Ralph do you remember when you were running for President in 1996 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland Maine, and when you finished your speech and took questions?
I took you up on your offer to pose a question.
Do you remember me as the guy (Alan MacDonald) who asked you why we don’t press the issue of America basically acting like an actual EMPIRE?
You were kind enough to respond to my question, but I was quiet blunt on the issue of America seeming to be acting like an actual EMPIRE (even then), but I suggested that it seemed to me that we should call it an becoming an EMPIRE.
I still think that the road to EMPIRE runs from the Bloodless Coup in 1944 on FDR’s VP Henry Wallace, which seemed to lead to the actions in 1946 of the ‘DEER TEAM’: attempting and actually meeting peacefully with Ho Chi Minh (who met with a few dozen OSS Pacific troops peacefully), and later than Ike’s exposure of the MIC, right to the EMPIRE involvement with JFK’s bloody coup.
When democrats voted to pass the Continuing Resolution to fund the government in March, they made DOGE a legal government entity, and therefore a legally funded agency. This is the hidden dirty secret this program and others don’t want to talk about
I’m wondering how much longer we have to continue living with the myth federal income tax actually funds anything????? It DOES NOT. NEVER HAS. All program funding is done via legislation. In other words, nothing is actually allocated monies until it is legislated into existence, THEN, money is created into existence by the sovereign entity that has the authority to print the money, as is the case with literally every nation on the planet with a similar government structure. It is never about having “enough” money to fund anything. It is only about having, and allocating the resources to carry it out. It is why McKinleys tariff wars worked, because individual / corporate federal income tax didn’t exist until after he was done, and tariffs were funding government programs and operations. Everyone here should go find Real Progressives, go to the archives, and start from episode 1, where Bill Richardson (one of the best economists on Earth) lays it all out in easy to understand terms
“I’m wondering how much longer we have to continue living with the myth federal income tax actually funds anything?????”
This is a good question. This myth is perhaps the biggest barrier which ‘progressives’ self-impose on themselves. I’ve noticed many reasons for this willful ignorance on economic matters which leads to religion-like ‘magical thinking’ about economics. Among them:
1. A lack of a class-based labor movement perspective in modern ‘progressives’. Many progressives think they are really on to something when they say things such as ‘defund the military and fund healthcare instead’. There’s nothing wrong with that sentiment, broadly, but the notion of defunding the military and all the jobs which come from that in order to fund healthcare is not economically necessary and politically unviable. If the goal is to reduce the military industry and to achieve healthcare reform, it’ll require significant funding, but that is not a problem. Those working in the military industry should be able to keep their jobs in a nationalized military industry program, but then national priorities should help steer younger people into healthcare and more needed professions. The government can see this through if there is will to do it. There aren’t funding barriers for this.
2. This is related to the previous point, but many progressives foolishly do not see the need for policies guaranteeing full employment.
3. Stubbornness. Many people just don’t want to admit that previous statements made by them pushing monetarism are wrong.
4. I’ve heard it said from some progressive circles that since progressives push progressive policies, they feel the need to be conservative on economic matters to avoid being labeled radical. This is a foolish position. It is impossible for politicians to implement progressive policies without empirical economic theory. Besides that, things like full employment and a job guarantee poll extremely well with a wide range of voters.
5. Many progressives view economics as being some kind of right-wing conspiracy, but then wonder why right-wingers win on economic grounds. It is hard for progressives to win on economic grounds when they don’t even try to take economics seriously and, thus, rely on ‘magical thinking’ religious-like narratives about economics. There is nothing inherently right-wing about economics, though ceding economic narratives to right-wingers and using their (false) language on matters only guarantees right-wing economic policy.
