Um, ladders of opportunity?

With President Obama once again showing no political courage (his State of the Union this Tuesday is going to focus on "ladders of opportunity" and eschew "income inequality" because the President's handlers don't want Obama to appear to be engaging in class warfare--never mind that the rich cocksuckers only call it class warfare when we poor saps fight back) a few observations:

• Numbnuts millionaire investor Kevin O'Leary says it's wonderful that 85 people (that's eighty-five, not 8500 or 85,000) own more wealth than 3.5 billion other people on the planet because it gives us poor saps something to strive for.  Better start buying lots of  lottery tickets, folks--your odds of being as wealthy as Mr. O'Leary on your own initiative is just slightly less than your odds of winning the lottery.  Mr. O'Leary also moved up a few notches in the guillotine line this week....
• Lynn Stuart Parramore wonders if fifty years after the War on Poverty the middle class will become the new poor which caused me to think (I'm not being sarcastic, her piece is one of the best I've read this week) that thirty years after Ronald Reagan we're already there.
• A new study shows that 47% of current jobs will be automated over the next twenty years and that unlike previous eras jobs are not coming to replace them.  It's okay if you're thinking about just pulling the covers over your head and sleeping for a long time--that's my plan, too.
• After reading today probably the thousandth some odd piece debunking minimum wage myths pushed by rich people who somehow still think that pre-ghosts Ebeneezer Scrooge is someone to admire, it dawned on me that the con job foisted on older white Americans by the republican party may be the greatest of all time.  Can you think of any con that has convinced people that it's good for them and their neighbors to make shit wages so the wealthy can have even more money?  I mean isn't the idea usually to at least make the mark think they're going to get rich, too?

Looking forward to Tuesday--hope the President tells me where I can buy one of his ladders....

Peace,
emaycee

The American idea

“Too many people don’t know what the American idea is anymore,” the Wisconsin Republican said, calling for a more streamlined federal government and a family-and-community-oriented approach to fighting poverty.

That's Paul Ryan, the latest republican Vice-Presidential candidate to get his clock cleaned by the Democrats, trying to convince his party's base of what they already believe (all evidence to the contrary): that the War on Poverty has failed.

Contrary to Rep.Ryan's musings (if you can call them that), I think most Americans are far too familiar with what he thinks the American idea is:  letting the least among us suffer while the government funnels more dollars to those at the top; working for wages that leave us in poverty so corporate leaders can feed at the caviar trough; engorging the military-industrial complex while American children go hungry; looking out for Wall Street instead of Main Street.

You get the idea.  So to speak.

And thanks, but no fucking thanks to that idea.  Streamline the government and make believe that there's enough community organizations that can combat poverty and next thing you know, we're Somalia.

That might be republican's idea of the ideal America, but it's not mine.

Peace,
emaycee

Happy Birthday, War on Poverty

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of Lyndon Johnson's State of the Union Address which began the War on Poverty, the only war America has fought since WWII that was worth the fight.

Despite the claims of numbnuts like Marco Rubio (am I the only one who thinks Rubio makes Ted Cruz--a lightweight if ever one existed--look like Winston fucking Churchill?), the War on Poverty has been an unqualified success.  During the time in which the War on Poverty was actually funded properly (the first ten years), the number of Americans in poverty dropped from 19% to 12%.  The numbers since still aren't shabby--from 19% to 15% (personally, I think Clinton's bow to republicans in welfare reform bears a great responsibility for this, as well).

Frankly, the reason the War on Poverty hasn't eradicated poverty in America is republicans--and what a surprise that is.  Since the time of the callous Ronald Reagan, republicans have waged a concerted campaign of attrition to continue their War on the Poor using sexism and racism (among others) to keep old white folks  in the fold, and leading them to believe their votes would bring back the nonexistent days of Mayberry

What they have done, however, is divided America and taken what would be true proof of our exceptionalism--our devotion to the well-being of our fellow countrymen--and turned it into a political football with which to placate their batshit insane base.

Had we fought any of our military wars of the past fifty years with the lies and misinformation that republicans have heaped upon the War on Poverty, our military would be the laughingstock of the world.

Peace,
emaycee

Fishers of Men

Sargent Shriver passed away today--I'm sure there are many who have no idea who he is, or what he did other than be the father of Maria Shriver (Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger). He was the first director of the Peace Corps, led LBJ's War on Poverty, and was an integral part of the Special Olympics with his wife of 50+ years, Eunice Kennedy. He was also one of the few surviving links to the John F. Kennedy administration. There are few public servants today like Sargent Shriver.

This Thursday, January 20th, will mark the 50th anniversary of JFK's inauguration. JFK's presidency will never be fully judged due to its tragic brevity, but I think it would be fair to say that its mission was noble in intent, that the call to public service was for the greater good of America and everyday Americans (compare and contrast to public service today which seems to be how to line your own pockets while fellating corporate America and fucking over everyday Americans).

Brent Budowsky has written one of the best pieces I've read all year (all eighteen days of it!), calling on each of us to heed the call of Kennedy's inaugural address and not only speak of improving America, but also to follow through with our deeds. I'm not sure all of us (myself included) have greatness within, but we certainly have some good, and even the smallest contributions will help.

Here's to you, America--better bit by bit, by keeping up the good fight.

Peace,
emaycee