I have been following the antics of the Republican nominees for President of the United States with a fair amount of interest, far more than I have in past years.

There are a few reasons why. Firstly Obama is no shoe-in. He is far more Gillard than Rudd and the groundswell of support he went to the last election with has dissipated leaving far less to combat the serious corporate money the Republicans enjoy.

Secondly as a huge fan of Cenk Uyger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenk_Uygur from The Young Turks I am much more across the unfolding drama and more appreciative of what the result may mean for the future of the US and us. (I can recommend their app for those with an iphone, just search for TYT). Australia needs a show like theirs so badly.

As to the characters Romney and Perry would appear to be the so called 'top tier' candidates at the moment. But others like Michele Bacmann (scary religious type) and Ron Paul (extreme libertarian but with an integrity the others lack), plus Sarah Palin sniping from the sidelines, are making this a fascinating spectacle.

We might have our lot sprinting to the right, but as the Yanks tend to do their race is in hyper-drive. I may well be showing my colours here but I often get the sense I am watching a freak show.

I was wondering if other OLOers were following the process with similar interest?

While I disagree with some of Ron Paul's policies,he is a true Libertarian ,believes in the the original constitution,wants to end the wars of imperialism and most of all wants to END THE US FEDERAL RESERVE the criminals responsible for the economic crisis and the wars.

The banking,military,industrial complex has controlled Western Govts for a long time.Their New World Order will not roses and chocolates.It will be a global scientific dictatorship whereby those permitted to live and work will do so under strict regulation.Hitler used environmentalism to bring in his agenda.We are witnessing the same today.ie Strict regulation via so called threat of climate change.

Dear Arjay,

Ron Paul is certainly interesting but scrapping all income tax just ain't going to happen. It was notable that after the Iowa straw poll he came second but was completely ignored by the mainstream media. He is gaining support among even Democrat voters purely because of his honesty and consistency but to have him as president would be like taking cyanide, the old cure for syphilis when penicillin is available.

Jon Stewart did a very good piece on Paul and I would give you a link to his youtube clip but one of the most annoying things about this election is the inability for Australians to be able to access his past clips online as Foxtel has tied up the rights to the show and all we get is the message that the clip “is unavailable from this location”. As a result of such bastardry I have sworn never to subscribe to Foxtel. We are all poorer without Stewart's insights.

I loved Sarah Palin taking potshots at GOP donations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0jin5NVAr8

And we can only hope for more of the same.

The Democrats and Republicans - except Ron Paul - think it's desirable to take trillions of dollars from ordinary working people, by the sneak tax of inflation, and give it to big banks, billionaire foreign corporations, and foreign governments, via the Federal Reserve, which has never been audited, and does not report to Congress.

The Democrats and Republicans - except Ron Paul - adhere to the Santa Claus belief that government can make society richer by printing pieces of paper and stamping dollar signs on them. This just happens to be the process that causes economic depressions, and their cure? Print more money.

The Democrats and Republicans - except Ron Paul - are in favour of a state of perpetual aggressive war. It's at the stage where most Americans wouldn't even know how many wars they are in. The war in Iraq was based on lies from the outset which were all demonstrated to be such long ago, yet the USA has been there twice longer than it was in WWII; and who's against it?

The Democrats and Republicans - except Ron Paul - favour the increasing criminalisation of more aspects of American life. The war on drugs is just a re-run of Prohibition, but at least for Prohibition they had the decency to amend the Constitution. The fact that they didn't do so for the war on drugs is symptomatic of a rise in the authoritarian bipartisan belief that Americans are bound in unlimited submission to the federal government.

"The USA PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, the TSA, the FDA, the CIA, renditions, assassinations, multiple and continuous wars, torture, bailouts, inflation, false flag events, secrecy, illegal searches, spying on citizens, private property confiscations, and much, much more is now commonplace! It is now considered to be a crime to grow your own food, to film the police, to sell lemonade on the street corner, to protest, and in many cases just to speak out against the State."
http://lewrockwell.com/barnett/barnett37.1.html

Why would any reasonable person *not* think that the Democrats and Republicans - except Ron Paul - are batsh!t mad?

Dear csteele,

You're right about the Americans being in "hyper drive,"
things on the whole are much faster in the US. People
don't "stand for election", they "run for office."

