The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    Two opportunities ... Where are Progressive voices?

    By MrSmith1 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 9:29am |

    I've been waiting patiently for the postings, but maybe we've become so mesmerized by Trump and other distractions that we can no longer see Progressive triumphs as something to crow about.  

    This is the difference between Progressives and the Right Wing Scream Machine, the Right would have jumped all over these two stories and hammered away at them until their message sunk in on a subconscious level.  The Left on the other hand, seems content to just sit around and luxuriate in rare victories.

    I think that's a mistake we can't afford to make.  Here are two huge stories that have fallen into our laps that demonstrate the real, fundamental need for government and regulatory oversight of corporations.  We can't afford to stay silent or let a facebook "like" be our only response.  If we ever want to change minds and win new converts to the Progressive movement, we have to exploit our victories and make sure the low information folks know who brought them that win.  

    The two stories that I am referring to are the Volkswagen EPA deception scandal and the Pharmaceutical price-gouging scandal.   

    The EPA's catching Volkswagen in the biggest case of intentional corporate fraud in the history of the world is a good time to remind people that Government over-sight of corporations is necessary and serves a real purpose in keeping the rich and powerful corporations from running roughshod over us and intentionally destroying the environment.

    The drug price-gouging story, (although I understand the ACA problem connected to it), is another example of unchecked crony Capitalism doing shameful things because, given the opportunity, Corporations will always do what is in their best interest and only operate in the public good when it serves their bottom line.  That is the reason we have regulations to keep Corporations as honest as possible and. at the very least. environmentally neutral.  Corporations may have no obligation to work for the greater good, but we can at least keep them from doing harm.  This story is a clear example that could be used to refute that "more de-regulation" mindset we've been mired in since the Reagan era.     

    Why aren't Progressives taking these opportunities to loudly remind people that governmental agencies do serve a positive purpose and protect the public by exposing fraud.   The GOP has eliminating the EPA as one of its current talking points.  Why aren't we vigorously defending the role of government in keeping Capitalism "honest"?

    I know.  "If you're so upset about this, why don't you write the blogs yourself." 
    Hey, I'm just a guy who writes funny stuff and haikus.  I don't think I can give these blogs the necessary gravitas.  But YOU can.  

    So, I'm making a request;   Dear Dagbloggers,  Please stop writing about Trump and dig into these two meaty stories which, I believe, have positive reminders of why Progressive ideas aren't the horrible notions that Fox News and the Republicans always make them out to be.

    I think there is a whole segment of the Tea Party that is ripe for the taking this election cycle.  Offer them some solid Progressive reasoning and they just might be convinced to change their votes to Democratic ones. (Hey, it's worth a shot.)

    Comments

    Nice try but the EPA and CARB had nothing to do with uncovering the VW emissions scandal.  This fraud was never  caught by these progressive institutions but by the WVU Center for Alternate Fuels, Engines and Emissions in May of 2014 who passed the information to them and they were still unable to expose the fraud. Only in September 2015 when VW admitted how they manipulated the emissions software  was the extent of this fraud exposed.,

    This fraud went on right under the noses of the EPA and CARB with all their resources for at least 9 years, not something for Liberals to crow about because for most of that time the EPA and CARB were under Democrat leadership. There may be a larger story to be exposed if it is learned that the EPA and CARB under Corporate  Progressive leadership were actually aware of these ridiculously high VW emissions before it was exposed by the researchers at WVU.

    Corporate progressives such as HRC and Sanders trying to ride this drug price-gouging scandal reeks of hypocrisy when they supported the ACA  which permanently legalized drug price-gouging for the majority of common drugs needed by millions of people.


    by Peter (not verified) on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 2:00pm

    The VW scam was to have the emission scrubber engage when the cars wheels were rolling but the steering wheel remained fixed. This happened during emissions test. Otherwise the emissions scrubber were off. UWV had technology to test emissions while driving, The high admissions were noted. Initially UWV did not make at great deal out of its testing which was really gearing for a European funded project. UWV became suspicious when VW stated coming around after UWV presented the data at a conference.

    http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/9132064-74/emissions-carder-wvu#axzz3...

    EPA retested after being notified by UWV.

    VW tried to game the system. Cheaters have a period of time when their scam works. Over time, things fall apart.


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 2:25pm

    The US and European emission regulation testing is left to the industry by law.

    It potentially lets everyone off the hook, no taxes needed to finance testing, auto companies can pick a cheap testing company and expect 'good' results, good results make it seem regulations work and consumers are happy as the car stats sound good, and performance is great.

    It took a $50,000 grant at a West Virginia University to uncover the fraud, no Republican Congress would ever approve a dime for such anti-corporate 'fishing expeditions' expenditure.

    As mentioned below, many in the GOP were even vehemently against making BP pay the disastrous costs caused by their massive oil spill.


    by NCD on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 2:44pm

    Another nice try but more BS, the EPA's  National Vehicle & Fuel Emissions Lab in Ann Arbor tests in-use vehicles to assure emissions compliance.  If they don't test vehicles in-motion, which is how WVU discovered the fraud, that is an intentional flaw in the system which the Car Co's had mandated with the help of their friends in both Parties.

