(no subject)
I haven’t done this in a while, but I believe the time is appropriate for a Liz-sponsored political rant.
The House just defeated the Republican spending bill, and the Senate approved a budget-cutting bill. What took the biggest toll? Education, specifically post-secondary education. The Pell grant program, which Bush specifically promised on the 2004 campaign trail would be maintained, has been frozen. Health care, especially health care for children and rural health care. Programs such as food stamps (no more government cheese…). The end of government-sponsored public welfare programs has been in process since Reagan at least, but so much as been chipped away that we are getting to the core of our social programs, and that’s being blasted away as well. Republicans would claim that given a mandate to this by the public in 2000, 2002, and 2004, but the sad part is that its such a blatant bait and switch. The public didn’t vote to have the pillars of our society blown away, they were frightened and duped about raving about gay marriage, abortion, traditional values, patriotism, terrorism, and other monsters under the bed that turned out, as we always knew, to be just dust bunnies. Sure, across the country we have elected officials who are largely prejudiced, ignorant and intolerant who are keeping funding away from responsible sex ed., and gay marriage isn’t exactly sweeping the nation. But when was the last time you heard the words “gay marriage,” or “abortion” mentioned in the national debate, except maybe in reference to the Supreme Court bru-ha-ha? The current regime tipped its hand a bit too much with the Harriet Miers nomination, proving that they don’t really give a rat’s ass about any of the family values crap they spout on the campaign trail, and their damage control people managed to keep the fireworks from getting too bright, but hell-fucking-lo people. The current budget bills that are being passed show beyond a shadow of a doubt what the Republican party is really about: cutting taxes for the rich. Making sure the poor stay poor and don’t threaten their gated communities. Ensuring that the rich can make money in whatever way they see fit, whether it benefits the national economy or not. Strengthening the national economy so we can at least attempt to compete against China? Why do that when wealthy Americans can just directly invest in China? Fuck the American worker!
Fuck the American worker has been backroom battle cry of this bunch for not decades, but centuries. The people who are currently in power are the same people who ordered striking workers be massacred, and ran domestic sweat shops in the 19th century. The people who are currently in power are the same people who have made fortunes off wars thousands of lower-class Americans have lost their lives and loved ones in. The people who are currently in power are the people who don’t bat an eyelash at the idea of dropping nuclear weapons on populations of innocent people. Money has always lead politics by the hand down the path to hell, but what we are witnessing is a wholesale buyout of all three branches of our nation’s government, to the end of ensuring there is no argument or hurdle in the way of the Rich Getting What They Want, Now Dammit Because I Don’t Want To Argue, Compromise, or Wait. It is the ultimate expression of white male privilege; in the decades in which oppressed groups have finally pushed some of the feet off their backs to stand up and speak out, White Men have folded their arms and stormed off to their rooms, to plot ways to not have to speak to those who have legitimately used the government as it was set up to assert their rights and needs. (Think: Strongsad’s tone of voice when he says “I don’t like food anymore.”)
As an aside, that may be the biggest joke of all when it comes to this Supreme Court joke of a nomination process. The Right keeps braying about needing a “stricter” “more literal” interpretation of the Constitution. They keep braying about “activist judges” who are loosely interpreting the Constitution in ways the Founding Fathers never intended. OF COURSE that’s what these assholes would say. They can’t fathom that the White Men who set up our nation’s governing system would have actually set up a system which would take power away from themselves. I mean, who would be so stupid, right? Who would write into a nation’s founding document loopholes that would legally allow for bringing down the reign of our founding privileged group? All these legalese gymnastics are just a cover-up for the ideas and theories behind the words, and frankly their summersaults and tricks on the handle bars do not impress me, even with law degrees from Harvard and Yale.
At any rate, with this bullshit around the Valerie Plame scandal, the bullshit with DeLay, the bullshit with these budget bills, and the bullshit with clusterfuck that Iraq continues to be (nothing is getting better, people! The elections were meaningless, we’re losing more lives everyday, and nothing will get better any time soon), I would have absolutely no qualms at all about jumping ship at this point. America is rapidly falling out of favor as an immigration destination for the talented and gifted of the world. We are taking money out of the investment funds for future generations hand over fist, because as the rich get richer, they'll always be able to buy their children the future they need. I want to have children, and I would like to give them the best future possible on a working person's salary. Why bring them into this sinking ship? Jess, Amanda, and Johanna have the right idea. I need to think about international destinations, fast.