The following website may be of interest to people who
aren't familiar with the Presidential candidates.
The New York Times gives their photos and profiles and it's
an interesting read:

http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/primaries/candidates

csteel,The income tax only came in 1914 one yr after the instigation of the US Fed Res,allowed by Pres Woodrow Wilson.In 1913 the US Govt stopped producing new money for their economy.By offering to back Wilsons' campaign ,Rockefeller and JP Morgan et al were able to monopolise the money supply for the entire US Govt and so they needed the income tax to pay principal + interest on debt money created from nothing by private banks.The Fed had found a financial nervana.They soon started WW1 so they could finance both sides an also owning shares in the arms/oil industry,could clean up even more.

They then precipated the Great Depression of 1929 which then led to WW2 when they again made a financial killing.

Rothschild."Give me control of a nations' currency and I care not who makes the laws."

So here we are again today with a financial global meltdown.The USA and NATO is the most aggressive forces on the planet.Countries like Nigera are going to dump the US $ and use the Chinese Renimbi as trading currency.We are now in the currency wars and perhaps soon in a real fighting war.

Dear Arjay and Peter Hume,

I agree that the rest of the republican field are scurrilous and heavily beholden to their donors but quietly spoken idealogues scare the bejeepers out of me. I know Ron Paul is a kindly septuagenarian gynecologist but Pol Pot started out a reasonable guy as well. 

Perhaps I'm just getting older but evolution rather than revolution as a method of change would seem to cut down the risk of it going pear shaped. I think his son is even more scary but I do have time for the father's humbleness.  His followers are very passionate and his grass roots fundraising continue to amaze. You might think I'm mad but I do see a bit of Bob Brown in him.

Dear Lexi,

Thanks for posting the list. It is really disturbing we might end up with another Texan governor in Rick Perry. Here are a couple of TYT clips on the man. The first ask the question about how he got his wealth,

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=ZrddWWcvNU8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

While the second is about the cuts he has made to the fire services in his state while taking no responsibility for the out of control wildfires that have burnt so much property.

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=vM_zpmxkY0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

He however is only corrupt both morally and literally, Michele Bachmann is just plain mad.

I think Cenk went a little over the top on this but you get the drift.

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=xxBf9q8yV9g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Forgetting about the seriousness of it all I'm finding it really good fun watching the drama unfold.

Did you have a preference?

csteele
The part I caught was certainly eye-opening. Quite a bit of diversity among the Republican candidates with some oddballs at the far Right with calls to abolish taxes and any form of social welfare. I mainly caught the discussion about illegals in Texas and how one candidate is talking up big about punishment and the other about assisting immigrants to acccess education and thus contribute to society - all the usual sound bytes from both. There is pressure on handling illegals more harshly but business also likes the cheap labour they provide. Two competing pressures on politicians just in Texas. They love their death penalty over there too - quite a different culture on some fronts.

My experience with Americans is they don't fit well with the extreme Right views espoused by some of these candidates. Even those candidates (was it just Ron Paul?) who advocate withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan sit in some pretty weird places on other issues.

The debate was riddled with a plethora of strawman responses - that was entertaining.

Can you imagine if the Liberal and Labor parties here had to go through a similar leader selection process. I can see it now - there would be Turnbull out there battling on his own on climate change, Abbott, Brandis and Morrisson trying to outdo each other on how to stop the boats, Corey Bernardi would be doing a ban Muslims scenario. It might even give the voters a chance to better see these politicians for who they really are and what they stand for.

Or it might be too scary. :)

Dear csteele,

Thanks for the links.

I find it all very disturbing to say the least.

I have no preferences. I wouldn't vote for any of
them.

Since Nixon, Reagan, and then George W. Bush,
the Republican Party seems to have been on
a down-hill spiral. Don't forget the great
financial meltdown caused by Big Business greed
has destroyed much of the faith for many people
in the American political system.

President Obama has made a
determined effort to drag the American economy
out of its disaster but with the depleted financial
market it's difficult without resorting to extreme
measures. The President is not popular because the
demand for instant solutions is hindered by the
economic condition of the nation . The nation is broke,
but Big Business is still piling away its wealth and
its bonuses which under the Republican model would
continue to grow.

I find it all mesmerizing - and frightening at the same time.

How do you see things?

Dear csteele,

I've had a change of heart.

I've been doing more investigating into the Republican
Presidential Candidates and have found one that I could
support. Mitt Romney. He has an impressive background,
from his family background to his professional qualifications,
to his work experience. And his reputation as a "non-ideological
data-driven problem solver," also helps. He just may be
what American needs at this time.

Also the fact that on April 12, 2006 as Governor of
Massacusetts he signed a bill - a law requiring that every
citizen in his state buy Health Insurance. The State would
help the uninsured buy private insurance. It would creat a
deregulated online marketplace and it would require that
everyone carry insurance.

He's worked in the private sector and understand the economy.
An impressive package all round.

