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Don't talk about It, Be about It!
My Father thinks and says: "Wisconsin is the epicenter of the beginning ... it is the Bridge at Selma where civil rights took on a whole new face ... American people are waking up (I hope!)."
REPUBLICANS ARE SOCIAL DARWINISTS -- they believe the government should help the rich live long and prosper! THE government should let the rich exploit the working classes until they die from hard work and exhaustion!! AND should let the poor die off from starvation and disease because they will never amount to anything and are a drain on society!!!
""Social Darwinism is a belief, popular in the late Victorian era in England, America, and elsewhere, which states that the strongest or fittest should survive and flourish in society, while the weak and unfit should be allowed to die. The theory was chiefly expounded by Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), whose ethical philosophies always held an elitist view and later received a boost from the application of Darwinian ideas such as adaptation and natural selection.
According to Darwin's evolutionary theory, nature is a "kill-or-be-killed" system. Those that cannot keep up are either left behind or cut off. The strong survive, and those best suited to survival will out-live the weak.
The seeds of Social Darwinism were actually planted before the publication of Darwin's "The Origin of Species"(though of course the name didn't originate until after). Herbert Spencer, the father of Social Darwinism as an ethical theory, was thinking in terms of elitist, "might makes right" sorts of views long before Darwin published his theory. The concept of adaptation allowed Spencer to claim that the rich and powerful were better adapted to the social and economic climate of the time, and the concept of natural selection allowed him to argue that it was natural, normal, and proper for the strong to thrive at the expense of the weak. Whether it be humans, races, or the state, Spencer's thoughts were clear: "If they are sufficiently complete to live, they do live, and it is well they should live. If they are not sufficiently complete to live, they die, and it is best they die." In its simplest form, Social Darwinism follows the theory of "the strong survive," even in human issues.It is the application of the theory of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues. According to Social Darwinism, those with economic, physical, and technological strength flourish and those without are destined for extinction. This theory was used to promote the idea that the white European race was superior to others, and therefore, destined to rule over them.
Social Darwinism was used to justify numerous exploits which we classify as of dubious moral value today. Colonialism was seen as natural and inevitable; people saw natives as being weaker and more unfit to survive, and therefore felt justified in seizing land and resources. Finally, it gave the ethical nod to brutal colonial governments who used oppressive tactics against their subjects.
At the time that Spencer began to promote Social Darwinism, the technology, economy, and government of the "White European" was advanced in comparison to that of other cultures. Looking at this apparent advantage, as well as the economic and military structures, some argued that natural selection was playing out, and that the race more suited to survival was winning. Some even extended this philosophy into a micro-economic issue, claiming that social welfare programs that helped the poor and disadvantaged were contrary to nature itself. Those who reject any and all forms of charity or governmental welfare often use arguments rooted in Social Darwinism.
Social Darwinism has been used to justify eugenics programs aimed at weeding "undesirable" genes from the population; such programs were sometimes accompanied by sterilization laws directed against "unfit" individuals. The American eugenics movement was relatively popular between about 1910-1930, during which 24 states passed sterilization laws and Congress passed a law restricting immigration from certain areas deemed to be unfit. Social Darwinist ideas, though in different forms, were also applied by the Nazi party in Germany to justify their eugenics programs. With the development of the notion of eugenics — not only could you prevail over the unfit by making war on them, but you could improve the breed by applying "enlightened" notions of selection and genetics.
At its worst, the implications of Social Darwinism were used as scientific justification for the Holocaust. The Nazis claimed that the murder of Jews in World War II was an example of cleaning out inferior genetics. This view embraced the assumption that the strong were superior, and thus ordained to prevail. Social Darwinism applied to military action as well; the argument went that the strongest military would win, and would therefore be the most fit. Casualties on the losing side, of course, were written off as the natural result of their unfit status. Thus, if two countries were to make war on each other, the victor was biologically superior to the loser. It was therefore right and proper for that victor to subjugate or even eliminate the inferior opponent. Not only was survival of the fittest natural, but it was also morally correct. Indeed, some extreme Social Darwinists argued that it was morally incorrect to assist those weaker than oneself, since that would be promoting the survival and possible reproduction of someone who was fundamentally unfit. A second way pseudo-evolutionary concepts were applied to human interaction was in the development of cut-throat capitalism in the United States. Here the ideology was that the cream naturally rose to the top; the successful made a lot of money simply because they were superior to the unsuccessful. Those who found themselves in poverty were poor because they were intrinsically inferior. It provided a justification for the more exploitative forms of capitalism in which workers were paid sometimes pennies a day for long hours of backbreaking labor. Social Darwinism also justified big business' refusal to acknowledge labor unions and similar organizations, and implied that the rich need not donate money to the poor or less fortunate, since such people were less fit anyway. This political philosophy resisted suggestions like universal education, welfare, minimum wage; in short, anything which interfered with the business of the "superior" ascending to the top of the heap and squashing the unfit beneath their expensive shoes.""
