Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
America's Ruling Class
If it's true that 1% of the population owns 43% of the financial wealth in the USA, and the next richest 19% controls another 50% (and I believe it is true) then we sure do have a Ruling Class in America. No hyperbole from me, just an affirmation of our "way of life."
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Ramblings, April 2010
I've had a bit of time off from the major media insanity to dwell on things again - kind of like Simon and Garfunkel must have done before writing the "Sounds of Silence." So here goes. Hope this answers some questions, implied or explicit. Pardon my rambling, I'm just getting my "writer's fingers" back:)
What's really remarkable to me is how many of these ghastly reports have appeared on the pages of the New York Times, quite recently. Remember - this is the same NY Times which just a few months ago "validated" (supported) the recent escalation in Afghanistan with much enthusiasm. What, do they suddenly have cold feet? A little squeamish? That's the price "we" pay, I suppose. A price, it must be reckoned, that seems extrememly minor in comparison to those doing the suffering and dying. But it is a price we pay nonetheless. Like those of us who play all kinds of mental tricks on ourselves; the way we fool around excessively with essential truths. Some of us bend over backwards to swallow the lies, with Gusto!!! And in this way all our lives are diminished, warped, cheapened. Of course, The New York Times does this for us, anyway. The Times lowers our consciousness with every editorial praising the "surge" it has shamefully printed. Bullshit columnists like David Brooks rationalizing all kinds of armed intervention, apparently totally oblivious to the resulting flagrant violations of international law. Alledging that we must stay the awful, but "necessary" course. Portraying out-and-out lawlessness and national aggression as understandable defensive, action. Seems I heard that one before, with respect to Iraq! So the pundits get rich telling us manifold absurdities. Telling us that yes, we did try diplomacy, but it failed. (A lie; we needed desperately to engage in honest diplomacy, as we still need to.)
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/ret.us.taliban/
We are told "We were attacked; we had to respond militarily." (Another lie, or misrepresentation, at least - the ordinary people of Afghanistan, those dying from drones and gunshots, had nothing to do with 911.) Anyway, one might, depending on ones level of ignorance, genuinely wonder "Why? What have we done to earn such hatred?" But that would require taking into consideration hundreds of thousands of Muslim lives taken by western militarism. For example, in the 1991 Gulf War, and other well-known acts of Western state-sponsored terrorism. Yes, a vigorous examination of one's own national history might shed some light on the question: "why did they do it?" Curious mortals might wonder, under ordinary circumstances, if the vicious bombing campaign inflicted day after day on Iraqis entirely innocent of attacking Kuwait might be a sore spot in the Muslim World. We might then, following such reflection in America, avoid falling prey to the Disinformation Meisters who would have Americans believe nonsense like "they hate us for our freedoms."
What's really remarkable to me is how many of these ghastly reports have appeared on the pages of the New York Times, quite recently. Remember - this is the same NY Times which just a few months ago "validated" (supported) the recent escalation in Afghanistan with much enthusiasm. What, do they suddenly have cold feet? A little squeamish? That's the price "we" pay, I suppose. A price, it must be reckoned, that seems extrememly minor in comparison to those doing the suffering and dying. But it is a price we pay nonetheless. Like those of us who play all kinds of mental tricks on ourselves; the way we fool around excessively with essential truths. Some of us bend over backwards to swallow the lies, with Gusto!!! And in this way all our lives are diminished, warped, cheapened. Of course, The New York Times does this for us, anyway. The Times lowers our consciousness with every editorial praising the "surge" it has shamefully printed. Bullshit columnists like David Brooks rationalizing all kinds of armed intervention, apparently totally oblivious to the resulting flagrant violations of international law. Alledging that we must stay the awful, but "necessary" course. Portraying out-and-out lawlessness and national aggression as understandable defensive, action. Seems I heard that one before, with respect to Iraq! So the pundits get rich telling us manifold absurdities. Telling us that yes, we did try diplomacy, but it failed. (A lie; we needed desperately to engage in honest diplomacy, as we still need to.)
