Monday, March 20, 2017

Richard D. Wolff - What are Capitalism & Socialism? What differentiates ...



The viewpoint of the U.S. major Marxist economist. 

Resistance to Tyranny


On Tyranny : Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Timothy Snyder.  2017.


How do we resist the rise of tyranny ? the rise of  fascism ?1.     Do Not Obey in Advance.2.     Defend institutions.
For more, read the book.


Saturday, March 11, 2017

Wealthy Would Get Billions in Tax Cuts Under Obamacare Repeal Plan - The New York Times

Wealthy Would Get Billions in Tax Cuts Under Obamacare Repeal Plan - The New York Times

Republican health care


Congressional Republicans introduced Trumpcare, their plan to gut the Affordable Care Act and begin destroying Medicare and Medicaid less than a week ago. And the more we learn, the worse it gets.

One of the major advantages of the Affordable Care Act is that it addresses income and wealthy inequality by taxing the rich to provide health insurance to tens of millions of low- and middle-income individuals―seniors, people with disabilities, and the poor (including older adults who are not yet Medicare eligible).

Trumpcare is part of a war on seniors which threatens the health care of tens of millions of people through $370 billion in cuts to Medicaid and severely weakening Medicare―robbing the trust fund of $346 billion.

Email your Representative now and tell them to reject Trumpcare―anti-healthcare legislation that steals health insurance from seniors, people with disabilities and working families in order to give a massive tax break to the wealthy.

Donald Trump has promised to take on the drug companies and protect Medicare. But Trumpcare breaks both of those promises.

As part of the $465 billion in tax breaks for the wealthy and health care companies, Trumpcare gives the pharmaceutical industry a $25 billion handout.

Instead of protecting Medicare for current and future generations, Trumpcare cuts the Medicare trust fund by $346 billion.

Trumpcare is nothing more than a huge tax cut for the wealthy on the backs of seniors, people with disabilities and low- and middle-income families.

Write your member of Congress today and tell them to reject Trumpcare.

Approximately 70 percent of Americans ages 65 and older will need long-term care at some point during their life. Long-term care is not covered by Medicare; it’s covered by Medicaid. Trumpcare’s $370 billion in cuts to Medicaid will negatively impact the 10 million seniors who currently qualify for joint Medicare and Medicaid coverage by forcing them and their families to pay out of pocket for the unaffordable costs of long-term care.

Together we must protect the healthcare and the economic security of millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and low- and middle-income families.

Thank you for all that you do.

Michael Phelan
Social Security Works

Friday, March 10, 2017

Current Employment Rate


















BTW. Current employment rates at present are the results of economic policies of the Obama Administration.  The rates do not yet reflect the efforts of the Trump Administration. 

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Republican Plan for Healthcare

The secret healthcare bill is out. Monday night, House Republicans finally released their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and now it’s being rushed through committee, after being kept under lock and key with the details and cost hidden from members of Congress and the public. 
What’s the rush? 
The lack of hearings, cost estimates and sufficient time to review the language would be problematic in any situation. But a bill that takes away healthcare from Americans in order to give tax breaks to the wealthy should not be pushed ahead without thorough review and informed debate. 
With Republican control of both chambers of Congress, with Donald Trump in the White House and Tom Price as health and human services secretary, this bill could actually become law.
The consequences would be disastrous, and Americans know it. Of course the ACA had its problems and needed to be fixed, but this plan does none of that. It rips healthcare away from Americans to give huge tax breaks to the wealthy, which is about as cruel as it gets. This isn’t a healthcare plan—it’s a massive giveaway to insurance companies and those at the top, while it hits America’s families with a triple whammy of less coverage, higher costs and more taxes. This bill will potentially leave millions without coverage. Not only that, some want to radically restructure Medicare and Medicaid while they’re at it.
Our voices are making a difference. Throughout the country, people are calling and writing their elected officials, and showing up at congressional offices and town hall meetings to share their personal stories about how the ACA gave them or a loved one access to affordable health insurance, many for the very first time.