The original Greek word “idiotes” referred to people who might have had a high IQ, but were so self-involved that they focused exclusively on their own life and were both ignorant of and uncaring about public concerns and the common good.
Some of these rich folks seem to think that everything belongs to them and they’ll even get to take it with them when they die. But you know what? You don’t ever see a hearse pulling a U Haul.
Good wages are pro business, since they reduce turnover, increase morale, produce better-skilled employees, and improve productivity.
Ronald Reagan’s idea of a good farm program was Hee Haw.
If it’s dangerous to talk to yourself, it’s probably even dicier to listen.
You have to learn to read between the lies.
Reagan promised everyone a seven-course dinner. Ours turned out to be a possum and a six-pack.
Banks don’t commit crimes. Bankers do. And they won’t ever stop if they don’t have to pay for their crimes.
You can’t do progressive government from the inside. You have to rally those outsiders and make them a force.
We’ve got to go to the people with bold ideas and candidates of conviction – we’ve got to be hotter than high school love.
Populism is not a style, it’s a people’s rebellion against the iron grip that big corporations have on our country – including our economy, government, media, and environment.
It’s hard to believe President George Bush gave a speech in New Orleans about disaster recovery and failed to mention the word ‘farm’ or the word ‘rural.’
If ignorance goes to forty dollars a barrel, I want drilling rights to George Bush’s head.
The corporation cannot be ethical, its only responsibility is to make a profit.
There’s enormous progressive activism and, more often than not, success at the grassroots level – everything from living wage campaigns to efforts to finance our elections are having terrific success.
The real bias of the media is not to the left or to the right, but to the thin strata of economic elites at the top of our society.
Organic agriculture is more about fairness and respect than it is about parts-per-billion of pesticide residues.
It’s an essential fight librarians are making, an age-old fight; yours is a battle for civilization. It’s a fight for our country’s founding values.
If you don’t speak out when it matters, when would it matter to speak out?
Well, I’ve been in the political arena all of my life, and 10 years of that as a candidate and elected official, and that’s about enough.
But the good news is that out in the countryside, just about every place that’s got a zip code has somebody or some group of people battling the economic and political exclusion that Wall Street and Washington are shoving down our throats.