http://www.allaboutscience.org/what-is-social-darwinism-faq.htmhttp://library.thinkquest.org/C004367/eh4.shtml
Isn't this exactly the kind of corruption that finally reached the breaking point in the mideast? If the Supreme Court was shortsighted enough, or corrupt enough to not see that this kind of turmoil is the end result of allowing corporations to freely buy politicians, how can we expect the corporations to care at all? I can't believe that a few 'Masters onf the Universe' aren't a little nervous. Of course, when the uber rich get anxious, they just buy something outrageoulsly extravagent, like a senator, to prove to themselves that they are better than the rif raf and it gives them the false sence of security that will, eventually lead to their downfall.
As inevitable as this all is if there isn't any campaign reform and SOON, it doesn't make it any easier to live through.
We do need Untouchables..........................
Ralph Nader comes to mind Ross Perot, Bernie Sanders, Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul
and of course Thom Hartman
Senator Sharrod Brown of Ohio has an online petition to stop big money from taking over the election process. I suggest that all reading this, find the petition, sign it, and post it on your social media, so that we can begin the ONLY revolution that will help the people take back the US government.
The church probably received a little green stuff for its till.
Last week, I learned that hydrologic fracking is coming to my county and to counties on the Ohio River. I live 30 minutes from Lake Erie. I called the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over drilling and drilling permits, to find out why fracking, which is known to poison groundwater, is permitted so close to the largest bodies of freshwater in the world. (Ohioans just voted last fall to join a pact with the other Great Lakes states and Canada to protect the Great Lakes water resource. Why go to all this trouble only to allow oil and gas to come in and poison it?)
Anyway...the "young man" told me that fracking has been done for 60 years, permitted under the Ohio Revised code 1509...blah...blah...blah... It's safe according to the Petrolium Institute--whatever.
He told me if I didn't like it, I could take it to my senator or congressperson. My answer to him was, "I don't have millions of dollars and scores of lobbyiest to get MY way in government." He didn't have anything to say about that.
As usual: TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF ELECTIONS!
According to Matt Taibbi in his latest Rolling Stone article, Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail: "Criminal justice, as it pertains to the Goldmans and Morgan Stanleys of the world, is not adversarial combat, with cops and crooks duking it out in interrogation rooms and courthouses. Instead, it's a cocktail party between friends and colleagues who from month to month and year to year are constantly switching sides and trading hats." So Wall Street doesn't even need lobbyists, the transition is complete.
And while I am on that, Dean Baker, states this about the pensions: http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/pensions-2011-02.pdf
"Most of the pension shortfall using the current methodology is attributable to the plunge in the stock market in the years 2007-2009. If pension funds had earned returns just equal to the interest rate on 30-year Treasury bonds in the three years since 2007, their assets would be more than $850 billion greater than they are today. This is by far the major cause of pension funding shortfalls. While there are certainly cases of pensions that had been under-funded even before the market plunge, prior years of under-funding is not the main reason that pensions face difficulties now. Another $80 billion of the shortfall is the result of the fact that states have cutback their contributions as a result of the downturn." Beside the unions saying they are making concessions, they need to point out that there would not be a problem with underfunded pensions were it not for Wall St. and point out that this is evidence of what would happen to Social Security, too, if they can get their hands on some of that money.
The original radio report I heard said that the Bishops were coming out for Collective Bargaining. THat may have been an overstatement.
Bishop Lystecki of Milwaukee came out very clearly on behalf of the right of workers to organize and have their collective bargaining rights respected. The US Conference of Bishops apparently backed him up
Now the bishop of Madison, Bishop Molorino, has come out to give Walker cover by claiming the CHurch (and the other bishops) were not taking sides. He wants to say that there are legitimate Catholic reasons for taking either Walker or the Teacher's side. But in doing so he talks about the Union making concessions for the public good, but doesn't specifically mention collective bargaining. In other words, he is talking about it the way Walker started talking about it, as if it were all about the budget. He seems to conflate the demands a union may make with being able to have a union at all. I dont know what effect this will have, but it certainly another case of some bishops trying to help Republicans despite an apparent conflict with Church teachings. Not surprisingly in that context, he is complaining of class warefare rhetoric.
Why President Obama should NOT come to Wisconsin at this time: There are essentially two reliably liberal areas in the state; Dane County (where Madison is located) and central Milwaukee. The remainder is either rural and very conservative, or wealthy...and very conservative. During the presidential election driving out of Dane County the 'Obama' lawn signs were noticeably outnumbered by 'McCain' signs.
Walker was careful to exclude the police and firefighters from the insurance/pension hikes; DOC employees were not exempted...and he made a point of mentioning he had the National Guard at the ready if "unrest" occurred. There are about 13 state prisons in Wis, scattered throughout the state. Located primarily in rural areas, many of those working there are drawn from that conservative demographic.
