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Once again this president is quietly promoting a truly progressive agenda. The witless Marjorie Taylor Greene correctly compared him to FDR. She meant it as an insult. But FDR was elected 4 times for a reason.

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I love Biden's response to that speech: "I approve this message."

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Brevity is the soul of wit!

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Best political ad ever!

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It was a classic move! Maybe MTG will stop screeching “Impeach Biden!”. Time to put a cork in it! 🤣😂

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Put a "cork" in what?

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An empty bottle.

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Her empty mind! Don’t know why that particular MAGAT irritates me so. She seems to be speaking out what McCarthy dares not lest he lose his Speaker’s gavel in his own negotiated rules. Wonder about the extent of their relationship? My mind must be in the gutter before coffee!

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Your mind has a great deal of company there

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Look undoubtedly I'm in the same camp as you re being unable to stand the behavior and actions of these troglodytes. But my main assessment of what drives them is a little different since I believe none of them have great (or any) imaginations. So they copycat each other thinking they're hot stuff. I could care less whether or not this includes some kind of hanky panky (which isn't how my mind works). Mostly I think they revel in a spotlight which for them seems to require maximum disruption and loud mouthing. Not unlike the example set by their ignorant and ignoble lecher - oops I mean "leader". All hail the kringes.

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It will be interesting to see if there is any fall-out from her disgusting -- and possibly illegal -- stunt yesterday.

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Over-the-top entitlement+damned lies+ extremely childish behavior in an important adult role. The Irritant is strong in that one.

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Profiles in courage:

"McCarthy dares not lest he lose his Speaker’s gavel in his own negotiated rules."

"we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

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Word is that your mind is right on.

Just watching them interact tells it all.

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LOL!!!

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Her persistent tweeting mouth “Impeach Biden! Makes me bonkers.

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In another ad where Obama is stumping for him, Biden replies, "Thanks, Obama!" Makes me grin.

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Folks ... This is a f***ing BIG idea. It sure is, Joe.

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From what i have read and have seen on TV documentaries about FDR, he actually was an insult to greedy Rethuglicans.. They hated FDR and resented his policies, especially the ''New Deal'' In a speech FDR made in the early or mid 1930's, he said, '' I heard the Republicans hate me, and i will say, let them hate me, i welcome their hate'' To me personally, even though i hadn't been born yet, i thought he was a great President for getting America back on track after the great depression and for the New Deal. Today's Rethugs still hate Social Security and are hellbent on destroying it. Rethuglicans are the worst people on earth as far as i am concerned. Adolf Hitler hated FDR too, in one of his rants, he called the New Deal, ''The Jew Deal'', that was an utterly nasty thing he said, but then again, Hitler was about horrible as it gets. Just like Donald TUMP is.

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The thundering irony of all this is that the original and true "conservative" that I learned of in my youth believed in a thing called "free enterprise". I assumed that included a level playing field for "little guys" to open small businesses - we call them startups now.

There is a process by which super successful startups abandon that concept. Meta came out of a college dorm. Now it is hell bent on eating its competition. Microsoft was launched from a garage. Now it is about to totally dominate the huge gaming world.

It is a duty and a responsibility of our government to encourage competition. What we have now is not "free enterprise" or "healthy capitalism". It is greed and power driven oligarchies. Time to bust up some "trusts"!

And time to claw back the obscene wealth accumulated by avoiding taxes and eating the competition. Bust them and tax them fairly.

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Unregulated capitalism eats its children and exploits the workers and consumers.

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"Unregulated capitalism eats its children...." Yessir. True statement. It is like jungle-style evolution of species. It works, very cruelly at times, but it works. Especially for "the strong". We as a society can do so much better by taking a concept that works, and controlling it such that the benefits are spread among all of us instead of the top predators. Combine that with democracy and you get a society that works pretty well. Republicans are there to protect the top predators, at the expense of the rest of us. All in the name of Jesus. They reject democracy more and more as the majority rejects them more and more, and reject regulated capitalism more and more as that regulation tends to limit further enrichment. That cannot be allowed to continue, for a thousand reasons.

