Thom Hartmann - How do we stop the sociopathic CEOs from killing us?

[thomhartmann]

Run time: 08:13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-gPavgwG6c   Posted on YouTube: August 14, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: August 15, 2009 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 782

 
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[rollingrock]

1. How much is that per year?

something like 1/4 of 1% per year? How pitiful. It doesn't
even keep up with the inflation rate! What a farce.

[truedelphi]

2. Re: the betrayal - So I guess in 2012, when I gointo the voting booth

I will have to pull the lever for Obama who betrayed me and everyone else who believed in him in 2008, or vote for Palin, or vote for some third party person.

I am disgusted right now with yet again another lying through his teeth, and in-bed-with Corporate American President.

Obama, You have gotten yours, and we will get the crumbs. Thanks so much, Mr Change You Can Believe In.

[Why Syzygy]

3. k/r

What would our world look like if people heard the truth rather than death panel lies.

[Overseas]

4. I am glad this memo came to light. And speaking of sociopaths--

First of all, I'm glad this memo came to light and am aggravated to see the puny benefits we would get if such a deal went through. It is like the pitiful fines imposed on corporations compared to their massive profits when they abuse our environment or perpetrate other crimes.

But the memo also highlights the tremendous power the captains of the Medical Industrial Complex have.

Their conglomerates can pour hundreds of millions into right wing PR firms who can stir up "spontaneous demonstrations" among "grass roots organizations...that have been around for years" (just coincidentally silent during the major abuses of destructive Republican administrations). The squeaky clean guys in suits who lead those groups are super sociopaths-- blithely proud that they've been able to convince Medicare users to shout down government health care at town hall meetings.

Yes, we've had some high profile resignations from those organizations in the last day or two-- and corrections regarding which front group one reckless right wing PR machine now uses to perpetrate its "grass roots support" activities.

But the exposure of the astro-turf nature of the town hall shout downs is still too small. Limited to the token liberal TV shows and alternative media. The sound bytes that flash news through radio and TV are still talking about the shout-downs as though they were just spontaneous demos by angry citizens.

The right wing PR machines stoke the fear and hatred merely as an Ingenious Political Strategy to help Republicans defeat President Obama and bring back a more authoritarian, pro-corporate government and to protect the immense profits of the privatized healthcare industries. And the guiding lights behind those campaigns seemed pretty pleased with themselves when they appeared on TV. Hey yeah, they're just helping people express themselves.

We could have spent the August recess talking about the many ways in which our current system is SICKO. But instead, we're talking about everything but how very cruel our system has been to the millions of uninsured and under-insured.

We could have spent the month of August talking about how the Healthcare For Profit industries have failed miserably to prove their case since stomping out the last Democratic attempt to introduce national health insurance. We could have been discussing how they told us the private sector could do better and things have gone from bad to worse. They've had over ten years to prove their case and have failed miserably. We could have been talking about that.

But no-- we're spending August talking about angry frightened people who have been stirred up to storm the town halls against their own best interests. And the corporate news flashes are all about Americans who are opposed to reform.

And those smug right wingers running the campaigns are patting themselves on the back. Ignoring the side effects of their pro-corporate machinations-- the rise in hate groups and militias.