( Tweet ) Ed Markey @EdMarkey: Here's a fact you won't hear on Fox News today.

[BeckyDem]

Link to tweet

( For some there is never enough money, no matter who gets hurt in the process. )

[empedocles]

1. Stock buybacks by big oil/big execs, increase value of their stock options, - which

are usually part of their compensation packages/perks.

[BeckyDem]

2. Yep, because they don't already have enough wealth....the poor dears.

We should call them by their correct names, oligarchs.

[oldsoftie]

53. And they're not paying bonuses for production levels anymore

So no extra incentive to increase production

[PatSeg]

3. Consumers keep blaming the wrong people

[BeckyDem]

8. Exactly.

[certainot]

21. that's because we let 1500 radio stations blast the country with fossil bullshit all day

[FoxNewsSucks]

38. That's because Fox isn't the only place this will be ignored

None of the corporate media ever explain any of that. They would lose millions in ad money, so they all ignore the truth.

[PatSeg]

42. Sadly, this true

[RVN VET71]

57. Consumers are told to blame the wrong people

The major media must keep consumers looking away from Big Oil (the owners) and towards Biden and the Democrats. It is, as they say, a feature not a bug, seen by the Big Media moguls as an obvious requirement of their mission to “properly” (as opposed to honestly) inform the public.

[PatSeg]

58. Yes, that's true

News is no longer a service. It is sponsored entertainment.

[Midnight Writer]

4. You will hear it on CNBC. They are giddy with excitement and have oil execs on bragging.

Capitalism without restrictions is simply big fish eating little fish.

[BeckyDem]

6. I have no doubt they're well received on most msm.

[BradAllison]

46. Seriously, I never watch.

I was a bit curious today and the on air "OHHHHHH WELL!!!!" excuses were flying.

[multigraincracker]

5. Tax all Buy Backs

at 50%. They only serve the CEOs and board.

[BeckyDem]

9. +1.

[liberalla]

14. I like that idea...

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. Yes please

It's the only thing that makes any sense, especially since the corporate income tax rate has been cut by almost 50%.

[crickets]

27. That's a fantastic idea. nt

[calimary]

34. Hmmmm ... sounds like a good "ask" for my Indivisible group's next Call to Action email...

Gotta make a note.

[dchill]

7. As ever.

[KS Toronado]

10. Who's telling the truth here?

Some would have us believe oil companies lost money last year on account of the pandemic.

[niyad]

11. well, they only made 48 billion instead of their expected 75 billion. Clearly,

they lost money!

[KS Toronado]

15. LOL, yea that explains it

They'll have to sell their $500,000,000 yachts and move to the poor house

[SergeStorms]

43. I think they own the poor houses....

as well, don't they?

They had to delay buying their new private jets for a year. Do you know how that effects the economy? 🤑

[KS Toronado]

44. Probably, Yea, I do

Stock market goes down and the "poor" bastards buy up more stock.

[Achilleaze]

12. k & r

Republican corporations sticking it to the American people

[jalan48]

13. These are the folks who actually rule the country. All our feel good, cheer leading is just a

diversion from reality intended to make us feel good.

[wnylib]

22. For now, maybe. Does not have to remain that way.

[jalan48]

23. Changing the tokens on a monopoly board does nothing to change the rules of the game.

It just gives the player the opportunity to choose a token it likes or identifies with on a superficial level.

[wnylib]

26. Oh my. So hopeless, then. Why do

we continue living? Posting on boards? Discussing anything, let alone politics? Is that the view you want to spread?

[jalan48]

28. Who said it's hopeless? It's about acknowledging our current economic system (monopolies and

obscene income inequality) and changing it.What we have today is debate about token changing.

[wnylib]

29. Um, I am pretty sure that I

said it doesn't need to be that way and can be changed.

[jalan48]

30. Who made it about hopelessness?

[wnylib]

32. Your #23 sounded hopeless.

Unless you were suggesting a revolutionary kind of change.

[jalan48]

33. Not at all. If we can't acknowledge our current system and recognize who really has the power

to influence our government how can we make changes? As I said, focusing on changing tokens does nothing to address the underlying problems in our economic system. The wealthiest individuals and most powerful corporations (think fossil fuel industry) call the shots today.

[XacerbatedDem]

35. I kinda understand his sense of hopelessness.

The only change I've seen in awhile is the 36 cents I have in my pocket.

That doesn't mean change isn't possible, but I don't see it happening for a long, long time. Wish things were different, but...

IAATB

[FoxNewsSucks]

40. The reason I sometimes feel a sense of hopelessness

is that in addition to the valid points made above, THEIR side is actively working as hard as possible to make sure we never get the change we need.

Our side seems to have too many pollyannas and scolds, thinking everything will "just come out right" and chiding anyone sounding an alarm.

[XacerbatedDem]

48. Valid point. So, what do you propose?

Last edited Mon Mar 7, 2022, 07:51 PM - Edit history (3)

I heard someone say on TV the other day that we should throw out the Constitution and start over from scratch. It is rather old and in need of an update involving all the peoples of this nation, rather than those who were in power at the time, and taking into consideration all the changes that have developed over the course of the last 200+ years. Now there's real change.

