"Truckers Protest, the Resistance Begins"

[One Half Full]

I'm sorry about your car. We are in the same boat. We have to surrender ours next week.

Well, I've been preparing. I live within busing distance of work. My major ***** is I have to wait 2 hours after work to go home.

I think we all are giving up things to get by though. I'm no different from anyone here. At least I won't have to pay gas any more.

[BankruptPinoy]

I haven't read this book, "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!", but I did see former Governor Jesse Ventura On Hannity & Colmes 4-8-08 and now it's on youtube. I like what Jesse had to say.

Just recently, more than 100 (I know this is so small compared to the protests of the 60s, but maybe more people are waking up) people protested and marched at the University of Georgia to protest the low wages being paid by the university, especially compared to the perks and salaries of the higher ups.

Kiplinger Magazine has an article called "Cheney's betting on bad news" and provides an account of where Cheney has socked away more than $25 million. Interest rates are going up, the middle class is going down, and the poor dollar is headed for the dumpster. Seems like the USA is not simply teetering on the brink of financial collapse but that we are on the way down. It's on MSN money too-"Vice President Dick Cheney's financial advisers are apparently betting on a rise in inflation and interest rates and on a decline in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies."

That's just my thoughts. The next question is, what do we do to prepare for bad times? Great Depression II? But maybe these truckers can wake more and more people up-the people that believe the myth of the American Dream. Just like George Carlin said, "It's called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe in it" and "They own all the big media companies so they control just about all the news and information you get to hear. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying to get what they want. Well we know what they want, they want more for themselves and less for everyone else." and finally, he said, "I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking - they're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests."

God bless everyone and good luck and thanks again to all the truckers for trying to fight back.

[Runnin on empty]

Consumers can start also, by cutting back, driving less, spending less on unnecessary items.

This right here (aside from the obvious corporate/political greed involved) is the crux of the problem. I've seen people go ballistic over the cost of their morning coffee/bagel increased by 20 cents, yet they storm off into the parking lot, and get into their SUV that is big enough to need it's own zip-code!

I drive an uber sub-compact car that gets roughly 35 miles to the gallon, but when I have to put a minimum of 45 miles a day on it with school and work, it still stings pretty bad.

Sure, the auto manufacturers could have easily come up with alternate fuel options since the issues of the '70s, but we haven't given them reason to, because 95% of the time, we've proven that we won't buy smaller vehicles, we won't drive less, and we won't consume less frivolous products.

[Runnin on empty]

I haven't read this book, "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!", but I did see former Governor Jesse Ventura On Hannity & Colmes 4-8-08 and now it's on youtube. I like what Jesse had to say.

Just recently, more than 100 (I know this is so small compared to the protests of the 60s, but maybe more people are waking up) people protested and marched at the University of Georgia to protest the low wages being paid by the university, especially compared to the perks and salaries of the higher ups.

Kiplinger Magazine has an article called "Cheney's betting on bad news" and provides an account of where Cheney has socked away more than $25 million. Interest rates are going up, the middle class is going down, and the poor dollar is headed for the dumpster. Seems like the USA is not simply teetering on the brink of financial collapse but that we are on the way down. It's on MSN money too-"Vice President Dick Cheney's financial advisers are apparently betting on a rise in inflation and interest rates and on a decline in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies."

That's just my thoughts. The next question is, what do we do to prepare for bad times? Great Depression II? But maybe these truckers can wake more and more people up-the people that believe the myth of the American Dream. Just like George Carlin said, "It's called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe in it" and "They own all the big media companies so they control just about all the news and information you get to hear. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying to get what they want. Well we know what they want, they want more for themselves and less for everyone else." and finally, he said, "I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking - they're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests."

God bless everyone and good luck and thanks again to all the truckers for trying to fight back.

