Mitchell’s laws:
●The more budgets are cut and taxes increased, the weaker an economy becomes.
●Austerity is the government’s method for widening the gap between rich and poor, which leads to civil disorder.
●Until the 99% understand the need for federal deficits, the upper 1% will rule.
●To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments.
●Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
==========================================================================================================================================

Recently, I attended a bar mitzvah, a coming-of-age ceremony for 13 year-old, Jewish boys. During the ceremony, the boy recounted good works he had done, as part of his bar mitzvah obligations. He had gone door-to-door collecting cans of food, to be given to the poor.

Little did this boy know he was helping to foster what Mitt Romney refers to as the “culture of dependency.” You see, according to the “religious” right, America was built by self-sufficient heroes, who neither needed, nor asked for, help from others.

“Under a culture of dependency, poverty becomes a trap, and recipients get stuck. Long-term welfare recipients lose work habits and job skills . . .” (Matthew Spalding, vice president of American Studies and director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.)

Apparently, those who are poor, deserve their poverty, because they are lazy. They’d rather receive government help, than find a job and work. That is why food stamps and other poverty aids should be cut.

And everyone knows the sick are responsible for their illnesses and for buying their own health insurance, which is why Medicare and Medicaid benefits should be cut and taxed. The elderly, too, are at fault. They should have saved for their future, which is why Social Security benefits should be cut. It’s all part of self-sufficiency.

Poverty is such a pleasant lifestyle, that when you give people help, they cannot resist staying poor. Consider unemployment compensation. The benefits are so generous, it’s no wonder recipients are reluctant to seek work.

For example, if you lose your $50,000 per year job in Illinois, your benefits will be $450 per month, up to a maximum total benefit of $11,700 – well worth lounging at home, wouldn’t you agree? That same job in Alabama will earn you $255 a week and a maximum total benefit of $6,630. Most people receive less, but isn’t that tempting?

Then there’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aka “food stamps.” In Illinois, your family of four can get a maximum of $668 a month depending on your other sources of income. (The more you earn, the less SNAP you get.) Who wouldn’t want that?

As Robert Samuelson disparaged in the 9/22/12 Chicago Tribune: “America has created a welfare state.” And as the “religious” right know, helping the unfortunate actually does them a disservice, because charity creates a drug-like addiction.

”Welfare is both a consequence and a cause of several conditions best described as social pathologies. These conditions include dependency, poverty, out-of-wedlock births, nonemployment, abortion, and violent crime.” William A. Niskanen, The Cato Journal

As you can see, federal charity actually causes dependency, causes poverty, causes out-of-wedlock births, causes nonemployment, causes abortion, and causes violent crime. Presumably, if we cut back on that welfare, there will be less dependency . . . etc.

The right wing knows this. They are the religious right. They read the bible.

*But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind – Luke 14:13
*Blessed is he that considerth the poor: Psalm 41:1, 2
*As for the rich in the present age, charge them not to be haughty . . . They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. – 1 Timothy 6:17, 18
*. . . we must help the weak. . . It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35
*But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1 John 3:17
*You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31

Hmmm . . . Perhaps, the “religious” right reads a different bible. Or is it more likely that their own greed, selfishness and contempt for human suffering has given them a convenient rationale for not helping the needy?

When Romney receives cheers for saying, “There are people . . . who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it,” to whom was he speaking?

What kind of people claim to be religious, yet despise those in need? Was America built on aid to those in need? Or was it built on so-called, “self sufficiency,” as the religious right wing claims? If so, no one told our letter carriers:

William Bland of Lebanon, KY, rescued a pregnant woman and child after they were involved in an auto accident. Bland waded into waist-deep river water to find the woman and her infant hanging upside down, barely above water, restrained by their seatbelts. When he couldn’t release the buckles, he ran to his vehicle, called 911, and returned with a letter opener to cut the seatbelts. Bland finally was able to get the woman and child out of the vehicle.

