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
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Still two Americas
The second greatest tragedy of John Edwards' fall from grace (the first being the damage he did to his family) was that Edwards had been one of the first to call out on a national stage the idea of there being, economically, two Americas. Edwards tried, in a way few other national Democrats did or do, to remind the party of its roots and its commitment to championing those in poverty.
In early December The New York Times ran a stunning story on Dasani, a homeless child in New York, and the travails her family faced. Admittedly, Dasani's parents had made some bad choices, and predictably, the conservative rag The New York Post ran an editorial shortly after its publication in which it raised the usual republican tripe that it was entirely the parents' fault, despite all evidence to the contrary (a republican line of callousness that began with the happy idiot, Ronald Reagan, who, if God is truly just, is currently rotting in hell for his crimes against humanity).
The simple truth is that those in poverty, for the most part, are no more to blame for their lot in life than a single grain of sand is responsible for a dust storm. The American dream has been dying a slow death since Ronald Reagan's tenure in the White House, and it's only been exacerbated by the Great Recession. Those born in poverty are much more likely to remain in poverty, and, increasingly, those born in the middle class are facing a future of poverty as well. America has become a land of plenty for those at the top and a land of permanent want for those at the bottom. It's called income inequality now, but John Edwards, for all his faults was right: we have two Americas. And as Pope Francis has noted, it is the issue of our time.
If the Democratic Party wants to be on the right side of history (let's face it, republicans don't give a fuck about ordinary Americans as long as they can score political points with the 20% of Americans who represent their radical fringe), it would be wise to make their New Year's resolution for 2014 to redevote itself to reaching out to the needy and the homeless, to the working poor and the middle class, and putting their well-being before the Party's corporate benefactors.
The War on Poverty can be won, but it will not be won by Wall Street.
It will be won by Main Street.
Peace,
emaycee
In early December The New York Times ran a stunning story on Dasani, a homeless child in New York, and the travails her family faced. Admittedly, Dasani's parents had made some bad choices, and predictably, the conservative rag The New York Post ran an editorial shortly after its publication in which it raised the usual republican tripe that it was entirely the parents' fault, despite all evidence to the contrary (a republican line of callousness that began with the happy idiot, Ronald Reagan, who, if God is truly just, is currently rotting in hell for his crimes against humanity).
The simple truth is that those in poverty, for the most part, are no more to blame for their lot in life than a single grain of sand is responsible for a dust storm. The American dream has been dying a slow death since Ronald Reagan's tenure in the White House, and it's only been exacerbated by the Great Recession. Those born in poverty are much more likely to remain in poverty, and, increasingly, those born in the middle class are facing a future of poverty as well. America has become a land of plenty for those at the top and a land of permanent want for those at the bottom. It's called income inequality now, but John Edwards, for all his faults was right: we have two Americas. And as Pope Francis has noted, it is the issue of our time.
If the Democratic Party wants to be on the right side of history (let's face it, republicans don't give a fuck about ordinary Americans as long as they can score political points with the 20% of Americans who represent their radical fringe), it would be wise to make their New Year's resolution for 2014 to redevote itself to reaching out to the needy and the homeless, to the working poor and the middle class, and putting their well-being before the Party's corporate benefactors.
The War on Poverty can be won, but it will not be won by Wall Street.
It will be won by Main Street.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Drink a cup of kindness
The Beautiful Boy and I discovered this one a few days back and had a rollicking good time dancing to it. A distinctly American (we're talking banjos!) version of "Auld Lang Syne" by the Lonesome
Have a bitchin' New Year!
Peace,
emaycee
Heaven's not for sale
"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24
This is one of those passages in the Bible that conservatives, who take most of the Bible quite literally, will say Jesus didn't mean quite literally, that it's one of the few passages in the Bible that has nuances.
Yeah, good luck with that at the Pearly Gates.
Anyway, Ken Langone, the billionaire founder of Home Depot, has had his little feelings hurt by the Pope's (spot on) comments on capitalism. Seems Mr. Langone is trying to raise $180 million for the restoration of St. Patrick's Church in New York City, and one of his potential donors is having second throughts because Pope Francis has criticized the abject failure of our economic system.
Do you suppose God, the supposed father of us all, is more concerned with the restoration of a church or the fact that, in the richest nation on earth, one in six Americans (Including 22% of our children) lives in poverty? Do you suppose he's more concerned with spending $180 million on a building or the fact that one in five Americans has been food insecure in the past year?
The rich don't need God--for them, he's just another commodity to be bought. To the poor, He represents hope.
Unfortunately for Mr. Langone, there aren't any camels for sale in this world skinny enough to squeeze through the eye of the needle.
Peace,
emaycee
This is one of those passages in the Bible that conservatives, who take most of the Bible quite literally, will say Jesus didn't mean quite literally, that it's one of the few passages in the Bible that has nuances.
Yeah, good luck with that at the Pearly Gates.
Anyway, Ken Langone, the billionaire founder of Home Depot, has had his little feelings hurt by the Pope's (spot on) comments on capitalism. Seems Mr. Langone is trying to raise $180 million for the restoration of St. Patrick's Church in New York City, and one of his potential donors is having second throughts because Pope Francis has criticized the abject failure of our economic system.
Do you suppose God, the supposed father of us all, is more concerned with the restoration of a church or the fact that, in the richest nation on earth, one in six Americans (Including 22% of our children) lives in poverty? Do you suppose he's more concerned with spending $180 million on a building or the fact that one in five Americans has been food insecure in the past year?
The rich don't need God--for them, he's just another commodity to be bought. To the poor, He represents hope.