The House just defeated the Republican spending bill, and the Senate approved a budget-cutting bill. What took the biggest toll? Education, specifically post-secondary education. The Pell grant program, which Bush specifically promised on the 2004 campaign trail would be maintained, has been frozen. Health care, especially health care for children and rural health care. Programs such as food stamps (no more government cheese…). The end of government-sponsored public welfare programs has been in process since Reagan at least, but so much as been chipped away that we are getting to the core of our social programs, and that’s being blasted away as well. Republicans would claim that given a mandate to this by the public in 2000, 2002, and 2004, but the sad part is that its such a blatant bait and switch. The public didn’t vote to have the pillars of our society blown away, they were frightened and duped about raving about gay marriage, abortion, traditional values, patriotism, terrorism, and other monsters under the bed that turned out, as we always knew, to be just dust bunnies. Sure, across the country we have elected officials who are largely prejudiced, ignorant and intolerant who are keeping funding away from responsible sex ed., and gay marriage isn’t exactly sweeping the nation. But when was the last time you heard the words “gay marriage,” or “abortion” mentioned in the national debate, except maybe in reference to the Supreme Court bru-ha-ha? The current regime tipped its hand a bit too much with the Harriet Miers nomination, proving that they don’t really give a rat’s ass about any of the family values crap they spout on the campaign trail, and their damage control people managed to keep the fireworks from getting too bright, but hell-fucking-lo people. The current budget bills that are being passed show beyond a shadow of a doubt what the Republican party is really about: cutting taxes for the rich. Making sure the poor stay poor and don’t threaten their gated communities. Ensuring that the rich can make money in whatever way they see fit, whether it benefits the national economy or not. Strengthening the national economy so we can at least attempt to compete against China? Why do that when wealthy Americans can just directly invest in China? Fuck the American worker!
Fuck the American worker has been backroom battle cry of this bunch for not decades, but centuries. The people who are currently in power are the same people who ordered striking workers be massacred, and ran domestic sweat shops in the 19th century. The people who are currently in power are the same people who have made fortunes off wars thousands of lower-class Americans have lost their lives and loved ones in. The people who are currently in power are the people who don’t bat an eyelash at the idea of dropping nuclear weapons on populations of innocent people. Money has always lead politics by the hand down the path to hell, but what we are witnessing is a wholesale buyout of all three branches of our nation’s government, to the end of ensuring there is no argument or hurdle in the way of the Rich Getting What They Want, Now Dammit Because I Don’t Want To Argue, Compromise, or Wait. It is the ultimate expression of white male privilege; in the decades in which oppressed groups have finally pushed some of the feet off their backs to stand up and speak out, White Men have folded their arms and stormed off to their rooms, to plot ways to not have to speak to those who have legitimately used the government as it was set up to assert their rights and needs. (Think: Strongsad’s tone of voice when he says “I don’t like food anymore.”)
As an aside, that may be the biggest joke of all when it comes to this Supreme Court joke of a nomination process. The Right keeps braying about needing a “stricter” “more literal” interpretation of the Constitution. They keep braying about “activist judges” who are loosely interpreting the Constitution in ways the Founding Fathers never intended. OF COURSE that’s what these assholes would say. They can’t fathom that the White Men who set up our nation’s governing system would have actually set up a system which would take power away from themselves. I mean, who would be so stupid, right? Who would write into a nation’s founding document loopholes that would legally allow for bringing down the reign of our founding privileged group? All these legalese gymnastics are just a cover-up for the ideas and theories behind the words, and frankly their summersaults and tricks on the handle bars do not impress me, even with law degrees from Harvard and Yale.
At any rate, with this bullshit around the Valerie Plame scandal, the bullshit with DeLay, the bullshit with these budget bills, and the bullshit with clusterfuck that Iraq continues to be (nothing is getting better, people! The elections were meaningless, we’re losing more lives everyday, and nothing will get better any time soon), I would have absolutely no qualms at all about jumping ship at this point. America is rapidly falling out of favor as an immigration destination for the talented and gifted of the world. We are taking money out of the investment funds for future generations hand over fist, because as the rich get richer, they'll always be able to buy their children the future they need. I want to have children, and I would like to give them the best future possible on a working person's salary. Why bring them into this sinking ship? Jess, Amanda, and Johanna have the right idea. I need to think about international destinations, fast.