest and most effective anti-poverty programs are targeted for deep cuts.
Ignore the hysteria. Fight back against the shock doctrine. All of this is utterly wrong-headed.
In the long term, the scary deficit projections are almost completely due to our broken health care system. Make reforms that move us closer to the norm of industrial countries in health care costs and we have no long-term debt problem. That requires taking on drug companies, private insurance companies, hospital complexes, the inane way we let powerful interests rig the rules for their profit. We’ve got to get the costs under control, not push the rising costs onto the most vulnerable.
In the short term, we need a strategy for reviving the economy so that it works for working people. That requires a serious strategy for making things in
Fight Back
The elite roll-out is clear. The gang of 12 produces a “deal,” combining a hike in eligibility age for Medicare, a cut in Social Security by reducing the inflation adjustment, caps on Medicaid and increased revenues from LOWERING rates on the corporations and the rich, while limiting deductions that reach middle-class families – on mortgages, employer based health care or retirement plans. They may well throw in the current scam – funding the infrastructure bank with proceeds from allowing multinationals who have secreted a trillion on profits offshore to bring the money back at a cut-rate 5 percent.
Yes, the panic will be used to cut the basic promises made to working families in order to pay for the deficits caused by the excesses of Wall Street.
Don’t fall for it. Fight back. On August 9, Republican state senators in
Legislators across the country will face constituents saying, “We are all
The right and their corporate sponsors want to use the lousy economy to strike – to roll back the already inadequate supports that exist for working families. They are even aiming at Social Security, which is in surplus and contributes nothing to the deficit. Don’t let them destroy the American dream. Join the movement that will lead the fight back.
The Take Back the American Dream conference will be the climax of a series of actions designed to push back against the right-wing "shock doctrine" steamroller. Learn more and register at ourfuture.org/takeback.
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From: pdla-bounces@svpal.org on behalf of dorothyreik@pdsmm.org
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 6:19 AM
To: pdla@svpal.org
Subject: [PDLA]
Importance: High
Attachments: ATT04020.txt; _Certification_.htm
Join us at the corner of San Vicente and Wilshire from 1-4PM to protest the private land grab of veteran's land in Westwood. The Westwood VA property is now used by private companies. We don't know what the leases are or who gets the money. We do know that the VA spent ONE MILLION DOLLARS for the wrought iron fence that keeps veterans OUT!!! This is the first of an escalating set of demonsrations aimed at getting this property back for the veterans. It was deeded to them in 1888!!!
Dorothy Reik
PDSMM
310-291-1300 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 310-291-1300 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
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