The Struggle Continues: The Phony Revolution
From Cindy Sheehan : "Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution."
Remember Cindy? The great white progressive peace hope? She is selling a $10 booklet by the above title, listing 10 myths:
Myth One: America: Greatest Nation in the Universe!
Myth Two: Elections Matter
Myth Three: There's a huge Difference Between Dems and Repubs
Myth Four: It is Noble to Die in Robber Class Wars
Myth Five: The Central Banking System is good for the Robbed Class
Myth Six: It's a Privilege to pay Income Taxes to the Robber Class
Myth Seven: Housing, Health Care and Education are Privileges, too
Myth Eight: America has a Free Press
Myth Nine: The Environment, Who Needs it?
Myth Ten: 19 Muslims with box cutters were responsible for 9/11
Cindy divides us into the Robbed and the Robbers, with most of us on the Robbed side. The Robbed are essentially the working class, people who have to struggle for healthcare and higher education.
---- Let me tell you a story, one of many, many stories of the typical struggling working class "Robbed" folks of which I have firsthand information. This segment of the "Robbed" are the folks Sheehan and friends attempt to pander to.
The story is Oleta and Bill, both in their early 40s, with 3 sons ages 4, 6, 8. Oleta constantly feels robbed. She recently applied for foodstamps and bitched outrage for a month because she was not eligible. Bill has a decent job for unskilled labor, bringing in about $35,000 a year. Oleta performs clerical work off and on bringing in another $15,000, and the 2 older children bring in $14,400 from SSI disability (they were preemies with learning disabilities and asthma).
Bill has healthcare at work and the State also covers medical care for the 2 "disabled" kids. At the local health and dental clinic Oleta can have $600 worth of dental work for the sliding scale fee of $25 - and still complains, it should be free because she pays taxes. But, the $200 of Bill's $1400 partial denture, not covered by work insurance - really angered Oleta - she was robbed.
They own their home and somehow Oleta manages to qualify for every program that doles out dollars to low income homeowners, for repairs, upgrades, insulation, a new furnace, etc. Still, she feels robbed when events like the Fema funded cleanup crew after last winter's ice storm did not prune her trees. She might have to pay for that unless Bill decides to do it with help from Oleta's brother who has his own handyman cleanup business - unless she convinces her church she qualifies for free tree trimming, now that those faith-based grants are coming in to help robbed folks like herself.
Oleta has an associate degree - a degree for folks who attend college for 2 years but do not like school and really have no driving ambition or the brains to be higher educated; in the 'hood though an associate degree confers immense bragging rights and status, it's the ghetto PhD. Oleta's 2-year degree took 3-1/2 years to complete and was paid for by affirmative action and grant programs, which would have covered that BA if she had just had the oomph! to go for it. She was robbed again, not because she didn't delay having children for another couple of years, but because the State wouldn't pay for their maintenance while she took her time trying for that BA degree. Oh well, such is the unfairness perpetuated on the robbed class.
Of course Oleta expects her children should have State funded higher education, whether or not they have the mindset or ability is not important. If any of her "disabled" sons are fortunate, they will throw off the label of disabled and get a life, if not, they will draw checks the rest of their life - floating around the 'hood, having kids, brushes with the lawman, smoking the soon to be legalized marijuana and feeling robbed like mom and dad.
Last month Oleta felt robbed because the non-profit local community organization refused to throw some under-the-table work her way - robbed, because she could have used $400 which the organization could have paid her to mop and wax the community room - instead a couple of members volunteered to do it for nothing. Oleta's attitude is how can a righteous woman make a few bucks if some people are ignorant enough to work for free.
Oleta and Bill do not pay actual taxes to the Robber class - they receive $5000-6000 each year in refunds along with any other stimulus/rebate the Robbers deem applicable. Oleta has her own non-profit consulting "business" on the books, on paper, but it never makes any money, other than writing off everything remotely possible as an expense at tax time, computers, cell phones, a portion of home expenses for an office, etc. It was a little scheme she learned in those business courses toward that associate degree.
