No war but the Class War

 Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

Unprecedented cowardice in the face of a buffoon

Lemme just say if President Bernie Sanders had unilaterally imposed, by executive fiat, hundreds of billions of new taxes, personally browbeat executives about job cuts and investments and then fired the head of BLS, the Chamber of Commerce and the business orgs would not be sitting idly by.

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— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes.bsky.social) August 1, 2025 at 5:07 PM

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

 

Elections matter

And keep feeding your family...

 Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer this week vetoed republican efforts to end the $300 supplement the federal government has been adding to our unemployment benefits...just as news broke that the red states who have ended the extra benefits have done nothing other than to deprive their economies of the extra dollars that could have been spent by its citizens had they left well enough alone.  And that's what they deserve for trying to score political points instead of looking out for the best interests of their states and their citizens.

And this is just another in a long line of reasons why elections matter--instead of being at the beck and call of corporations that won't pay their employees a living wage or the notoriously worker unfriendly Chamber of Commerce like republican leaders, Democrats are out there making sure that the people on whose backs this country is carried are getting enough to feed their families until they can find decent paying jobs in industries they've spent their lives preparing for.

There very well might be forty percent of this country who are happy to screw themselves financially to own the libs, but the other sixty percent are firmly in the Screw That Bullshit Camp.

And those are the voters we need to be reaching out to in the 2022 elections and beyond.

Taxing the Wealthy Is Good Politics for the Democratic Party

Peace,

emaycee

What we have here, is failure...

That's what Chapter 11 is for

 MSNBC host (and successful financial industry businesswoman) Stephanie Ruhle took time out this week to call out those businesses who claim they can't afford to pay their employees more than minimum wage, saying that if a business can't afford to pay its workers a living wage its business model is a failure and either the model needs to change or the business needs to cease operations.

Ruhle is correct--for far too long the republican party has subsidized poorly run companies by refusing to raise the minimum wage to a level that is commensurate with the expenses of the times in which we live.  If $7.25 an hour is all your company can afford to pay its workers, your leadership team is incompetent at creating sales and/or profits and should quickly find itself collecting unemployment benefits.

That's the way it works for the rest of us--if we can't do the job, we lose the job.  And the same should hold for Fortune 500 companies as well as Bob's Bar and Grill just down the street--if they're too lazy or incompetent to make enough money to pay their employees well, they should do what other lazy and incompetent workers do:  do without.

You Have a Choice:  Pass a Voting Rights Bill, or Welcome Fascism to America

Peace,

emaycee

Please proceed

Seems the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue, last week criticized Elizabeth Warren, saying her ideas did not strike a chord with mainstream America and that the best economic populism was the American free enterprise system.

Ha, ha...hee, hee, hee...guffaw, guffaw, guffaw.

Actually, I like this tack, because I really like our chances in a battle between Warren, who stands up for working class Americans (roughly 90% of us) and Donohue, who basically blows overpaid CEOs and Corporate America for a living.

We don't much care for Richie Rich telling us how great he is, and we like it even less when his butler does it.

Peace,
emaycee

There will be blood

For those of you believing some kind of Gandhiesque movement is coming to change the profligate power of corporations in America and return some sort of normalcy to the lives of America's working class, I offer you the following:

• AT &T this week threatened the internet service of millions of Americans if they didn't get their way in the upcoming decision by the FCC on net neutrality.  I would call their bullying Mafia-like, but that would be unfair to the Mafia--the Mafia doesn't run commercials ad nauseum on TV proclaiming how much their customers matter to them.
• Binding arbitration is right up there with net neutrality as being an issue most Americans don't know or understand but really should--as evidenced by this case in Arkansas where a nursing home in all likelihood killed a man and his family can't sue, because unbeknownst to them, they signed away their right to sue for wrongful death and turned it over to an arbitration panel.  Which is really a rigged game, since the arbitration panel is usually paid for by the company and is free to completely ignore any and all American law and make decisions based on any reasoning they desire.  Unsurprisingly, this  anti-consumer tactic has been upheld again and again by the Roberts Court, which is the best court the Chamber of Commerce can buy.

