CNBC Sucks So Bad Ratings Are Falling

It is good to see that the daily disaster known as CNBC is experiencing its worst rating since 2005.

CNBC‘s total number of quarterly viewers fell to their lowest level since the second quarter of 2005, and in the all-important age group of 25-54, CNBC witnessed its lowest level quarter since 1994, reports Vikas Shukla of ValueWalk.com

Apparently, people are tuning away from the bogus supply side economics of Larry Kudlow.

Larry Kudlow still talks about the importance of gold. Gold would be important if we still lived in the 19th century economy. Kudlow takes to Twitter to spout inaccurate science.

Crooks and Liars posted this chart to point out how disconnected Kudlow was from the scientific reality of global warming.

Kudlow and his panel accused Occupy Wall Street of being dangerous people prone to violence. One of those people is publicly disgraced journalist Armstrong Williams. If you recall, Williams was paid $240,000 by the Bush administration to say nice things about No Child Left Behind.

The Government Accountability Office ruled that the Williams' contract was illegal "covert propaganda." Williams repaid $34,000 in a settlement with the Justice Department.

Jim Cramer's show is also dropping in the ratings. Perhaps it is because he plays with toys on-the-air and is prone to panic attacks.

CNBC could go off the air tomorrow and the only people that would care is Wall Street firms that get free propaganda.

Why the Occupy Wall Street Movement Exists

CNN Money reported this staggering figure on the bonuses of Standard & Poor 500 companies.

After two years of lower pay packages, chief executives at the nation's major companies enjoyed a 36.5% jump in pay last year, according to a leading survey of CEO compensation.

In the other America, census data reports more Americans are no longer middle class.

About 97.3 million Americans fall into a low-income category. Together with the 49.1 million who fall below the poverty line, they number 146.4 million, or 48 percent of the U.S. population.

The majority of Americans live below the poverty line. Meanwhile, CEO bonuses are getting bigger. This is why the Occupy Wall Street movement exists. Both political parties and the conservative base want to protect the status quo. The tea party movement claims to be founded to protest the bailout. The truth is they love corporate power. Cue Tim Nerenz, Ph.D.

You can’t be for the poor and against the things that end poverty.

You can’t be against the corporations who create the jobs they need to care for themselves. You can’t be against the Walmarts and Targets who sell quality goods at prices they can afford. You can’t be against the drug companies who treat their chronic diseases.

You aren't for the poor if you support government handouts for corporations and are against a safety net for the poor. Nerenz's libertarian heart would love nothing more than to end Medicare and Social Security. However, Nerenz goes on about how awesome the rich are. Never mind that the rich don't create the jobs he claims they do.

You can’t hate the rich and be for the poor. It is not your place to tell another how many steps forward out of poverty you will allow before you punish the next - nobody made you Simon. Each person decides for himself/herself how much is enough, how much to give back, who to give it back to, and in exchange for what. If you are unhappy with how your sister spends her millions, make millions of your own and do with them as you see fit.

Don't go hating Goldman Sachs for selling their investors garbage and then betting on their investors to lose. Goldman Sachs is creating jobs by laying off their own employees.

Side note: Nerenz got his PH.D from the online school Athabasca University. If I was Nerenz, I wouldn't brag about that PH.D.

Update: a comment says that Nerenz got his PH.D from Northcentral University. I will note that Northcentral University is also an online school with a worse reputation.

In 2011 the US Department of Education determined Northcentral was one of 75 institutions that had failed its 2009-2010 financial responsibility test, and would be required to post a letter of credit in order to for students to receive federal financial aid.

Along with Northcentral University, other schools that failed were Academy for Five Element Acupuncture, Biblical Theological Seminary, Florida Christian College and a host of other Christian schools. Remember this when Republicans say intelligent design should be taught in K-12 school.

Short answer: Nerenz is posing as a conservative intellectual with a garbage education.

