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The Real Redistribution
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Republicans love to whine about redistribution of wealth, but it's all just an act. They may scream about "socialist" welfare programs, they don't make a peep when massive amounts of America's wealth goes straight to the top.
 
According to Paul Buchheit over at Alternet, the 14 richest Americans increased their wealth by $82 billion dollars in the last year alone. And, they're just a small part of the wealthiest 400 Americans, who Forbes magazine says got $270 billion dollars richer over that same time period. To put those numbers in perspective,
 
Paul pointed out that our entire food stamp budget is only $80 billion dollars - and it feeds 50 million people in our country each year. The wealth that flowed to the 14 richest people could have hired two million pre-school teachers in our country, while middle class wages stayed stagnant, and programs for the poor were slashed at every turn. Talk about redistribution of wealth.
 
Republicans in Congress say that we can't afford to rebuild our infrastructure, extend unemployment benefits, or help students struggling with college debt, but they're wrong. We can afford to make those investments in our nation, and we must reverse the trickle-up economics that sends all the wealth straight to the top.
 
We've had three decades under the disastrous policies of Ronald Reagan, and we don't need more evidence to prove that trickle-down is a myth. Thirty-plus years of Reaganomics have put more and more wealth in the hands of a few, and left our government struggling to care for many.
 
The greed of the richest 14 people doesn't out-weigh the needs to 50 million, and it's time to stop the real redistribution of wealth that's been going to the top.
 
-Thom
 
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Dr. Helen Caldicott, Crisis Without End (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
 
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Need to Know: AIG...$184 BILLION bailout wasn't enough...!
- Richard Eskow, Campaign for America's Future / The Zero Hour  Twitter  Twitter  Twitter
 
Screwed: Microsoft CEO tells women..."women shouldn't ask for a raise"
- Sam Bennett, Political Strategist / Author of the forthcoming book, Ascend  Twitter
 
Conversations with Great Minds - Dr. Helen Caldicott, Crisis Without End  Twitter
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Friday's Daily Stack Daily Stack
Quote: "The generally accepted notion that the court can only hear roughly 150 cases each term gives the same sense of reassurance as the adjournment of the court in July, when we know the Constitution is safe for the summer." -- Future Chief Justice John Roberts, April 19, 1983.
 
In for Thom today, please welcome progressive commentators Danielle  Twitter & Shane-O  Twitter, Hosts of Talking Left
 
Hour One: SCOTUS vs. Paul Weyrich...
Article: "Reminder: Deadline to register to vote is today" (North Carolina, Friday, October 10, 2014) by Winston-Salem Journal.
Site: James Bryan for Congress (District 1, Florida).
 
The FBI's war on privacy
- Andrew Crocker, Electronic Frontier Foundation Twitter Twitter
Law: "Patriot Act", 2001.

Hour Two: Saving the Senate
- David Bender, Progressive Voices Twitter
 
Article: "2010 FBI raid linked to terror" by Randy Furst, February 26, 2014.
 
Environmental justice in this year's elections
- Desi Doyen, The Green News Report Twitter
Article: "'Green News Report' - October 9, 2014" by Desi Doyen.
 
Talk Radio News Segment:
- Bob Ney Twitter
Article: "UN Envoy: Ebola Cases Doubling Every 3-4 Weeks" by Edith M. Lederer.
Article: "Medical examiner: St. Louis officer shot teen 7 or 8 times" by Ralph Ellis and Ed Payne.
Law: "Help America Vote Act" (2002).
Article: "TRNS News Notes- 10/10" by Victoria Jones.
Article: "TRNS News Notes- 10/9" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Anything Goes Friday!
Book: Rick Scott: Enemy of the State by David Kearns.
Article: "1918 flu pandemic"(Spanish flu) by Wikipedia.
Article: "Jonas Salk" by Wikipedia.
Poem: "Justice" by Langston Hughes.

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