What do you think?

I found an article from 2018 that advances this idea:

https://theweek.com/articles/750816/americas-constitution-terrible-lets-throw-start-over

May try to post it myself, later, just to see what people think, though the idea is rather radical.

[wnylib]

56. Some of those suggestions sound

good, others not so much. The author of the article doesn't seem to know that it would not take an amendment or a new constitution to eliminate the Senate filibuster. It's just a Senate rule, not in the Constitution.

The Constitution does need updating, if not restructuring. Trump has shown us it's vulnerabilities. I'd like to see the Electoral College abolished, along with some solution for ending gerrymandering, among other changes.

How would such changes be made? A convention of delegates would be necessary, it seems, apart from Congress, but wouldn't Congress have to first approve that a delegate convention be held for that purpose, in order to make it legitimately accepted by the country and all of the states? How would delegates be chosen? At least one from each state?

I am for some much needed changes, but also very wary of what a convention would come up with in today's political climate.

The idea of a new Constitution has come up before. I remember hearing about it in the 1960s and again in the 1980s.

[wnylib]

55. I wouldn't chide anyone sounding the alarm

because I also feel the necessity for change and realize how difficult it is. More often, I am the one who is accused of being alarmist. My concern is that being too discouraged over the ability to make changes can sound defeatist, like why bother.

[fightforfreedom]

16. It's very depressing, sad, most Americans don't understand this. Never have, never will.

Trump voters will blame Biden, the Democrats for everything, high gas prices, inflation, etc. They will call the Democrats a great evil that must be destroyed. As they do this the rich and powerful of America will continue to fuck them over.

Throughout Mankinds history it has been the rich and powerful who have started wars, destroyed the lives of millions of people to satisfy their insatiable appetite for money and power.

The human race has learned nothing, they keep on making the same mistakes over and over again. They still continue to swallow propaganda like a pig at a trough. They keep on fighting for rich peoples money and power.

[wnylib]

25. Trump voters might be appealed to

change their support by using the psychology that works best on them.

They like to believe that someone is the enemy for all their woes in life. They like to feel like they have "inside facts" on "what is really going on.

So tell them the truth, but couch it on words that appeal to them, about how oil companies and rich elites are ripping them off, taking fact cuts for themselves while claiming to be "helping" the common citizen.

You can't change their paranoia, so just redirect it. And do it truthfully.

[Biophilic]

17. I am so not surprised. They are greedy SOBs who honestly don't care about other humans,

only the dollar amounts at the end of each quarter. I hate the maggots but they are idiots who can't really blame for being stupid, well ok, I still blame them. The oil execs, board members and others worrying about profits over people are not stupid, they are evil.

[Samrob]

18. Actually, American oligarchs are among the worst in the world for their greed and gasligting. nt

[SWBTATTReg]

19. All big companies have been doing this, with the 2017 tRump tax cut and supposedly JOBS

bill. A give-away to the wealthy already and putting the federal deficit even deeper in hock.

[infullview]

24. It's not the oil companies directly that are responsible for the high prices.

They are just piggy backing on Wall Street who are the real thieves here. They set the per barrel prices through the commodities exchange and big oil is reaping the rewards along with these rich 1% assholes. Nothing that is essential for life should be traded on a volatile exchange.

[lambchopp59]

31. Sickened by the "blame Biden" whining I hear at work

Gives me the opportunity, however to point out that no one pointed a gun at their heads to buy a bigger SUV.

[calimary]

36. Use the "patriotism" weapon.

They throw it at us all the time.

HERE, NOW, we get to return the favor!

We need to be RUTHLESS, and show ‘em NO MERCY.

NONE.

This is WAR now. The gloves are OFF. Pick a side, Big Oil. And do it RIGHT NOW. Who’s yer daddy?

[onecaliberal]

37. Won't hear it on any news Chanel in Russica.

[Scrivener7]

39. I never doubted it for a second.

[FoxNewsSucks]

41. As if that isn't bad enough,

our federal government STILL gives the oil companies billions in annual welfare. And they pay little or no income tax.

[3825-87867]

45. Time for a 1971 Wage-Price Freeze

Just to throw a scare into them.

[Martin68]

47. Business as usual. Capitalism at its finest.

[Maraya1969]

49. I told the finance guy that I didn't want to own stock in anything that was hurtful to the

environment or people or animals. He was like "Sure" It didn't sound like it was a novel idea but something people do.

[SunSeeker]

50. There are 9,000 approved drilling permits that are not being used.

If they wanted to drill more, they could. What they are pushing for is the right to drill in sensitive public lands that are protected right now. They want to sit on even more unused drilling permits. Those permits are an asset that enriches them even when it results in no oil being drilled.

[BeckyDem]

52. +1.

[OxQQme]

51. I know many here dis-like Elon Musk ...

but damn! He's at war with big oil.
World wide!

In less than two years from swamp land, Tesla's begun pumping out electric cars -->

[NNadir]

54. Bullshit. Most of the electricity in this country is produced by burning coal and/or natural gas.

An electric car is a device that wastes energy.

Musk is a smarmy asshole who cares not a wit for humanity.