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/ret.us.taliban/
We are told "We were attacked; we had to respond militarily." (Another lie, or misrepresentation, at least - the ordinary people of Afghanistan, those dying from drones and gunshots, had nothing to do with 911.) Anyway, one might, depending on ones level of ignorance, genuinely wonder "Why? What have we done to earn such hatred?" But that would require taking into consideration hundreds of thousands of Muslim lives taken by western militarism. For example, in the 1991 Gulf War, and other well-known acts of Western state-sponsored terrorism. Yes, a vigorous examination of one's own national history might shed some light on the question: "why did they do it?" Curious mortals might wonder, under ordinary circumstances, if the vicious bombing campaign inflicted day after day on Iraqis entirely innocent of attacking Kuwait might be a sore spot in the Muslim World. We might then, following such reflection in America, avoid falling prey to the Disinformation Meisters who would have Americans believe nonsense like "they hate us for our freedoms."
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A question of Force.
Americans are FORCED to patronize the "Free Market" when they buy food and clothes. They are forced to patronize the "Free Market" when they buy a house or car, or practically any other consumer item. Can you give me an example of a washing machine produced by nationalized industry that is available here? People are forced to get some kind of a job, and more often than not, the jobs they take are low-paying service sector jobs. Only so many "Communist" government jobs available, you see. On the other hand, there's only so much room at the top of the Corporate pyramid, as we all know very well.
Though I'll grant you this: I suppose the distinct MINORITY of Americans that live in government-subsidized housing are benefitting from a socialized entity. More humorously, the "large" percentage if US citizens who manage to purchase a 1970's East German "Trabant" have succeeded in buying into Socialism. Virtully everyone else buys a GM, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, etc. But they certainly do have a lot of choice in the matter - if they don't like supporting Corporate industry, they can walk, or buy a "People's" bicycle. Of course, one can also take admittedly "Marxist" Mass Transit.
Still, most of us can't afford our own Private Lear Jet when we go to Washington to beg the taxpayers for more money to benefit OURSELVES. Obviously, the few remaining GM workers left in this country don't make the kind of obscene money GM's CAPITALIST Chairman Rick Wagoner was making, even after the bailout went through. Bonuses and all!
Not all folks who are compelled to prostitute themselves for Capitalism are minimum-wage employees, but many are. The reason "Free Marketeers" don't see any evidence of compulsion in the fact that the vast majority of Americans are FORCED to participate in the "Free Market," is that they've come to take the Private Enterprise system for granted. They regard it as virtually a god-given natural law, which it isn't. It's just one of many potential ways to structure the economic system within a given society. And hardly perfect, at that! When folks bemoan the alleged "Socialization" of America, they might take the time and effort to present a plausible case.
P.S: I'm writing this on a DELL keyboard of a DELL computer at the local Communist Public Library.
Though I'll grant you this: I suppose the distinct MINORITY of Americans that live in government-subsidized housing are benefitting from a socialized entity. More humorously, the "large" percentage if US citizens who manage to purchase a 1970's East German "Trabant" have succeeded in buying into Socialism. Virtully everyone else buys a GM, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, etc. But they certainly do have a lot of choice in the matter - if they don't like supporting Corporate industry, they can walk, or buy a "People's" bicycle. Of course, one can also take admittedly "Marxist" Mass Transit.
Still, most of us can't afford our own Private Lear Jet when we go to Washington to beg the taxpayers for more money to benefit OURSELVES. Obviously, the few remaining GM workers left in this country don't make the kind of obscene money GM's CAPITALIST Chairman Rick Wagoner was making, even after the bailout went through. Bonuses and all!
