This Week on Ring of Fire!

In terms of what Mike said about the liberal groups that Air America went to for backing, (that would not support Air America because, in Mike’s words, “it was not their idea”), I find that fascinating, and this is but one reason I enjoy listening to Mike.

Is there something about liberals that can make them arrogant and annoying? Probably. I remember, before I started to care about politics, how disturbing it would be to hear anyone I deemed “political” talk about his chosen subject-matter.

It was a dry lecture, at best. I used to think: I KNOW the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, but I Don’t want to Really know.

The fact is, perhaps listeners And reporters of corruption can both get burnt out, whereas all those far right zealots are getting hyped up on the “jesus juice” of hot talk about salvation, the rapture, fighting god’s wars, and god knows what else!

I know, though, that analysis interests me, if it’s done with great skill and insight and fire. The interview that David Bender did w/Andrew Young – I keep coming back to it, because it was so interesting.

Andrew Young talked about how a person – John Edwards – get’s corrupted by power, and why this might happen.

For myself, I like to hear about the nature of this world, not just that it is corrupt, because I have always had this knowledge (we all must have), even though not the particular details of that corruption.

I don’t know if any of this makes sense, and for sure, I am writing too much.

Anyone who wants to jump in and say something, please do. I must go to bed.

Thanks, Colleen!

I daresay, we have the more difficult path than those hyped up “jesus juice” freaks (by that i mean the truly far right crazy nut jobs who froth at the mouth for war-jesus).

Just think: maybe we could join Mel Gibson’s chapel! (Not). Better to say here. Sure, the stuff we hear is scary. But tell me, is it Possibly any Scarier than seeing Glenn Beck write on one of his chalk boards????

The terror of the bottom falling out – it’s ever present. It might be an illness or accident your hellth insurance refuses to cover.

Or it might be predatory companies, such as the kind that Greg Palast talks about, here:

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/3/3/vultures

Palast talks about “Vultures” who buy up debt of countries like Libyria – most likely unethical debts enforced on a country through corruption, I thinking – anyway, these debts are bought up very cheaply by a company and then they try to collect as much money from the country as possible, to make obscene profits.

On a much smaller, yet individually, just as frightening level, it can happen.

I got a call from “NCO Financial” yesterday. It was a message they left – barely intelligible – about “collection” and to call back.

I tried, 3 times. The number is not in service.

Apparently, this company can harrass people and ruin credit scores, by buying up very old debt for pennies on the dollar and then trying to extort a huge amount from the person…..victim…..mark.

As far as I know, I owe NO debt, and I just read on the internet that NCO Financial often lies about what people owe, or they might be looking at a debt of a relative or neighbor.

It’s bogus, but it’s scary, and the government allows sh*t like this to go on all the time.

On the other hand, the internet is powerful (which is why I could find out about the highly dubious practices of NCO Financial).

So, a show such as RoF is also powerful for people – it brings greater knowledge.

I get upset at the idea that we can’t fight any of this, though. Like, just an average person who is worn down from fear, worry and life (moi) – to fight NCO Financial, if they keep harrassing me – could I do it?

That’s why it’s so hard, in these predatory, financially obscene and frightening times to give money, even to worthy causes, but that’s why it’s more important than ever.

Ralph Nader says we need really rich people to change things, and he’s probably right, but on the other hand, we need to be informed, and the government has to be worried about the fact that we are getting informed.

I go back and forth on this. Does information help, if a populace is already so beaten down and scared?

On the ohter hand, w/o information, the “deafening silence” Mike and David referred to will only make our situations more precarious, overall.

Supporting RoF is, probably, a form of insurance against overall corruption that then trickles down into industries like NCO Finanical, who just want to rape people who are already struggling, the lying bastards.

Hour 3 3/6/2010 show. I’m glad Mike talked to Matt Taibbi about how the American people keep getting ripped off. I have a little better understanding about the 7 ways banks are jobbing the system at the tax payers expense. The basis of their money making schemes feature 2 mechanisms–collusion with the Secretary of the Treasury and inside trading because these Wall Street execs sit on the board of the SEC. They know how to job the system with information directly from the government. Just like they wouldn’t listen to Harry Markopolos about Madoff. Harry knew there were crimes being committed but the government agency didn’t want to hear it. See Harry’s interview from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart here at this link:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/

Insider trading–people used to get put in jail for that. Not anymore I guess. Involved in one of the 7 steps was flooding the economy with 1.7 trillion dollars that was just printed to give to Wall Street and in the process further devalue the dollar.