I know most people prefer the path of least resistance, but anybody who thinks any kind of significant change to the current economic abyss is coming without a whole lot of (preferrably wealthy people's) blood being shed is absolutely kidding themselves.

Peace,
emaycee

Grass roots

In my community, every two years we elect members to our local school board.  While I consider myself to be considerably informed on most of the other contested electoral races, to be honest I never have the slightest idea who to vote for in these elections.  So I usually vote for the women candidates because, well, women are smarter than men, and especially when it comes to kids.

So I was thrilled this past Friday when our son brought home a newsletter from school that highlighted the five candidates who would be running for the three open spots (six year terms) on our school board, and what they stood for.  This year I'd know who to vote for for these three spots.

Until I actually started reading the synopses of the candidates.

Of the five candidates, four of them were members of the Chamber of Commerce.  Anyone out there gullible enough to believe the Chamber of Commerce gives two shits about our kids?

So if you're wondering why our schools are underfunded, why our classrooms are getting larger, why charter schools and for profit schools are getting a larger and larger share of the pie (for failing miserably) that should be going to your kids, you might just take a good look at the folks who are running for your local school boards.

Because they're being put in there by the likes of the Chamber of Commerce who, in a nutshell, is probably only second to the republican party in its disdain for the needs of America's working class.

Peace,
emaycee

Suckitude

Labor Secretary Tom Perez noted last week that when it comes to the minimum wage, "we suck."

And when an American worker can work forty hours a week and still live below the poverty level, in a way, yes we do.

But a more truthful statement when it comes to the minimum wage would be "republicans suck."

Because it's not the rest of America's fault that republicans are more content to suck up to the chamber of commerce and big business rather than see that the kids of our workers have food in their bellies.

Peace,
emaycee

Lions and tigers and perverts, oh my

This is a radio ad, for conservative Michigan State Supreme Court justices Brian Zahra and David Viviano, that Michiganders are being subjected to in the final weeks of the campaign:

“Judges can’t stop sexual predators before they strike. But they can make sure those that get caught pay a heavy price. That’s why Supreme Court Justices Brian Zahra and David Viviano have upheld convictions for sexually abusive criminals. And Viviano and Zahra have made it illegal for sexual predators to use computers to help them commit sexual abuse. Justices Brian Zahra and David Viviano have consistently prioritized the rights of crime victims by upholding tough sentences for violent offenders and sexual abusers. Viviano and Zahra use common sense on Michigan’s Supreme Court. They are rule-of-law judges that apply the law to the facts. They are not influenced by special interests. Supreme Court Justices Brian Zahra and David Viviano use common sense and protect our children and families."

Leaving aside the fact that our State Supreme Court Justices have absolutely nothing to do with the legislation concerning, or the prosecutions of, sexual predators, you're left with the rather repugnant sentiment that somehow Liberal Justices are going to usher in the era of sexual predators in the state of Michigan if Zahra and Viviano aren't elected.

Michiganders aren't that stupid, are they?  Maybe--I know the chamber of commerce and insurance companies sure hope they are.  The republican led Michigan State Supreme Court rivals the Roberts Court when it comes to looking out for Corporate America's bottom line over the needs of working class Americans.

No special interests here...

And the ads they pay for are the equivalent of pointing at the exit and yelling "Stop thief!" in a crowded department store and when everybody looks pocketing the money from the cash register.

Peace,
emaycee

The Chamber of...Horrors

Well here's something we never could have seen coming--seems the Chamber of Commerce, that organization that bends over backward to fuck the working class (but still gets a seat at the traditional media table), is seven for seven so far this year in cases it backed before the Supreme Court.  Since the makeup of the Court is reliably conservative on economic issues one can't be surprised that the Chamber keeps pushing its anti-America agenda through the courts (a 68% success rate under the Roberts court).  The Supreme Court--the best justice money can buy.

It's hard not to laugh when the traditional media throws in the monetary influence of labor unions when decrying the problem of too much money in our politics, especially when they're being outspent by corporate friendly groups by 15-1.  So not only can they fuck us at work, they can fuck us politically by buying politicans and judges who enshrine that fucking into law.

