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| Socialism |
Socialism is a provoking word that may never sell in America, but
unbridled capitalism is killing us and it has got to be reigned in.
How can so many be so quiet about public healthcare?
Apparently the big fear is Socialism! Plus, the notion that government can't
do anything... I have to admit I'm not crazy about the term, Socialism (it
connotes being lazy, gaming the system, expecting others to take care of
you)... But it's really semantics and an unfounded false fear.
With months to go before the next election we don't have much time.
Obama is not another "FDR" or Abraham Lincoln, and Joe Bageant
explains that socialism is not a political system as much as it is a social
philosophy... (He also points out that semantics, "plays on words," are a big
part of the problem.) People like Obama know how to play with words, but:
We can't talk our way out of these troubles. Ignoring all Democrats and
Republicans will be a step in the right direction for 2010.
Talking Points divide us (by design) along class and party lines. They can
unite us if we are well led, or keep us busy, confused, and distracted if we're
not. The poor and middle class are kept at bay because we can't get
organized and rebel in a civilized manner. We buy in to the notion it all
comes down to money. We can't even agree on what constitutes a middle
class. We are all (mostly) poor but we are loathe to admit because of the
stigma it is to be poor. If we earn at least a few thousand dollars a year we
consider ourselves "Middle Class." Only to earn nothing is to be really poor!
To "Divide and Conquer" has been the way of the world forever. It works.
The number in the middle (between right and wrong, rich and poor, etc) is
always the battle zone... Who does not want to be rich? Who has never
committed a wrong?
What are the dollar amounts that separate rich, poor, and middle class?
(U.S. Veterans are considered "poor enough" to qualify for benefits if they
earn less than $11,000 a year, $19,000 a year with three dependents.)
(There is no "middle ground" for VA benefits except for "%" of disability - the
big "cut off" is 30%, anything less than that, or with an income over $11,000,
you don't qualify to get much.)
The Mystery of the Middle Class is the biggest mystery in the world.
Most people in America earn less than $25,000 a year ($50,000 for a
family). Being rich starts somewhere above that, but it starts a lot lower than
those who earn that much would like those who don't to believe. (The latest
rich person joke is that "A million dollars isn't all that much after taxes." Ha,
ha. And we can trust them to be telling us the truth about that. Why would
they lie? What would be in it for them to mislead anyone about that?
It's a popular myth that the middle class in America is huge, and covers a
wide range of income... In fact, the middle class has shrunk since its zenith
in the '70's, has gotten smaller rapidly over the past ten years, and has
always existed in a very narrow range of income. You are in the middle
class in America, as an individual, if you earn more than $20,000 a year and
less than around $50,000 or so. You are rich starting at around $75,000.
The rich would have you believe a whole different set of numbers.
Even the poor and middle class want to quibble about what the numbers are.
The numbers are controversial and they keep changing. For every
"average" there is a "mean, median, and mode." For every "spin" there is a
"counter spin."
It is as much a lie to leave something out as it is to be blatant and "bald
faced" in the lies we tell (or don't tell) - and when it comes to assumptions
about the middle class there is usually a lot left out. Nobody wants to be left
behind or left out. Nobody wants to be poor - or even rich if it's going to get
dangerous. (French aristocracy got their heads chopped off just for being
rich.) (The "good" are not known for being gentle with the "clever.") Most
people are comfortable with being in the middle class - as long as it covers a
wide enough range through the first couple of millions of dollars or so (which
of course it doesn't but who's going to quibble about that)?
Popular Support for whatever the latest Grass-Roots Populism in America
Movement ends up being called, is what we need - but if we get can get
there in a timely manner remains to be seen. It took a long time to achieve
Liberty and Justice - for as many who have enjoyed it in times past.
Eventually, almost everyone in America got the right to vote - regardless of
race, color, creed, religion, sex, property, poll taxes or personal whim, age
18 or older - but it wasn't easy. How many Rock Stars, Super Stars,
Athletes, Celebrities and sincere intellectuals could be recruited to join in on
a truly sensible and popular new Grass-Roots Movement? Are all the good
names for popular grass-roots movements taken? What could we possibly
call a new, "Dawning of the Ages?"
Two Party System Defunct! Register as something else other than a
Democrat or Republican. That alone would shake a few things up! Forget
about Barack Obama. He had his chance. He's sticking with the status quo.
He's betting, along with most of his colleagues in congress and on the
Supreme Court, that we can't get organized in time to do anything about
anything before the next election. (Not in a civilized manner anyway.)
They're all betting they don't need anything because they're all so rich now
they can buy anything. They're just hanging around town and messing with
us for the fun of it. (Everybody has to be someplace and do something.)
That's the power of politics and money. Money can buy anything except
time, and Politics is the ultimate safe game (as long as most of the armed
assailants are on your side. Whoever has the most money when they die,
wins. Whoever has the most arms and armed assailants, usually wins.
If life was fair it would be possible to buy immortality and guarantee victory
at all costs. That's all Capitalism has ever tried to achieve, to make life fair
for the rich and powerful... What else is there? What else could there be
that would be worthy of human endeavor? The whole point of life is to make
money, isn't it? Certainly we can't do anything without it.
unbridled capitalism is killing us and it has got to be reigned in.
