Homer and Martin reveal a new element to the show - Debates, then AIG bonuses and The House's reaction. Martin wonders if the British Government will tax Sir Fred Goodwin's pension? UK D-Day veterans get support to attend the 65th anniversary. Martin wonders if public pressure prompted this change from the Government? Martin reveals there are gaffs when recording the show. And a Homer rant to finish on the treatment of our military.

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ABOVE POLITICS Number 58, with Martin Bain and Homer Fife, from AboveTopSecret.com.
Show length is 33:43.
Direct link to show MP3 file: atsmix_3252.mp3 (12 mb)
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ABOVE POLITICS is the alternative political program from AboveTopSecret.com, all content is copyright (2009) by AboveTopSecret.com and The Above Network, LLC, all rights reserved. No content of the program may be rebroadcast in part or in whole from any web domain other than ATSMIX.com or ABOVETOPSECRET.com without prior written permission of The Above Network, LLC.


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[edit on 3/23/2009 by Dave Rabbit]

Have to disagree with your views on the special tax on the AIG bonuses. The problem is that the US government gave the go ahead for these guys to give these bonuses to begin with. Now they want to take away these bonuses?

Now what does this mean in the future? If the government wants to take away your money, because they don't feel that you deserve it, they can with a special tax? This is unamerican and fascist.

I think that Dodd needs to pay these bonuses himself. After all he was the one that put the legislation into the bill to begin with that allowed for these bonuses to be paid out.

reply to post by whatukno

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But was the House and Senate aware that bonuses were going to be paid? And how many Americans were aware that after bailing AIG out, the management were still looking to get their bonuses.

I have to agree with Homer and Martin that the House has got it finger on the pulse on the US people on this one.

And who were the Representitives who voted against this. What special interests do they have?

reply to post by Freedom ERP

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If the house and senate weren't aware that these bonuses were to be paid they must not have read the bill. This legislation was designed explicitly so that these bonuses could still be paid out. Back in January we all knew these bonuses were coming.

Americans who largely weren't aware of these bonuses are outraged but they shouldn't have been surprised. It was covered on the news, unfortunately few paid attention.

I still disagree with Homer and Martin on this. It's akin to giving a drug addict their drug of choice then punishing them for using it.

Americans all over wrote and called and emailed their representatives demanding that they not pass this bill. The ones that voted against it in my opinion were the ones that really had their fingers on the pulse of the nation. They had the courage in the face of the federal reserve and the treasury department who were telling them the sky would fall if they failed to bail out these crooks to say "NO I won't bail out a failed business anymore."

Maybe we should elect people into our government that can read. It probably would help if our reps in Washington were to actually read the legislation they are ramrodding through the system.

I agree with whatukno. Government wrote the bill allowing the bonuses and it is their slip up. I also wonder why other companies who have paid out possibly even bigger bonuses than AIG aren't under the same spotlight.

reply to post by whatukno

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And I think whatukno, you have hit the nail on the head. How many of our elected officials read what they are voting on. And this questions the caliber of the people we are electing.

reply to post by Freedom ERP

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or it could question the caliber/motive/intelligence/knowledge of the people electing our representatives.

All of this reminds of a humors conservation I had with my Mum who I deliver mail order catalogs with after the news of the AIG bonuses broke . I said because we aren't doing as well because of the recession and a change in area we should get Bail Out money to tune of twenty five grand each . I figured that five hundred dollars would cover our over inflated losses nicely and the rest could be our undeserved bonuses . My sense humor aside the bailouts are are one of the biggest if not the biggest financial scams in history .

I wasn't exactly supportive of the New Zealand government decision to bail out Air New Zealand back in 2001 and taking a 80% stake in airline in the process . But at least Air New Zealand is still flying there is talk of winding up AIG in an orderly manner or something to that effect . But hey the last joke looks set to be on the recipients of the Bail Outs and Bonuses because the US dollar isnt going to be worth much in the near future .

reply to post by jam321

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It is not fair to question the caliber/motive/intelligence/knowledge of the people electing our representatives. We have a limited pool of people to elect. Just think about the presidential elections. There were only 2 front runners and if I am correct (and I stand to be corrected!!) 4 other candidates.

We have the ignore the 4 other candidates. So the US people had a choice between 3 options in reality.

A democrat, A republican or not bother to vote.

If the US people had a choice of up to 10 serious candidates and elected a dud as president I could start to agree with your arguement but when in many cases in the US, the choice is limited to 2 people, what options do voters have. If no one votes, something will get appointed to the job, which seems far worst as there is not comeback. At least if you vote for someone and they fail you, you have the option to not vote for them the next time.

And what help do we give people to make a better informed decision on who they should elect?

Our candidates, it seems to me, will say just about another legal to get elected and promise the earth, because they know most of us will not be interested in calling them to account before the next election.

At least California bucked this trend

REPLY: Dodd and Geithner both knew about this months ago. Then Schmucky Schumer said they (the government) would tax them at 90%. Typical for a Lib. Obviously Schumer hasn't read the Constitution, or just doesn't care. He wouldn't know a Bill of Attainder if it bit him on the butt.

Then there's old Socialist Barney Fwank (toothless because his boys like it that way), says he's going to get to the bottom of who is behind the mortgage crisis which started this whole ball of wax. Some nerve!!! Him (and Dodd) looking for the culprits is the same as OJ looking for the guy who killed his wife. Hey, boys!!! Look in a mirror sometime!

reply to post by Freedom ERP

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Actually, there was no republican representative, and the only true Conservative was Palin.

Hey Homer I gotta tell you that I support the troops just not what they do. I really worry about the troops all the time. One of my cousins used to serve in Iraq. Now he's okay. But I just don't want our troops to be manipulating into serving an agenda be it foreign or domestic. I think that since WWII our troops have been used to serve some agenda by a larger body more powerful than our government to accomplish the foreign policy goals of a world government. That being said, I support them just not what they do.

reply to post by ATSMIX

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Honestly: I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE BONUSES. The government knew they were going out. They did this on purpose. Now they can grandstand and get everybody watching them try and hose these people. They are doing this so you don't notice everything else going on: The fact that the stimulus money went to banks and 60% of it was sent to other countries. The fact that by passing this law they will be able to control how much anyone is payed. The fact that they can fire the CEO of a private company now. The fact that if they did it to a big corporation they can do it to a small one. They fact that if we don't get off this road soon we could have a future where: The government fires who ever they want, tells any company how many they can hire, and how much or how little they can pay them. Wake up Sheep. Bah. bah.

Ah yes, the 'people' are distracted with absurdities while the real end-game plays out.

This is a race to the finish boys and girls. A deadly serious game of musical chairs where 1000 families get their estate, replete with private army, and 100 million get to face the consequences of 100 years of degrading the environment, poisoning the food and water, eating corn-syrup for calories, and a foreign policy that stole trillions from the third world at gun point (and killed anyone who objected).

Buckle-up, the end of the Empire is going to be one hell of a ride. You know in Romania, Nicolae Ceauşescu ensured that the army (and especially the palace guard) were very well fed while the people starved. So in the coming Divided States of America, it would serve you well to be employed by one of the private armies looking after the rich people, like Blackwater (err... I mean Xe).

The bonuses are irrelevant, because the US dollar will soon be worthless anyway. It will be third world monopoly money, only good for building palaces for your kings and paying the armies to protect them. The game RIGHT NOW is to quickly convert the monopoly money into a safe haven before the riots start.

Have fun.

flea.