Walter Hayes of St. Louis, MO, saw a speeding driver strike a student who was crossing the street. Hayes immediately ran to the student’s aid, lying next to the child to keep the student warm and to help calm him.

Letter Carrier Melissa Kelley saved a customer from two attacking pit bulls. She chased them away using her satchel and dog spray. The man had been bitten on his arms and face and had his front teeth knocked out. Kelley stayed with him until paramedics arrived. Later, he thanked Kelley, calling her his “angel.”

Oakland, CA, Letter Carriers Alan Girard, Rick Quinonez, Gilbert Rangel, Tanya Joseph and Karen Hill bravely helped rescue 100 residents from an apartment fire.

The irony is, these postal workers gave of their own time and physical safety to rescue fellow Americans in need. But, federal support of the poor and lame, federal support of Social Security and Medicare, indeed all federal spending costs you no time, no effort and not one cent.

That’s right. The U.S. government is Monetarily Sovereign. While state and local governments, being monetarily non-sovereign, do rely on taxes to support spending, the federal government does not.

If FICA disappeared, this would have no effect on the federal government’s ability to pay Social Security and Medicare benefits. If all federal taxes fell to $0, the federal government still could continue to pay every bill, forever.

So here is the bottom line:

1. Federal “welfare” costs you nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

2. Federal “welfare” closes the gap between the richest and the poorest among us, which is why a candidate whose wealth is $250 million, sneers at the less fortunate, and resists helping them. He wants that gap widened.

3. There is no evidence a significant number of people would rather be on SNAP and unemployment, than have a decent, paying job. The “food-stamp mother,” who is too lazy to work, and has bunches of illegitimate kids in order to collect welfare, is an extreme rarity. Few people would relish that kind of life. It’s much more difficult than working.

4. Federal “welfare” payments stimulate the economy, benefitting every American, not just the poor. (GDP = Federal Spending + Non-federal Spending – Net Imports)

5. Those who begrudge the social benefits paid by the federal government, simply are mean-spirited, unpatriotic bastards, who don’t deserve to call themselves religious or American.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Monetary Sovereignty

====================================================================================================================================================

Nine Steps to Prosperity:
1. Eliminate FICA (Click here)
2. Medicare — parts A, B & D — for everyone
3. Send every American citizen an annual check for $5,000 or give every state $5,000 per capita (Click here)
4. Long-term nursing care for everyone
5. Free education (including post-grad) for everyone
6. Salary for attending school (Click here)
7. Eliminate corporate taxes
8. Increase the standard income tax deduction annually
9. Increase federal spending on the myriad initiatives that benefit America’s 99%

No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption – Net Imports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Mitchell’s laws:
●The more budgets are cut and taxes increased, the weaker an economy becomes.
●Austerity is the government’s method for widening the gap between rich and poor, which leads to civil disorder.
●Until the 99% understand the need for federal deficits, the upper 1% will rule.
●To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments.
●Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
==========================================================================================================================================

In May, 2012, we posted 13 of Mitt Romney’s numerous disagreements with himself, incorrectly calling them “flip-flops.” A “flip-flop” is a change of mind, and we all do that. Everyone should change his/her mind if presented with new, contrary facts (although sadly, most people don’t).

In Romney’s case however, these were not flip-flops – not changes of mind. They were phony statements of phony belief, trying to please his audience. And when he faced a different audience, he casually and unashamedly again told them not what he believed, but what they wanted to hear.

Lately, I’ve read the expression, “A man who will say anything, will do anything,” and that is the perfect description of Mitt Romney.

It is absolutely impossible to know what he believes or what he would do as president. Even loyal Republicans (I was one) surely must be concerned about voting for an invisible candidate – a man with no core beliefs – a man who will say anything and do anything.

(For most of my life I’ve voted Republican, but today, there are no Republicans and no Democrats, either. Today’s “Democrats” are the closest thing to Eisenhower/Reagan Republicans. What we now call “Tea/Republicans” are American fascists. So today, I’m stuck with the Democrats [formerly known as Republicans], rather than voting for fascists.)