The Real Progressives podcast is a good one. I take it you are referring to the labor economist Bill Mitchell rather than Bill Richardson? Bill Mitchell would be a great guest on the RNRH, or even Warren Mosler, Stephanie Kelton, and Randy Wray for a more US-centric perspective. I’ve recommended these economists many times, but obviously they have not been on the RNRH. Mr. Nader seems to prefer to pull names for guests on this show from his very yellowed Rolodex and it seems most of his economic analysis comes from lawyers masquerading as economists. I’m sorry to say that the Nader’s Raiders are very good at shooting themselves in the feet given their willful ignorance on economic matters.
“And that affects all of us because we create a bigger budget deficit, other programs can't be spent, and the taxes may have to be raised on those who do not have loopholes.”
¿Qué?
How are these statements even related? How does a bigger national deficit restrict spending on other programs? And why would a bigger national deficit naturally require greater taxation?
There are reasons to tax. There are reasons to enforce tax collection. There are reasons to close tax loopholes. These reasons are to enforce and enhance democracy and an equal pursuit of liberty. Equitable taxation also helps structure a more equal national income distribution. Debatably, equitable taxation might help control inflation.
Once again, we run into the incorrect faith-based belief that deficit spending is somehow ‘bad’ for the economy. In reality, this is not true at all. This must be separated from the narratives about taxation if we wish to have productive conversations which are based on empirical theory rather than religious-based narratives about national governance which nobody should, or does, take seriously. Steve Skrovan and David Feldman ought to start these shows with a prayer and almsgiving to Milton Friedman and the other Chicago Boy disciples if Mr. Nader insists on continuing with these narratives.
As for the first segment, the Ralph Nader Neoliberalism Hour segment of the show, it is not worth listening to for anyone who has not heard it already. The people wanting NPR-grade content will just listen to NPR anyway. The RNRH is an important program because it gives a professional-run platform for voices who otherwise cannot get onto mainstream media. Mr. Nader is wasting the resources (volunteer resources, as I understand it) of the professional radio/entertainment figures working behind the scenes. If anything, the volunteers ought to complain to OSHA due to the occupational hazards of listening to the neoliberal dreck in the first segment especially.
I'd like to see some tough prosecutors with fire in the belly interviewed on your program. Nader has it; Norman Finkelstein has it; people without bias and a burden to see justice done.
It's time for the old Harvard MBA geezer's like Ray Dalio and Pete Navarro to get out of politics and let the next generation take over , we all know they mean well but Ray running Hedge funds making money out of nothing for years and Pete giving people Clorox for covid or telling our simpleton president tariffs will solve the national deficit, are sure signs for your times to go.
Of course the clueless "no plan" complainting Democrats need to step up and take action . Will that philbister Booker kid do it ? Is America in the future ready for another easy going, "let's change America" , black male do nothing for 8 years conservative president ?
Maybe it's time for some good old time religion,, where is the revivalist Billy G when we need him ? , or did he sell our souls to the rest of the world ?
I maybe be wrong ,,,is America for sale ? Time to setup next generation . it's yours to lose .
I’d like to write to Ralph or send an email preferably requesting he do an hour long ask-me-anything ( mail bag format) as his opinion are very important at this juncture. Does anybody have his email? Can’t seem to find it.
There was a 6 million undervote from '20 to '24. Almost 30% poled cited Bidens support for Israels outsized response as the reason they stayed home. Had Israel paid back Bidens support for Israel with support for his party's electability, we very possibly wouldn't be serving Trump today. The Dems can't talk about that because the issue of support for Israel would become a mushroom cloud. They're once again fighting with one arm because of Israel and we're losing our democracy.
Trump decided p off good old Harvard U by cutting it's educational , technical and medical research funding , it's like a jerk breaking the speed limit,, driving by a cop car and giving the cop the finger and the cop pulls him over and trump thinks the cop won't give him a ticket ,,, sure ? what do you think the people with the brains ,the education , the money and political power will do ?
I maybe be wrong,,but at the ball park I bet we are about to see a 4 base home run ...