It's hard not to be cynical about the Obama administration, but one of the most important aspects of this year's election is that, for all its faults, Obama's presidency continuing beyond 2012 is the only thing between those of us who work for a living and those of us who who leech off the labor of others to get wealthy looking at a 6-3 or even 7-2 conservative majority on the court.

What kind of a chance do you suppose those of us who work for a living stand with those numbers?

Peace,
emaycee

If I could pay you less I would

It never ceases to amaze me how little regard for the poor and middle class the republican party has, and how they can continue to get even a single vote from anyone in those blocs.  I suppose it's like P. T. Barnum said about a sucker being born every minute.  The republicans are good at exploiting those suckers for their own gain.

The Detroit News has chastized Willard Romney for saying he supports indexing the minimum wage to the rate of inflation.  Taking a cue from its benefactor, the chamber of (ill-gotten) commerce, the News trots out falsehood after falsehood--how it hurts teens, costs jobs, raises prices.  All of their assertions are demonstrably false--the people working for minimum wage are largely adults, disproportionately women.  It neither raises prices nor costs jobs.  It does lessen poverty.  The News editorial staff is either woefully ignorant  or outright lying (and probably beholden to the 1%).

In the end, it's this simple:  republicans think making $7.25 an hour--fucking $7.25 an hour for Christ's sake--is too much money.  They think we would be a better country if most of us were paid less.  Think about it:  in a country where consumer spending is 2/3 of our economy, they think we should have less money to spend.  Who does this benefit except the 1%?  Fucking who?

This is republican class warfare.

To which I have but one response.

Fuck you.

Peace,
emaycee

You better run, better run

So the chamber of commerce--you know, that organization whose sole purpose is to make life economically, spiritually, and healthfully worse for 99% of Americans--has decided that it will increase its presence signficantly ($$$$$$) in the Elizabeth Warren vs. Scott Brown Senate race this year in Massachusetts.

This is a fight they do not want.

Elizabeth Warren is to Liberals what Sarah Palin is to christian conservatives times 100.  She not only walks the walk, but she talks the talk.  This is a woman who sincerely cares about the 99%, is willing to fight for them, and may be the only politician other than Bernie Sanders who isn't afraid to tell corporate America to go fuck itself.  I can't think of a Liberal politician in my fifty some odd years on this planet who draws the kind of reverence that Warren does.

If Warren loses this November of her own accord a la Martha Coakley in 2010, we can live with it.  If she loses because the chamber of commerce and various other groups supporting the 1% spend a small fortune to spread distortions about her and her record--well, let's just say that the fury of hell will be as a daisy in the gentle summer breeze compared to the anger coming from Liberals over her loss.  I could literally see hundreds of Elizabeth Warrens coming out of the woodwork in every state, city, county, municipality, township...and getting the grass roots support they need to lead them to victory.  Anger is infinite; the cash in the chamber's pocketbooks is not (though pretty close to it).

A Warren victory will surely inspire more candidates like her to enter politics.  Making a martyr of her will only slow the process for a short while.

Peace,
emaycee

No, really--Hitler says 'Jews are the salt of the earth'

As one might expect from a newspaper that once killed a union (so much for it being a liberal rag--if memory serves, liberals support unions), the Free Press is having an orgasm over the coming destruction of the labor union movement at the hands of the new gop majority.

But this, well this is just a bit much: "The U. S. Chamber of Commerce released exit poll data showing just more than half the electorate believes it will hurt the economy if unions have more say in how business operates."

What the fuck? I mean--superlatively--what the fuck? How in the world can any knowledgeable reporter take this poll seriously? The fucking chamber of commerce? The one that's the most anti-worker, pro-corporate, pro-wall street organization in the world? As someone who, you know, actually has a brain, the first thing I thought upon reading this was, "How come the chamber of commerce didn't ask people as they left the polls if they thought their wages would be hurt by unions having more say in how business operates? Or their benefit levels?" It's no surprise people don't support unions when they're given polling data that's dubious at best, and a lie at worst by an organization that actively seeks to see that they get paid as little as possible and have as few benefits as possible, lest the CEOs might make a few dollars less.

For the record, I actually believe the chamber's poll results. I also believe that the end of the world is near, and it will come at the hands of an obese, balding, forty-three year old Texan who will destroy the earth by blowing mountains of flame out of his ass....