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In regards to your "They reject democracy more and more," that quote is abundantly clear in the Heritage Foundation's "Mandate for Leadership the 2025 Plan." The 2025 plan lays the groundwork for an authoritarian leader in the President's position, think Putin. If Americans think Trump can be contained, just read this booklet, https://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

It is worth cautioning that not believing that what the 2025 Plan lays out as not achievable in America remember German disbelief in Hitler's Mein Kampf plan for leadership. Hitler did exactly what he wrote in his book, therefore, believe what you read in the 2025 Plan. Trump can never return to the White House nor DeSantis who would most likely also embrace the 2025 Plan.

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"Trump can never return to the White House nor DeSantis who would most likely also embrace the 2025 Plan." I think now that any Republican candidate with a chance to win can be placed in that category. With that document, the Republican Party has laid down the gauntlet. This means war.

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Keep the faith. We have to do the work.

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Sad but true.

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It is hardly socialistic to ask the wealthy and the wealthy corporate “citizens “ to pay their fair share.

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Susan, you know that, and I know that, and the vast majority of readers here assembled know that, because we know the definition of socialism. Those who issue their screeching complaints about it have NO IDEA what the word means. They just assume that, because their rich friends and donors hate it, they have to hate it, too. 🙄

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The Right jumps to their All Purpose Response to anything that smacks of government for the people — Socialism!

Most people don’t even know what that is, or they think it is government ownership of everything — which is an old idea, not reflective of modern elements of social policy that put the well-being of our society first, which will always include a vibrant and thriving business community, but in the service of the people, not the other way around.

Business exists to participate in an economy and support society. Not the other way around.

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Agree, 💯%.

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It is indeed time to reign in big corporations. there is an interesting paper written by Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island about corporate dark money that is worth reading. https://harvardjol.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2020/05/Sen.-Whitehouse_Dark-Money.pdf

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Yep. I got mine. Now shut and lock that door behind me.

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Like NFL without rules or refs. Go Scheme!

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Actually, it was Apple that launched in a garage.

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I stand corrected. Thanks.

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Jul 20, 2023Edited
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I don't mention the "fruit" company for the reasons you so aptly describe.

While I am a huge fan of competition the proprietary madness you mention could have been eliminated by Federal Law requiring universal connectivity.

Remember how stupid the VHS vs Beta wars were? Consumers were victims as they are now.

Fortunately, the fruit people have enormous competition from Android phones. Terrific devices for a fraction of the cost.

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BK, I take your rant as a challenge. :) The USPTO has been dealing with this on a local level for decades without success. Jurys simply cannot deal with the issues. Bless their hearts. They simply do not understand code and math. In the mega IT area there are no standards as different countries have their own IT laws. EU is slightly different. The IP has expanded exponentially over the last 20 years and now we have AI to deal with. I stepped aside before social media after 50 years and only have a cautionary warning left. No one can see the future.

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In 1976, I worked for Fred Harris, former senator from Oklahoma, on his New Populist (I.e. shorn of racism) campaign for the Democratic nomination. Fred used to say that when FDR had his fireside chats, the family would sit and stare at the radio. He said they knew that FDR was disabled (I think he actually said crippled), but they did not really believe it. Remember, though, that all through the ‘30s there were people who thought that the New Deal did not go far enough, that Roosevelt and the Republicans were indistinguishable. We still see such people today, and they are still wrong.

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Fred has been in New Mexico for decades now and is still a vital voice in progressive politics. What a guy!

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They didn’t go far enough, particularly in terms of fighting segregation, but the parties were hardly indistinguishable.

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How perfectly put. I share your sentiments!

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Thank you very much!!

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John I was born the year FDR entered the White House. [At age 7I met Eleanor—my only memory was her smile and her big teeth.]

I studied FDR throughout my adult life and taught him as history professor from 1992 to 2013. He saved America Democracy by his willingness to experiment. Some of his New Deal initiatives were counter productive—several blatantly illegal. He also lied as he shuffled his economic cards AND provided hope to countless Americans through his activities and Fireside Chats (only 31 in 12 years).

He didn’t end the Great Depression. Indeed, there was the ‘Roosevelt Recession’ in 1937-1938. WW II ended the Great Depression. However, FDR kept our economy together, continually tried new things, and initiated essential economic and social programs.

In my professional judgment, FDR ranks with Lincoln and Washington as our three greatest presidents. Without all three, there wouldn’t be a United States of America.

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Thanks for perspective Keith!

