A substantial portion of the population has been taught that the worst people in the world to trust are the people who know the most about anything. They have nothing to say to us. We have our good old common sense which, I have learned, grows less sensible as it grows more common. This has been a lesson devised by people whose power is threatened by the act of creating a political commonwealth in which their power needs must be scrutinized and, if necessary, limited.

–  Charlie Pierce, I Dream Of Commonwealth: The Things We Do For Ourselves

People who are successful for a while think they know everything.  People who are rich think they are always right.  People who are both successful and rich are absolutely incredible douchebags.  It seems like a law of nature (i.e. I can only assume that if I ever become rich and successful I will also become a douchebag.  One more reason not to be wishing too hard for things like that.).

–  Cathy O’Neil, a.k.a. MathBabe

From Charlie Pierce, “Jim Webb and the Merits of Being Half-Right”:

Sooner or later, it’s up to the voters to decide to stop being stupid about their own self-interest, and to stop falling for scams about how the Poors and Browns are the ones stealing all their money.

Related:  David Cay Johnston, “Economy grows, incomes shrink”

“I don’t try to describe the future. I try to prevent it.”

– Ray Bradbury

Time.com headline:  The 5 Most Important Things Happening at the [Consumer Electronics Show] 2015

Conservatives like to portray government as a welfare machine doling out benefits to the poor, some of whom are too lazy to work.  In reality, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, only about 12 percent of federal spending goes to individuals and families, most of whom are in dire need.  An increasing portion goes to corporate welfare….

The size of government isn’t the problem. That’s a canard used to hide the far larger problem.  The larger problem is that much of government is no longer working for the vast majority it’s intended to serve. It’s working instead for a small minority at the top.  If government were responding to the public’s interest instead of the moneyed interests, it would be smaller and more efficient.  But unless or until we can reverse the vicious cycle of big money getting political favors that makes big money even bigger, we can’t get the government we want and deserve.

– Robert Reich