Real guests to get on your show: In this episode, former UN human rights specialist on international law Craig Mokhiber reflects on how Israel's genocidal military campaign has produced an unprecedented crisis for the international order, and how it might represent an opportunity make it more equitable. He also discusses the role, achievements, and failing of the United Nations and the policies that led him to leave the organisation.
Long Form consists of a series of lengthy discussions and conversations with leading thinkers, scholars, and activists that explores the most pressing issues of our day, sheds light on their context and dynamics, and in so doing seeks to explore the broader theme of challenges to the global order and how these might affect it.
God, the same empty mainstream dirty Media Voice, and this Milibank?
Move on from these Zionists, please, or Jewish Israel Supporters.
Jewish Values? Is he serious that the conservatives will wrest control from Ellison, Adelson, Zuckerberg, Fink and Schwarzman and the other 130 Jewish Billionaires pumping up Trump as he cowers from the possiblity of those gold shower and child rape tapes get released by the Epstein Mossad mafia?
Hey, we're talking about Israelis and Israeli policy. It's not Jewish or Jewish policy. Your posts always contain this hint of anti-semitism when you conflate the two. Many of the most vocal leaders protesting the Israeli Genocide in Gaza are Jewish. Get it right or get blocked.
Go get the. Ralph
Ralph do you remember when you were running for President in 1996 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland Maine, and when you finished your speech and took questions?
I took you up on your offer to pose a question.
Do you remember me as the guy (Alan MacDonald) who asked you why we don’t press the issue of America basically acting like an actual EMPIRE?
You were kind enough to respond to my question, but I was quiet blunt on the issue of America seeming to be acting like an actual EMPIRE (even then), but I suggested that it seemed to me that we should call it an becoming an EMPIRE.
I still think that the road to EMPIRE runs from the Bloodless Coup in 1944 on FDR’s VP Henry Wallace, which seemed to lead to the actions in 1946 of the ‘DEER TEAM’: attempting and actually meeting peacefully with Ho Chi Minh (who met with a few dozen OSS Pacific troops peacefully), and later than Ike’s exposure of the MIC, right to the EMPIRE involvement with JFK’s bloody coup.
Regarding questions for next week. How can Elon Musk have to power to fire people and downsize government agencies?
When democrats voted to pass the Continuing Resolution to fund the government in March, they made DOGE a legal government entity, and therefore a legally funded agency. This is the hidden dirty secret this program and others don’t want to talk about
I’m wondering how much longer we have to continue living with the myth federal income tax actually funds anything????? It DOES NOT. NEVER HAS. All program funding is done via legislation. In other words, nothing is actually allocated monies until it is legislated into existence, THEN, money is created into existence by the sovereign entity that has the authority to print the money, as is the case with literally every nation on the planet with a similar government structure. It is never about having “enough” money to fund anything. It is only about having, and allocating the resources to carry it out. It is why McKinleys tariff wars worked, because individual / corporate federal income tax didn’t exist until after he was done, and tariffs were funding government programs and operations. Everyone here should go find Real Progressives, go to the archives, and start from episode 1, where Bill Richardson (one of the best economists on Earth) lays it all out in easy to understand terms
“I’m wondering how much longer we have to continue living with the myth federal income tax actually funds anything?????”
This is a good question. This myth is perhaps the biggest barrier which ‘progressives’ self-impose on themselves. I’ve noticed many reasons for this willful ignorance on economic matters which leads to religion-like ‘magical thinking’ about economics. Among them:
1. A lack of a class-based labor movement perspective in modern ‘progressives’. Many progressives think they are really on to something when they say things such as ‘defund the military and fund healthcare instead’. There’s nothing wrong with that sentiment, broadly, but the notion of defunding the military and all the jobs which come from that in order to fund healthcare is not economically necessary and politically unviable. If the goal is to reduce the military industry and to achieve healthcare reform, it’ll require significant funding, but that is not a problem. Those working in the military industry should be able to keep their jobs in a nationalized military industry program, but then national priorities should help steer younger people into healthcare and more needed professions. The government can see this through if there is will to do it. There aren’t funding barriers for this.