Oleta and Bill vote once every four years and then forget about it. They don't read much so are unconcerned about whether the press is free or not, besides if it is on CNN then it must be true - but most of their news comes from church bulletins, quasi-Rev. Wright pastors, social program pamphlets, or the uniquely garbled grapevine of Black political interpretation from local community leaders with associate degrees.
If concern for the environment is going to cost them out of pocket or create any inconvenience - forget it, they will feel robbed.
They know there is little difference between democrats and republicans - but they believe democrats always initiate a few more social programs - in fact, Oleta is eagerly awaiting to see if her home-based business qualifies her for a paid consultant position regarding a local low-income housing project. She believes she knows exactly what the "robbed" class here needs - but eeewww weeeee girl! if you could hear her regular gossip about the thieving, low-life lazy bums in the 'hood you would think she couldn't be paid to help them.
Oleta and Bill believe 19 boxcutters are possible because Oleta's cousin Jammer stole 6 cars in 1 day and the cops still don't know where the chop shop is located. Oleta and Bill have never served in the wars of the Robber class - nor have any of their immediate or extended family members - soldiering is for poor folks and fools and why serve when receiving is so respectably easy, especially if you have an associate degree and are slightly smarter than most of the other Robbed folks.
They do sometimes believe the #1 myth though - America the greatest nation in the universe - depending on how much free stuff they qualify for in a given year.
Oleta just returned from an Easter cruise to the Bahamas - her fake hair and nails need to be done after a week on the water and buffet dining, and she is broke until the boys checks come in this month. But even after a vacation Oleta is in a bad mood - always feeling robbed.
As to the case for revolution my dear defenders of the Robbed class - you better have lots of funding, because folks like Oleta and Bill aren't going to do anything unless there is money or a voucher attached.
14 comments:
Cindy Sheehan is exactly like Oleta only in a different venue - politics.
During my presence for the inaugural days of Camp Casey, Mother Sheehan slept in a hotel while her followers slept on the ground or in cars, had her meals presented, and was shuttled off for rest and revitalization during the course of any day's events. All her missions are failures, yet here she is, still whining about "them" while she "stipulates" (on her soapbox blog) that Obama is an honorable fellow - perhaps because the same kind of machinery that hoisted Obama is what's keeping her queen of her little radio show.
Like Oleta, Cindy acts like she's entitled.
Kathy
You know Kathy - I think it was Sheehan's sudden appearance on the national stage that made me begin to objectively look around at the effects of liberal/progressive entitlement policies on average Joe - and connect the dots to the destruction.
When those who claimed to have at heart the best interest of Joe Average but selected a joke like Sheehan I began to see their game. And watching her change her story from one interview to another didn't help. I remember once watching an interview and she told the tale of how she and hubby were shocked/surprised when Casey came home and announced he had joined the Army. Then 6 months later in another interview she was telling the story of how they were like most blue collar workers and couldn't afford college so Casey had to join the Army. What? Casey already had a 2 year associate degree in drama when he joined the military. In a few months' time Sheehan morphed from suburban wife and homemaker to struggling working class, her son a victim of the poverty draft.
The devil is in the littlest details.
You seem to confuse the messenger with the message.
Whether Cindy Sheehan existed or not, there is still going to be the robber class and the robbed class.
Pray tell which are you?
anon,
Nah, I'm not confused about the message or the messenger. Lenin and Marx used the same robber/robbed rhetoric.
Robber or robbed? hmmm. On good days I don't consider myself either one, neither perp nor victim. Or is the question, pray tell, meant to indicate that if I do not feel robbed I must be a robber?
Maybe silly celebrities/icons like Cindy are the new petite bourgeoisie, bearer of cliche as thought for bumper stickers and tee shirts. Since these petite (petty) "left" leaders have failed to bring out throngs of angry masses to end war and stop bailouts, I guess the "robber" class is still safe.
It is nice that you are satisfied with the way things are. There are those who are not, many of whom who have not heard of Cindy Sheehan.
They are working toward a world without the distinction of a robber class or a robbed class, where all can share equally in the fruit of their labors.
If that is insanity, at least it is not the insanity entailing the wholesale slaughter of entire populations by nuclear war, nor where a few control the access and availabilty to the world's resources, while many live in dire poverty, going without.
