What caused the crash? Poor regulation of the banking industry and the lack of consumer demand as people were too poor to buy what rich people made. What got us out of the crash-government spending-at first CCC, WPA in Roosevelts first term, which was helping, but was turned off when his party lost the midterms. Government spending for WW2 got us out of the depression-spending on military, and then on consumer goods after the war. Banking regulation, social security, unemployment, rural electification, GI bill, all the programs that helped the middle class and narrowed the gap between the richest and poorest Americans.

Somehow, I get the impression that republicans have a problem learning from history. The only answer, to any question is "Cut taxes for the wealthy and it will trickle down" which has NOT WORKED, but they belive in it like the body and blood of Jesus Christ and want to apply it over and over and somehow get different results, which is the definition of insanity.

OMG, where to start...If Fox were not there, some stories would not be reported.

OK, Faux natters on B******i like it is another 9/11, the only story that matters, but under Bush there were 13 embassy attacks in which 100 people were k**led under President Bush, and they said absolutely NOTHING about it. A news source reports B******i as well as the 13 previous attacks-no favoritism, they should be in FACT business. When a so called "news" source only reports B******i, they have proved themselves to be a propaganda source posing as a news source. Proof below

http://www.policymic.com/articles/40811/13-b******is-happened-under-president-bush-and-fox-news-said-nothing

Would you be happy if a union boss met a candidate in an alley, handed them unlimited cash and told them how to v**e on an issue? Say raising minimum wage. They would keep it secret, and the union boss would act suprised when it happened, as it could not be traced to his donation. Would you call that a bribe? Say it had no place in decent society? It is legal today under CU. It allows UNLIMITED and SECRET cash. If a company say, Star Kist, wanted to stop having to have dolphin excluders on its nets, it could give unlimited secret cash to a candidate who would secretly promise to gut the fishing laws. Star Kist would know that making that donation publically would cause a bad backlash from consumers, maybe even a boycott. So, under CU, it could make that secret donation, reap the benefit of the law, but have its spokespeople give grand speechs on how SK belives in how important dolphins are and how we need to save them. Unlimited and Secret? Is this what we want government to be? No mater what side you are on, you can see people on the other side using Citizens United to undermine what the majority want, and doing it in secret. CU legalizes bribery. No matter what side you are on, you can see the need for t***sparancy in government and the benefit of taking money out of politics. I thing gerrymandered districts and CU are creating politicians that no longer have to answer to the e*****rate, and can just do the bidding of their donors.

Let's take it one step at a time. Those who are rich and lean politically the way you do are just generous people, while those who are not rich and lean different than you are just dumb. Interesting thought process behind that. Now, as to Gates and Buffett - you do know, I'm sure, that they have armies of experts minimizing both their corporate and personal tax liabilities. Buffett's entire company is organized in a fashion to minimize taxes while maximizing cash usage for aggressive asset purchases. Why does their generosity not preclude such aggressive tax avoidance tactics?

As to Fox, and studies that show their viewers to be the less informed than those who see or hear no news - common sense alone, unbiased, would lead one to seriously question the validity of such a study. Certainly you are aware that studies are conducted by people, like yourself, who have thier own biases and find data to support preconcieved notions.

I am a Fox viewer, as well as an ABC, NBC and CBS viewer. Clearly Fox is more likely to report things from a more conservative point of view than the other 3 networks, but as to fact reporting - I've found them to be easily the equal of those. There is no comporable Fox scandal to the Dan Rather fiasco, or the NBC 9/11 editing, or the selective use of photo's by ABC that I've seen.

When one suggests the answer to all economic problems is to v**e Democratic, as you have, that hardly qualifies you as an unbiased observer.

Hmm! I wonder how we got into debt??? Reagan. Cut taxes and tax reciepts will go up. Opps..cut taxes and revenue goes down..what a suprise. Paid off by Clinton. Bush? Cut taxes and revenue will go up...No, really, this time it will. Opps..again..Obama trying to pay it off, with Republicans blocking tax increases for the rich, which 90% Americans think should happen. Save me the crocodile tears about the deficit and do something about it.. Like tax the 1% who made out just fine in this recovery.

How to sum up the Democratic party in seventy five words?

“If you are taught bitterness and anger, then you will believe you are a victim. You will feel aggrieved and the twin brother of aggrievment is entitlement.

So now you think you are owed something and you don't have to work for it and now you're on a really bad road to nowhere because there are people who will play to that sense of victimhood, aggreivement and entitlement, and you still won't have a job.”

Condaleeza Rice

I said v****g Democratic is the best response to the slow the widening gap between rich and poor, and it is. Every program that would slow that widening has been removed from the Republican platform. I did not say it was the answer to all our economic problems, but the Republicans have offered NO solutions to the problem of the widening wealth gap, only programs that would make it worse. If you think they have programs that would do that, I would love to hear about it. All I ever hear is cut the safety net, cut social security and make medicare a voucher (make people poorer) block the increases to the minimum wage and bust unions (keep people poorer) and cut taxes for the rich (make rich people richer) and do away with estate taxes (keep rich people rich). If there is something I have not heard of that that would change our Gini score, and compress wage ine******y instead of widening, I would love to hear it.