2. This is related to the previous point, but many progressives foolishly do not see the need for policies guaranteeing full employment.
3. Stubbornness. Many people just don’t want to admit that previous statements made by them pushing monetarism are wrong.
4. I’ve heard it said from some progressive circles that since progressives push progressive policies, they feel the need to be conservative on economic matters to avoid being labeled radical. This is a foolish position. It is impossible for politicians to implement progressive policies without empirical economic theory. Besides that, things like full employment and a job guarantee poll extremely well with a wide range of voters.
5. Many progressives view economics as being some kind of right-wing conspiracy, but then wonder why right-wingers win on economic grounds. It is hard for progressives to win on economic grounds when they don’t even try to take economics seriously and, thus, rely on ‘magical thinking’ religious-like narratives about economics. There is nothing inherently right-wing about economics, though ceding economic narratives to right-wingers and using their (false) language on matters only guarantees right-wing economic policy.
The Real Progressives podcast is a good one. I take it you are referring to the labor economist Bill Mitchell rather than Bill Richardson? Bill Mitchell would be a great guest on the RNRH, or even Warren Mosler, Stephanie Kelton, and Randy Wray for a more US-centric perspective. I’ve recommended these economists many times, but obviously they have not been on the RNRH. Mr. Nader seems to prefer to pull names for guests on this show from his very yellowed Rolodex and it seems most of his economic analysis comes from lawyers masquerading as economists. I’m sorry to say that the Nader’s Raiders are very good at shooting themselves in the feet given their willful ignorance on economic matters.
Howdy Ralph,
You've talked about the Coffee Party, I agree. In fact I even started a website.
What would the Coffee Party's agenda be? How's this:
1. A good paying job, good education, good and affordable housing
2. Clean and healthy environment - clean air, food, and water
3. Medicare For All
4. The Open Web
5. Free speech
6. Publicly funded elections
7. Freedom from unfair competition and monopolies
8. Economic protection during sickness, accident, old age, or unemployment
9. Department of Peace
10. Legalize Marijuana
“And that affects all of us because we create a bigger budget deficit, other programs can't be spent, and the taxes may have to be raised on those who do not have loopholes.”
¿Qué?
How are these statements even related? How does a bigger national deficit restrict spending on other programs? And why would a bigger national deficit naturally require greater taxation?
There are reasons to tax. There are reasons to enforce tax collection. There are reasons to close tax loopholes. These reasons are to enforce and enhance democracy and an equal pursuit of liberty. Equitable taxation also helps structure a more equal national income distribution. Debatably, equitable taxation might help control inflation.
Once again, we run into the incorrect faith-based belief that deficit spending is somehow ‘bad’ for the economy. In reality, this is not true at all. This must be separated from the narratives about taxation if we wish to have productive conversations which are based on empirical theory rather than religious-based narratives about national governance which nobody should, or does, take seriously. Steve Skrovan and David Feldman ought to start these shows with a prayer and almsgiving to Milton Friedman and the other Chicago Boy disciples if Mr. Nader insists on continuing with these narratives.
As for the first segment, the Ralph Nader Neoliberalism Hour segment of the show, it is not worth listening to for anyone who has not heard it already. The people wanting NPR-grade content will just listen to NPR anyway. The RNRH is an important program because it gives a professional-run platform for voices who otherwise cannot get onto mainstream media. Mr. Nader is wasting the resources (volunteer resources, as I understand it) of the professional radio/entertainment figures working behind the scenes. If anything, the volunteers ought to complain to OSHA due to the occupational hazards of listening to the neoliberal dreck in the first segment especially.
I commented on the same point
I'd like to see some tough prosecutors with fire in the belly interviewed on your program. Nader has it; Norman Finkelstein has it; people without bias and a burden to see justice done.
