I am now at The Daily Kos. Check out the most recent post under Most Recent Diaries at http://www.dailykos.com/ and feel free to add comments and especially to recommend it (which moves it up the chain). Your support has always been appreciated and your continuation will be even more so. The title of the blog is the same, and the first piece published is: Why the Culture Wars Now? It's the Economy, Stupid.
Check it out and let me know what you think. I will also be returning to this blog with some special features and comments just for you.
Again, thanks for hanging in there with me, and I look forward to hearing from you all.
Hamster Prez
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The 99 by William Steiskal
The 99
The number 9 in Japanese Culture is a homonym of the word for pain and suffering.
By William Steiskal Ó 2011
When the Twins fell
The 99 rushed to their aid
Into that smoking cement canyon it rained
Both the living and the dead
Some were recovered that day
By those that sacrificed …and prayed
While searching for the missing
Their fate was unknown
They cleared that toxic avalanche
Then grew sick and alone
They asked for assistance as many of them died
Only to be told the nightmare is over
Run along and hide
The 99 now occupy those very same streets
Financial Giants can no longer be ignored
Evicting the continuum of self interest is at stake
America’s business as usual can exist no more
A sweeping revolution has reached the front gate
Are you going to tell them to go eat cake?
Engine rooms of wealth and excess
Hide behind our Representatives doors
Armies of Lobbyists barter for influence
While the 99 clean their floors
Parades of politicians
Concerned about their own fate
Obstruct the system that put them there
Pretending to debate
It’s the 99 who grow and distribute
The food on your table
The clothes on your back
And when young and able
Fight all of your wars
Recycle your waste
Support your lifestyles
With dignity and grace
They teach your children
With dwindling supplies
And yet when they voice their needs
You tell them to run along and hide
Years of empty slogans
Poured from the pitcher of hope
Has watered the fields of cynicism
These are the words that you spoke
“Putting People First”
“Change We Can Believe In”
“Kinder Gentler Nation”
“Compassionate Conservatism”
“Yes We Can!”
But when the 99 express their needs
You refuse to include them in your plans
You quote Reaginomics and Free Trade
Tea Party economics is the way
Let us take you to the austerity ball
Where you can dance for your existence
And have nothing at all
You deny collective bargaining when you can
Accepting the bullion of corporate treasure
To finance your stand
Bonuses in the Millions
Profits in the Billions
The insecurity of the masses
Schools cutting classes
Banks that won’t disclose
Robo-signed homes that are foreclosed
This is the legacy left in your wake
Tattooed generations have accepted their fate
Many turned toward this culture of greed
Hoping once and for all to be freed
They floated their dreams on risky loans
The waters were calm when they walked on its’ surface
Betting their homes, savings and goals
Their dreams sank like stones
Leaving their lives shattered
Nowhere to go
Who are these 99 as if we care
Let them clutter the streets feeling unfair
They all must be addicts, alcoholics, unemployed
Class warfare seems rampant nationwide
They’re gaming the system
Too lazy to work
No dignity or pride
There’s food on their fork
And so goes these dialogs
To assuage your fear
Let’s sing the song of denial
Into next year
Greed
We’ll all pretend
It doesn’t exist
Let’s do it again
(…and repeat)
First of Two Very Special Posts
I am both pleased and honored to present an original work by SoOC Correspondent and fellow Hamster William Steiskal. His ode to the 99% follows these quotes which he uses to provide context for his work.
“Democracy, disciplined and enlightened is the finest thing in the world.”
“The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of the heart.”
“A true and nonviolent combination of labour would act like a magnet attracting to it all the needed capital. Capitalist would then exist only as trustees. When that happy day dawned, there would be no difference between capital and labour. Those who labour will have ample food, good and sanitary dwellings, all the necessary education for their children, ample leisure for self education and proper medical assistance.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no separate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great Assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our national policy, will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world.”
Excerpt from George Washington's First Inaugural Address
30 April 1789, Federal Building, Wall Street, New York
“The difficulty is that goodness and fairness are moral issues, not political ones. Government is the human attempt to mandate goodness and ensure fairness. Yet there is only one place where goodness is born, and that is in the human heart. There is only one place where fairness can be conceptualized, and that is in the human mind. There is only one place where love can be experienced truly, and that is in the human soul.”
