Okay there I said it. I hate them! But unfortunately with the whole Fico system they are for the most part a necessity for modern life. How savvy of these companies to make their abusive service near mandatory for our existence. You may think my words harsh, but today most companies review your credit report before hiring you - bad credit, no job. Now, that makes sense.

So we have new legislation in place to protect consumers. Let the abuse continue! When checking my Chase statement yesterday, they raised my APR from 12% to 21% because, boo-hoo, market conditions.  Yes, that is what they told me. These greedy corporations ruined our economy and now conditions are not great for me.

How can you get around this? I can close my Chase account which could reflect poorly on my credit rating. GET IT - accept their abusive raise in rates, or a negative reflection on my credit score. Screw Chase bank! After being a customer for over ten years, I closed the account.

I honestly can care little for their rationalizations or explanation. I don't care if they need to "manage" risk. If only we, the people could do something? If only we, the people could stand up to these gluttons of Capitalism instead of being at their mercy. If only we, THE PEOPLE can take back our future from corporations.

I say anyone who received this from Chase Bank. Don't succumb to their abuse. Close your account and take your business to a smaller bank or better yet credit union. The free market entitles us to choose where we take our business. Let’s take it to the small business.

Oh woe is me! People are STILL whining about Oregon's decision to increase taxes of businesses and the wealthy. First let me remind the world, reducing taxes of businesses and the rich was the practice for nearly 30 years and it failed. Our economy nearly collapsed giving tax breaks to corporations and the rich.

Personally I find if businesses act irresponsibly, or incompetent they should not blame to government. Those business owners should perhaps pack up shop and get a real job like the rest of us. Don’t blame the government if you’re a lousy business person. But I digress…

 Last night after reading comments from a man who I thought of rational mind and intelligence I thought of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote.

 "This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in."

 At some point in America we forgot what it is meant to be united and civil. And my point was proven last week during "Snowmagedon"

Last week was a perfect example of our crumbling infrastructure, business irresponsibility and personal lack of civility.  Our federal government shut down for a couple feet of snow. The same amount of snow falls upon the Kremlin yearly and the Russian government never closes. Snow brought down power lines, halted transportation and collapsed buildings. Maybe if Americans cared more foe society as whole rather than material and superficial needs, perhaps many would not have been without power or gone hungry.

 I also wandered last night what would happen in the United States in the event of a real threatening emergency. We flew immediately to help those in Haiti but we'll condemn and strike our neighbor for an unshoveled walkway or stolen parking space. What would happen if we truly suffered a disaster? Are we prepared and united to help each other through tough times?

Bur we are okay and sold a nasty bill of goods that lowering taxes and cutting essential programs is good. Good for who? What will happen in the event of disaster when we have cut police and emergency crews?  Who is going to be there to help if were cutting back on those who provide us safety. If we continue to cut taxes that pay police and emergency crews, we cannot complain when they don’t respond when we need them. And finally, do you really, really, really think corporate CEO is going to care for our safety. No. when disaster strikes they will be the first to flee. They will be on their private jets away from the disaster. So, let us stop putting businessmen and CEO’s on the top of that proverbial pedestal.

 So during this week of random acts of kindness let’s put aside bitter differences for the common good and support those whose job is to take care of us. Let’s realize that we are very fortunate to live in such a country of abundance and pay a little bit of dues for the common good. 

This blog was inspired by my new favorite news “personality” Dylan Ratigan and newly coined phrase, “Corporate Communism.” A lot has been said about communism and the fear of a “socialized” government repression. But I think Dylan Ratigan is absolutely right…we are under a corporate repression and their propaganda is so brilliant that we are so blinded by our own Capitalistic consumption and superficiality.

Many filmmakers and comedians have called out this capitalistic consumption and superficiality, and we laugh at their jokes, but we continue being blissfully repressed. Banks like Citibank, tell us to live richly by using our high interest credit cards. Who benefits most - Citibank. Can we the average American ever really be rich; don’t count on it. Capital one entertains us with commercials. Yeah!  And don’t forget about the “Free Credit Report” guys, which is far from being free. Read the fine print. Cosmetic companies promote superficial images if beauty, while pharmaceutical companies sell diet pills to make sure we’re thin. I read an advertisement that actually said, “In order to find love, you cannot have belly fat.”  Is superficial beauty and rock hard abs really a quality for love, or is it increased profits for corporations? We are entertained with “reality” shows that we are beyond anyone’s reality it is ridiculous. I could go on, but I guess you get the picture.

We are far from being automatons in a dreary, old Communist Russian factory, but we are blissfully, superficial automatons designed specifically to increase corporate profits.  We, Americans are merely a tool in the corporate cog geared to make CEOs’ richer. Yet as Michael Moore pointed out, that proverbial carrot is consistently dangled before our eyes. You see if we, Americans are too busy, admiring ourselves in the mirror, tiring ourselves out to achieve a perfect body, starving ourselves to achieve zero percent body fat, LOL while texting to our BFF while driving on the freeways, (and that automobile crash you passed was not Grand Theft Auto) or watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 on our big screen televisions we will be too totally self-absorbed to know that corporations are taking advantage of us. They are doing this, merely by praying on our fears, ego and vanity.