It's time for the old Harvard MBA geezer's like Ray Dalio and Pete Navarro to get out of politics and let the next generation take over , we all know they mean well but Ray running Hedge funds making money out of nothing for years and Pete giving people Clorox for covid or telling our simpleton president tariffs will solve the national deficit, are sure signs for your times to go.
Of course the clueless "no plan" complainting Democrats need to step up and take action . Will that philbister Booker kid do it ? Is America in the future ready for another easy going, "let's change America" , black male do nothing for 8 years conservative president ?
Maybe it's time for some good old time religion,, where is the revivalist Billy G when we need him ? , or did he sell our souls to the rest of the world ?
I maybe be wrong ,,,is America for sale ? Time to setup next generation . it's yours to lose .
Good luck America have a great day my friends
I’d like to write to Ralph or send an email preferably requesting he do an hour long ask-me-anything ( mail bag format) as his opinion are very important at this juncture. Does anybody have his email? Can’t seem to find it.
This is my "If at first you don't succeed,… " second appeal!
Re the "In case you haven't heard" segment.
Please kill the distracting, annoying, superfluous background "muzak" [sic.]!
Thank you!
Yeah !
There was a 6 million undervote from '20 to '24. Almost 30% poled cited Bidens support for Israels outsized response as the reason they stayed home. Had Israel paid back Bidens support for Israel with support for his party's electability, we very possibly wouldn't be serving Trump today. The Dems can't talk about that because the issue of support for Israel would become a mushroom cloud. They're once again fighting with one arm because of Israel and we're losing our democracy.
Will this end before we do?
Trump decided p off good old Harvard U by cutting it's educational , technical and medical research funding , it's like a jerk breaking the speed limit,, driving by a cop car and giving the cop the finger and the cop pulls him over and trump thinks the cop won't give him a ticket ,,, sure ? what do you think the people with the brains ,the education , the money and political power will do ?
I maybe be wrong,,but at the ball park I bet we are about to see a 4 base home run ...
Good luck America have a great day my friends.
Real guests to get on your show: In this episode, former UN human rights specialist on international law Craig Mokhiber reflects on how Israel's genocidal military campaign has produced an unprecedented crisis for the international order, and how it might represent an opportunity make it more equitable. He also discusses the role, achievements, and failing of the United Nations and the policies that led him to leave the organisation.
Long Form consists of a series of lengthy discussions and conversations with leading thinkers, scholars, and activists that explores the most pressing issues of our day, sheds light on their context and dynamics, and in so doing seeks to explore the broader theme of challenges to the global order and how these might affect it.
https://www.youtube.com/live/wh8039723OQ?si=X1m8CWMA1jazhQN8
We've had Craig Mokhiber on twice already.
https://www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/p/a-genocide-tax?utm_source=publication-search
https://www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/p/israels-wall-of-impunity?utm_source=publication-search
Real Humanity:
https://youtube.com/shorts/3e773Zn8CuQ?si=rxOg3UvFz1LT-8wz
Civic? How about an entire people, that Jewish-Goy-ionist Genocide Project? Christ, civic?
https://www.youtube.com/live/70dyh-Ngbfs?si=Q3IYSBBN1L8WyLvC
God, the same empty mainstream dirty Media Voice, and this Milibank?
Move on from these Zionists, please, or Jewish Israel Supporters.
Jewish Values? Is he serious that the conservatives will wrest control from Ellison, Adelson, Zuckerberg, Fink and Schwarzman and the other 130 Jewish Billionaires pumping up Trump as he cowers from the possiblity of those gold shower and child rape tapes get released by the Epstein Mossad mafia?
https://paulokirk.substack.com/p/jewish-values-out-in-the-open-oppen
Hey, we're talking about Israelis and Israeli policy. It's not Jewish or Jewish policy. Your posts always contain this hint of anti-semitism when you conflate the two. Many of the most vocal leaders protesting the Israeli Genocide in Gaza are Jewish. Get it right or get blocked.
Goodbye...