Not all folks who are compelled to prostitute themselves for Capitalism are minimum-wage employees, but many are. The reason "Free Marketeers" don't see any evidence of compulsion in the fact that the vast majority of Americans are FORCED to participate in the "Free Market," is that they've come to take the Private Enterprise system for granted. They regard it as virtually a god-given natural law, which it isn't. It's just one of many potential ways to structure the economic system within a given society. And hardly perfect, at that! When folks bemoan the alleged "Socialization" of America, they might take the time and effort to present a plausible case.
P.S: I'm writing this on a DELL keyboard of a DELL computer at the local Communist Public Library.
That Sinister Obamavich!!!
"From Tea-Partei-Reichs-Journal.com:
US Communist Party General Sekretary Boris Obamavich was in Barfpail Iowa today, implementing his ruthless forced collectivization program on hapless Blorchson County farmers. Comrade Obamavich then journeyed to Des Moines, where he poisonally disconnected feeding tubes from seven terminally-ill grandmothers at People's General Hospital. Amdist the terrified shrieks of communalized family members, Obamavich was heard to utter bizarre, rambling and mumbledy-peg comments extolling the virtues of 'Superfluous Humanity Panels.' Afterwards Tovarisch Obamavich and his Mobile Texting Central Committee crossed the New Volga River into the Federated Socialist Republic of Illinois, where, somewhere in the vicinity of West Leningrad, Obamavich personally molested and axe-murdered fourteen Republicans, two goats and a chicken."
So I was indeed prompted to wonder when this monstrous Stalinist Obamavich will finally be purged from our ranks. We DO need to stop the creeping Socialization of Amerika before it's too late! Also, from yesterday:
"Pravda Today columnist Greg Gorbachov caught up with Trudy Trotsky and her anti-husband Comrade Craig Khrushchev as they stood next to the 'Krazy Kremlin' ride at Evil Empire Theme Park in nearby Moscow Heights. The couple weighed in: 'Worse part of entire sordid affair, dear comrades, is Obamavich not even true, patriotic citizen of esteemed homeland. He born outside of USSA (United Soviet States of America.) Obamavich hail from Bourgeois Bulgaria. How we can trust Boris Obamavich secure future socialist paradise? Nothing but revisionist running dog imperialist, if not worst!!!'"
(Saw a picture of a Tea Bagger carrying sign with photo of Obama reading: "Socialism; it's not a joke." I beg to differ.)
US Communist Party General Sekretary Boris Obamavich was in Barfpail Iowa today, implementing his ruthless forced collectivization program on hapless Blorchson County farmers. Comrade Obamavich then journeyed to Des Moines, where he poisonally disconnected feeding tubes from seven terminally-ill grandmothers at People's General Hospital. Amdist the terrified shrieks of communalized family members, Obamavich was heard to utter bizarre, rambling and mumbledy-peg comments extolling the virtues of 'Superfluous Humanity Panels.' Afterwards Tovarisch Obamavich and his Mobile Texting Central Committee crossed the New Volga River into the Federated Socialist Republic of Illinois, where, somewhere in the vicinity of West Leningrad, Obamavich personally molested and axe-murdered fourteen Republicans, two goats and a chicken."
So I was indeed prompted to wonder when this monstrous Stalinist Obamavich will finally be purged from our ranks. We DO need to stop the creeping Socialization of Amerika before it's too late! Also, from yesterday:
"Pravda Today columnist Greg Gorbachov caught up with Trudy Trotsky and her anti-husband Comrade Craig Khrushchev as they stood next to the 'Krazy Kremlin' ride at Evil Empire Theme Park in nearby Moscow Heights. The couple weighed in: 'Worse part of entire sordid affair, dear comrades, is Obamavich not even true, patriotic citizen of esteemed homeland. He born outside of USSA (United Soviet States of America.) Obamavich hail from Bourgeois Bulgaria. How we can trust Boris Obamavich secure future socialist paradise? Nothing but revisionist running dog imperialist, if not worst!!!'"
(Saw a picture of a Tea Bagger carrying sign with photo of Obama reading: "Socialism; it's not a joke." I beg to differ.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)