Obama and the "Grand Bargain"

I was telling people that, whether you voted for Obama for a second term or not, it was not going to do anything. Well, I was wrong.

With a clear Victory just a few weeks in the past, you'd think that President Obama would finally move forward with all those promises once elected. He has followed in the weeks hence that, with the power of the National Defense Authorization Act which he passed earlier this year, he can "...kill anyone in the world, without even probably cause."

And now, he is set to make what is being called the Grand Bargain with the Republican't's (who, btw, lost in large numbers to Democrats [or as the Un-loyal Opposition calls them I'm sure 'Demon-crats']) is about to strike a bargain (for them, not the rest of us) that will cut the very social services that he swore to protect, and, oh yeah, maintain the Rich's insane tax advantages, rendering the Rest of Us [throwing animal 'left overs' from slaughter houses is called "Rendering' of animals] officially high and dry.

Now, with the NDAA at his disposal, he can 'take out' me for criticizing his administration because of the above statement.

I'll say my adieus now...

"Damn I'm rich! $$$$"

This was the post of someone I know on Facebook regarding a web site he went to on the relative wealth of most Americans. I know it was meant to show that We The People aren't really doing so badly compared to the rest of the world. I also know it was meant to engender gratitude for what We have. But it still is a gross over-simplification of what the real issues are (and to the conspiratorial mind-set, perhaps is meant to calm and mollify those of us in the 99% of this country).  

But the real issue is in all of this, that however much We Americans have (once again, at least in the 99%) more than the rest of the world, poverty is relative. If you only make a dollar a day and subsistence is $1.25, that's much better than making $6 an hour when you actually need $8 to truly survive. These sites and 'meters' don't take into consideration a great many things. For an increasing many in this country, they are skewing more towards Third (and Forth) World living every day. 

Americans need to simplify their lives for the most part. And they can do with a lot less in the material realm than they think they can. Americans have been led into thinking that they Need To Have so much, because... well, because They're Americans, dammit! The Country has been marketed into excessive material to prove how well We Are as a country (and to feed the 1% 's insatiable need to OWN EVERYTHING). Americans are now as a People being forced to cut back their expectations because those said expectations were not anywhere approaching reason (that's why most Americans are up to the tops of their increasingly disappearing hairlines in DEBT [called the "Sweet Spot" by the Credito-Industrial Complex]).

But that said, the incidence of homelessness is increasing exponentially in this country. I for instance was homeless for almost three years (living on the couches of friends, etc. with no money coming in). And I had these resources to keep me from the worst of it. According to this sites scale, I'm filthily wealthy -- and believe me, that ain't the case.

So, yes. I am relatively well off. I now have enough money to eat, and to pay my (adjusted due to disability) rent. I don't have a car still (in LA, that's sacrilege!). And here it is, yet another holiday, and I didn't have enough 'spare cash' to do anything besides go to a pot-luck party later today. In the meantime, I'm 'working' (writing). I hope someday soon to at least have a car to go for a (small luxury) scenic drive for a holiday. Perhaps soon, I'll have even more available funds to do even more.

But right here, right now, I'm grateful for what I have. I wish everyone else that gratitude as well. 

And I also wish that the World some day comes into more of an equitable equal distribution of quality of life. We're not there yet though. Don't let the truly Wealthy mollify you into believing that this is 'all right' (cause it ain't).

Bake Sale for Billionaires

Welcome to those thirlling days of Yesteryear! Where the Rich were Rich because God Blessed them (even though they were cursing the Not Rich). If the rest of the Country is Poor, that just means that they need to pull themselves up by the bootsraps, and get some Gumption, by God!

Now let's take you to to our radio show in progress. (What's that? What's a Radio? You know, those things you listened to before you had the Internet and iPods and Mp3 players, oh my? I know; that's so last Century.)

The Poor:

Let's have a moment of silence here... for the poor Billionaires of This Country. Seems that they don't have enough money in their bank accounts.

I know! Let's have a Bake Sale for Billionaires! They don't seem to have enough money, poor dears. Well, we'll give them even more of Ours! Whaddaya say, Kids? Aw, come on...

Those Poor Billionaires are going to bed hungry.

Yeah. Hungry for more. MONEY, Power. By Gosh, I guess they don't have it all just yet. I guess we'll have to help them out.

The Rich:

Whaddaya mean, we don't have ALL your money yet? That's not enough in my book!

Poor People? We don't have any Poor People in this Great Country of Ours, do we? [pause for brilliant idea here] Oh, you mean the Welfare Cheats?! The Under-Taxed Class. Yes. They should pay their taxes, by Gumption!

What's this? They don't have any jobs? Well, that's not Our Fault, is it? They just need to go out and get a Job. This is America, where everyone should work (so they can continue to pay Our Taxes for Us). Isn't there a McDonalds or Walmart close by for them to work in? That's what we made those jobs for.

What's that, you say? You're saying this isn't funny? Well, how about Wisconsin? The Demoncrats leave the State in order to not rubber-stamp our fully elected Tea Party Guvner's plan to slash and burn the State Budget. That's not fair! They're Criminals, Criminals I tell you! Get those arrest warrants out already and bring them back to do Our Civic Duty! What do they think this is? A Democracy?