Peace,
emaycee

The War on the Poor and the Middle Class

Forget about all those on the right who piss and moan about a possible class war--it's already here and we in the middle class and our brothers and sisters who make up the poor are losing. Badly.

There really isn't much to this piece by Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute concerning the "overpaid" middle class workers that I can refute better than Meteor Blades already has. He doesn't propose cutting his pay, he doesn't propose cutting CEO pay, he fails to mention how many have already taken pay cuts or a loss in hours worked (same thing). I'm certainly not an expert in economics, but deflation and people spending even less money seems like a no-brainer. I have no idea if this line of thought--that more people can be employed if we peons would only take pay cuts from our "fat paychecks"--can gain any traction, but considering that fully one-third of Americans are stupid enough to vote for republicans despite it not being (and never will be) in their best economic or moral interest, is enough to scare me. That, and thanks to Citizen's United, an organization like the Chamber of Commerce (which, as impossible as it may seem, has even less concern for the working men and women of America than republicans) is able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to spread such bullshit.

One odd point that I thought Blades missed: the American Enterprise Institute (which would scream "socialism" if Democrats farted) is really pushing forth a rock solid socialist principle, don't you think? Spread the wealth, so to speak? I guess socialism is okay for the poor and the middle class, as long as the wealthy get theirs.

Oh, one other thing--I'm not quite as polite as Meteor Blades. My first thought--and strongest thought--to Mr. Hassett's contention that unemployment is my fault thanks to my fat paycheck was fuck you, next idiot please!

Peace,
emaycee

You Got to Dance with Them What Brung You

Oh, Molly, Molly, will I be the one...

I had a few other things I wanted to post about, but sometimes something so pitiful comes along that you really can't ignore it. This is absolutely pitiful--a White House aide celebrating that labor spent $10 million on a candidate (Bill Halter) who lost to a candidate (Blanche Lincoln) who has no chance of winning the election in November. Um, whose side are these guys on? If we didn't know before, we certainly know now. (Those shots of Lincoln saying her vote isn't for sale--really, Blanche? I wonder what the Chamber of Commerce thinks about that?--were enough to make one vomit).

I really can't add much more to what Mr. Lewison wrote (or Digby) but I can honestly say that whatever hope I had for the Obama administration is gone. They have failed us on jobs, failed us on healthcare, failed us on Wall Street reform--and now they're dissing the very folks who played a major role in getting them to the heights they've reached? The private sector is not going to get us out of this economic mess, and now, apparently, neither is the Obama administration.

And all this bullshit talk about ordinary people having to tighten their belts--until we start talking about higher taxes on the wealthy, cuts in executive pay, an end to golden parachutes, and massive cuts in defense spending--in short, fuck you, next idiot please!

Peace,
emaycee

Be afraid, very afraid

A truly alarming article in today's Washington Post shows the first consequences of the Supreme Court's recent disturbing ruling in Citizens United v. FEC--the fucking Chamber of Commerce is going to war against the Democratic party by spending millions supporting (mostly) Republican candidates who are friends of corporations and special interests. Wonderful--as if we working class Americans don't have enough of a battle in trying to keep our heads above water, now we have an organization in the Chamber of Commerce--an organization that uses its vast resources to effect policies that fuck over 95% of Americans--free to spend as much as they'd like to make certain that we drown.

Folks, the war starts here, today.

And for those idiots who spout about the influence of labor unions on our policies, this factoid in Sunday's Detroit Free Press--in 2009, labor unions spent $43.4 million (granted, not chump change) on federal lobbying; however, the automotive industry alone spent $573 million. That's just one industry, for Christ's sake. It's like the New Orleans Saints playing a fucking Pee Wee League team. Jesus H. Christ, this is our best hope and they're fighting a modern army with spears. I know I give thanks, living here in the great state of Michigan, for the UAW everyday, even though I don't belong to the union--I'd hate to even imagine how little I'd get paid if they hadn't raised the standards.

We decide: it's either the Republican party, the Chamber of Commerce, corporations and poverty, or the Democratic party, labor unions, good government and a higher standard of living.

Doesn't seem like that hard of a decision when it's put so eloquently, does it?

Peace,
emaycee