I take it you are not an altruist?
Oh contraire, I am not satisfied the way things are but there will always be those who are not satisfied.
You speak of utopia/heaven - a world where there is no strife, hunger, poverty, and we all live as one. Noble but naïve. And which political gods will bring us heaven on earth?
You speak of a system where "we" provide all things for all people, who "share equally in the fruit of their labors" - but what of those who will not labor? And if your labor buys you an apple and my labor affords me an orchard, how much of mine do you want?
You're speaking of totalitarianism - where citizens depend on the State for their social, political, intellectual, cultural, and economic needs. All I want is a level playing field, you want a level finish line. No thanks.
And apparently you haven't noticed the US has been heading in your political direction for decades, where most citizens will end up waiting in the guvmint bread line for their fruit, whether they labor for it or not.
Altruistic zeal may appear lofty but most who claim to have it can't even show selfless devotion and sacrifice for their own families or communities - much less lobby on behalf of the whole of mankind. And yes, that is insanity.
You seem to be sports minded: "level playing field" "finish line", etc.
All that I am working towards is a society which provides for the basic needs of all its members, is equitable, is respectful and not bellicose (such as occupying the lands and areas of others), has an ecologically sustainable economic plan/vision for the future and allows for as much personal freedom/liberty as is possible.
Remember, it is not a utopia if it is happens.
I do not believe the US is moving in that direction. I think it is moving in the direction of another large kill off and even more political repression.
As to Cindy Sheehan. To me she seems to be a good mother, who after the death of her son, recognized that she had been duped. As a good mother she does not want to see any other child sent off to be used as cannon fodder in another imperial war.
If you have information to the contrary, that still should not detract from the fact the "powers-that-be" are attempting to shove their maleovolent and murderous policies down the collective throat of the general populace.
Here are some links for you, in case you need further reading material.
http://www.globalreseach.ca
http://www.wanttoknow.info/warisaracket
missed an r
http://www.globalresearch.ca
Thanks anon. I'm familiar with GlobalReseach and prof/economist Michel Chossudovsky. He preaches about a "New World Order which feeds on human poverty and the destruction of the environment, generates social apartheid, encourages racism and ethnic strife and undermines the rights of women."
I heard all that in the '50 and '60s - when the USSR used the same words to describe the USA.
The "left" is simply the other cheek on the corporate ass. Have you not seen the devastation the "humanitarian" aid the "left" has heaped on Africa? Or for that matter the American plantation of blacks dependent on the massah for chitlins (foodstamps), slave cabins (section 8/projects), and breeding babies with absent daddies b/c the man in the big house will take care of you. And now that education is legal for the slaves, what have the slaves done? Why getting educated is "actin' white." Here in the 'hood I see what the leftwing promised land has wrought and it's not pretty. And black failure is still whitey's fault b/c the "left" says so.
Building a warm fuzzy world is a leftwing pretense - at least with the rightwing a cognizant person knows when to take cover.
Not only that, but do you think the "left" or progressives or whatever they call themselves now, do you really think they won't have to force folks to live egalitarian, force folks to not think racist, sexist, ethnic ideas? Thought police?
Do you honestly believe that we only have to put the correct people in power and they can legislate brotherhood, tolerance, love, peace?
I can think of a few billion around the world who would not willingly accept the West or "left's" ideas when it comes to race, sex, and ethnicity. So ... whose army will you use to force/contain those who will not abide by the Left/West's morals and political correctness? Oh wait ... they will use the same army but call them peacekeepers, or contingency operations... or something that will sound peaceful.
As for Cindy, well... had Casey lived would Cindy still be the suburban nobody housewife? I think so. Was she protesting the installation of Bush in 2000 in the freezing rain? Over 4000 mothers have lost sons in the ME, most are not making a living off of it and accomplishing nothing.
Sheehan didn't get a wakeup call so much as she was chosen by the left b/c she is plastic/malleable. Lipscomb would've made a helluva better peace mom.
"Left", "Right" mere labels. The issue is equality. One takes it you are not too hot on that concept.