Excellent points. For the life of me, I could never understand why the super rich want for nothing else but more money. I think I read somewhere that 10% of the USA's population controls 99% of the wealth. Take Martha Stewart for example. She's worth more money than any 50 families could ever burn through in their lifetimes, yet she went to jail over insider trading that amounted to a net gain (IIRC) of like a couple hundred grand? I just can't fathom that. You're got hundreds of millions, why do you need more?

I'm not a Socialist (at least I don't think I am ) and I believe that a man/woman should be entitled to reap the benefits of the sweat from their brow, but jeez-a-wiz, so many are struggling and not making it, yet we have so few who have so much. Paris Hilton, who is the definition of a waste of space, has more in her bank account than all of us here combined will see in our lives, yet she gets a free pass because her grandfather was a smart business man at the right time.

The funny thing is, most of these people are conservative Republicans, those who are supposedly upholding their religious beliefs above all else. Liars. At least I'm not hypocritical, I tell anyone that asks me that I'm Agnostic. IMO, how can there be a God involved in such a evil, nasty, world? And if there is, why is he/she allowing all of this to happen?

It'll get worse before it gets better too.....

[Bandit]

The funny thing is, most of these people are conservative Republicans, those who are supposedly upholding their religious beliefs above all else. Liars. At least I'm not hypocritical, I tell anyone that asks me that I'm Agnostic. IMO, how can there be a God involved in such a evil, nasty, world? And if there is, why is he/she allowing all of this to happen?

It'll get worse before it gets better too.....

preach

We are two peas in a pod when it comes to that!...and it has ALWAYS been like this as far back as you can look!

[JRScott]

Excellent points. For the life of me, I could never understand why the super rich want for nothing else but more money. I think I read somewhere that 10% of the USA's population controls 99% of the wealth. Take Martha Stewart for example. She's worth more money than any 50 families could ever burn through in their lifetimes, yet she went to jail over insider trading that amounted to a net gain (IIRC) of like a couple hundred grand? I just can't fathom that. You're got hundreds of millions, why do you need more?

I'm not a Socialist (at least I don't think I am ) and I believe that a man/woman should be entitled to reap the benefits of the sweat from their brow, but jeez-a-wiz, so many are struggling and not making it, yet we have so few who have so much. Paris Hilton, who is the definition of a waste of space, has more in her bank account than all of us here combined will see in our lives, yet she gets a free pass because her grandfather was a smart business man at the right time.

The funny thing is, most of these people are conservative Republicans, those who are supposedly upholding their religious beliefs above all else. Liars. At least I'm not hypocritical, I tell anyone that asks me that I'm Agnostic. IMO, how can there be a God involved in such a evil, nasty, world? And if there is, why is he/she allowing all of this to happen?

It'll get worse before it gets better too.....

Religious people are not being hypocritical. They have a different outlook on things than you but that doesn't make them hypocritical.

You have to understand the paradox of it all. Would you know joy, if you didn't know sorrow? Would you know good, if you didn't know evil?

There is opposition in all things, we cannot know one without truly knowing the other. Thus if you removed all the evil in the world you'd also remove all the good.

God's gift is the gift of free agency, the gift that we are free to choose what we do. We are not free of consequences of those actions but we are free to chose the actions we take.

[Bandit]

Religious people are not being hypocritical. They have a different outlook on things than you but that doesn't make them hypocritical.

You have to understand the paradox of it all. Would you know joy, if you didn't know sorrow? Would you know good, if you didn't know evil?

There is opposition in all things, we cannot know one without truly knowing the other. Thus if you removed all the evil in the world you'd also remove all the good.

God's gift is the gift of free agency, the gift that we are free to choose what we do. We are not free of consequences of those actions but we are free to chose the actions we take.

none of that shows that religious people are not hyporcitical. Even Jesus (as the story goes anyway) pointed at all the religious people even of his own kind & called them hypocrites & liars. BUt then Jesus never actually claimed a religion.

