July 9, 2012
Laugh or cry?
When Kevin Phillips declared on Bill Moyer's show several years ago that class warfare began in 1984 and the wealthy have won, it gave me a jolt. Phillips said, in essence, that the Republicans had always been captured by the rich--as it should be. The wealthy need a political party. The disgrace, he wrote, was that the Democrats were in the same boat drinking from the same wine glass.
Having given plenty of speeches condemning the growing divide between the rich and the rest of us, I smiled but then the reality hit me. My generation has ushered in another gilded age. We became Wall Street, we believed that greed is good, that the IRS is just another obstacle to be dealt with.
It crystallized with the fundraisers Sunday in the Hamptons. Several parties, most costing $75,000 per couple, were an "invitation." If not an invitation, they were an opportunity for good natured ribbing by protesters.
Ron Perelman was there; and what would an event be without David Koch? A local pilot flew over the party with a giant red and black banner "Romney has a Koch problem." The Times reported that most of the super rich, stuck in a traffic jam, did not talk with the ill-mannered non-super-rich, but a few couldn't resist. One did roll down the window and shouted "Obama is a socialist!" Wow. Is that all you've got?
Laugh or cry? Your choice.
post a letter about this blog »
"Give a Republican a fish and he'll think he learned how to fish. Teach him to fish and he'll call you socialist."
-Mad Hemingway | Cottage Grove, WI | July 9, 2012
I despair at the first part of Kevin Phillips's (correct) observation: that the wealthy have won. This used to be a great country where great people contended over great ideas and progress was on everybody's agenda. Not anymore. Now we're just a feeding trough for those who've somehow made it over an imaginary line, as if "wealth" equated to "worth."
I see Bobfest and its offshoots as tools to help mobilize, but given the Citizens United decision and the recent shellacking of Barrett by Walker and his money (which unfortunately has given Walker and his followers the wrong message: that they've been vindicated), I wonder whether it's too late? Is it too late, Ed? I don't want to think so and I am a fighter for the good, but I don't see a lot to pin my hopes on. How will we get Obama re-elected once the blizzard of money begins to bury him? (And I know: he's not the Progressive we were hoping for, but...)
-Paul Marren | East Troy, WI | July 9, 2012
So that is where the job creators were. I was wondering why they aren't getting the job done.
-nonheroicvet | Disgusted, WI | July 9, 2012
(for Mad Hemingway!) Your words inspire more take-offs to recognize GOP-Rove schemes! Give any starving or disabled person a fish, and the GOP will call you a socialist; Give any person, starving, disabled, or otherwise, opportunity to learn to fish, (unless at a voucher or private fishing school), or equipment to fish, and the GOP will still call you a socialist, EVEN IF the pole or lure was made overseas at a US overseas plant and headquarters, where no union wages or benefits or minimum wage exists...AND, our gov. bought the fish pole and lure to give to the poor, but paid at least a 100% markup, AND the owners and investors were allowed to OFFSHORE the profit to avoid paying taxes!
God forbid, if one of the poor or disabled should steal a fish pole or lure to fish with, his prison sentence will be lengthened bigtime, to bring in more dough for the newly contrived PRIVATE PRISON system, and take MORE of OUR tax dollars to pay for the prison..for more GOP profit.
Oh...and if that other country objects to the conditions or wages or presence of that US manufacturing company, our TAX DOLLARS will go to PREEMPTIVE WAR to retain manufacture of those fish poles and lures in that country whether they like it or not.
And...should the poor devil making minimum wage as a fisherman, but with no insurance, using that lure cut his finger on that fish pole, and have to have medical attention....and get any of Obamacare, ohmyGod! The government will be called Socialist!
Now for the big GOP payoff:
THEN, they will be able to use the fact that OUR tax dollars were used, (to buy or support those who buy and use THEIR marked-up product,) to run obscene Koch Bros Americans for Prosperity ads calling the gov. "oooooh, oooooh, oh, oh, socialist," in order to brainwash voters to elect MORE GOP Congress types like Cantor, Ryan, McConnell, Boehner!
What a scheme. Progressives must find some of these schemes!
-hmj | Madison, WI | July 9, 2012
"My generation has ushered in another gilded age. We became Wall Street, we believed that greed is good, that the IRS is just another obstacle to be dealt with."
A new generation, of which I am part, is leading up an invigorated fightback against the 1%. It started in Madison, then Occupy Wall Street. To say nothing of the global uprisings. There is a youth-led uprising against the politics of austerity and for a politics of economic justice, equity and fairness.
Every year, Fighting Bob Fest has lots of great people speak -- sometimes amazing figures that are role models for people like me and others of my generation.
But every year, Bob Fest fails to include people of my generation on the dais. With the understanding that one generation (though not all of its members) has created the clusterf*ck of our current political economy and another generation sparking an opposition, will Fighting Bob Fest include leaders of this generation amongst the speakers?
-Peter Rickman | Milwaukee, WI | July 9, 2012
Hurray to Peter Rickman's comment. Electoral politics has become a theater of the absurd. The Occupy Movement is the world's best chance but is ignored here on Fighting Bob, which I have mentioned before. And, by the way, Denmark does pretty damn well with its form of socialism.
Better than the USA, by a long shot.
-John E. Davey | Kendall, WI | July 10, 2012
current
--------
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003