You undoubtedly are familiar with this recent Romney speech:

There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47% who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That’s . . . an entitlement … And they will vote for this president no matter what … These are people who pay no income tax … My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

Here’s his latest speech on the same subject:

“The last several years you’ve seen greater and greater divisiveness in this country. We had hoped to come back together. But instead you’ve seen us pull apart. And politics has driven us apart in some respects. So my campaign is about the 100 percent of America. And I’m concerned about them. I’m concerned about the fact that over the last four years life has become harder for Americans.”

So a vote for Romney is a vote for what??? Is he the classic rich elitist who sneers at the “little people” made famous by another rich elitist, Leona Helmsley, who famously said, “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes.” Or is he the compassionate bleeding heart, who really is concerned about those “little” people?

Don’t answer. You don’t know.

Is he for or against raising the minimum wage? For or against stem cell research? For or against women’s right to choose? For or against health care mandates?

Don’t answer. You don’t know.

Is he for or against a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants? For or against the Bush tax cuts? For or against gun control? Does he own a gun – or not? Does he believe in global warming or not? For or against same-sex marriage? For or against fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Don’t answer. You don’t know. Mitt Romney has taken both sides of each of these issues.

Your vote in the Presidential election – in any election – is a statement about your beliefs. You vote for the candidate who most closely is in line with what you want done. What do you want the man in the White House to do about minimum wage, stem cell research, women’s right to chose, health care mandates, immigrants, tax cuts, gun control, global warming and same sex marriage?

If you vote for Barack Obama, you pretty much know where he stands on those issues. If you vote for Mitt Romney, you don’t have a clue – nor does he. This election is all about Obama. If you like what he stands for, vote for him. If not, vote for ???. Then pray.

The notion that a spoiled rich elitist – a weakling having neither backbone nor belief — could be handed the power levers of the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, is nauseating and frightening. How far have we fallen, that this is our best hope for the future?

What will this marshmallow do in an emergency? Will leaders of foreign nations respect anything he says? Will he make the tough decisions a President must make? Will he have the stomach to risk the decision to kill the next Osama bin Laden?

How will he strongly follow his heartfelt beliefs to face down Congress when necessary, if he has no heartfelt beliefs? How will he fight for America against strong-willed opponents, foreign and domestic, when all he wants to do is say what they want to hear?

Don’t answer. You don’t know.

A man who will say anything will do anything.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Monetary Sovereignty

====================================================================================================================================================

Nine Steps to Prosperity:
1. Eliminate FICA (Click here)
2. Medicare — parts A, B & D — for everyone
3. Send every American citizen an annual check for $5,000 or give every state $5,000 per capita (Click here)
4. Long-term nursing care for everyone
5. Free education (including post-grad) for everyone
6. Salary for attending school (Click here)
7. Eliminate corporate taxes
8. Increase the standard income tax deduction annually
9. Increase federal spending on the myriad initiatives that benefit America’s 99%

No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption – Net Imports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY

Mitchell’s laws:
●The more budgets are cut and taxes increased, the weaker an economy becomes.
●Austerity is the government’s method for widening the gap between rich and poor, which leads to civil disorder.
●Until the 99% understand the need for federal deficits, the upper 1% will rule.
●To survive long term, a monetarily non-sovereign government must have a positive balance of payments.
●Those, who do not understand the differences between Monetary Sovereignty and monetary non-sovereignty, do not understand economics.
==========================================================================================================================================

We have sent numerous messages to people involved with #Occupy Wall Street. Most recently, in June, we posted “Anyone heard from #Occupy lately? Does anyone care? It was our fifth post about #OWS, beginning last year, each of which begged #OWS to learn Monetary Sovereignty, and to focus on one issue.

The June post ended with:

The business and political leaders, against whom Occupy protests, have learned one thing: Do nothing. Occupy will protest and then they will be gone, and we can resume business as usual.