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"World War II ended the Great Depression." I respectfully disagree, at least in part. Presumably because of the threat of the oncoming war, Cousin Franklin (my grandmother's fourth cousin through the Delano family) and his congressional allies were finally able to put together a fascimile of the nation-building "American System" economic policies that Abraham Lincoln implemented during the Civil War.

Roosevelt "muzzled" the Federal Reserve, keeping interest rates low so long-term, low-interest credit could be directed toward productive industry.

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We are a war economy. That war economy ended the Us depression. Todays world we are the biggest manufacturer and wholesaler of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

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Apt observation, Steven.

These days, it seems that money and weapons make world go round.

Terrifying and sad.

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My mom grew up on a farm in Ohio and was 100 percent behind the New Deal. She said the Republican farmers hated FDR even as he saved their farms. Go figure.

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It was reflexive. Barbara Bush hated Eleanor Roosevelt(!), still a great hero to me for the brave humanitarian she was.

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Trump kept a copy of Mein Kampf on his bedside table. His dreams of dictatorship don’t come from a vacuum.

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Here is FDR's "I welcome their hatred" speech. https://youtu.be/IjSTQwamo8M

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Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve shared it on FB. It brings tears to my eyes.

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Not all of them and not always. This is from the 1956 Republican Party platform:

"We are proud of and shall continue our far-reaching and sound advances in matters of basic human needs—expansion of social security—broadened coverage in unemployment insurance —improved housing—and better health protection for all our people. We are determined that our government remain warmly responsive to the urgent social and economic problems of our people."

Given MTG's sickening stunt yesterday and knowing that McCarthy will do nothing about it, this statement makes the current roster of Republicans look even worse:

"We believe that basic to governmental integrity are unimpeachable ethical standards and irreproachable personal conduct by all people in government."

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/republican-party-platform-1956

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Wow! Agreed.

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Actually, I couldn’t imagine anyone hating Eleanor before I heard this.

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I know, right? Eleanor is one of my sheroes!!!!

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John, Thank you for the post. FDR was a Keynesian when the nation needed deficit financing initiatives most. If you listen to the history of the Biden family he will tell you of the pain of a depression. My grandparents lived though it and my mom told me how the family survived with a vegetable garden and sheer grit. I want better for this country through sound econ and social management for the world. What we have is instability and War. God help us.

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F. Reynolds,

I don't think that Roosevelt was (just) a Keynsian, although his early relief efforts could be described that way. Roosevelt went beyond Keynes with infrastructure development (the TVA) and long-term, low-interest credit for productive industry, emulating the "American System" economic principles of John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay.

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Bidenomics sounds a lot like Democratic Capitalism, to me. Both terms are hardly used, in fact, Bidenomics was just coined, last month!

I feel it would be pretty valuable to use all of the following terms, a lot; Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Bidenomics, and Democratic Capitalism. It's a little like framing our discussion, in order that the rest of the country can understand what the hell we're advocating.

I'd like to see what happens in America when center-left folk start using simple speak, like this. Currently, I'm helping various campaigns with this simple notion, to use the same language to address the underlying cancer in our society: Corporate Crony Capitalism

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Democratic capitalism....perfect.

Much better than the conservative libertarian predatory capitalism

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predatory capitalism ... perfect name for the shadow figure, or antagonist, for our story!

EVERY story needs the heroine/hero, who NAMES the shadow, then does battle and ... slays the vllain - and stops the virus from spreading any further. Then, in rushes the good guys with the active organic ingredients, which save civilization.

End of story ...

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Democratic Capitalism: exellent antidote to predatory capitalism.

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Frederick, it seems to me you're right on target. The whole point of Democratic Capitalism, or Bidenomics, for a government is not eliminating capitalism but rather harnessing the innovation and competition generated by capitalism with sufficient government oversight and regulation to ensure the welfare of the individual, the welfare of We the People! This balance will inevitably lead to a swinging pendulum between (functioning) parties as each side of that balance tries to reassert it's dominance, a dominance which can never be static as the world changes, as it surely seems to be doing before our very eyes!

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John, are you involved w your local dem party in upstateNY? I ask because I am w my local dems, along the mid-coast of maine (saem area as HCR). We need a multi pronged approach, like, with ALL 50 state democratic parties! All would be speaking to a Democratic Capitalsim, ensuring a healthy Democracy, and a heathy world economy!

IMAGINE this ....