Unfortunately for Mr. Langone, there aren't any camels for sale in this world skinny enough to squeeze through the eye of the needle.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, December 27, 2013
Word of Warning
Contrary to the thoughts of our foes on the right, the Duck Dynasty kerfuffle over Phil Robertson's opinions on gays has absolutely nothing to do with the right to free speech (read The Constitution bozos--it only notes the right is protected from abridgement by the Congress/U.S. Government and no other entity).
So it's important to remember that if you're a millionaire pinhead from Podunkville, USA on a highly rated TV show, you can pretty much say what you want and keep your job. But if you're a regular working class American and you start sending e-mails claiming your boss is a Nazi child molester (no matter how much you believe it to be true), your ass is going to get fired.
Class warfare, indeed.
Peace,
emaycee
So it's important to remember that if you're a millionaire pinhead from Podunkville, USA on a highly rated TV show, you can pretty much say what you want and keep your job. But if you're a regular working class American and you start sending e-mails claiming your boss is a Nazi child molester (no matter how much you believe it to be true), your ass is going to get fired.
Class warfare, indeed.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Schei Chreschtdeeg
For those who may be curious, the title is Luxembourgish for "Merry Christmas"--Luxembourg being the land my father's ancestors immigrated to America from in the 1860s.
Perusing other blogs today, I've come across a great recipe (too much work for me, but it sounds good) and perhaps the best new Christmas song I've heard in a while. There was also a nice excerpt from a Christmas speech by FDR in 1939, and an excerpt from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Also heard Johnny Cash's version of "Blue Christmas" which, frankly, I thought blew Elvis' version out of the water.
Still--and I'm not a religious man or a "Peanuts" fan (though I have a soft spot for Mr. Schultz for being a lifetime S.F. Giants fan)--I don't have anything special for this day, other than this:
Peace on earth and goodwill toward men? Sounds like a Commie Liberal plot....
Perusing other blogs today, I've come across a great recipe (too much work for me, but it sounds good) and perhaps the best new Christmas song I've heard in a while. There was also a nice excerpt from a Christmas speech by FDR in 1939, and an excerpt from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Also heard Johnny Cash's version of "Blue Christmas" which, frankly, I thought blew Elvis' version out of the water.
Still--and I'm not a religious man or a "Peanuts" fan (though I have a soft spot for Mr. Schultz for being a lifetime S.F. Giants fan)--I don't have anything special for this day, other than this:
LINUS SPEECH ON THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
Charlie Brown: Isn’t there anyone, who knows what Christmas is all about?!
Linus: Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights please?
And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men.
That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
Peace on earth and goodwill toward men? Sounds like a Commie Liberal plot....
Merry Christmas,
emaycee
Monday, December 23, 2013
White Christmas rant
It's that time of year...
"Do you think we'll have a White Christmas?" (As if it's as rare as a diamond the size of my fist.)
"Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have a White Christmas?" (As if it's on par with say, winning the lottery.)
"Next up on our weather forecast, will we have a White Christmas?" (No sarcasm needed--weatherpersons get paid to be wrong at least half the time.)
I'll be the first to admit that after a big snowstorm the weekend before last, an ice storm this past weekend, and plenty of snow falling in between, I've already had it with winter ( and we're a whopping two days into this season). But this whole White Christmas watch every fucking Christmas (and it's been forty years since my family first moved to the Snow Belt) has reached the point that I'd like to bop anybody who uses the term with one of those rubber chickens that comedians used when Stegosaurus still roamed the earth.
You know what would make for a really great Christmas (especially for those of us who a) work in retail--good luck getting time off this time of year!, or b) can't afford to jet to warmer climes over the holiday--and we are legion!)? If some freak warm front were to traverse the Snow Belt and we awoke on Christmas Day to eighty degrees and a sky blue sky with the sun shining like a tanning lamp. Yessir, I'd be on my back porch wearing cutoffs and a t-shirt, barbecuing burgers and hot dogs while I'm playing catch with the Beautiful Boy, with the Beautiful Girl sitting in her camp chair wearing shorts and a tank top while drinking a raspberry lemonade.
Hey, we could still see the Christmas tree blinking through the back window....with The Pretenders version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" blaring on the stereo.
That, my friends, would be a Very Special Christmas...and not the usual humdrumWhite Christmas claptrap.
Peace,
emaycee
"Do you think we'll have a White Christmas?" (As if it's as rare as a diamond the size of my fist.)
"Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have a White Christmas?" (As if it's on par with say, winning the lottery.)
"Next up on our weather forecast, will we have a White Christmas?" (No sarcasm needed--weatherpersons get paid to be wrong at least half the time.)
I'll be the first to admit that after a big snowstorm the weekend before last, an ice storm this past weekend, and plenty of snow falling in between, I've already had it with winter ( and we're a whopping two days into this season). But this whole White Christmas watch every fucking Christmas (and it's been forty years since my family first moved to the Snow Belt) has reached the point that I'd like to bop anybody who uses the term with one of those rubber chickens that comedians used when Stegosaurus still roamed the earth.
You know what would make for a really great Christmas (especially for those of us who a) work in retail--good luck getting time off this time of year!, or b) can't afford to jet to warmer climes over the holiday--and we are legion!)? If some freak warm front were to traverse the Snow Belt and we awoke on Christmas Day to eighty degrees and a sky blue sky with the sun shining like a tanning lamp. Yessir, I'd be on my back porch wearing cutoffs and a t-shirt, barbecuing burgers and hot dogs while I'm playing catch with the Beautiful Boy, with the Beautiful Girl sitting in her camp chair wearing shorts and a tank top while drinking a raspberry lemonade.
Hey, we could still see the Christmas tree blinking through the back window....with The Pretenders version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" blaring on the stereo.
That, my friends, would be a Very Special Christmas...and not the usual humdrumWhite Christmas claptrap.
Peace,
emaycee
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