October 2011

Week Overview In "Dysfunction 2012"

What happened over the week, and why it probably won't matter.

The 2012 election cycle took a turn for the strange this past week as the settled order of the Republican lineup fell apart. It’s fairly typical, as we get closer to early primaries, that there should be some final shakeups within the established order; dropping the pseudo-candidates finally and pulling up two (plus on with Ron Paul) firm candidates for the picking. However, the stragglers refuse to fall off and the leaders continue to get shredded and Paul seems to be the only one clamoring for some sanity (in a lineup where Ron Paul is the sane one, there’s bound to be some nuttiness.)

Even as Ron Paul petitioned his fellow hopefuls for more substance to their arguments (he has been the academic, this run) they refused and instead went after Mitt Romney’s lawn care providers. Romney’s enjoying a good-for-now rally in almost all of the early polling states, and is also getting a profile bump from a number of big news outlets: The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Both characterize him as flexible, which is a euphemism for his trademark flip-flopping on everything from healthcare to union-busting.

November 5 is Bank Transfer Day

"So what do we do with our money if we don’t use the big banks? There are plenty of options, such as…"

If you’re really outraged about corporations being treated like people with rights (albeit extra powerful and rich people with their own political action committees and politicians in their back pockets) and you are with Occupy Wall Street (or even if you’re not), November 5, Bank Transfer Day, is a day to take serious action. Many people have called for taking money out of the big banks and putting it into smaller, local ones—a sound strategy for not supporting the very banks that are responsible for much of the mess we are in. (Of course, the banks couldn’t do what they’re doing without government aid—one hand washes the other, so to speak.)

So what do we do with our money if we don’t use the big banks? There are plenty of options, such as…

  • Investing in a good safe for your home. Make sure it’s fireproof and secret. Of course, it’s not as safe (or insured) as it would be elsewhere, so you might want to try…
  • Local, small banks. These banks support the local community and don’t have nearly as much clout in the government (or as much to do with the failing economy) as the big banks do. My husband and I use such a bank, and we love them. They work with us (and we have a lot of financial issues!), they are fair, and they don’t charge for checking or minimum balances like so many other banks are doing these days.
  • Credit unions. My best friend swears by hers, and many people are choosing this option instead of the banks.

It’s difficult to wholly stop using big banks, especially if you have loans through them for your home, student loans, or other items in your life. But if we all stopped using them for our everyday purchases and money handling, it would certainly send a message—and start funneling the money into our economies close to home.

If you want to keep occupying the cities near you, by all means go ahead—I don’t really care about the naysayers who say that protestors don’t know what they want (they obviously do), and I think it’s a wonderful, long overdue showing of people who are fed up and united in asking that this country change how its money, politics, and corporations work. It’s nonviolent and it’s loud and above all, noticeable—and as long as that’s getting people to talk and pay attention, it’s a good thing. But let’s take some local action with our banks, too!

Progressive Women Are Gearing Up For the Upcoming Fight in Battleground States

Abortion issues in North Carolina and other states take shape.

Women's issues could be become key to who wins in battleground states like North Carolina. Progressive woman know this and they are already beginning to organize themselves in a big way. Organization is key to the get out the vote effort in these battleground states and the earlier you start the better position you'll be in come election day.

 

Women's issues such as the right of a woman to chose are usually considered a Democratic issue but an increasing number of women are beginning to cross party lines to vote their conscience on these types of issues. This may be because these issues are more important to younger generations or at least a higher priority when it comes to making voting decisions.

 

Woman are also increasingly registering as independent voters which means no party owns their vote. Many women believe this gives them more power on election day. Political candidates know that in swing states it is the independent voters that usually make the difference in a tight race.

Herman Cain's "Let Them Eat Cake" Moment

"If you don't have a job, and you're not rich, blame yourself."

Herman Cain has said some controversial (see: ignorant) things in his bid for the White House, from his many "jokes" on immigration (including electrifying a border fence and filling a moat with alligators) to his statement that he would be cautious about hiring a Muslim in his administration because, "you know, they're trying to attack us." He maintains that the 80% or so of Americans (by nearly every poll on the subject) that support a surtax on America's wealthy are "brain washed", as are African-Americans that vote Democratic. He's even proposed an economic fix that is essentially a pizza-deal-turned-tax-code-reform that even has many Republicans scratching their heads. However, his latest comments about Occupy Wall Street protestors show how incredibly out of touch and simple-minded the man is. "Don’t blame Wall Street,” he said to the protestors, “Don't blame the big banks. If you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself."

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