As for foodstamps and the like, they certainly take a poor second to an egalitarian society. Yes, there is much work ahead. Though chattel slavery has been virtually abolished worldwide, its ugly sibling, wage slavery, still remains.
Force? In the last century or so, the US military has invaded and occupied, dozens of countries, overthrown popularly elected governments and killed millions. It accuses China and Russia of horrific crimes along those lines, yet when it comes to carnage it makes them look like rank amateurs.
I take it too, you have heard of Smedley Butler?
In case you harbor ambitions of someday being part of the "power elite" crowd, forget it. The likelihood of you ever being a member of that club is nonexistent.
Until next time here are some choice quips from the late George Carlin for your general amusement:
"Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice..you don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own, and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses...."
"The people that run this country want nothing more than obedient workers and now they want our social security money and retirement. It's a big club and you and I aren't in it."
"It's called the American dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it."
Hopefully before long more of us proles are going to be awakened.
Yes, I know of Butler. And yes, I've laughed many a times at Carlin. Ironic that Carlin made a comfortable life for himself in the capitalistic system that he railed about.
I have no desire at all to be part of the "power elite" my friend. And if you think you might be a member of the egalitarian socialist ruling class you need to youtube Uri Bezmenov on Ideological Indoctrination.
You haven't mentioned the most important part of any revolution/change and that is education - which the liberal/left/progressives in the US have controlled for the last 40 years, and I don't see that the proles have gotten any smarter.
You're gonna get your egalitarian world - good and hard.
I have no aspirations for "leadership", nor am I easily swayed by those who aspire to such. In short, Jim Jones would have a hard time getting me to swalllow his cyanide laced Koolaid, as would Obama, Bush, Cheney and their bosses.
As to the public school system being controlled by "leftists" that is not true. Hegel, Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Kropotkin, Malatesta, etc. are certainly not taught. In fact if one were even to play a Michael Parenti, Murray Bookchin or Noam Chomsky tape in a classroom one would be out of a job (even with tenure) post haste.
To take from George Carlin again:
"There's a reason education sucks and it'll never get any better, because the owners of this country don't want it better."
What is emphasized in the classroom essentially are basic skills needed for getting/keeping a job and following orders, honest critical thinking is taboo-- despite all the PR spin and hoopla to the contrary.
The universitys are not much better.
I received a better public school education in the '50s than the generations have since. The liberals have indeed changed policy in public education. Discipline for years has been lax, predominantly b/c progressives believe we should leave no child feeling responsible.
And thanks to progressive medicine doping every other kid with Ritalin, mom and/or dad have the excuse that Little Johnny has a "disorder," now parents expect teachers to undo an upbringing of sloth and indifference.
Not only do we not teach Hegel, Marx, Engels, we also do not teach anything about Percy Julian, Booker T. Washington, S.B. Fuller, or other successful black capitalists. And only a cursory chapter or two on the "founding fathers," constitution, bill of rights, etc.
But thanks to public school progressive curriculums students are steeped in the knowledge of Disney movies, sex ed, and DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) while more and more or our youth grow ever more gobby fat and barely literate.
But you know what? Reading and libraries are free. Maybe if proles were smart they'd educate themselves and stop complaining and waiting for BigDaddy guvmint to do it for them. Few people adopt critical thinking b/c it requires mental work and at times changing our position. Amazingly, critical thinking can also be taught by parents simply by example.
(You might want to research on the connections between so-called towers of liberal thought such as Berkeley et al and their connections to DOD/Pentagon funding. And make a list of which capitalist institution or billionaire funds your favorite Gnoam-sters or Yalie and ask why these individual/institutions want to put themselves out of work, or do they. Ever wonder why all the Left "movements" of the '60s seem to die overnight?)
P.S.
anon, I'm not saying your ideals for a better world wouldn't be good, I too would like to see a world w/o hunger, strife, poverty.
But, where the "left" or socialists or progressives lose my support is they do not factor in human nature - the frailties of the individual will interfere with ever achieving anything close to the global economic and social equality they claim to want - equal economic/living standards are coming for most of the world, but most of us will be on the low end of the pay scale.
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