March 24, 2013

Now it's jazz,

"Now it’s jazz, the place is roaring, all beautiful girls in there, one mad brunette at the bar drunk with her boys – one strange chick I remember from somewhere, wearing a simple skirt with pockets, her hands in there, short haircut, slouched, talking to everybody – Up and down the stairs they come the bartenders are the regular brand of Jack, and the heavenly drummer who looks up in the sky with blue eyes, with a beard, is wailing beercaps of bottles and jamming on the cash register and everything is going to the beat — it’s the beat generation, it’s beat. It’s the beat to keep, it’s the beat of the heart, it’s being beat and down in the world and like old-time lowdown and like in ancient civilizations the slave boat- men rowing galleys to a beat and servants spinning pottery to a beat."

February 23, 2013

We need more exposés of this shit,

because until it filters through the white middle class bubble, its not going to change. And what those in the bubble have to realize is that its no longer just some poor inner-city kid who never had a future anyway, its their lily-white precious sons and increasingly daughters that are in the cross hairs of this machine.

Our society is becoming a society of no-second chances, with an ever widening net of what constitutes criminal behaviour. Every misstep we say or commit is logged to be used against us. Vast numbers of people are becoming unemployable, unable to travel, afraid to speak up publicly or lodge complaints, are denied loans and mortgages, and are unable to even help themselves acquire the skills to lead 'productive' lives.

January 30, 2013

People recognize that changes need to be made,

but they think that its others who must do the sacrificing. Its pure arrogance and selfishness. Perfect examples are the tea partier on Medicare, or the corporate world who don't pay taxes but insist on public austerity.

Even 35 years ago, people went apoplectic at the audacity of Jimmy Carter suggesting that maybe we put a sweater on and turn the thermostat down a few degrees. Soon after they choose a Don Draper type of president who sold them reassurances like Lucky Strikes: Every thing's OK, despite being toxic. Delusional.

Many interpret hardship as not being able to go on vacation or buy a new car. Never mind that they have 2 cars in the driveway. Sometimes I think about my grandparents, who like millions of others came to the new world in the late 1800's - 1950. They worked their asses off each day plowing fields with a horse, and when the old horse finally died, they were consoled by the fact that at least they got to eat it.

Dirt poor immigrants that suffered repressive governments, fear of being 'disappeared' in the middle of the night, religious persecution, famines, wars came to the new world with a sense of community, and an understanding that through shared sacrifice and working together (gasp! socialism) everyone benefited. Those were the common heroes that advanced civil rights, created labour unions and fought Robber Barons and tycoons, demanded that advances in productivity were shared among all. We've forgotten all of that.

By contrast we're too spoiled and stupefied by relative comfort, hype and gadgetry. Unfortunately I agree that nothing is going to change until something drastic happens, and yes, this time it's probably too late.