I can think of a whole bunch of religious people I have known who gladly admit that religous people including the preachers are hypocrites- but that does not mean all religious people are hypocrites no more than all non religious people are hypocrites. However people tend to not to want anything to do with religion for those very reasons...as they are hypocrites in every bunch & why bother getting burned by them.

How do you know what the free gift is? Do you know the mind of god?
& some people have no freedom at all & do not get to choose anything-ever-nothing. Other religious people have beliefs that freewill you claim, does not exist at all & that their God is different from your God & is all sovereign & you do not choose anything as god has chosen everything & you have no say at all (though you might think you do in your mind).

& what would be so bad about removing all the evil? Isn;t that what George Bush is trying to do? Remove all the evil doers from the planet? & isn't he religous? & a big fat liar to boot?

But for you to say religious people are not being hypocrites ...even people in the same church call each other hypocrites!
Maybe god likes the hate & anger & liars & hypocrites. Maybe god if there is a god- enjoys it. Maybe god enjoys seeing people beg for mercy as they are beaten in slavery, & starve to death with worms in their belly all over the earth. Thousands of children who never got to know the difference between having a full belly- all they ever knew was a starving empty belly & then died. They did not choose that.

What if your paradox is all wrong or partially wrong?

Never try to make sense of things or prove it to agnostics, there is no solid factual answer to any of it except for your own personal faith/beliefs & no one can prove or disprove such things.

[JRScott]

none of that shows that religious people are not hyporcitical. Even Jesus (as the story goes anyway) pointed at all the religious people even of his own kind & called them hypocrites & liars. BUt then Jesus never actually claimed a religion.

I can think of a whole bunch of religious people I have known who gladly admit that religous people including the preachers are hypocrites- but that does not mean all religious people are hypocrites no more than all non religious people are hypocrites. However people tend to not to want anything to do with religion for those very reasons...as they are hypocrites in every bunch & why bother getting burned by them.

How do you know what the free gift is? Do you know the mind of god?
& some people have no freedom at all & do not get to choose anything-ever-nothing. Other religious people have beliefs that freewill you claim, does not exist at all & that their God is different from your God & is all sovereign & you do not choose anything as god has chosen everything & you have no say at all (though you might think you do in your mind).

& what would be so bad about removing all the evil? Isn;t that what George Bush is trying to do? Remove all the evil doers from the planet? & isn't he religous? & a big fat liar to boot?

But for you to say religious people are not being hypocrites ...even people in the same church call each other hypocrites!
Maybe god likes the hate & anger & liars & hypocrites. Maybe god if there is a god- enjoys it. Maybe god enjoys seeing people beg for mercy as they are beaten in slavery, & starve to death with worms in their belly all over the earth. Thousands of children who never got to know the difference between having a full belly- all they ever knew was a starving empty belly & then died. They did not choose that.

What if your paradox is all wrong or partially wrong?

Never try to make sense of things or prove it to agnostics, there is no solid factual answer to any of it except for your own personal faith/beliefs & no one can prove or disprove such things.

To call all religious people hypocritical is wrong and incorrect.

There are common threads in many different religions. Whether you believe the same as they do or not does not matter. What you have to understand is that you have to be respectful of all people. Let them believe who they will, what they will and where they will. What harm does it do to you?

From reading your comment I don't think you got what I was trying to say. You cannot have good without evil. If all you had in your life was good then you would not recognize it as good, it would just be how it was. The same is true is if all you had was evil it would not be recognized as evil, it would just be how it was. Only when both exist and you can experience both can you separate good from evil.

Without free agency you nor anyone else on this planet would be free to chose what you believed in or chose how you would act it would be decided for you.

Take a Tiger for instance. It does not have freedom of choice as you do. If provoked it will attack you. It will do so out of instinct. You have the freedom to chose to overcome instinct and exercise restraint if you wished to.

Whether you believe in God or not, that is what separates man from animal.