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Such as happened with the genius Gov Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who wielded the necessary common sense for the common good and ordered a massive collective effort of good will - and viola, Up Went an Interstate Repair in 30 Days, starring the aforementioned governor - and a cast, of ohhh, hundreds1

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Capitalism is a human construct which is neither inherently good or bad. It’s how we choose to use it that makes the difference.

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And government providing rules, rails and refs for the game$.

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Well said, JohnM!

I am printing up your comment and taping it to my desk for reference .

With attribution to you.

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JohnM, in bygone days what you describe was called the "American System of Political Economy," championed by John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln.

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Frederick- stick with that 'framing' business and tell the Operation Fly Formula story to demonstrate what's wrong with monopolies. Thank you HCR, 'we approve this message'✅️

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Yes, let’s take back the term “capitalism”. Next, do the American flag!

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Good call!

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Is it too late to get her to re-do her speech and add in this economic lesson as another one of the 'sins' of the Democrats?

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Let’s give the little lady a do over😊

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The problem is quietly---Biden and Harris need to be tooting their horns loudly, frequently, and boldly! Because too many people don't connect the dots between government policies and the benefits one sees in their life.

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US DEMOCRATS ! , Laura ! ,

have GOT to GET LOUD !! BLESSINGS !

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Yes, quietly but don't we need some loudness and I do know Biden and Harris are going around the country promoting their accomplishments along with MTG gift that can keep on giving? Our lamestreet media is a HUGE problem along with so many others that were created over the last several decades.

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It is great that Biden owned her statements, as in he endorses it. The witless MTG, who spent her day sharing dick pics of the president's son in Congress, showing that she is also a purveyor of pornography, and violator of the laws of using the internet. I understand Hunter Biden has a good lawyer. I hope she gets her just desserts. I also want to point to Tom Hartmann's letter today where he discusses the vote fraud perpetrated in MTG state, which reaffirms my beliefs that the election was stolen by the Republicans and the House is not legitimately controlled by them. If we had had fair elections in all states MTG might not be in Congress wasting everyone's time and our tax dollars.

https://hartmannreport.com/p/are-election-police-and-black-people-04d?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

https://www.propublica.org/article/tennessee-black-voters-disenfranchise

https://medium.com/rantt/the-top-10-most-gerrymandered-states-in-america-bd962843ba1f

https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/in-seven-states-removing-voters-from-the-rolls-just-got-easier/

https://www.propublica.org/article/tennessee-black-voters-disenfranchised

So despite the harmful noise from the Republican Party, Biden solders on. He is the best president in my lifetime.

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I think Biden is doing a fantastic job as president......but there's an elephant in the room. He is elderly and even though he's in good health now, it is a fact that he is at an unpredictable age and is vulnerable to the things that happen to people at that age. (I know....because I'm the same age.) I'm not sure how people feel about Harris becoming president should Biden suddenly become incapacitated. In fact, I'm not sure how I feel about Harris becoming president. I know that it would be difficult for her to bow out and for Biden to select another VP.....but maybe, for political purposes, he needs a younger person to fill that role.....and in keeping with current prejudices, a male person.....just sayin'

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Okay, I think Harris sucks as a person in the way Hillary did. She has seen the issues for years. Heck, I could do that job If i was exposed to the issue for years. I have not personally liked the person for President in my live time. So, what is your point?

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All true and frequently inspiring. Less inspiring is that half of Americans think the economy is terrible and Biden is incompetent, or worse. We’re not going to fix the nauseating stench of the Republican propaganda machine as it pumps lies and more lies. That leaves us with the media, who reinforce Republican propaganda. Who can fix the media? If we don’t have an answer, we would be deluded if we don’t think Trump 2024 is a distinct possibility.

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I don’t “like” this. In fact I hate it. The truth is, in part, that the media have also been subject to being bought by large players with deep pockets. Numerous newspapers and other news outlets have gone out of business in many markets. “Who can fix the media,” you ask. I ask “What can fix the media?”

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What can fix it? Antitrust laws at one time prevented people from owning more than one or two outlets in an area such as two stations from the 2 major networks like ABC, CBS, NBC. Murdoch got that thrown out. Like car dealerships could not own a competitor dealership. All this antitrust was designed for one thing...to move money upward and suppresss workers ability to push back against abuse.