My son is a security officer at one; he's been here twice to protest....along with others from that facility. His fellow officers confessed to having voted for Walker, but now understand the threat of privatizing the prisons is very real, and have shifted their thinking, along with their families, friends, neighbors and small businesses in the areas around the prisons.
There's a growing sense of solidarity with the protesters as well as real disgust/mistrust with Walker that would never have happened among that conservative bloc otherwise. BUT....to have Obama come here at this time would again polarize those recent converts. That newly-hatched sense of solidarity would dry up like dew; they could very easily snap back to supporting Walker, equating Obama as being as destructive an 'outsider' as the Koch brothers.
Obama can continue to make statements regarding the need to preserve workers' rights, and be critical of union bashing...but at a safe distance, and not necessarily directed just at Wisconsin. Those who are urging him to put on his marching shoes are not aware of the nuances of the situation here. Continuing to do so does more harm than good, both to Wisconsin and the president.
They just did study for Chicago charter schools and found the results to be at best MIXED. I think this is a myth the for-profit education system. There goal is not to educate students, but to make money.
No Question, James McMurtry's "We Can't Make it Here" is my favorite
Lyrics
Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign
Sitting there by the left turn line
Flag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze
One leg missing, both hands free
No one's paying much mind to him
The V.A. budget's stretched so thin
And there's more comin' home from the Mideast war
We can't make it here anymore
That big ol' building was the textile mill
It fed our kids and it paid our bills
But they turned us out and they closed the doors
We can't make it here anymore
See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock
They're just gonna set there till they rot
'Cause there's nothing to ship, nothing to pack
Just busted concrete and rusted tracks
Empty storefronts around the square
There's a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere
You don't come down here 'less you're looking to score
We can't make it here anymore
The bar's still open but man it's slow
The tip jar's light and the register's low
The bartender don't have much to say
The regular crowd gets thinner each day
Some have maxed out all their credit cards
Some are working two jobs and living in cars
Minimum wage won't pay for a roof, won't pay for a drink
If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO
See how far 5.15 an hour will go
Take a part time job at one of your stores
Bet you can't make it here anymore
High school girl with a bourgeois dream
Just like the pictures in the magazine
She found on the floor of the laundromat
A woman with kids can forget all that
If she comes up pregnant what'll she do
Forget the career, forget about school
Can she live on faith? live on hope?
High on Jesus or hooked on dope
When it's way too late to just say no
You can't make it here anymore
Now I'm stocking shirts in the Wal-Mart store
Just like the ones we made before
'Cept this one came from Singapore
I guess we can't make it here anymore
Should I hate a people for the shade of their skin
Or the shape of their eyes or the shape I'm in
Should I hate 'em for having our jobs today
No I hate the men sent the jobs away
I can see them all now, they haunt my dreams
All lily white and squeaky clean
They've never known want, they'll never know need
Their sh@# don't stink and their kids won't bleed
Their kids won't bleed in the da$% little war
And we can't make it here anymore
Will work for food
Will die for oil
Will kill for power and to us the spoils
The billionaires get to pay less tax
The working poor get to fall through the cracks
Let 'em eat jellybeans let 'em eat cake
Let 'em eat sh$%, whatever it takes
They can join the Air Force, or join the Corps
If they can't make it here anymore
And that's how it is
That's what we got
If the president wants to admit it or not
You can read it in the paper
Read it on the wall
Hear it on the wind
If you're listening at all
Get out of that limo
Look us in the eye
Call us on the cell phone
Tell us all why
In Dayton, Ohio
Or Portland, Maine
Or a cotton gin out on the great high plains
That's done closed down along with the school
And the hospital and the swimming pool
Dust devils dance in the noonday heat
There's rats in the alley
And trash in the street
Gang graffiti on a boxcar door
We can't make it here anymore
Music and lyrics © 2004 by James McMurtry
Link to a live version on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWRfBZY-ng
Whoo hoo! Thanks for the "shout out" today, Thom (and for playing the request)!
Man it's tough getting a store to deliver a pair of shoes to the White House.
Maybe if I were spending $150 instead of $40..........
Maybe FDR didnt want government workers to be able to unionize because during the Great Depression so many people were working for the government. So if they did demand higher wages it would have required laying off millions which would have killed his recovery.
I frequently debate rightwingers and their defense of Citizen's United is that "if Media Corporations have free speech rights with their editorials and columnist choices, why shouldnt all corporations?"
Mr. Obama's shoes are variously sized from 9 1/2 to 11 to 13. I guess it's pick one.
I'm sending size 11s
Sat. National Rallies to Support Wisconsin!
Sat the 26th: National 50 State Solidarity with Wisconsin Rally
go to MoveOn.org and enter zip code to find an event near you!
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=238
Pass the Word!!