Brave New World Films takes on the Koch brothers.

Brave New World films have done a series of youtube shorts that we agree with one hundred percent.



Check them all out here.

Completely frightening doc about The End of the World...Enjoy!

This is an EX tremely downbeat and frightening environmental film that is now available for free on Youtube.

More bad ideas from Governor Tom Corbett

The fair solution, of course, are tax hikes--targeted at the wealthy and corporations--and not kicking the public in the teeth. Our GOP Pennsylvania governor has chosen the latter decision.

Here's his latest bad idea:

EDINBORO, Pa.—Some Pennsylvania universities should consider drilling for natural gas below campus to help solve their financial problems, Gov. Tom Corbett said Thursday. The Erie Times-News reported that Corbett made the suggestion during an appearance at a meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees at Edinboro University.
Corbett said six of the 14 campuses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are located on the Marcellus Shale formation, part of a vast region of underground natural gas deposits that are currently being explored and extracted.

It should also be pointed out that fracking is actually kind of dangerous. We don't know quite how dangerous because the regulated have bought off the regulators (in both parties...has anyone gone to jail over the BP disaster...anybody?) but even the EPA has taken notice. Just a bad idea. And you know what's worse? Corbett isn't even the worst of these worst than you thought Republican governors. We might have caught a break. (See here and here.)

Related: Pennsylvania Democrats have released an ad. I think it references a "Saved by the Bell" episode. Not sure about the effectiveness of this ad but Corbett's ratings are tanking.

More Higher Standard of Living Porn: Read Everything by Democrats Ramshield

While I don't think that Markos Moulitsas is a progressive there are progressives nonetheless who post at the Daily Kos. One of those posters goes by the name of Democrats Ramshield. He lives in Europe now and guess what: Europe is better. Here's his latest post:

As an American expat living in the European Union who lives under socialized medicine, who holds an MBA degree I can now see further that I could while I was in the States, because I'm removed from the plutocrats owned disinformation news networks which as they must all show a profit are tied to the plutocracy's bottom line. This doesn't mean that real journalism in America isn't dead, it does however mean it's on life support and the plutocracy has their hand on the plug if the power bill isn't paid.
In the GOP led class warfare above all the noise and above the Tea Party's union busting efforts we see the real lynch pin of American working class economic slavery, the embodiment of which is the for profit American health care system, whose very purpose in life via the mechanism of medical bankruptcy is to ensure that secure property ownership for the American working class can only be found in the American history books, because in today's modern reality it no longer exists practically speaking. For example you can work your entire life, and all it takes is one serious accident or illness for yourself or any of your family members, and then you have worked your entire life for nothing. This diary presents facts, figures and charts to back up that assertion, that you will never find published in the plutocrat owned media. And as this diary should have reached the recommended list will top out at a maximum of 3000 viewers, we know the plutocracy's secret that they have instituted a program of economic slavery, as a form of neo-feudalism in an act of class warfare against the American working class is a secret that will be kept safe, because the plutocracy owns the media and that means the truth won't get out try though as it may. 

You can read this piece here.

Something You Can Do: Tell Gov. Corbett that its not unamerican to tax profitable fracking companies.

Something you can do. But truth be told, we need federal intervention. Would be nice if the justice department or the EPA would do something.

Here's what the petition says:

Radio station WHYY in Philadelphia reported that Tom Corbett said taxing Marcellus Shale Drilling is "un-American." (http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/flexicontent/item/17611-corbett-amplifies-opposition-to-natural-gas-tax)  TellTom Corbett he needs to apologize.


Sign the Keystone Progress petition here. For background on "UnAmerican things" go to 2 Political Junkies here.

Special Democrats not Helping edition: McCaskill-Corker

Ack. From the Daily Kos:

With Democrats like Claire McCaskill, you don't need Republicans like Ryan.  Earlier this year, she joined with Tennessee Republican Bob Corker to push a plan as bad as Ryan's, but more dangerous because she calls herself a Democrat.  Really.  David Dayen lays it out:

So what is McCaskill-Corker? It would mandate that spending, within ten years, go from 24.7% of GDP to 20.6% of GDP. Instead of looking at what society needs, and advancing programs designed to fulfill those needs, and then determining how to pay for them, then, this bill would artificially limit spending to an arbitrary number that is less than the 22% level of spending under Ronald Reagan. And instead of picking and choosing what programs to save under that cap, McCaskill-Corker forces OMB to make the decision of making “evenly distributed, simultaneous cuts throughout the federal budget.” This would include mandatory spending like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

Debt Limit Vote Could Yield Spending Caps

The budget we wish the president would adapt: The People's Budget

The president said all the right things with his speech, but he always acts like a republican. Not the change I'm looking for. He also is either a terrible negotiator on behalf of the public good (even the latest extension cut almost a billion from the EPA, fracking radiation and BP oil disasters not withstanding...) or consciously on the other side without bothering to make that public.

If he was a really good negotiator he would start with this budget and probably end up with the budget he just articulated. But he hasn't been. Or its on purpose. Two bad options.