[Bandit]

To call all religious people hypocritical is wrong and incorrect.

There are common threads in many different religions. Whether you believe the same as they do or not does not matter. What you have to understand is that you have to be respectful of all people. Let them believe who they will, what they will and where they will. What harm does it do to you?

From reading your comment I don't think you got what I was trying to say. You cannot have good without evil. If all you had in your life was good then you would not recognize it as good, it would just be how it was. The same is true is if all you had was evil it would not be recognized as evil, it would just be how it was. Only when both exist and you can experience both can you separate good from evil.

Without free agency you nor anyone else on this planet would be free to chose what you believed in or chose how you would act it would be decided for you.

Take a Tiger for instance. It does not have freedom of choice as you do. If provoked it will attack you. It will do so out of instinct. You have the freedom to chose to overcome instinct and exercise restraint if you wished to.

Whether you believe in God or not, that is what separates man from animal.

...according to your religion.

you have not proven a single thing except your opinion. you have never proven a tiger has no freedom of choice. you can provoke a human & the human also will attack you...that does not prove anything.
I know a lot of religious people who totally reject your duality religion & would go so far as to call it a lie. so what.

Because a human does not believe in a god, you call that human an animal...with no facts, just your religion & personal perceptions. I would say that is quite low & disrespectful of youwhen you say everyone is supposed to be respectful.

Now start explaining according to your free will doctrine... do the ritarded people choose to be ritarded?
Do slaves choose to be slaves?
Do children choose to be raped?
Did you choose your skin color?
Do people choose to go to war & have their limbs blown off?

The 2nd time I am asking & you do not answer...
Do the thousands of children born into poverty in Africa & around the world choose to never know what it is like to have no food in their belly & die of starvation?
Is that all their free will you speak of?

BTW- no one said ALL. You said ALL. we all know that ALL in religion only means all when you want it to mean all...and when you want all to mean something different, like only some, then all means only some.

[One Half Full]

USA has become a "service" industry, not "manufacturing" one anymore!...i.e, lawyer, accountant, barber, grocery, dining, fast food, etc.

No, they *Want* to be a service industry. They thought they could do without manufacturers and farmers. This is where they find out how dead wrong they are.

[rfassett]

I make 12 dollars and hour of which 27 % is taken out in taxes and insurance. anyone making more than that "seems rich to me. I am losing my car because I cant pay the mortgage, the car, the credit cards, gas, food, winter heating.

Does anyone else see what is wrong with this comment? 27% of a $12 an hour job going toward taxes and insurance. While the truckers are up in arms (as they should be) maybe they should demand the insurance companies give up their vulgar profits and the government massively shrink its payroll. Let's straighten out this country top to bottom. For far too long we have been looking the other way. Now is the time to make a stand and demand that we are no longer going to take it. Let's join the truckers and bring this whole country to its knees. Us folks out here in the trenches keep getting hosed while those guys in their ivory towers get richer and richer. Enough is enough.

[rfassett]

Bandit, I am not going to get into a protracted dicussion with you about religion - primarily because I do not have the time for that right now - maybe another day and another time, but let me say this. So much of the confusion about "God's plan" centers around people taking a snap shot look at life. Take a critical read of the "Book of John" in the Bible some time soon. Even if you have read it before, read it again with a critical eye. And then take that same critical read of the "Book of Revelation". Take a more global look at life and you will begin to understand some of the things you question. Some of the things you blame God for are no more His fault than it is mine that it is raining today. God has promised eternity. Good eternity and bad eternity. View life from that perspective and it starts making a lot more sense. How long is that suffering that you describe? Compare that to how long eternity is. Perhaps, and I don't know any more than you do, God has a very special place in Heaven for those folks. Just some food for thought.