It was a year ago when our economy nearly crashed. Our government gave trillions (I lost count) of American tax payer dollars to these banks. Now, this money is gone. No one knows where it is, what the banks did with it, and if the American people will ever see it again. What these banks did was give bonuses to their managers, and used it against their bottom line to show they are making a profit. And the American people went back to looking in the mirror and watching Dancing with the Stars, while people are still losing their jobs, being evicted from their homes and dying in hospital beds because they cannot afford the insurance.  Hooray.

Our nation is becoming a blonde joke. “How many American’s does it take to change a light bulb?” The punch-line “Did the light bulb go out?”  Yes, the bottom nearly fell out and we’re going on blissfully as if nothing happened….to is continued. The question is how will history look back on us? Americans, at least they were good-looking.

Recently, my stepmother forwarded me a video portraying the bonding of a baby deer and a cat. Yes, it was sugary sweet, but the one thought that crossed my mind was, if two animals from different species can get along so well, why can’t American? Bambi and Mr. Peepers the cat putting Americans to shame.

Our issues today are so ridiculously simple, that it truly makes my head spin with the all the “political spin”. The issue is civility and our ability to be civil to fellow American citizens. That’s it! Instead, many are warped by money, greed and selfishness. Our egos are twisted with pride, supremacy and superficiality. And most importantly, our hearts are filled with fear and insecurity. This is our problem, American. Our government is only a small portion of our society’s culture and our corporations are taking advantage of it. We are the problem.

 It is the health care debate that has bought this issue to the forefront. No matter what retorhic you wish to spin, the bottom line is hundred thousands of Americans are doing to debt paying for health care and hundred thousands are dying because they can’t afford medical treatment. That’s it, that’s the crux our problem. So tell me, why so many American’s are against helping fellow Americans who are in need?

The irony of this is, when Hurricane Katrina hit, many gave to the victims. We donated money, time and goods to aid in the recovery. Yet, we cannot give of ourselves to a dying person who is struggling to pay their medical bills and cannot get adequate coverage. Many have proclaimed we should support our troops. So then we should neglect our citizens? That doesn’t make sense. Soldiers are overseas protecting Americans, while corporations are taking advantage of citizens at home?

I was watching the Youtube of Congressman Grayson and someone made a smirk about Grayson’s use of the word “Holocaust”. “How dare he compare our current health care system to the actual Holocaust.” Here’s the point – people are dying in our country unnecessarily and it doesn’t matter how. If we have the means to help, we should.

But our issue with civility goes beyond the health care problem. The most obvious show if lack of civility is when driving. We are absorbed in cell phone calls while driving on the freeways, not just being a nuisance, but a danger. We disobey traffic signals and signs just so we get in front of another. We are all self-contained in an aluminum bubble, that we forget there are other people on the road. Why are we, so much more important and why do we disregard other’s rights? Who the heck are we, anyway?

Until this country learns the basic sports lesson, we will continue to suffer the same problems. “There is no “I” in team. The country does not belong to “me’, it does not belong to ‘You”. It belongs to all. Therefore we will be losers until we work together.

For many years, Lewis Black has been one of my favorite comedians. I have watched his HBO special many times, to the point I can repeat verbatim. This Sunday morning I awoke and granted it wasn’t my first thought of the day, but after being awake for an hour and sipping on my second cup of coffee, I thought of our economy.

Our economy is based on credit and the success of economy is based on the success of the credit markets. That to me is very unnerving. How can you build an economy on credit? We virtually have an economy based on money that we borrow and don’t actually have. Scary. No wonder we have economic issues.

In Lewis Black’s HBO special he talked about water-the essence of life. As a child water was clean and we could drink from the spigot. Now our water that comes from the spigot is not very clean and many buy they water bottled. This example has nothing to do with water, but big business. Make the water dirty that comes from our spigots so we will be encouraged to BUY water from the grocery store. Water, like other natural things (love) should be free. But we will spend a hefty price for both.

Consumers spend what you earn. Well, the average salaries have not kept up with inflation so many people cannot get by on just what they earn. They need credit. We need credit. Let me reiterate, by keeping salaries below inflation rates, encourages people to buy on credit. Making water undrinkable that comes from you tap, encourages you to buy bottled water. In my crazy, rebellious mind, this is a corporate conspiracy against the American people. And thank you Lewis Black, I am not the only one to see this.

The question goes out for the American consumer. Are we satisfied being patsies in a corporate conspiracy? I like many would love to spend only what I earn. I do not want to depend on the disingenuous hand of the credit lender. But what are we going to do? If we don’t use this credit, this will reflect poorly on our credit score which would make it difficult for us to get more credit when we truly need it.