Dear Lexi,

You are right Rommney would appear to be the least objectionable of the lot however I do not like his hypocrisy. Take the fact he has pledged to can the so called 'Obama-care' in his first day in office. This is dispute the fact that is the spitting image of what he personally had done on the State level. But on the grand scale of hypocrisy it pales compared to Perry wanting FEMA abolished but now happy to stick his hand out for relief for Texans after the fires that have swept large areas of his state, or Baccman wanting an end to government handouts yet accepting huge grants for the family farm. 

Dear Pelican,

They sure do love the death penalty and the vigorous applause when Perry spoke about not having any misgivings about sending other to their deaths was chilling. Cenk covered it well here.

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=pXB8avpzMyI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

When the moderator pointed out that as the Governor of Texas Perry had overseen the execution of 234 inmates more than any other governor of modern times the crowd bursts into spontaneous applause and you can see Perry lapping it up. Very disquieting.

A similarly disturbing audience reaction was seen when moderator Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates ""What do you tell a guy who is sick, goes into a coma and doesn't have health insurance? Who pays for his coverage? Are you saying society should just let him die?". There were cries of 'Yes' and 'Hell Yeah' from the crowd. I thought Ron Paul answered the question fairly well but then he is a doctor but there was no escaping the sentiment of a fair part of the crowd. Bizzarre.

Aren't we so damn lucky here.

Dear csteele,

I suppose at first glance you could think that Romney
lacks a certain consistency on important issues. He went
for supporting abortion rights when he was running
for state-wide office in liberal Massachusetts
to becoming anti-abortion
when as a Governor he appeared to position himself for a
Presidential run.

However, in the case of healthcare
Romney has made it quite clear that he
"doesn't believe in usurping the constitutional power of the
State with a one-size fits all Federal takeover." He says
that he believes that the States should control their own
healthcare programs it's for that reason that he wants to repeal
"Obamacare."

I agree with you. We are very lucky in this country.

Dear Lexi,

In answer to your earlier reference to Obama I think his drop in popularity is more due to his unwillingness to stand up for Democrat principles. He has let the Republicans walk right over him repeatedly. How on earth the Bush tax cuts are still in effect when they originally had a cut off date is beyond me, particularly in this economic climate. When you get Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in America complaining that he is paying tax at a far less rate than his secretaries then you know how skewered the system has become.

Perry is calling their Social Security system broken yet it has over 2.6 trillion dollars in positive balance and is able to pay, without any intervention, full entitlements out to 2036 and 80% till 2080 from memory.

What is broken is the health and tax systems. The politicians have got their snouts so deep in the private health insurer's pockets American's will continue paying twice what we do for worse health outcomes.

This is a good graphic of how much the tax cuts have driven the American deficit.

http://m.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/07/the-chart-that-should-accompany-all-discussions-of-the-debt-ceiling/242484/

And for those who like their information delivered visually this is another great graphic, it is the US deficit shown in stacked $100 dollar bills.

http://usdebt.kleptocracy.us/

There was a healthy surplus under Clinton, insane tax cuts for the rich, two very costly wars and a GFC clearly stoked by deregulated financial markets under Bush have put the country where it is now. It needed a strong Democrat to take on the Republicans and Obama just hasn't been up to it, much to the detriment of the country.

Huntsman was the only Republican candidate who would even countenance talking about increasing taxes to get them out of the current mess but he is quickly fading as a prospect.

It is rabid Libertarianism hijacked, debased and gutted by corporate and personal greed that may well be the undoing of a very successful nation.  

Dear csteele,

Thanks for your response and for the links.
The situation in the US is totally depressing.
What a shame that President Obama is not a stronger
leader. However, I still have faith in the US
and hope that at the next Presidential election -
they will elect a strong leader who will be able
to get them out of the dire-straits that they're in.
But I won't hold my breath - because as we know in the
US - it's the Banks and Big Business that dictate
the economy. And when things go wrong it's the poor
and the elderly that are sacrificed. The most vunerable
in society.

Unfortunately, Australia tends to follow American
traits (admitedly very slowly). However,
it could be disastrous
if the Opposition was to get in because many of their
policies seem to echo what's happening in the US.
And, for a small country like Australia that would be
catastrophic.

Dear Arjay,

Thought this little snippet from ABC news might be of interest. 

"The Reserve Bank has been stripped of its power to independently set the salaries of its governor, board members and top executives."

"The move comes in the wake of the RBA remuneration committee's decision to approve a $234,000 pay increase for governor Glenn Stevens, taking his total pay package to $1.05 million - almost triple what Prime Minister Julia Gillard earns."