How can so many be so quiet about public healthcare?
Apparently the big fear is Socialism! Plus, the notion that government can't
do anything... I have to admit I'm not crazy about the term, Socialism (it
connotes being lazy, gaming the system, expecting others to take care of
you)... But it's really semantics and an unfounded false fear.
With months to go before the next election we don't have much time.
Obama is not another "FDR" or Abraham Lincoln, and Joe Bageant
explains that socialism is not a political system as much as it is a social
philosophy... (He also points out that semantics, "plays on words," are a big
part of the problem.) People like Obama know how to play with words, but:
We can't talk our way out of these troubles. Ignoring all Democrats and
Republicans will be a step in the right direction for 2010.
Talking Points divide us (by design) along class and party lines. They can
unite us if we are well led, or keep us busy, confused, and distracted if we're
not. The poor and middle class are kept at bay because we can't get
organized and rebel in a civilized manner. We buy in to the notion it all
comes down to money. We can't even agree on what constitutes a middle
class. We are all (mostly) poor but we are loathe to admit because of the
stigma it is to be poor. If we earn at least a few thousand dollars a year we
consider ourselves "Middle Class." Only to earn nothing is to be really poor!
To "Divide and Conquer" has been the way of the world forever. It works.
The number in the middle (between right and wrong, rich and poor, etc) is
always the battle zone... Who does not want to be rich? Who has never
committed a wrong?
What are the dollar amounts that separate rich, poor, and middle class?
(U.S. Veterans are considered "poor enough" to qualify for benefits if they
earn less than $11,000 a year, $19,000 a year with three dependents.)
(There is no "middle ground" for VA benefits except for "%" of disability - the
big "cut off" is 30%, anything less than that, or with an income over $11,000,
you don't qualify to get much.)
The Mystery of the Middle Class is the biggest mystery in the world.
Most people in America earn less than $25,000 a year ($50,000 for a
family). Being rich starts somewhere above that, but it starts a lot lower than
those who earn that much would like those who don't to believe. (The latest
rich person joke is that "A million dollars isn't all that much after taxes." Ha,
ha. And we can trust them to be telling us the truth about that. Why would
they lie? What would be in it for them to mislead anyone about that?
It's a popular myth that the middle class in America is huge, and covers a
wide range of income... In fact, the middle class has shrunk since its zenith
in the '70's, has gotten smaller rapidly over the past ten years, and has
always existed in a very narrow range of income. You are in the middle
class in America, as an individual, if you earn more than $20,000 a year and
less than around $50,000 or so. You are rich starting at around $75,000.
The rich would have you believe a whole different set of numbers.
Even the poor and middle class want to quibble about what the numbers are.
The numbers are controversial and they keep changing. For every
"average" there is a "mean, median, and mode." For every "spin" there is a
"counter spin."
It is as much a lie to leave something out as it is to be blatant and "bald
faced" in the lies we tell (or don't tell) - and when it comes to assumptions
about the middle class there is usually a lot left out. Nobody wants to be left
behind or left out. Nobody wants to be poor - or even rich if it's going to get
dangerous. (French aristocracy got their heads chopped off just for being
rich.) (The "good" are not known for being gentle with the "clever.") Most
people are comfortable with being in the middle class - as long as it covers a
wide enough range through the first couple of millions of dollars or so (which
of course it doesn't but who's going to quibble about that)?
Popular Support for whatever the latest Grass-Roots Populism in America
Movement ends up being called, is what we need - but if we get can get
there in a timely manner remains to be seen. It took a long time to achieve
Liberty and Justice - for as many who have enjoyed it in times past.
Eventually, almost everyone in America got the right to vote - regardless of
race, color, creed, religion, sex, property, poll taxes or personal whim, age
18 or older - but it wasn't easy. How many Rock Stars, Super Stars,
Athletes, Celebrities and sincere intellectuals could be recruited to join in on
a truly sensible and popular new Grass-Roots Movement? Are all the good
names for popular grass-roots movements taken? What could we possibly
call a new, "Dawning of the Ages?"
Two Party System Defunct! Register as something else other than a
Democrat or Republican. That alone would shake a few things up! Forget
about Barack Obama. He had his chance. He's sticking with the status quo.
He's betting, along with most of his colleagues in congress and on the
Supreme Court, that we can't get organized in time to do anything about
anything before the next election. (Not in a civilized manner anyway.)
They're all betting they don't need anything because they're all so rich now
they can buy anything. They're just hanging around town and messing with
us for the fun of it. (Everybody has to be someplace and do something.)
That's the power of politics and money. Money can buy anything except
time, and Politics is the ultimate safe game (as long as most of the armed
assailants are on your side. Whoever has the most money when they die,
wins. Whoever has the most arms and armed assailants, usually wins.
If life was fair it would be possible to buy immortality and guarantee victory
at all costs. That's all Capitalism has ever tried to achieve, to make life fair
for the rich and powerful... What else is there? What else could there be
that would be worthy of human endeavor? The whole point of life is to make
money, isn't it? Certainly we can't do anything without it.