to hear people say and recognize that the eight point three percent unemployment numbers in america are false because when you don't clue one point two million people on the rolls you can say that the number has gone down number three it is capitalism the open market that creates jobs and opportunities allows people to grow thrive and survive you can't say and you can't sit there and pretend that you're in any way have any intellect whatsoever and say that dependency doesn't put downward pressure and doesn't hurt people from rising up if you create an opportunity for people to get something for nothing and you put them in a place to desire the something for nothing they will never try and build up to say otherwise you think. well you know you're just going to just. david go ahead i don't think you'll say sure show you the line david i don't know i just tore up the welfare checks and went to work the jobs would be there right right. yes i'm really not what i said what i said david you got to actually pay attention to the words that come out of the mouth what i said is that when you think about the idea of the

dependency class as if it's mythology that's not true that is an accurate when you have more people on it ever than ever on food stamps one has to ask the question why some of the question has to deal with an economy some of it has to deal with the ease of being able to do that as opposed to other things so you have to take a look at it in its totality not in the political landscape you desire it but quoting karl marx as a guy who understood and that is how little know there aren't jobs for those people their jobs are there for those people that's the obvious if all those welfare people went out to get a job is it there no you david gentlemen i want to go to new york david dreier and janice we have free time you want to say oh no telling when you play i have to go to new york ok lou i think it's one of the interesting things that's happened right now is that and i would tend to agree with you and particularly in looking at europe and in the construction of the welfare state which was very popular with

people in europe after the war but as the financial ization of the economy occurred you have this double whammy where the state can or cannot produce protect these people anymore and you see slashes in budgets and all that austerity doesn't create jobs at all that's a double whammy and that's another reason why the middle class at least in europe is being crushed and there's very little prospect of seeing them coming back. in fact a. note on a do not g.'s turned on extremist case of welfare state is that it's not good it's not intrinsically good or bad the problem is in many western countries the heights and always that we are who bad with states such as not investing in should in some not a dick european countries such as had earned you have a good way for a state that is investing in the future of children giving giving saying what all the genes a bitch education in in italy in their literature. in technologies in math and

in fact a good way for state is a way for a to which is interesting to well future so the problem in many western countries is that we are of welfare states of. fat cats we took which are not investing in the future of our children in order to to to have a better situation then to his use of frustrations of the middle class we have to invest that have been education and not simply need to cation mitch mars and we do ok ok it's very interesting here because we actually look at who was going to house we don't know who has done i mean our children we have to look who has the money and the fat cats as you say or the states and states seem to have not the money right now tony if i go back to you does it bother you does it bother you that the the very rich in the united states particularly have recovered completely from the crisis of two thousand and eight they're getting their bonuses their dividends vary and the economy is actually growing but the middle class is still being pulverized

i mean how do you feel about that because you know if you're really well off in the top one percent well you don't really worry about much of anything because you just outsource everything abroad. well i i don't accept the premise of your question and in the slightest i think that one of the greatnesses of the open markets is the opportunity to thrive and survive in my point to david earlier was that this idea that the job has to be handed to somebody whatever happened to the creation of the job what happened to the small business owner engaging a small business this goes back to the conversation about regulation which is a good conversation about how you grow an economy and make let's make it easier for people to open the business less paperwork more interaction with customers and that's a far better opportunity and let's not talk about the rising the wage just being stolen by a by by the owners that's not true rising wages help people all the way around though the those companies and corporations. and save it are the people who

create opportunity ok david go ahead because i haven't heard of an increase in wages for a long time with these are rising the part of the problem with the with the small business is it's part of the problem there's it's not regulation that's the you know yeah there's some regulation and so the problem is the customers aren't there people don't have the money now they've got so far in debt they're trying to get out of debt when people aren't buying small businesses suffer small businesses take the hit before the large businesses do so you've also got this peculiar perverse kind of new monopoly where the big companies the wal marts and so on are our cost cutting cost keeping prices down which is what people want but that means they keep pressure on their suppliers so that those wages stay down so that you've got this big problem when wages are down all over and the more unemployment the more downward pressure there is who's going to buy the stuff businesses private sector

won't invest because they don't see the customers there it's going to take the business private businesses will create jobs if demand is there. demand is there they won't create jobs they'll speculate the put their money somewhere else it doesn't make sense for them to invest in the real economy it doesn't make sense in them to invest long term this is why you've got such gridlock in the political system frankly i don't think the conservatives or the liberals know what to do they don't have any solutions so let the wealthy do what they can and make as much as they can you know before i don't know before i don't know what's going to happen but it's not going to be good if i go to you i mean and i'd like to focus a little bit about the political implications of this is david was saying here i mean if we look at the united states we see not only gridlock but we see fragmentation here and we don't see really strong allegiances anymore that we would think we're middle class because we can have the occupy wall street movement we can have the tea party simultaneously ok and that's

a reflection of the inability of the republicans and the democrats to get out of this economic mess and i would throw in cultural wars that are absolutely useless for the united states and not so much for western europe i mean how is this happening here because again we look at middle classes of having certain political identity that's changing as well and it may not be good it may be good i don't know yet in fact in many many countries of the west you are increasing frustrations of the middle classes over the last twenty years and both heights wing and left wing solutions fade in front of economy clearly t. and of fairly t. over thinking and thinking you know well neither class so there are problems high to know is that you of extreme frustrations the development of strong produced. over all your hope and maybe or so in the united states n.z. is frustration or increasing vicious cycle of political and they could make

problems so high trying and they're left. these are your two talking create class and these international competition you we have quite an hour or so of political systems of the west all week in the week and i guess that in the end that's why it looks like you go back to that problem if i go to tony on this because the middle class in the united states has been crushed for thirty years it is damaging the democracy in the united states because people are not seeing that they're the the political process can address their needs because far away from the united states most people look at the republicans and democrats and say what in the world is the difference between the two the do what's the difference between mitt romney and barack obama i mean standing at a distance there is no difference. yeah but that's another conversation of the day . i'm ok and i'm good i'm good lately up for that but your

conversation is really about is government the ones to make this decision and are those the ones we're supposed to depend on if you create the situation where people are depending on government to solve their problems they will of course be dissatisfied because they can't work it could never ever happen government can't solve your problem what government could do is create more problems for you and that's what we're seeing that's why these elections coming up the elections presidential election senate elections are so incredibly important because it's a conversation of dependence of course versus independence does government to do for you or are you to do for you that is by the way the entire tea party thesis you do for you you enable your life government doesn't control the journey and so we don't want to. run out of time here many thanks to my guest today in new york chicago and in los angeles and thanks to our viewers for watching us here r.t. see you next time and remember crosstalk.

chinese state media says the u.s. and nato countries support of syria's opposition is driving the nation into civil war. and the rebels have clashed. debate whether athens will sink or swim as the population rages against. attacking iran's nuclear sites. sanctions do their job our top stories this hour.

around the clock around the world this is the u.s. and its allies are pushing syria into civil war by backing the opposition says a chinese state newspaper beijing joined moscow's efforts to bring about a political settlement in the crisis torn country with a top chinese diplomat recently visiting damascus and the reports of ongoing violence in the country. have been to one of the syrian cities caught up in the conflict. zabadani fifty kilometers northwest of damascus lebanon just over the border once a relaxed luxury mountain resort the town has recently been the scene of brutal clashes between assad's forces and and to government groups there was a lull in the fighting and as we approached the city we're not sure who's in control at the checkpoint they are happy to see a russian television crew

a solid hint about who is in charge here russia is among the few countries still talking to assad and calling for others to have dialogue with the regime along with china it to be towed to the u.n. security council's resolution and voted against another one at the general assembly which put pressure on assad to leave this town nobody home to around twenty thousand people looks abandoned the reminders of recent turbulence tell their own tale of what happened here on these walls you can see the story of the conflict how it was developing here in the city of there by danny initially there were some graffiti here about president bashar al assad then when the armed groups operating in this area took control over this town new graffiti is a period of course and to government one of the army regain control of his adani they destroyed them or they tried to destroy them all at least but some still remain. when we are in town we can hear sounds of shelling some turn

a deaf ear to it. all is fine shooting i don't know those who agreed to talk don't want to show their face. the army intervene and it's killing us they're showing random houses searching arresting people for say an armored groups on the ground too few. but not everyone here says the situation in the same way was when armed people came here we asked the army to stand up for us now they are controlling the city at the delos shop is an area where much of the fighting took place. i was away when i arrived the army told me there had been a big battle here says the army is now here there's no armed groups anymore no tensions of the daniel the clashes between security forces and the armed opposition groups here near the town of the dunny have been very severe how they all stopped

they locals tell us that their town has a unique story when the violence started the residents decided to intervene and there has allegedly been an agreement between the army and the opposition that both of them leave the town although the military officer we have been able to speak to didn't confirm that and we can still see. many military and machinery inside the city we had a look around and counted at least thirteen tanks but the military tell us they were only used as protection on the way back through the checkpoint an officer keep supporting everyone suspicious in this violence locked nation briefing optionality sever dunny syria washington and its allies are calling on president assad to step down while running further support for the rebels at least not a cult shero says this approach will spell chaos for the syrian people.

were to step down tomorrow who is actually the legitimate there's a tremendous political opposition to take control and when the west talks about supporting one of the gulf states the side or the bad side while actually in the groups. and finance or give support to so within that vacuum who would step in you would have people returning from iraq there has kind of the weapons or the experience and i think what we really need to be aware of is this highly erratic nature of western policy and critical u.s. policy towards all the countries in region but particularly now towards syria that it's kind of becoming provocative the west really needs to step back and try to call the things down before the escalate out of control. brother cole shero talking to me a little earlier from london it's the moment of truth for greece's euro zone finance ministers meet in brussels to decide its future the french finance minister has hinted the outcome could be in athens favor greece has met all of its creditors demands to secure the second bailout and is expected to be rewarded with the euro

zone's backing the country's already forced a massive new austerity package to qualify for one hundred thirty billion euros of rescue cash but there is now talk that funds could be paid into a specially set up account and that access to it would be restricted and if it misses its target the cash flow would stop. people however is only growing with every new political measure imposed as jacob grieves reports. voting for more storage see something dubbed by greece's caretaker prime minister as a moment of historic responsibility a notion some especially the greek population feel has been lost on euro zone leaders. i feel disappointed and sad because these measures were imposed on us by foreigners and we didn't have a say as a greek people. which there's a wise old greek proverb that the person who borrows and borrows becomes the slave

of who he borrows from. after passing more unpopular cuts greek politicians are told that brussels amber lynn had disposed of the decision on another bailout that and questions over greece's place in the euro led the country's finance minister to talk they were toying with a nation's future this is by no means the first set of austerity measures to be imposed on greece but with a significant amount of coalition m.p.'s choosing to say no it does mark a shift in thinking among governing politicians. share the grievances of the public and offer them an alternative if the greek economy is not restart just that there's and go down the alley of development eventually greece we at some point. in that case what will happen is that all of the assets of these ten three will actually pass in the hands of the. of the funders in total forty three m.p.'s in the ruling coalition chose to say no to morris there are but even among those in favor may

remain hostile to the euro zone's message and how it's being delivered i think to such type of message is brussels of. the people forces in greece. and all of us that the measures don't solve the problem they make it worse we need development we need development for the survivor the greek economy the growing fear among both the greek public and politicians appears to be that eurozone leaders aren't all that bullshit about their well being there's more people as we see here very live victims of this situation because it's rewarding grease cover way too high the way they're really since last sunday's mass demonstrations and tim ewing uproar has sent a message to those in athens and brussels that though voting through austerity may have been an historic moment it's one of unlikely to put the nation's problems to bed. meaning rather than being resigned to the past scenes of anger are likely to

be part of greece's future. groups. well tell us what you think about greece's financial woes that dot com our website we ask what more rescue funds will mean for the country if the bailout is handed over and that some of it results on the screen at the moment will have you think that athens is already doomed and more cash will make no difference a lot of you also believe the bailout and the cuts needed to secure it will only make people's lives harder and at the moment six percent say that you will not let greece collapse and if you are believe bailouts are the only way for greece to stay afloat for the last financial journalists you hand over the same question he believes the bailout and its conditions are disastrous for. it will make things worse for the greek economy the greek economy is in a deep recession at the moment the austerity program that is imposed on the contrary will worsen the recession which in its turn. the budget outlook and so.

the negative spiral in which breeds economy and greek society has been imprisoned for almost the last two years it will only get worse so this is not really a solution to the group problem what you need for the reason is to have a growth perspective for the economy of greece and you don't have that at the moment and the longer we wait the more it becomes obvious that the only way we can get the greek economy growing again is by indeed exiting the euro zone which will lead of course to a devaluation of the new direct me but that is exactly what is needed to get the economy through international growing again. was financial journalist you had front of saying that even if greece gets more bailout cash it will not rescue the country's economy. the u.s. and britain are warning israel not to attack iran's nuclear facilities saying new

sanction. need time to work tehran currently being visited by u.n. inspectors denies accusations it is developing atomic weapons but israel which also accuses tehran of attacking its diplomats abroad could now be on an unstoppable path to a military strike as artie's alina glasgow reports from tel aviv. israel's leaders are actively drumming up their military rhetoric. iran is the biggest terror exporter in the world the israeli government and its security forces will continue to act forcefully systematically and calmly against international terrorism eating from iran. a potential israeli rocket clash looks more likely than ever there is speculation a preemptive strike against iran's nuclear sites could happen as early as spring or summer although that's not causing undue concern in israel i think possibly people you know they make their plans for a vacation you know pass or

a vacation summer vacation possibly people are beginning to wonder well is there going to be a war is something going to mess it up or i think they're probably going ahead with it with sort of a thought we're back tomorrow it would be nice if we could get a flight that we could cancel you know you know is that sort of thing israel has previous experience when it comes to putting an end to nuclear ambitions which pose a potential threat in one thousand nine hundred one is jets wiped out reactors in iraq they struck again in two thousand and seven hitting sites in syria but with iran's nuclear program things may not be so simple if if israel attacks iran it will not stop iran forever from getting nuclear weapons the only postpone it for a relatively brief amount of time the. installations are too diverse and far flung to destroy a fact of lee israel does not have u.s. poured the white house secretary adviser was in israel over the weekend warning against a move on iran saying it was better to wait for tougher sanctions to take effect in

the coming months but mine's mail ready be made up i think one of the things the create this aura of inevitability is to shut them up to shut up opposition at home and of course to convince the united states and europe that this is an inevitability it's going to happen don't oppose it in fact why don't you help us out there is a question mark however over whether israel has what it takes to carry out the mission i doubt with the we have the capability. of creating damage is to the extent of the mediating the program and even if israel's military prowess will allow it to carry out a strike on underground facilities in iran chances are it won't end there as you know saddam hussein and bashar assad by the time they knew what was happening was over and could just you know grumble without having to fight back you imagine you run sitting still you know all day day after day day after day what is. true for

going back i think any any sane person realizes that there will almost guaranteed be missiles falling on israel and considering iran for one of the twentieth century's longest wars against iraq in the one nine hundred eighty s. the consequences could be far reaching and destructive. his ill has been suffering some bad weather is of late but it's likely that even the strongest winds will blow the country's foreign policy off its course and when it comes to israel's forecast for iran this storm clouds seem to be growing every darker in tel aviv r.t. . iran has warned it may cut oil supplies to six more european countries after it stops selling crude to the u.k. and france on sunday in tehran is aiming to preempt to me go it's set to come into force in july well let's find out what impact that is having on the markets from our business desk. well over the past couple of sessions we have seen a spike in the oil price and doesn't look like oil is ready to come down brant is

that one hundred twenty dollars per barrel light sweet at one hundred five and that's a nine month high and the experts now we've been talking to have said that these high levels are expected to stay the same until we see some kind of easing of the situation in iran but don't expect prices to go even further up because they say that the rain in fact has already been pretty much priced in france and the u.k. not that much dependent on radio and that saudi arabia could always compensate for all the oil that iran is not bring i'll tell you more about that. around eight minutes time in the studio with the present. president dmitry medvedev has met members of unregistered parties to discuss how to make the country's political future more inclusive it's the president's first such meeting with your position it comes in the wake of sweeping political reforms proposed mass protests over the results of parliamentary elections in december tens of thousands of people have been gathering all over russia demanding fair elections with more demonstrations

planned ahead of the presidential vote in march. for more on the president's meeting in the politics section of our web site here's some of what we've lined up for you online right now. u.s. presidential candidate ron paul america is on a dangerous path with broken government. joins. russia. countries planning to buy weapons to fight terrorists. and. wealthy british. markets. find out what's really happening to the global economy.

global financial headlines. it's all designed to keep you close in your. world as a prison. somebody in there for a couple hours like. you have this fear of the unknown in this stress sort of building. ten twelve hours they chose songs i remember from marilyn manson. those are more coming up here into iraq.