"The increase angered Treasurer Wayne Swan after revelations that Mr Stevens would be paid significantly more than the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke ($199,700) and the president of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet ($504,900).""

Setting ones own salary if an owner of a private company is acceptable but thems our dollars baby!

Dear Lexi,

The pain being felt by most of the workers in the US isn't reflected at the top end. The average pay of the CEOs of the top 500 US companies was over $10,000,000 dollars representing a 27.8% increase over the previous year.

25 of the top 100 companies paid their CEOs more than the companies paid in Federal income taxes. One might think it is because they must be making losses in the current economic climate, not true, these same companies made an average PROFIT of $1.9 billion dollars, it was the tax loop holes and offshore tax havens that did the trick.

How do they keep these loopholes open? 20 of these 25 companies actually paid more in lobbying politicians than they did in Federal income taxes.

Amazing.

Dear csteele,

Amazing isn't a word I'd use. You're being far
too polite. But you're right.

I recently came across a copy of BRW, March 24 - May 4 2011
which had an article on Australia's wealthiest 200 managers.
It was a special edition on the "Executive Rich."
The levels of executive pay should make any one of us
question their appropriateness.

I remember seeing on the ABC's "Q and A," TV program not so
long ago Wespac's Gail Kelly being asked to explain the gap
between her pay and that of the average teacher, Kelly
conceded, "I can't for a moment justify that gap. Or with
nurses or policemen, similarly I simply can't..."

csteele,Very interesting about the RBA.They are controlled by large corporate interests for their interests and really have no motivation to advance our economy for the common good.

Prof Michael Hudson has approached them asking why they do not create all our new money for inflation + growth.No reply since they are a power unto themselves.We could reduce our taxes by $ 100 billion pa if the RBA did this.There would be no need to borrow from International Central Banks who just create it as mouse money anyway in their computers.

Dear Lexi,

Just a follow up of the Wolf Blitzer question put to Ron Paul I had mentioned earlier;

"What do you tell a guy who is sick, goes into a coma and doesn't have health insurance? Who pays for his coverage? Are you saying society should just let him die?".

The crowd's reaction was quite disturbing and on reflection Ron Paul's answer was as well. It turns out however that there was a good reason for Blitzer's question. Ron Paul's campaign manager in 2008 died broke and uninsured from complications from  pneumonia before Paul withdrew. He credits Kent with being the driving force behind him running for President.

Kent's medical bills were over $400,000 dollars and the hospital is going after his grieving mother for the money which apparently she doesn't have. Kent couldn't get affordable medical insurance because of an existing medical condition.

Republicans like Paul do not want the likes of Kent to get government help.

The story was released by Gawker, 

http://m.gawker.com/5840024/ron-pauls-campaign-manager-died-of-pneumonia-penniless-and-uninsured

And TYT covered it here,

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=z8PCHis_PnM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Have I mentioned how lucky we are to live in this country? 

csteele

I lived in the USA during the early 80's (exchange student). Working as a waitress I earned the then basic wage of $1.00 per hour - I had to rely on tips to make anything of a little worth. Back then a 15 minute consultation with a GP was $60 (more than a week's wages if I didn't get tips; I also had to pay for my uniform out of my basic wage). A graphic designer friend was retrenched from his job - he did not qualify for any unemployment aid, even though his job loss was due to restructuring of the business. He was lucky he could move back with his parents. I saw people living in cardboard boxes - commonplace even back then. Yet my friends (all graduates or students thought they were in the best country in the world).

This was years before 9/11, Reagan was prez and America has become even more neo-con since.

We are so lucky here in Australia, still. However, after I returned to the land of OZ, I have watched as the middle and lower income people lose much - we're not even as badly off as the USA in the 80's but there are those who believe that boosting the rich and exploiting everyone else is the way to go economically.

Yes, US politics is entertaining, lets hope they don't become as entertaining here.

Dear csteele,

We lived and worked in Los Angeles for close to
ten years. Our children were born in LA. Everything
was so easy then - or so it seemed - as long as
you had a job and an income. From all appearances -
it looked as though people had great life-styles.
They changed their wifes, apartments, and cars regularly,
anybody could afford a cadillac. But it was an illusion -
everything was on credit - and credit was so easy to
obtain. Sooner or later you had to pay the piper -
and if you lost your job - you lost your life-style.

In Australia - we returned to Victoria to live - and were
confronted by the Jeff Kennett's abysmal government.

As Ammonite stated - yes we are lucky in this country -
however, we should be very careful as to who we elect
into office. We don't want to go back to cutbacks in
essential services - and tax cuts for the rich as is currently
the case in the US.