    $50K isn't even a rounding error in the EPA budget but the lobbying cash and campaign donations to both Parties, in the $Millions,  buys this type of loopholes for corporations every year.


    by Peter (not verified) on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 3:38pm

    The fault lies with Congress, although if you look at the details it would be difficult to uncover this scam.

    Even the ICCT which discovered the cheat were using the $50k grant to examine how great the VW diesel engine was compared to gas cars!

    Even the guy, coincidentally named John GERMAN from ICCT, thought the VW cars were 'cleaner than other cars' and did the test on the VW to prove it,  was shocked when road tests, driving from San Diego to Seattle proved otherwise.

    The EPA tests have not been done under highway conditions as highway traffic and conditions vary with driver, highway and traffic. They are done in a lab to control these variables.

    The EPA acted and investigated once the ICCT noted the errant results of their driving tests on highways.


    by NCD on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 4:36pm

    The bigger question that now exists is what is wrong with VW vehicles that would cause the company to go to the expense to use software in every vehicle to cheat the standard test. 


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 4:18pm

    I have read the cars were 4 cylinder diesels, 4 cylinder diesels apparently have crappy pick up with all emission controls engaged, so disengage it and sell more cars it seems.

    The question is also how high up in the company did this devious sneaky software scam go?


    by NCD on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 4:40pm

    Thx

     


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 6:23pm

    The point I was trying to make was not that the EPA uncovered these scandals, but that the existence of these scandals proves it is a good thing for the EPA to exist.  Just as in the case of Hurricane Katrina where we discovered that under-funding FEMA and hiring an empty suit as its director was a horrible decision. 

     

     


    by MrSmith1 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 3:55pm

    I understand the problem with the ACA, but, at the time, they needed the support of big Pharma to get the bill passed and that was the price, so they made a deal with the devil and that brought us to where we are today.  Now it's time to un-couple from that part of the agreement and go after the price-gougers and bring the pharmaceutical industry under control. 


    by MrSmith1 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 4:08pm

    The sad reality is it will be a very rare epiphany when any Tea Party voter wakes up to progressive realities. The devotion to the TP ideology is hard wired, and the daily propaganda on Fox News/Limbaugh serves to reinforce it.

    Joe Barton (R-Texas) who apologized to BP for the Obama 'slush fund' for the BP oil spill is still in office.

    A Tea Party voter could care as much about nitrous oxide levels as they do climate change, particularly if less emission controls increase engine performance.

    They could also care less about a 100,000% increase in the cost of pills for some rare medical condition because they don't have it.

    The only strategy is to scare them, which is what the GOP is very good at doing, honed, fine tuned and financed with untold billions over 40 years, now being usurped by 'I want your Base' Trump.

    Watree's posts on 'enlightened minds' and economic issues are the best blog strategy, with the target being getting non-Fox heads educated, united and voting.

     


    by NCD on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 2:24pm

    I don't agree.  I think there are certain issues on which they can be persuaded.   I think some of them can have their fears calmed.  How?  By interacting with them and offering reasonable alternative explanations.  Just because they bought into the fear, doesn't mean they like being there. A lot of them just don't hear any alternative viewpoints. All they hear is the drone of Fox News.   I know it sounds crazy, but I think, with some effort, there are issues where they could support a candidate like Bernie Sanders.

     

     


    by MrSmith1 on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 4:03pm

    8 years of Dubya did shake them up quite a lot, which is why they formed the 'new improved real conservative Republican' Tea Party to begin with.

    You are probably right that some may come around to Bernie.


    by NCD on Thu, 09/24/2015 - 4:35pm

    Of the 4 vehicles tested on the road, only BMW passed the test. There are worst offenders than VW. On-road testing exposed massive emissions from the cars of multiple manufacturers.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/25/vw-isn-t-even-the-worst...


    by rmrd0000 on Fri, 09/25/2015 - 8:16am

    I'm not sure I can trust the experts at the Beast about 'worst offenders' because none of the other Car Co's have been shown to be shutting off their emissions equipment or cheating. VW management colluded to defrauded their customers not just the EPA and those who have to breathe their emissions.

    The Car Co's have made amazing progress in cleaning up the emissions from the internal combustion engine including diesels along with bringing back performance to gas engines along with improved economy. The EPA's mandates required this improvement and they helped develop them but like much else in our world there are flaws in the system.

    Give an engineer a challenge and he/she will try to meet that challenge but the bean-counters that run these Co's have a different reward system that leads to this type of fraud.


    by Peter (not verified) on Fri, 09/25/2015 - 11:15am

    I think that if you don't already realize the need for the EPA, then you might just be applauding VW's attempts to cheat the system. (Same probably goes for price-gouging — capitalism at its finest!) It hurts my head to try to think like them, but I can imagine that could be the response on the right.


    by Οὖτις (not verified) on Mon, 09/28/2015 - 8:45am