tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post9080397166336638480..comments2024-03-28T16:08:29.578-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: A Pile of Hemorrhoidal Dog Poop Crawling With Fungus and CockroachesKaren Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-14173703319067835572013-10-11T08:53:41.714-04:002013-10-11T08:53:41.714-04:00On CNN today, a detailed discussion ensued of how ...On CNN today, a detailed discussion ensued of how veterans who depend on <br />government benefits to survive, are faring in this current shut down.<br />What was shocking were the numbers mentioned of how many are involved (I <br />don't know how many wars are included but probably any surviving veterans were in the countdown). The vast amount of money required to sustain such veterans often for the rest of their lives - the vast numbers of men and women who survive but are the victims of war was beyond <br />overwhelming. I think when the cost of a particular war (such as Karen's remark about $10 million dollars an hour for Afghanistan) is mentioned, the huge endless additional costs of sustaining wounded soldiers is not included in the tally.<br />These figures are shocking as well as the damaged faces and bodies <br />represented behind them.<br />It was also mentioned in the discussion that the current dilemma of many veterans to sustain themselves financially includes general lack of adequate <br />health care in areas covering mental health coverage, sustained physical <br />recuperation, support for housing, jobs, ad infinitum. All of this sorrow created by leaders and lawmakers who find it a simple remedy for national problems to maintain a war footing around the globe and sell their snake oil to the masses.<br /><br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-53250269967385257812013-10-10T21:51:34.395-04:002013-10-10T21:51:34.395-04:00@annenigma said: "Disaster Capitalists can on...@annenigma said: "Disaster Capitalists can only succeed in their goal of privatizing government assets for their profits if they create enough of a crisis that it demands that solution."<br /><br />Yes and no.<br /><br />I would note that in recent decades, the reigning narrative has grown increasingly faulty and destructive (permitting a "boiling-the-frog" destruction of social services). And occasionally, as with the attempt to get us into a war with Syria, "crises" have <i>not</i> worked.<br /><br />I think that we also must consider the context of modern <i>long term</i> societal propaganda and the resulting popular derangement, not just the <i>acute</i> mood spikes that flows from (the contrived) crises. The "crises" do indeed often push the popular mood towards panicked approval of ill-examined, dangerous actions, Reichstag-fire style, but I don't think that such manipulation could succeed were the bulk of the people not so ignorant of both history and contemporary affairs, and were they not so (to put it diplomatically) "unpracticed" in their critical abilities. I make this negative appraisal of the populace not in order to blame them (which I think is strategically counterproductive when strongly applied to large segments that have been fooled), just as a statement of fact regarding a condition that requires serious political work from progressives.<br /><br />Karen (and commenters) referenced long-term popular derangement back in April, <br /><br />http://kmgarcia2000.blogspot.com/2013/04/paranoia-runs-deep.html<br /><br />but I think it's relevant to think about again here.<br /><br />Many times, I've talked politics with store clerks in the "big-box" department and home-improvement stores. These people frequently believe — accurately — that contemporary government does not serve their interests, and that there is something fundamentally wrong with current conditions. Many times they will be surprisingly open about terrible things that have happened to them (i.e. being downsized or outsourced in middle age by previous employers, loss of homes or other financial problems from serious family medical crises, etc).<br /><br />Yet more often than not, their so-called "analyses" of the causes and their prescriptions for a cure are not just wrong, but actually diametrically opposite to what rationality and morality says should be the case. Despite how badly they have been screwed by the system, all too often they still laud unfettered capitalism and the "job creators", still denounce the supposed 47% "lazy" "takers", sometimes even bring up distractions such as so-called "chemtrails" as somehow relevant. Anything but a willingness to lay the blame where it should properly be placed, that is, on a worse-than-Social-Darwinistic economic system that disproportionately rewards those at the top while treating the rest of the populace as garbage, and a political class that serves the corporations and the rich rather than the nation and the people.<br /><br />Of course, it never seems to occur to them to ask why the government would need "chemtrails" to control the populace, when it has the inculcation of a modern version of Social Darwinism through the educational system, the mainstream media, right-wing talk radio, and the two main political parties.Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-52505370288877190312013-10-09T15:55:01.998-04:002013-10-09T15:55:01.998-04:00Stringy snot and anal leakage would be preferable ...Stringy snot and anal leakage would be preferable to those douchbags who are deliberately bringing our country to ruins to achieve the goals of their masters. I include most members of both major political parties in that group. <br /><br />Disaster Capitalists can only succeed in their goal of privatizing government assets for their profits if they create enough of a crisis that it demands that solution. They must affect people's lives (although not their own) to effect this demand. We see this playing out with the shutdown. Everything is hunky dory as usual for them while the little people are being directly hurt. Score one for the big guys. When it comes to the impending debt limit crisis though, I really don't expect THEIR government to put THEM at risk unless it is calculated in advance to benefit them, i.e. Privatization. They are 'the Economy' after all. <br /><br />While things are actually working out fine for the 1% so far during this crisis, the 'folks' are really feeling the heat - which appears to be the point. Not only are our lives and jobs being disrupted and benefits threatened, but some of us are actually being arrested and charged with federal crimes for simply trying to access our own public lands during this shutdown. <br /><br />Surprisingly or maybe not, it's almost as if both parties want 'The American People' to realize that the government owns too much, controls too much, and costs too much and can't effectively manage the country in any way, shape, or form. Is this the desired intent or only a stupidly overlooked side effect? Politicians would have to be totally blinded by the Washington bubble to not realize the depth of disgust at Washington throughout the land. That disgust will likely lead people to start demanding that government get out of the picture entirely. Coincidentally or not, that happens to work out perfectly for the Privatization Agenda of the 1%. In other words, because government screws up everything it touches, we might as well let private industry run things. Or alternatively, simply let the Republican extremists have their turn. Either way promises to be a big gift for the profiteering capitalist juggernaut.<br /><br />Only these carefully crafted manufactured crises can give the 1% the opportunity to crack open the public vault, by hook or by crook, and Republican and Democratic crooks are more than willing to help them. Genius Obama must recognize that, or maybe not. He's been so self-absorbed in playing the political game to make himself look like The Winner, even when he loses, that he seems oblivious to the condition of the people in this country. We can only hope that the pursuit of his precious legacy inadvertently benefits the country. I'm not counting on it.annenigmanoreply@blogger.com