The public grows weary of ineffectual, random, aimless protests, and Occupy, which began with such great promise, becomes last week’s newspaper. A lost opportunity is a step backward, as people become discouraged and slide into lethargy.

Somewhere, in board rooms around the world, the 1% is laughing.

Having learned nothing in the past year, #OWS is at it again.

Chicago Tribune
Occupy Wall Street marks anniversary with smaller party
Chris Francescani and Jonathan Allen
Reuters, 6:04 p.m. CDT, September 17, 2012

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Occupy Wall Street celebrated its one-year anniversary on Monday with a day of demonstrations that resulted in nearly 150 arrests but failed to produce the turnout or fervor that first propelled the movement into the national conversation.

The demonstrations attracted roughly 1,000 activists, down sharply from last fall, highlighting the challenge the movement has faced in trying to sustain interest in protesting against what it calls an unfair economic system.

“A lot of media is saying that Occupy is dying down, but I think the fact that over 100 people were arrested this morning shows that Occupy is still part of the conversation,” said one protester, Caleb Maupin, 24, of Queens.

Pitiful. These children measure their success by the number of arrests. By that measure, neighborhood drug gangs are politically smarter.

“We’ve been locked out, people my age don’t have much chance of getting a job, so we have to do something to get people’s attention,” Maupin said.

Getting “people’s attention” is only step one, and it’s the easiest one. #OWS could get people’s attention by the simple expedient of parading a naked model down the middle of Wall Street. Then what?

Marching to the sounds of drums, trumpets and saxophones, the protesters showered the streets of lower Manhattan with chants of “All Day, All Week, Occupy Wall Street” and taunted police with donuts suspended at the end of fishing rods.

And what is the message, #OWS? Specifically, what do you suggest?

Occupy Wall Street protesters, who popularized the phrase “We are the 99 percent,” kicked off the demonstrations early Monday near Zuccotti Park, where a spontaneous encampment became their unofficial headquarters last year.

“What happened here a year ago was a process that cannot be stopped,” Pulitzer prize-winning author Chris Hedges said. “What happened here a year ago will ultimately spell the doom of the corporate state.”

Dream on, Mr. Hedges. Which politician’s vote have you affected? Which corporate CEO have you influenced? Exactly what has changed, due to #OWS’s efforts?

“It seems that Occupy Wall Street is losing momentum,” said Vincent Smorto, 63, a network engineer from Brooklyn who stopped briefly to watch the protests. “In the 60s when people were protesting the Vietnam war they knew exactly what they wanted. These folks do not seem exactly clear on what it is they want.”

And there it is. “These folks do not seem exactly clear on with it is they want.” That is the perfect description of #OWS.

Occupy Wall Street briefly buoyed a spirit of U.S. social activism, and drew attention to economic injustice. But as weeks and months passed, donations to the flagship New York chapter have slowed to a trickle, polls show public support waning and media attention dropping precipitously.

So much for “a process that cannot be stopped.” There never was a process, and whatever it was, it already has stopped.

Check out “Anyone heard from #Occupy lately? Does anyone care? to see what #OWS should do to make a difference — if you care.

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Monetary Sovereignty

====================================================================================================================================================

Nine Steps to Prosperity:
1. Eliminate FICA (Click here)
2. Medicare — parts A, B & D — for everyone
3. Send every American citizen an annual check for $5,000 or give every state $5,000 per capita (Click here)
4. Long-term nursing care for everyone
5. Free education (including post-grad) for everyone
6. Salary for attending school (Click here)
7. Eliminate corporate taxes
8. Increase the standard income tax deduction annually
9. Increase federal spending on the myriad initiatives that benefit America’s 99%

No nation can tax itself into prosperity, nor grow without money growth. Monetary Sovereignty: Cutting federal deficits to grow the economy is like applying leeches to cure anemia. Two key equations in economics:
Federal Deficits – Net Imports = Net Private Savings
Gross Domestic Product = Federal Spending + Private Investment and Consumption – Net Imports

#MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY