Yep, it's true....we are in no way ready to come together and act like Americans. The wealthy and powerful elite, who now own 24% of all income as well as over 50% of all American wealth, continue to purchase our democracy each and every day. And every now and then, they look down at the other 95% of us and laugh at how we are squabbling over birth certificates, and states rights, and terrorism, and border security, etc. etc. etc.
And we allow our reps to give away the country to these people, and to China, and to India and call it "free trade" and "jobs" and "globalization". Manufacturing jobs have been gutted, wages are dropping, jobs have left America with the help of our govt. All the while we call each other socialist, and fascists, and liberal, and conservative because we don't know what else to do.
This year, our cities will really start to collapse...our states will begin to really gut safety nets for our sick and elderly and our youth...and many of you will smile and applaud these efforts while your neighbor suffers or maybe your own family will suffer.
America doesn't want to fix things....we want to bicker and yell at each other and feel superior to the guy down the street. We want to wave our flags and still believe we're the biggest baddest country in the world...and we're not anymore. We like believing the lie...it helps us sleep a bit better
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Time to dive into the deep end, America
As a staunch believer in Democratic Socialism, I have to say that America must stop pussy footing around with it's love affair with libertarianism. It's time for America to get off the fence and jump into the deep end of the libertarian pool.
So many of my fellow Americans continue to rail against government and scream for freedom and liberty and American exceptional-ism. Well, it's time, America to stop your ranting, stand up and shout to the hills
"We don't need no stinking government!"
Well, hang on a minute....we've got to keep the military but nothing else.
Let the free-market reign supreme in Americans everyday lives. No more regulation...no more public schools....privatize all aspects of our lives such as police, fire, EMT, roads, bridges, water, electricity...don't even have courts since the market could come up with various ways to settle disputes. Let people buy and sell anything they want. No rules. No regulations. Guns available to everyone. No food safety laws. No drug control. If people get hurt or die it's obviously only because of their bad choices and remember....those idiots will have served to teach others while at the same time their deaths will weed them out of society.
America has never truly embraced liberalism. Oh it tried with the New Deal and the Great Society, but that pesky military industrial complex along with religious zealotry came along and successfully convinced America that wars and rich people were way more important than a middle class. Maggie Thatcher, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan...they made Americans realize that wealth, power, and most importantly freedom were only attainable when govt and regulation simply got out of the way.
So c'mon, America....you're like the teenage girl who secretly yearns for the "bad boy" (libertarianism) but refuses to leave the nice guy (regulated markets) who always forgets their anniversary. Don't put it off any longer. You must take the next step and embrace libertarianism. Grow a pair, dude. Man up and do away with that awful pro-federal government document called The Constitution and go back to State power under the Articles of Confederation. Let the states and regions rule their own lives. Embrace social darwinism openly..."Survival of the fittest", right? "I've got mine, so screw you all", right?
So, stop the bullshit. Stop whining about "minimal government". That's not what you really want. Don't be shy now...let's go all the way. Who knows, maybe it will usher in an American Paradise, a true "Pax Americana". We won't know until we try.
Do we have the guts to do it? Stop screwing around with the bad boy and get married. Have a few kids. What have you got to lose?
So many of my fellow Americans continue to rail against government and scream for freedom and liberty and American exceptional-ism. Well, it's time, America to stop your ranting, stand up and shout to the hills
"We don't need no stinking government!"
Well, hang on a minute....we've got to keep the military but nothing else.
Let the free-market reign supreme in Americans everyday lives. No more regulation...no more public schools....privatize all aspects of our lives such as police, fire, EMT, roads, bridges, water, electricity...don't even have courts since the market could come up with various ways to settle disputes. Let people buy and sell anything they want. No rules. No regulations. Guns available to everyone. No food safety laws. No drug control. If people get hurt or die it's obviously only because of their bad choices and remember....those idiots will have served to teach others while at the same time their deaths will weed them out of society.
America has never truly embraced liberalism. Oh it tried with the New Deal and the Great Society, but that pesky military industrial complex along with religious zealotry came along and successfully convinced America that wars and rich people were way more important than a middle class. Maggie Thatcher, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan...they made Americans realize that wealth, power, and most importantly freedom were only attainable when govt and regulation simply got out of the way.
So c'mon, America....you're like the teenage girl who secretly yearns for the "bad boy" (libertarianism) but refuses to leave the nice guy (regulated markets) who always forgets their anniversary. Don't put it off any longer. You must take the next step and embrace libertarianism. Grow a pair, dude. Man up and do away with that awful pro-federal government document called The Constitution and go back to State power under the Articles of Confederation. Let the states and regions rule their own lives. Embrace social darwinism openly..."Survival of the fittest", right? "I've got mine, so screw you all", right?
So, stop the bullshit. Stop whining about "minimal government". That's not what you really want. Don't be shy now...let's go all the way. Who knows, maybe it will usher in an American Paradise, a true "Pax Americana". We won't know until we try.
Do we have the guts to do it? Stop screwing around with the bad boy and get married. Have a few kids. What have you got to lose?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Of course it's all about if our president is a Muslim....
Our nation is hurting and how we got here is just as important as how we get ourselves out of it.
Please allow my rant until the end...the title of this blog will then kinda make sense.
It's true that our politicians played a major part in where we are today. Beginning in the 80's our country began to believe that democracy and economics we're the same thing...that capitalism and our constitution meant the same thing. We were told that our government, we the people through our representatives, was the problem and that business, greed, the "free market" was the saviour of our liberty. We were fed the lie that if we only gave massive tax breaks to the wealthy, if we got rid the the regulation on businesses, if we sold off to private corporations our "commons", if we did this, we would see unprecedented economic growth and individual Americans would reap the rewards of greed, avarice, and simply acting our of our own individual naked self interest.
We were told that "free trade" would open up untold markets for American goods and that if we only stopped taxing products coming into our country, that we would see other countries do the same for our products. So Clinton signed NAFTA and bound us to the WTO and the GATT agreement. We agreed and laughed at Ross Perot who predicted that free trade would give us that giant "sucking sound" of our jobs leaving our nation.
For over 30 years, we have seen our good manufacturing jobs all but disappear...out sourced to China and India and Indonesia. All in the name of free-trade, but in fact in the name of cheap labor, no labor standards, no environmental standards, corporate profits, and just plain greed. Before Reagan, manufacturing jobs made up almost 30% of our GDP, now it's around 11%. Now, our job outlook centers around "Do you want fries with that?"
We were also told that if only the banks would be allowed to "gamble" with our deposits in the stock market, that these giants of men, these captains of banking industry would usher in a new era of commerce not through manufacturing, but through finance. Clinton signed the law tearing down the wall between deposit banks and investment banks...he signed the law that allowed banks to create mega-complex derivative contracts that were simply bets, on bets, on bets, on bets...by the late 90's, America and it's representatives had become bought, owned, and operated by 7 major banks, and by a handful of global multi-national corporations.
Before Reagan, American families had personal savings of around 24%. As productivity kept increasing, wages stagnated since unions lost strength and corporations gained more control through mergers and acquizitions. Add to this "free-trade" said American workers now have to compete with workers world wide making pennies an hour. During the 90's Alan Greenspan saw this coming when it was clear that wages were not tracking productivity and while supply increased, demand lagged since folks didn't make the money to buy the stuff being supplied. The fear in the early 90's was "deflation" since prices were too high for the wages being earned. The Fed began a credit policy that lowered interests rates and encouraged more presonal borrowing, more easy credit cards, higher bank leverage of capital, and sure enough....American's kept on purchasing...but with debt. As of 2007, personal saving tanked to -4%.....seriously...NEGATIVE numbers.
Clinton, bound by "pay as you go" requirements in Congress and being a centrist, reduced the size of government, the debt, the deficit, and left office with (arguably) a budget surplus. Bush and the GOP took our country from a lower debt, budget surplus, and relative peace and after 8 years, took the debt to 10 TRILLION dollars, a 1 TRILLION dollar deficit, 2 insane and UNPAID FOR wars, Medicare Part D (unpaid for), saw 7 MILLION JOBS lost and bailed out the big banks to the tune of 750 BILLION dollars of our tax money with NO STRINGS ATTACHED!!!
So after all of this, our country crashes......and the media focuses on why it's all the fault of our black, Afro-Centric, Muslim, Kenyan, communist, socialist, fascist, no birth certificate, tyrannical terrorist loving dictator of a president.
Please allow my rant until the end...the title of this blog will then kinda make sense.
It's true that our politicians played a major part in where we are today. Beginning in the 80's our country began to believe that democracy and economics we're the same thing...that capitalism and our constitution meant the same thing. We were told that our government, we the people through our representatives, was the problem and that business, greed, the "free market" was the saviour of our liberty. We were fed the lie that if we only gave massive tax breaks to the wealthy, if we got rid the the regulation on businesses, if we sold off to private corporations our "commons", if we did this, we would see unprecedented economic growth and individual Americans would reap the rewards of greed, avarice, and simply acting our of our own individual naked self interest.
We were told that "free trade" would open up untold markets for American goods and that if we only stopped taxing products coming into our country, that we would see other countries do the same for our products. So Clinton signed NAFTA and bound us to the WTO and the GATT agreement. We agreed and laughed at Ross Perot who predicted that free trade would give us that giant "sucking sound" of our jobs leaving our nation.
For over 30 years, we have seen our good manufacturing jobs all but disappear...out sourced to China and India and Indonesia. All in the name of free-trade, but in fact in the name of cheap labor, no labor standards, no environmental standards, corporate profits, and just plain greed. Before Reagan, manufacturing jobs made up almost 30% of our GDP, now it's around 11%. Now, our job outlook centers around "Do you want fries with that?"
We were also told that if only the banks would be allowed to "gamble" with our deposits in the stock market, that these giants of men, these captains of banking industry would usher in a new era of commerce not through manufacturing, but through finance. Clinton signed the law tearing down the wall between deposit banks and investment banks...he signed the law that allowed banks to create mega-complex derivative contracts that were simply bets, on bets, on bets, on bets...by the late 90's, America and it's representatives had become bought, owned, and operated by 7 major banks, and by a handful of global multi-national corporations.
Before Reagan, American families had personal savings of around 24%. As productivity kept increasing, wages stagnated since unions lost strength and corporations gained more control through mergers and acquizitions. Add to this "free-trade" said American workers now have to compete with workers world wide making pennies an hour. During the 90's Alan Greenspan saw this coming when it was clear that wages were not tracking productivity and while supply increased, demand lagged since folks didn't make the money to buy the stuff being supplied. The fear in the early 90's was "deflation" since prices were too high for the wages being earned. The Fed began a credit policy that lowered interests rates and encouraged more presonal borrowing, more easy credit cards, higher bank leverage of capital, and sure enough....American's kept on purchasing...but with debt. As of 2007, personal saving tanked to -4%.....seriously...NEGATIVE numbers.
Clinton, bound by "pay as you go" requirements in Congress and being a centrist, reduced the size of government, the debt, the deficit, and left office with (arguably) a budget surplus. Bush and the GOP took our country from a lower debt, budget surplus, and relative peace and after 8 years, took the debt to 10 TRILLION dollars, a 1 TRILLION dollar deficit, 2 insane and UNPAID FOR wars, Medicare Part D (unpaid for), saw 7 MILLION JOBS lost and bailed out the big banks to the tune of 750 BILLION dollars of our tax money with NO STRINGS ATTACHED!!!
So after all of this, our country crashes......and the media focuses on why it's all the fault of our black, Afro-Centric, Muslim, Kenyan, communist, socialist, fascist, no birth certificate, tyrannical terrorist loving dictator of a president.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A message to a friend
Mary:
I want to strip away all the hype and spin. Our country, yes OUR country, has lost it's way. We, you and I, conservatives and liberals, Americans...must fully understand that we want the same thing...what's best for our nation. We want good schools, and safe homes, and good jobs and opportunity for all of our citizens. We both want a nation that we are proud of and that others will look to for the standards that should guide all nations. We want our elected officials to not only represent our interests but to provide leadership. They need to be honorable and humble at the same time standing strong for ALL Americans. We need businesses that not only make a profit but do so with the understanding that they exist because of this nation, not the other way around. Business can be successful and still care about their employees and customers and the environment. Over our 230+ history, we have amended our constitution many times...this is necessary because the one thing that remains constant is change. Our future depends on our constant ability to adapt, change, innovate, and move forward....to be "progressive". At the same time, we can and must "conserve" those traditions that matter...liberty, community, self sacrifice, loyality, these are the rocks that the founders used to build this country. Mary....we both want the same thing. We may choose to support different paths to that goal, but that is why we must come together and debate those paths so that we are finally united as a country on how to solve our problems. As Americans, we must reject the hype and spin...we must call out those who choose to divide us...we must embrace each other as Americans as we have done in the past....then we can overcome anything. If we continue to fight each other...if we continue to ignore our real problems as we discuss trivial issues and trivial people, then we will miss our opportunity...we will allow those who have power to keep it and the rest of us will go on thinking "If only...."
I embrace my conservative American brothers and sisters. I long for another voice like William Buckley....or Teddy Roosevelt, or Eisenhower, or Lincoln. Where are the conservatice leaders who boldly stood above the fray and shouted against concentrated wealth and power? Where are the liberal leaders who marched for the common American? Where are the real union leaders that died making sure working Americans were given a fair wage for a days work? Where are the GOP leaders of yesterday who stood up and supported the voting rights act and the marches in Selma? Where are the Republicans who walked up to Nixon and said "you have to go" for crimes against the Constitution? Where are the Democrats who stood firm for Social Security and Medicare in the face of accustions of being communists?
Mary...we both want the same thing...our country to be strong again for ALL Americans. We can do it together...you and I. At least that's what I want to believe.
I want to strip away all the hype and spin. Our country, yes OUR country, has lost it's way. We, you and I, conservatives and liberals, Americans...must fully understand that we want the same thing...what's best for our nation. We want good schools, and safe homes, and good jobs and opportunity for all of our citizens. We both want a nation that we are proud of and that others will look to for the standards that should guide all nations. We want our elected officials to not only represent our interests but to provide leadership. They need to be honorable and humble at the same time standing strong for ALL Americans. We need businesses that not only make a profit but do so with the understanding that they exist because of this nation, not the other way around. Business can be successful and still care about their employees and customers and the environment. Over our 230+ history, we have amended our constitution many times...this is necessary because the one thing that remains constant is change. Our future depends on our constant ability to adapt, change, innovate, and move forward....to be "progressive". At the same time, we can and must "conserve" those traditions that matter...liberty, community, self sacrifice, loyality, these are the rocks that the founders used to build this country. Mary....we both want the same thing. We may choose to support different paths to that goal, but that is why we must come together and debate those paths so that we are finally united as a country on how to solve our problems. As Americans, we must reject the hype and spin...we must call out those who choose to divide us...we must embrace each other as Americans as we have done in the past....then we can overcome anything. If we continue to fight each other...if we continue to ignore our real problems as we discuss trivial issues and trivial people, then we will miss our opportunity...we will allow those who have power to keep it and the rest of us will go on thinking "If only...."
I embrace my conservative American brothers and sisters. I long for another voice like William Buckley....or Teddy Roosevelt, or Eisenhower, or Lincoln. Where are the conservatice leaders who boldly stood above the fray and shouted against concentrated wealth and power? Where are the liberal leaders who marched for the common American? Where are the real union leaders that died making sure working Americans were given a fair wage for a days work? Where are the GOP leaders of yesterday who stood up and supported the voting rights act and the marches in Selma? Where are the Republicans who walked up to Nixon and said "you have to go" for crimes against the Constitution? Where are the Democrats who stood firm for Social Security and Medicare in the face of accustions of being communists?
Mary...we both want the same thing...our country to be strong again for ALL Americans. We can do it together...you and I. At least that's what I want to believe.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
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