[BankruptPinoy]

Hi Bandit and Runnin' on empty. Have you two saw the movie on google video/youtube (google owns both) "Zeitgeist, The Movie" ? and if so, what do you two think? The part on religions is very, very interesting. You two might also like "larry david on religion" on youtube and George Carlin (warning to anyone concerned about profanity, George Carlin uses profanity, so watch at youtube at your own risk, if you decide to search youtube) "The Owners of the Country" and "George Carlin - Religion is "

Hi rfassett! You are absolutely correct in what you wrote about our country here " Let's join the truckers and bring this whole country to its knees. Us folks out here in the trenches keep getting hosed while those guys in their ivory towers get richer and richer. Enough is enough." -You're right!

Rfassett, I think you might like "The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America" on google video and I think you might enjoy the late Aaron Russo's documentary, "America Freedom to Fascism". But rfassett, I don't think you will enjoy the George Carlin stuff, especially on religion.

These 2 documentaries can help some consider other viewpoints.

From Wikipedia

Aaron helped create the careers of many legendary performers, such as Led Zeppelin, whom he brought to America for the first time. He also promoted some of the Sixties' most successful rock acts, including The Who, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane

In 1972, Russo began his seven-year partnership with Bette Midler, who became a superstar during his management of her career....While serving as Midler's manager, Russo created and managed The Manhattan Transfer. Later his roster would include such personalities as David Keith, Frederic Forrest, Susan Sarandon and other notable clients.

When Russo turned to producing feature films, his production of The Rose, introduced Bette Midler to motion picture audiences. Midler received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. The Rose is considered by many to be the classic rock 'n' roll film. Russo also produced Trading Places, starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, which has become a Christmas classic, and Teachers, starring Nick Nolte, Morgan Freeman, and Ralph Macchio.

Russo's recent documentary America: Freedom to Fascism.

Rfassett, Russo's film is especially relevent since this Tuesday is tax day. Also, the FED is not a federal agency.

The North American Union is also something to think about along with the "Amero" instead of the dollar. Europe has done it. There are also plans for an "asian union." If the economies of the USA, Canada, and Mexico were to become a union, well, obviously the dollar would have to decline. I'm not writing or posting saying this is, or this isn't, ok? I'm just referencing things that some might find interesting. Could be? Might not? But it doesn't hurt to think and consider all viewpoints.

General Douglas MacArthur, hero of the Philippines, said"

I am concerned for the security of our great nation, not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.

And in closing,

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.

-George Orwell

[BankruptPinoy]

Oh yes, Sorry I forgot to include in the first post. Many don't know who Barbara Ehrenreich is. She has her own website and a wikipedia entry if anyone cares.

2 of her books that I liked are "Nickel and Dimed" :

Millions of Americans work for poverty-level wages, and one day Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. But how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 to $7 an hour?

To find out, Ehrenreich moved from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, taking the cheapest lodgings available and accepting work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson...one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.

And "Bait and Switch"

PS-I know someone that may not like what I have posted will conduct an ad hom attack and write that I am posting spam. But where are the links if I am posting spam? Surely no one believes that Larry David or George Carlin is paying me money to mention them? Or maybe the Council on Foreign Relations is paying me because I mentioned the North American Union, which they have reported on?

I merely provided information that some might want to consider. Others may not. I once read somewhere,

My method is to post anything I find of interest, not what I believe to be true. I'm not here to be some sort of web dictator to say what is true, what should be on the web, or what should be shot down the memory hole.

and I have to agree with that. I am not posting spam; I am not attacking the US government, but is it wrong to question our government?; I am not attacking religion; I am not promoting socialism because Barbara does or did; I am merely trying to exchange information.

I don't know if Thomas Jefferson really said the following or not, because there is a difference between a democracy and a republic; it's mob rule! But anyway,

Information is the currency of democracy.

So I hope everyone can understand that. Salamat po!

[car67]

Hey if the truckers stop taking deliveries UPS will take the loads.... Lot of public owned companies will still work. The small truck owners dont stand a chance they dont have the backing to compete//////