“The real question is not why do governments impose so many rules and regulations on the people but why do governments have to?”
“If every person on the planet had basic needs met- if the mass of the people could live in dignity and escape the struggle of simple survival- would this not open the way for all of humankind to engage in more noble pursuits? Would individual greatness really be suppressed if individual survival were guaranteed? Must universal dignity be sacrificed to individual glory? What kind of glory is obtained when it is achieved at the expense of another?”
“The evolution of a society is measured by how well it treats the least among its members.”
“What is needed is a growth in consciousness, not a growth of government.”
Excerpts from “Conversations with God” Book 2
“Democracy, disciplined and enlightened is the finest thing in the world.”
“The spirit of democracy is not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms. It requires change of the heart.”
“A true and nonviolent combination of labour would act like a magnet attracting to it all the needed capital. Capitalist would then exist only as trustees. When that happy day dawned, there would be no difference between capital and labour. Those who labour will have ample food, good and sanitary dwellings, all the necessary education for their children, ample leisure for self education and proper medical assistance.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no separate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great Assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our national policy, will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world.”
Excerpt from George Washington's First Inaugural Address
30 April 1789, Federal Building, Wall Street, New York
“The difficulty is that goodness and fairness are moral issues, not political ones. Government is the human attempt to mandate goodness and ensure fairness. Yet there is only one place where goodness is born, and that is in the human heart. There is only one place where fairness can be conceptualized, and that is in the human mind. There is only one place where love can be experienced truly, and that is in the human soul.”
“The real question is not why do governments impose so many rules and regulations on the people but why do governments have to?”
“If every person on the planet had basic needs met- if the mass of the people could live in dignity and escape the struggle of simple survival- would this not open the way for all of humankind to engage in more noble pursuits? Would individual greatness really be suppressed if individual survival were guaranteed? Must universal dignity be sacrificed to individual glory? What kind of glory is obtained when it is achieved at the expense of another?”
“The evolution of a society is measured by how well it treats the least among its members.”
“What is needed is a growth in consciousness, not a growth of government.”
Excerpts from “Conversations with God” Book 2
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The "New" Party from the last post...
Well, our fellow Hamster who told me about it sent me a link to a Facebook page for the American Moderate Political Party, which hasn't had a new post in over a year. I also checked out the website listed on their page and found nothing. So, apparently the seeds are there, but there is no tree yet.
I still think it needs to happen.
It's the right time for the right reasons.
HP
I still think it needs to happen.
It's the right time for the right reasons.
HP
The Rest of What He Said...
OLBERMANN: But — but one thing you wrote about — in the post, in the letter — was that this — your adherence to this — comes from — what? Sunday school and bible class and the little fundamental golden rule things. Isn’t it — that what it is?
MOORE: Yes. That we were taught that — we’re gonna be judged by how we treat the least among us. And that if you do have the good fortune smile upon you — you have to do even more. So, you have a greater responsibility to stand up for those who are the have-nots. And — and — I knew the folk singer Harry Chapin in the final years in his life — I don’t know if — do you remember Harry?
OLBERMANN: Of course.
MOORE: And he did 200 concerts a year. One hundred of them were benefits. And I said, “How do you do that?” And he said, “Well, I just — my philosophy is, one for me, one for the other guy.” And I — that kind of stuck with me, you know, my whole life and I just thought, “Boy, what a great way to live, if I ever get lucky enough to do that.”
And so, right away, with “Roger and Me” — my first film — I just — I gave away half the money, and uh — and proudly paid my taxes and told my guy — the tax guy –
OLBERMANN: Accountant?
MOORE: The accountant dude — H&R Block — oh no, no commercials — I said “No deductions, other than the mortgage. No deductions. I want to pay my full share here because I am proud to be an American, and I’m proud to spend that money as a citizen of this country.” And right now, if any conservative is watching that, that just made their head explode because –
OLBERMANN: What? You can’t money make money off that without those deductions. What are you, crazy?
MOORE: And they hate having to pay for and fund this great country.
