2 for 1 special

In these tough economic times it's always good to find a sweet deal.  Today I give you one--two blog posts for the price of one.  "But these things are free anyway..." you say.  No one asked you smart ass.  Anyway, on to the blogs.

Part 1: When Life Imitates Art

Is it me or are Roland Burris and Clay Davis from The Wire the same guy?  ("Sheeeeeeeeeeit")  Granted Burris has yet to be called in front of a grand jury, but both were defiant in the face of accusations of wrong doing and in both cases, the Black community rallied behind them and crowned them "leaders."

Now as someone who likes to know as much as possible about something before making a decision, I can't say for sure whether Burris is dirty or not.  But if you play in the mud long enough, you're bound to get muddy.  And politics is a dirty game.  Sure Illinois is notorious for its political corruption--the state is hard pressed to go through it's history and not find a politician that didn't do anything questionable for even more questionable reasons.  But that's how politics works.  One trades "political capital" for a "favor" with the understanding that the "favor" will be returned some day.  

Whether it be votes or assistance with campaigning to government contracts, jobs and even flat out money (as is the case in Illinois) this is how business is done.  Do you think the U.S. used private security contractors to fight our wars ONLY because the country was short on volunteers from the ranks of the poor?  Not quite.  Not only were there not enough soldiers, but there was money to be made by friends of people in high places, namely Dick Chaney and George Bush.  And you think those friends got those favors just because they were friends?  You think friendships grease the wheels of politics?  Try political donations.

To spell it out--in exchange for millions in political donations, rich business owners get government contracts that are inflated to not only cover the cost of the job, but also refund the political donations.  Illinois is not the only state that does this.  This is common political practice.

Now back to Burris.  What infuriates me most about Burris (and Clay Davis) is that the people were not bright enough to pick up on the scam.  Instead, the people with something to gain from Burris remaining in office (namely other Black politicians in the state and church leaders) play the race card--Burris is only be persecuted because he's Black.  Bobby Rush give me a break!!!  No no one asked Kennedy to resign all those years ago following any of his famous scandals but it wasn't because he was white.  Just ask the senator from Minnesota who tapped his foot in the bathroom stall (who was also white).  It was because he was a KENNEDY.  It's comparing apples and oranges.  Roland Burris is a single-A prospect at BEST when compared to a Kennedy.  Burris is being asked to resign because he's dirty.  Unfortunately Black folk in Illinois are too distracted by race to notice that Burris is just as muddy as Blago.  (Most of them don't even notice their own ministers stealing from them either but I digress.  That's a whole other blog).

Part 2: Extremism exists in America yet it's not called "terrorism"

So I'm watching the news and political blow hard Rush Limpdick is spewing all sorts of hate.  Hating on the democrats, hating on Obama, hating on the economy, hating hating hating.  Dems and Obama are probably flattered by all the hate since hate is the new love in 2009.  Meanwhile all his minions are falling in line dying for a "return to pure capitalism."  (It should be noted that no one believes government should be in the business of securing the safety net of the citizenry--except when they need the net).  Yet for all this bashing of "leftist" policies, there is no analysis into what part the right has played in the situation we are in.

Political extremism is right here in America with Rush and his retards on the right and Nancy Pelosi and her folks on the left.  In the middle are the rest of us, essentially POWs in this "bloodless" war.  There are definitely victims (we call this disenfranchisement) but there's no reporting of that.  See in Iraq, Israel, Gaza and other parts of Asia and Africa they use guns.  Here we have "policies."

No one wants a socialist or communist state.  Yet pure capitalism doesn't work.  Save the "boot strap" bullshit for the birds--particularly when the game has been rigged from the beginning.  Whether it be discrimination against white or brown immigrants, slaves, or the displacement of natives, the notion of equality has been a long hard fight in this country.  Add to it that successful pure capitalism requires a sort of de facto caste system and failure is immanent.  Ideologically we all have equal rights and are all equal--but aren't.  Education, health care, and access to either are not rights.  Yet those things are essential to participation in a capitalist society.  Pure capitalism suggests that you can start at the bottom and work your way up--you can pay for education to get a better job and raise your level of status in the game.  Yet the flaw in it is that there ALWAYS must be a lower class.

The right complains and complains about immigration and how immigrants are "stealing" American jobs.  Yet they don't talk about the American business owners who ship jobs overseas in the name of cheaper products at home.  Ironically these immigrant workers that "steal" American jobs are necessary--who else would do those jobs at those wages in order for our way of life/economy to continue?  Americans?  Yeah right!  Americans have unions!  Which is why American companies open offices internationally in the first place.

On the left, the Unions complain about immigration and how immigrants are lowering the standard of living for American workers because they accept wages much lower than what the unions would allow.  But the unions are partially to blame for the state of the American auto industry.  Sure the auto companies were terribly managed--everything from duplicating cars and branding them differently then trying to convince us that they were in fact different cars to trying to shove SUVs down our throats--but how about those bloated salaries, benefits and lifelong pension plans for unskilled laborers?  Seriously?  Paying four generations of people who barely graduated high school for their ENTIRE LIVES (with health benefits) is a good idea?  All because the employees MIGHT withhold their labor and shut down the factories?  Now employers are moving their factories to places that are happy to even have jobs--and the unions are losing out.  The government has already done it's part in passing various labor laws.  How about the unskilled labor force (and their employers) stop being so greedy?

Caught in the middle are those of us with common sense--and the education, skills and abilities to contribute to this country.  But our contributions should be placed in perspective--capitalism demands that there be people bent over to allow others to step on their backs in order to move up.  The sooner we accept this fact, the sooner we can tune out the extremists and begin to move this country into a sensible direction.  If we really want capitalism, accept that there will always be unemployment between 3-5%.  Always.  Accept that there will always be those that produce goods and services making 85-90% of the money.  Always.

The fight between the two sides leaves those in the middle jobless, under employed, dependent on entitlements and unrepresented.  Personally neither Rush Limpdick nor Nancy Pelosi represent me.  I don't particularly care for the right getting us in bed with China and don't expect the government to bail me out if I'm in trouble.  What I do expect is for government to regulate in such a way that gives me and other Americans opportunity, rather than make trade agreements that allow American companies to make products over seas and send them back here without tariffs and sell them to me at "suggested retail price."

Pure capitalism and it's advocates would have "the Market" rule rather than government.  The left would have government rule the market.  Neither works.  Meanwhile both sides terrorize our country by yanking us in either direction, both of which are paths of failure leaving many as victims.  No one talks about this sort of terrorism.  Screw fighting it abroad, what about at home?