The song remains the same

Whenever you read a good piece of liberal journalism, or watch a liberal documentary, the facts are always pristine, but the classic conclusion is a call to action that is just left dangling out there, with nothing following it. A summary of most conclusions is “We must rise up and fight against this!”, but there is hardly ever an activist organization formed that can follow through, continuing to work against the problems detailed. Sometimes the authors will make a half-heartered attempt and give a link to a website where you can continue the discussion, but that’s not organizing a movement.

I wrote that when I finished reading Barbara Ehrenreich's book “Bait and Switch”, which coincidentally coincided with the beginning of the Occupy movement. Subconsciously, as a veteran of liberal/socialist protest movements that went nowhere, I think I reviewed Ehrenreich's book so -- when Occupy was inevitably shut down by our freedom-lubbing gubermint -- I could compare and contrast Occupy with past movements.

And I hate to be negative, especially when standing in the still smoldering embers of a movement that did more to change the national conversation about greed and inequality that the Democrat Party has done in a generation, but I'm still left with that familiar sour taste in my mouth.

I tasted this sourness after Nader and the Green Party didn't get 5% of the national popular vote in 2000 (which would have given the Greens access to federal funding in the 2004 election) and Bush blatantly stole the election.

I tasted this sourness after the anti-globalization protesters shifted their focus to anti-war protests in 2002 and 2003, yet we didn't stop the still ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I tasted this sourness in 2004 when nearly half a million people marched in the streets of midtown Manhattan to protest the Republican National Convention.

I tasted this sourness when I took my activism to blogging from 2003 - 2006, ending my run feeling like I was just uselessly wanking about politics to an ever-decreasing audience after my popularity had peaked.

And now that the Occupy movement has all but concluded at this point, that familiar feeling is welling up in the back of my throat.

"A summary of most conclusions is 'We must rise up and fight against this!', but there is hardly ever an activist organization formed that can follow through..."

Where do we go from here? What's the plan? What, exactly, are we going to do?

Will anyone ever answer these questions?

Joe Walsh Runs From OWS

Tea Party-supported Congressman Joe Walsh ran for office claiming to be anti-establishment and for the people. Occupy Wall Street protesters from Walsh's district came to talk to the first term Congressman. Walsh's response was to run out the back door. What a man of the people.

Greedism #OWS

Generally, I'm a fan of capitalism. I like knowing I have the freedom to innovate anything I want and try to sell it, should I ever think of a fantastic idea that will help society and, in turn, my wallet. But rampant greed and government corruption have perverted our financial system into something that's called "capitalism" but really isn't -- I'm not sure what to call our system, actually. Feudalism? Greedism?

For example, in our financial system it would be incredibly difficult for someone as poor as me to raise the capital needed to found a business. Personally, I can't even get a credit card right now -- nevermind a business loan. But suppose I did have an idea, a business plan, and a loan and got off the ground. What happens then?

Further growth requires that other investors believe in my ideas, which is why capitalism works well in conjunction with democracy because investors are able to vote with their dollars. If investors believe my ideas are profitable, they are supposed to be able to invest in my company by purchasing stock in hopes that my ideas will cause the stock price to grow, increasing the return on their investment. And with stock dollars giving me a fresh infusion of capital, I am supposed to invest that capital in growing my business: hiring more people, producing more products, and selling more stuff.

As long as a business grows, everyone's happy. Right? Investors are richer, the company is growing, and more jobs are created. In a capitalist system, everyone should be happy with this.

You would think.

What if I told you a month ago that you could invest in a business whose quarterly performance would increase by 39% compared to last year, ending at $29.28 billion in revenue. Additionally, that company just released a new product which sold 4 million units in three days, breaking sales records. If you had the clairvoyance to see that all of this would happen, would you believe in the company? Would you jump at a chance to buy that stock?

Well, if you bought Apple stock last month, you would have lost money yesterday because the stock price lost 6.5% of its value. Why? Because investors didn't think Apple grew fast enough.

Yes. Really.

