tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post3979149853069583537..comments2024-03-28T16:08:29.578-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: Hellzapoppin?Karen Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-14321911072011989902013-11-19T19:29:57.431-05:002013-11-19T19:29:57.431-05:00Karen, you've really been on a roll lately!
A...Karen, you've really been on a roll lately!<br /><br />As you said in this column, "... when it comes, the plutocrats appoint themselves as the only experts able to 'fix' what their greed wrought by inflicting even more pain and extracting even more blood and treasure from the body politic so as to 'grow' the economy. [...] Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose".<br /><br />Yeah, that's it all right, after each crisis, no <i>genuine</i> fixes, just a continuing downward spiral for most people.<br /><br />"Quantitative Easing" should be renamed "Quantitative Teasing", for it suggests a reward that is unlikely to be delivered to the bulk of the populace. For most, it's just a financial striptease on our political stage — look, fantasize, but if you try to touch, you'll be ejected forthwith!<br /><br />However clothed or disrobed, the central agenda from Republicans has for many decades been an augmentation of the benefits reaped by the upper class. "Against" that we have seen most Democrats of the past 30+ years do a fine job — <i>not</i> of seriously pressing for a more equitable distribution of the fruits of labor and national wealth, <i>not even</i> of fixing the problems and fighting for simple opportunity for all, but <i>rather</i>, of showing how accommodating they can be towards an unbridled-Capitalism/ Social-Darwinistic agenda, and, of course, getting themselves elected/re-elected by fooling that portion of the electorate that is not yet politically catatonic into believing that they as politicians will actually fight for the benefit of the people.<br /><br />Nice to see you referencing Franz Fanon. Some of the plutocracy probably have no idea of what institutional oppression really does to people, physically and psychologically. But I'm beginning to think that the greater proportion of those with economic and political power <i>do</i> in fact know, but are supremely confident that they, the plutocrats, will be able to control the negative consequences. Right now the discontent is still just simmering, and the plutocrats have put a lid on it. That actually raises the pressure and practically guarantees that the pot will boil over. But I have no idea as to when that will occur.Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-31547479805154886512013-11-19T13:34:52.761-05:002013-11-19T13:34:52.761-05:00Karen,James, Zee, Jay and friends: This is my rec...Karen,James, Zee, Jay and friends: This is my recent simplistic comment<br /> to Krugman's 'A Permanent Slump'. Sorry it isn't more cheerful.<br /><br />"What truly depresses me is the message that things are as they are because that is how it is, period. This is merely a way of obscuring the fact that much can be accomplished to change this dreary outlook but no one is interested enough to start the ball rolling. Yes, that would require<br />investigation, honest reporting, courage to expose where the money really is, how it is being used, and ways to turn things in a different direction. I guess we will have to wait for the populace to wake up and become a wave of opposition to what is failing but then again, this requires knowledge and information to be shared. It all sounds simple, and it really is but nothing<br />can happen until citizens begin to flex their political muscles. Meanwhile, by not improving, the financial polls will continue to edge downward and l929 will happen all over again. This I can safely predict without any doubt, and I don't even have a degree in economics.<br />Maybe another FDR will emerge from the rubble."<br /><br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-69438781778108688832013-11-19T11:41:22.546-05:002013-11-19T11:41:22.546-05:00We are playing Russian roulette with the economy. ...We are playing Russian roulette with the economy. For the past five years, as I no doubt have mentioned before, I've been dancing between the toxic rain drops, managing our finances. Late to personal financial management (I started in my fifties), I only started out of sheer necessity. Since the early 80's I have been aware of the increasing idiocy of this country's economic policies. I expected the disaster of 2007-2008, but not its magnitude nor the government's dismal failure to deal with it. And, no Zee, it's not government itself to blame but our kind of government. I agree largely with Krugman and people like Yves Smith on our dilemma, its causes and possible solutions, but despair of our government's recognizing the first or implementing the second.James F Traynornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-40235012350609224232013-11-18T22:26:40.073-05:002013-11-18T22:26:40.073-05:00As the stock market goes up, so it can come down. ...As the stock market goes up, so it can come down. Perhaps just as abruptly and deeply as it did in 2008. <br /><br />Good luck to us all when that happens, as we will no doubt, once again be bailing out the very crooks that brought calamity upon is.Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-15981430083131003542013-11-18T16:41:31.391-05:002013-11-18T16:41:31.391-05:00Woof! You say an unruly guide dog (I doubt it was...Woof! You say an unruly guide dog (I doubt it was a police dog) led an entire plane plane load of people off the plane in protest? Did security put the cuffs on him? Does he need bail? <br /><br />What organizational skills. Does that doggy have brothers and sisters who share his compassion and resolve? <br /><br />Get him a ticket on a cruise ship next, then a football stadium. Let's see how far he can take this.Jay–Ottawahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10360356126450612113noreply@blogger.com