which might lead to boycotts, etc.

but really, if Rush Limbaugh or O'Reilly said, in response to contact by them, essentially, "f*ck off, stay away from by first ammendment rights!" I'm not sure what recourse they would have and/or what course they might choose to take. A virulent marginalized hatemongerer might be worth going public ... but spreading the story far and wide that Rush or O'Reilly don't care what the ADL thinks could damage their credibility and effectiveness more than the "brave 1st ammendment defiers"

definitely off the top of my head ... but I suspect that the ADL approaches such "abusers" cautiously -- through agents, producers, and the like -- to avoid just such exploitation of by "bad boys" wanting to show just how "independent" and fearless they are....

Remember, we're not talking here about antisemitism ... blatant or otherwise... we're talking about WWII/nazi/holocaust iconography.

unfortunately, I don't think they've got around to writing out or otherwise killing off (never to be heard from again, oh please) his L&O character yet ... oh joy.

entitled "The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class"

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The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class: Higher Risks, Lower Rewards, and a Shrinking Safety Net (#12620)

Distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren teaches contract law, bankruptcy, and commercial law at Harvard Law School. She is an outspoken critic of America’s credit economy, which she has linked to the continuing rise in bankruptcy among the middle-class.

which apparently is available streaming video online (click my name to be taken to the uctv website with link)

This program made a big impression on me, mostly because it showed how genuinely trapped most american consumers are these days ... how little "wiggle room" is available in most budgets for "economizing" when unexpected bills/expenses come in or when a spouse becomes unable to work or earn as planned -- for any reasons.

I have thought about this also wrt "protectionism" which I think in some areas of the economy may make sense to expand the number of jobs that are not dependent on other people's disposable income ...

I've worked in healthcare my whole life in various capacities and I can tell you that healthcare is not "recession-proof" ... we saw that in the late 1970s and 1980s, when unemployment soared. Healthcare utilization and hospital admissions fell as people put off whatever they could (our wages and prices were frozen for about 4 years, irrc).

Anyway... it's an interesting "fact filled" program which oddly enough explains why unprecedented home ownership, low food, transportation, and clothing costs (as percentage of income), etc. have oddly enough made most families feel more pennypinched that their counterparts of 20, 30 years ago, whose paid proportionately more. (Hint: It starts with having two-breadwinner norms).

WRT our vulnerability to cheap offshore goods and services ... which our corporatized economy REALLY REALLY wants us to consume, I suspect we are as dependent on their cheap goods for necessities now (not the cheap disposible crap of 20 years ago) as many families are dependent on fast food which looks and feels like (and may actually be for many people) a bargain. I've seen so many homespun do-it-yourself economies evolve into costing more than buying it (including replacing rather than fixing/mending).

Something's gotta give ...

aside from the rather repugnant idea that most of us would spend our lives in service of other people's "needs" (healthcare, tourism, food/beverage industry, retail, etc.) ... I recall thinking that it ultimately resembled an ENORMOUS ponzi (or Enron-like) scheme ... with everyone living on a percentage of everyone else until the well runs dry and the house of cards starts collapsing and I wonder if we aren't seeing "over the edge" ... the beginning of the future ...

America continues to hold big shares in some things ... but we're waning. Corporatism and "conservatism" have really gutted America -- our infrastructure has been left to rot, our people are poorly educated and in debt, and many of our "flagship" businesses are largely owned by foreigners

I think it's too late for "protectionism" ...

if we adopted ecologically responsible practices, including intra-industry recycling ...

In my county (front range rockies mountains), the department of transportation is a MAJOR employer ... and the county ...

Imagine how many jobs could be made if we just maintained our infrastructure properly (and demanded that our privatized utilities did the same)