Ponder that notion for a minute or two, then ask yourself exactly just how greedy are the one percent? Then ask how democratic this system is, since people like you and I -- who would invest in such a company based on how they are growing right now -- are too busy cobbling together enough money to eat, so we don't have the money needed to voice our opinions on an open market.

That's not capitalism, that's an extreme addiction to money that needs to be recognized as a mental illness. After society recognizes this as an illness, it must be treated with medication, therapy, and in some cases temporary institutionalization of the sick.

Instead, our politicians and media embrace this sickness. They claim it's normal capitalism -- and that's the problem.

Sgt. Shamar Thomas of Occupy Wall Street

Sgt. Shamar Thomas stood up to the NYPD and got them to stand down against the Occupy Wall Street protesters. Thomas told Keith Olbermann that the police are using excessive force against the OWS activists.

One Marine v. NYPD at Occupy Wall Street

A U.S. Marine stands up to the NYPD. The Marine demands why the police are acting like they are about to go to war. The Marine shouts to the police that "this is not war." The Marine told the NYPD, "There is no honor in this."

The police backed down. Semper Fi.

Arrests at Occupy Wall Street

Mother Jones filmed Occupy Wall Street protesters being arrested in Washington Square Park.

Things got ugly in Times Square. Protesters tried to push their way through barricades. Several protesters were arrested.



The Occupy Tampa protesters wisely chose to avoid arrests. News footage of arrests and confrontations with the police will only hurt the Occupy Wall Street movement. The disastrous Seattle protests of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in 1999 failed to initiate change. Protesters getting arrested will have the media portray the Occupy movement in a negative light.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has important grievances with economic policy in America. Wall Street executives melted down the market through shortsighted and ethically questionable actions. The federal government responded by bailing out Wall Street with near zero percent loans and no real regulatory reform. Meanwhile, middle class and lower income people are having their houses foreclosed upon. Often through illegal paperwork.

Many Americans are having are hard time making a living or finding a good job. Yet their tax dollars were used for the bailout for the companies that help destroy the American economy. People should be angry and protest. However, Occupy Wall Street can make their case better by avoiding trouble with law enforcement.

Kids At Occupy Wall Street

Look at these two cute kids at Occupy Wall Street. Do they look like an angry mob to you? I think not.

The Trillion Dollar Sellout/Bailout

Matt Taibbi has a must-read article with a great rundown of the “Armageddon” of lawsuits banks face from states, counties, and investors due to their sale of fraudulent Mortgage Backed Securities [MBS].

[I]f you add up all of the MBS-related liability out there, the banks as it stands are facing an Armageddon of claims from all sides. It can’t possibly be less than a trillion dollars, and it’s probably much, much more.

This is important to know because, in Washington, Obama is busy working on a deal to sell us out to the bankers.

But the Obama administration’s current plan [the foreclosure settlement deal] is to let them all walk after paying a few shekels apiece into a $20 billion kitty.

That’s $20 billion combined from all the big banks, by the way — not $20 billion from each.

At a bare minimum, the Obama administration needs to push for strong regulations to stop this kind of Wall Street excess from happening again. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing big banks broken up into smaller, not-too-big-to-fail banks so this ridiculous merger graph can, again, be seen in reverse:

Indeed, going back to Taibbi:

If the Obama administration was serious about helping actual human beings through this settlement, then it would be fighting for homeowners to get the same bailout the banks would get. If the banks are getting a trillion or more dollars of legal immunity, why shouldn’t homeowners get that much debt forgiveness? Or, half that much? A quarter?

For anyone who wonders why activists are occupying Wall St., and dozens of other locations, look no further. And who anyone who wonders if this movement will benefit the Obama administration, again, look no further.

And for anyone who accuses common sense proposals like regulation and antitrust actions against the current banking system is somehow “socialist” or even from the political left, screw you. Get a couple brain cells to fucking rub together.

Joel Award Winner: Eric Cantor

It is time to give out the Joel Award. The award goes any celebrity, pundit, blogger or politician that purposely contradicts himself or herself.