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Rickey , while regular citizens were working to pay their bills and raise families, we took our eyes off those who were voted into offices where they could use their votes to put money into their pockets and/or into the pockets of people who helped to elect them.

Now, thanks to President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, we have had the mask lifted and it's not a pretty scene. But also thanks to President Biden and his excellent team, we are seeing better actions being taken that are already helping. We are "Building Back Better!"

Our relationships with world leaders are stronger. Those leaders opposing freedom also know where we stand. President Biden is not a coward nor a war monger. As the saying goes,"Freedom is not free!"

We MUST keep President Biden and his advisers in office for the betterment of our country and to support freedom worldwide!

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FREEDOM ! is NOT FREE ! ASK ANY VETERAN, Who was BLESSED, to Return HOME ! ( GO ! , Blue ! )

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Well said.

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I don't "like" this but what you say is true. The concentration of huge sums of money in the bank accounts of a relatively small number of people is behind many of our problems. Their ability to wield their money and influence out of the sight of the pubic is another huge problem.

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“We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”

-SCOTUS Justice Louis Brandeis

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We could euphemize this as "capitalist democracy", one of the worst influences in American politics in the past decade+

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In fact, what HCR praises about President Biden's increasing competition is not true insofar as media goes. The ownership of our remaining newspapers and television stations is consolidating, not becoming more diverse and localized. 'What can fix the media?', you ask. The answer is enforcing existing anti-trust legislation and updating it. (And this is also true of agriculture, where the small and middle-sized farmers are disappearing.)

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That’s a very good question, especially when supposedly center-left media like the New York Times and Washington Post drift ever more rightward, and that includes their journalists who don’t have a clue that that’s what they’re doing. Indeed, what can fix that? Alas, you may be right. Nothing can fix it.

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Damn, I've done it again - reduced the window to check something and couldn't find it again. What I said was that I unsubscribed WaPo because I could stand their righters (pun intended), then thought I'd give them another chance, recognising their both-sides policy. We all know who to avoid if we don't want to be sick, plus you do get Jennifer Rubin and Alexandra Petri. The worst are the commenters, who don't seem to be monitored in any way. However: Glenn Kessler dominated page 1 (today, I think) with his fact-check of T Tuberville's campaign pledge to donate all his earnings to the Veterans. That really unleashed the commenters - in the desired way. Never seen so many discourteous variants on a surname.

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Part of the problem has to do with who owns the newspapers, how much editorial control they choose to exercise and how much money they’re willing to invest (or lose) in this enterprise. Not alienating actual and potential advertisers becomes a priority. Newsroom staffing gets cut back. Rigorous copy editing is seen as an unaffordable luxury.

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It's all CBS president said it well back in 2016 that Donald Trump was not good for the country but he sure is good for our bottom line. Or sometime like that. The Fairness Doctrine was eliminated back some 20 years ago and anti trust laws still on the books were not enforced and still aren't. But Biden is stepping up.

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Is it possible for people to acknowledge the difference between fact and opinion? And that one’s perspective (right or left or empathetic or racist) doesn’t change the facts. I thought media channels (TV, newspapers) used to differentiate between fact and opinion but not anymore.

Go to the gym and watch CNN and Fox at the same time side by side. The same news story has two different spins.

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Terese, Biden could start with the Murdoch empire that owns both newspapers and television stations is major cities. I thought that was illegal.

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I was happy to read earlier this week that Murdock is being sued multiple times. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy...

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but, but, but our legal system is so damn slow for the big guy and might be years that they come to trial. You and I would already be in jail.

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It would seem to me that if one is going to use the word “news” in a public facing brand or title, then there should be certain mandatory expectations of actual journalism. Balanced, truthful, objective. We can discuss and decide on our own how we feel about a topic.

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It probably is illegal. I'm not a lawyer but I bet there are people who are reading this who would know. Let's see — "tangle with Murdoch, who owns both newspapers and television stations in major cities?" I wonder what would occur to him as a way to retaliate???

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Looking at the number of people who subscribe to Substack, I think we’re all doing a small bit to fix the media. That’s encouraging.

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Robert, so true. How many times in the past year, while reporting on great jobs numbers, have the mainstream media said “staving off a recession” as if it’s inevitable that a recession is all but inevitable with this president. I’m fed up with this “balanced” clickbait.

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