OLBERMANN: Exactly — except for them. Except for the parts they use.
MOORE: Except for the parts that they use. Right, and the parts that protect them. The parts that are not investigating them. The parts that are not regulating their Wall Street. Oh, yeah — no. They are all for that.
Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann 10/27/11
MOORE: Yes. That we were taught that — we’re gonna be judged by how we treat the least among us. And that if you do have the good fortune smile upon you — you have to do even more. So, you have a greater responsibility to stand up for those who are the have-nots. And — and — I knew the folk singer Harry Chapin in the final years in his life — I don’t know if — do you remember Harry?
OLBERMANN: Of course.
MOORE: And he did 200 concerts a year. One hundred of them were benefits. And I said, “How do you do that?” And he said, “Well, I just — my philosophy is, one for me, one for the other guy.” And I — that kind of stuck with me, you know, my whole life and I just thought, “Boy, what a great way to live, if I ever get lucky enough to do that.”
And so, right away, with “Roger and Me” — my first film — I just — I gave away half the money, and uh — and proudly paid my taxes and told my guy — the tax guy –
OLBERMANN: Accountant?
MOORE: The accountant dude — H&R Block — oh no, no commercials — I said “No deductions, other than the mortgage. No deductions. I want to pay my full share here because I am proud to be an American, and I’m proud to spend that money as a citizen of this country.” And right now, if any conservative is watching that, that just made their head explode because –
OLBERMANN: What? You can’t money make money off that without those deductions. What are you, crazy?
MOORE: And they hate having to pay for and fund this great country.
OLBERMANN: Exactly — except for them. Except for the parts they use.
MOORE: Except for the parts that they use. Right, and the parts that protect them. The parts that are not investigating them. The parts that are not regulating their Wall Street. Oh, yeah — no. They are all for that.
Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann 10/27/11
What He Said...
"You’ve got these nine Republicans running, all right? And, of course, we all laugh, and there’s the joke about — you can make about each one of them. And we know that our fellow Americans, at the end of the day — they’re not going to go in the voting booth and vote for crazy. Even though they might be upset at Obama, they’re not going to go crazy.
So, it begs the question then. If this is the party of the rich — the Republicans — if this is the party of wealth and Wall Street, the party that brought about the crash of ’08, why don’t the wealthy — why aren’t the wealthy — making sure they have a Republican that’s running that’s gonna win?
It doesn’t look like they’re concerned at all about making sure they’ve their man on the Republican ticket unless — unless they believe they’ve got their man on the Democratic Party ticket?"
Michael Moore
From Keith Olbermann's Countdown show 10/28/11
Does make ya wonder, huh? I have said all along that we only have Republicans running and that Obama is the one who's closest to the middle...the only one in the middle. But he was only a little left of center when he had both houses. Now that he has to really fight, he plays to the right. Astounding how the party not in power has all the power. Or is it?
A fellow Hamster sent me an email that there is a new party forming to the center and I have asked him to provide sources so that I can check it out. I am also looking into the 2 executive orders regarding mortgages and college loans and will report what I find a little later.
It's the right time for the right reasons.
Hamster Prez
So, it begs the question then. If this is the party of the rich — the Republicans — if this is the party of wealth and Wall Street, the party that brought about the crash of ’08, why don’t the wealthy — why aren’t the wealthy — making sure they have a Republican that’s running that’s gonna win?
It doesn’t look like they’re concerned at all about making sure they’ve their man on the Republican ticket unless — unless they believe they’ve got their man on the Democratic Party ticket?"
Michael Moore
From Keith Olbermann's Countdown show 10/28/11
Does make ya wonder, huh? I have said all along that we only have Republicans running and that Obama is the one who's closest to the middle...the only one in the middle. But he was only a little left of center when he had both houses. Now that he has to really fight, he plays to the right. Astounding how the party not in power has all the power. Or is it?
A fellow Hamster sent me an email that there is a new party forming to the center and I have asked him to provide sources so that I can check it out. I am also looking into the 2 executive orders regarding mortgages and college loans and will report what I find a little later.
It's the right time for the right reasons.
Hamster Prez
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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