House Majority Leader Eric Cantor refereed to the Occupy protesters as a "growing mob." Cantor is tripping over himself trying to backtrack from his position.

"People are upset and they're justifiably frustrated. They're out of work. The economy is not moving," Cantor said. "Their sense of security for the future is not clear at all. People are afraid and I get it."

Cantor first gave us the impression that we needed to hide the children and lock our doors in fear the the "angry mob." Suddenly, Cantor gets why the Occupy movement is angry about the economy. For that flip flop Cantor receives a well-earned Joel Award.

Cantor never flipped that fast on his messaging for President Obama. If you follow or read the blogs of Joy-Ann Reid and Angry Black Lady, they will bash progressives that say bipartisanship has been a failure for Obama. I asked Angry Black Lady to explain to me how Obama is playing 3-D chess? Angry Black Lady tweeted she didn't have time to get in a fight with me. She then proceeded to pick a fight with Marcy Wheeler (aka Empty Wheel) of FireDogLake. So much for a productive use of time.

The Occupy movement isn't interested in working with Republicans. Occupy is making demands to make a more progressive tax code and for financial reform. These are things that Cantor is against. Yet, Cantor goes out of his way to say that he feels the pain of the Occupy movement. The reason Cantor is playing nice is because the Occupy movement is populist and he is feeling political pressure. Cantor doesn't respond to bipartisanship. He does care about his political survival.

As for an angry mob: that couldn't be further from false. Occupy Tampa has been complying with the police.

Demonstrators have obeyed police commands to keep sidewalks clear and to not camp in city parks, Westlake said. Late Sunday, about 15 protesters were told to move from Lykes park to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, a few blocks away.

They peacefully complied, Westlake said.

So far, officers have not made any arrests in the lingering rally, police said.

"It's going very well," police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. "Any rules we've explained to them, they've been very accommodating. I think they had their mission, which was to make sure their voice was heard on their issues, and they didn't want to interfere with anything going on in the city."

Bernie Sanders on Occupy Wall Street

Sen. Bernie Sanders tells Wolf Blitzer that he "applauds" the Occupy Wall Street protesters. Sanders also takes the Obama administration to task her not doing investigations of Wall Street.

Seriously, Erin Burnett

Cenk Uygur takes Erin Burnett to task for her smug on-air report about the Occupy Wall Street protest. Burnett used to worked for Goldman Sachs and the horrible CNBC. Her love of Wall Street is not surprising. However, it is shocking when the Wall Street friendly Forbes took down Burnett's coverage of Occupy Wall Street.

Erin Burnett was way too dismissive and condescending of these protesters. Who proclaimed that only people who live in caves and don’t use bank machines can show up to protest on Wall Street?

Burnett comes across as the Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls. Seriously, should I care that I'm more popular than you.

Solidarity Pizzas

I have asked Tina Dupuy of Crooks and Liars to help buy pizzas for Occupy Tampa. C&L have been buying "solidarity pizzas" for the Occupy protests. These pizzas cost money and lots of it. C&L founder John Amato is asking for donations. Learn more about solidarity pizzas and how to help by clicking the link.

Pizza For Protesters Occupy Tampa Protesters

Tina Dupuy of Crooks and Liars is going to buy pizzas for the Occupy Tampaprotesters. We need a pizza joint to fill the order. Suggestions.

You can tweet Tina a nearby pizzeria @tinadupuy. Tell her it is for the Occupy Tampa rally. Special thanks to Tina and the C&L gang for doing this.

Occupy Tampa Update

Occupy Tampa will hold a rally at this Thursday at 9:00 AM in Lykes Gaslight Square Park. The organizers are asking you to come prepared for a possible long stay.

10/6 - Be prepared. Bring sleeping bags. Bring food and supplies. Prepare to stay. Prepare to leave. Anything is possible. Cameras are essential.

What I am asking is that people donate pizzas to the Occupy Tampa protesters. Crooks and Liars were able to get pizzas to the Occupy L.A. protesters. I do not have the kind of network reach that C&L has. I would certainly appreciate it if organizations helped feed the protesters.

