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Three decades of Reaganomics has left half of our entire nation in poverty. Thanks to economic policies that only benefit the one percent, nearly one fifth of all Americans live below the federal poverty line, and another 32 percent are officially low-income. And, those statistics would be even worse if we weren't using an economic measure that is stuck in the 1950s. The federal poverty live was originally calculated based on the price of food six decades ago, but it hasn't kept up with real costs.
 
Just since Reagan took office, food prices have doubled, housing prices have gone up three-fold, medical expenses are six times higher, and college tuition costs eleven times what it did in the 1950s. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of three has to take in at least $48,000 dollars a year just to break even, but half of our country struggles to get by on far less than that. While those at the top rake in an ever-expanding share of all income, more than one third of our nation is working harder for less money. And, our out-dated poverty measure means that they aren't even eligible for a little financial assistance.
 
When we talk about making the rich pay their fair share, the right-wing screams of socialism and class warfare. Yet, they have no logical defense for an economic system that provides billions in tax breaks for the wealthy, but denies a living wage and a little help to the average working American. Reaganomics has devastated our middle class, stolen our retirements, and saddled our children with a trillion dollars in student loan debt. The only class warfare here is the one being waged by the rich against everyday Americans. The myth of trickle-down has been debunked, and the truth is that we need a new era of shared prosperity. It's time to take back our economy and reboot the American Dream.
 
-Thom
 
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 9pm... Dr. Guy McPherson, Arctic News / Going Dark (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
 
Get your copy of Thom's new book, The Crash of 2016, today and click here for tour dates & events!
 
Watch the video 'Last Hours' narrated by Thom Hartmann about the "time bomb" that is ticking underground, underwater and under ice... frozen methane that is now escaping and could trigger runaway climate change. www.lasthours.org
 
Have a question or comment for Thom? Grab your phone, hit record and send your video to [email protected] and we may air it on "The Big Picture."
 
Big Picture Rumble:
- Jessie Jane Duff, U.S. Marine Corps (ret)  Twitter  Twitter
- Bridget Todd, Democratic Strategist  Twitter
- Kevin Martin, Project 21  Twitter
 
Conversations with Great Minds - Dr. Guy McPherson, Arctic News / Going Dark   Twitter

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Thursday's Daily Stack Daily Stack
Hour One: Are anti-depressants mass murder pills?
- Dr. Peter Breggin, Medication Madness: The Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide and Crime Twitter
Article: "Fort Hood Gunman Was Being Treated for Depression" by David Montgomery, Manny Fernandez and Timothy Williams.
Article: "Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Washington Navy Yard shooting" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Columbine High School massacre" by Wikipedia.
 
The Big Picture
- Nate Sweet, The Big Picture producer
Article: "Supreme Court Ends Individual Aggregate Campaign Contribution Limits" by Shane Farnan. (McCutcheon v. FEC)
Article: "New CEO Barra Faces Tough Task in Shedding Old GM" by Tom Krisher and Marcy Gordon.
Article: "7 takeaways from GM recall hearing" by Chris Isidore and Katie Lobosco.
Article: "The Price Of Human Life, According To GM" by Michael Moore.
 
Book: Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.

Hour Two: The war on women's paychecks, part 2
- Barbara Honegger, October Surprise.
Book: "October Surprise" by Barbara Honegger.
Article: "'Argo' helps Iran's dictatorship, harms democracy " by Abolhassan Bani-Sadr.
Article: "Equal Rights Amendment" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Study of Disputed Florida Ballots Finds Justices Did Not Cast the Deciding Vote" by Ford Fessenden and John M. Broder, November 12, 2001.
 
The good: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC): "New Bill Would Force Obama Administration To Count Drone Deaths" by Matt Sledge.

Hour Three: Is the Christian right responsible for the decline of religion?
- Bryan Fischer, American Family Association / Focal Point Radio Twitter Twitter
Quote: "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus." by Blaise Pascal.
Article: "Elaine Pagels".
 
Article: "Bhagavad Gita" by Wikipedia.
Movie: "Noah".
Article: "Epic of Gilgamesh" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Zoroaster" by Wikipedia. (Zarathustra)
Article: "Third Council of Constantinople" by Wikipedia.
Article: "Apocryphal Gospels".
 
Big data is big money
Article: "Letter to Samuel Kercheval" by Thomas Jefferson, June 12, 1816. "I am not among those who fear the people. They, and not the rich, are our dependence for continued freedom."
Letter: "To James Madison, Fontainebleau, Oct. 28, 1785" by Thomas Jefferson. "Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions or property in geometrical progression as they rise."
 
Article: "Jesus Seminar" by Wikipedia.
Article: "The Jefferson Bible" by Thomas Jefferson.
Article: "Upanishads" by Wikipedia.
Bible: "Revelation 1".
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Hour Two: It's Anything Goes on Townhall Friday
 
Hour Three: It's Anything Goes on Townhall Friday
 
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Full Show 4/3/14: GM Kills 13 Over .57 Cent Part
Full Show 4/3/14: GM Kills 13 Over .57 Cent Part

Thom discusses the latest efforts by Paypal to obtain more of your personal information with Radio Host and Attorney Mike Papantonio and the lack of media coverage of the IPCC report with The Daily Banter's Tommy Christopher. Thom takes viewer video questions and phone calls in "Your Take, My Take Live" and in tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses how GM should receive the corporate death penalty after killing 13 people over a .57 cent part.


Big Data is Big Money
Big Data is Big Money

Ronald Reagan's October Surprise
Ronald Reagan's October Surprise

The Thom Hartmann Program - April 3, 2014
The Thom Hartmann Program - April 3, 2014

A Response to Phyllis Schlafly
A Response to Phyllis Schlafly

Is the Christian Right Responsible for Decline of Religion?
Is the Christian Right Responsible for Decline of Religion?

Time to Cut Back on the Anti-Depressants?
Time to Cut Back on the Anti-Depressants?

Are Anti-Depressants a Mass Murder Pill?
Are Anti-Depressants a Mass Murder Pill?
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Salem Children's Village child meditating by lakeWould you like to help give a child with a very troubled background this feeling of peace?

Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV) in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow. Can you help? Now on Facebook.