You can learn more about donating food to Occupy Tampa contacting the organizers at OccupyTampaSocial115@gmail.com.

Mitt Romney on Occupy Wall Street

Brace yourselves for a major shock. Mitt Romney doesn't support the Occupy Wall Street protests. Romney was at the Villages retirement community. This is a must campaign stop for any Republican running for a statewide or national race. Romney used the standard Republican talking point of class warfare.

“I think it’s dangerous, this class warfare,” Romney said to an audience of about 50 people in response to a question about the protests over such issues as high unemployment, home foreclosures and the 2008 corporate bailouts.

This is the same Mitt Romney that disastrously failed to channel Bill Clinton empathy by telling people he is unemployed. When someone like Romney is worth $200 million and not working he isn't unemployed. He is retired. Romney just doesn't get it and never will.

Occupy Miami

Middle class and poor people showed up this past Saturday at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. They took part in an Occupy Miami meetup. Many of the people that came were first-time political activists. Event organizer Muhammad Malik discussed the concerns of these people with the Florida Independent.

“All these different people who talked might have emphasized different issues,” Malik says, “but the key issue was: Do we live in a democracy or plutocracy? Do we live in a country where we truly have a say in the economic decisions that lead to our well-being? Or do we have no role whatsoever? I think there is a particular sense of urgency with young people, many living with their parents. Many are unemployed and don’t know what they are going to do.”

There have been questions asked about what the leaderless Occupy Wall Street movement hopes to achieve. Politicians pay attention to people who fund their campaigns. Economically disadvantaged people do not have the financial power to make establishment Democrats listen to their concerns. Let alone the Republican Party. The Koch brothers can summon governors Rick Scott and Rick Perry to their Vail, Colorado retreat. The Obama administration (until a dip in poll numbers) have dismissed the complaints of progressive activists. Republicans listen to the tea party because they fear their base. Democrats ignore progressives because they secretly despise their base. Republicans would not make the kind of concessions on taxes, abortion, and gun control that Obama did because they would never make it through the next election primary.

The Occupy Wall Street movement may not have the financial power to flood Capital Hill with lobbyists. What they can do is vote. I'm sure the Occupy activists are just as disappointed with President Obama as the Republicans. I have been critical of Obama on this blog. That doesn't mean that President Ron Paul or Rick Santorum wouldn't be far worse. There is a stark difference between Obama's neoliberalism and Republicans that want to cut taxes on the rich and raise taxes on the poor.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has to be for something. This is important. Sen. Lindsey Graham was one of the first to point out the problem with the tea party.

"The problem with the Tea Party, I think it’s just unsustainable because they can never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out."

Polls have shown that the tea party is becoming increasingly unpopular. A CNN poll found that only 28 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the tea party. Occupy Wall Street isn't nearly as toxic as the tea party. Their concerns about the economy and the democratic process are the same as many Americans. The problem is that the media will ignore Occupy if they don't have any policy accomplishments. The protests are noble but the media will eventually dismiss it as old news.

Rich Drink Champagne and Mock Occupy Wall Street Protesters

These rich people are so utterly self-absorbed that they don't know the meaning of good PR. It is hard for people to believe the Republican Party spin about the rich needing tax cuts because they are "job creators." Never mind that unemployment is high across the country. These people drank champagne and mockingly waved at the protesters.

More Occupy Wall Street Arrests

The Young Turks posted this on Facebook. This is going down as I am writing this.

If you're in NYC get to the Brooklyn Bridge now, they're arresting people, join the movement, take pictures/video show the world what they're doing.

If you are there and have news post it in the comments section or email me at Sullivan40@gmail.com.

Update: A young girl well under 18 was arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Update: The New York Times reports that the police will arrest any protester that ignores a warning to stay off the roadway.

Update: Gotta Laff has pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge arrests.

Update: CBS News reports 500 protesters were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge.