Friday, February 27, 2009

Darn, I want this t-shirt

Busted Tees are a bit overpriced considering what they are...

That being said, however... They have some of the best t-shirt designs on the web.

I want this one.

--Tuckmac

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Saturday, February 07, 2009

Well, it's been an interesting few weeks

Since my last post, where I admit I was less than enthusiastic about our new President, things have been occuring which frankly, bears out my opinions.

President Obama has done a few good things... Dealing with Gitmo, terrorist defendants, the environment, and other 'liberal' ideals.

However, during this stimulus-package debate, President Obama has been less than stellar.

In holding to his 'bipartisan' goals of governing, I've seen a so called 'trimmed down' stimulus package that will not do ANYTHING to actually help our economy.

Gail Collins from the New York Times, wrote something 'pithy' that actually does sum up what is going on in her column today titled: Tough Times at Obama, Inc. An exerpt:

    "I dropped out of school for a semester to campaign for Barack Obama. And now I’m asking myself whether I spent four months living with my aunt and going door to door in Dayton, Ohio, just so we could have a stimulus plan written by a bunch of moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats in the Senate."

    I don’t know how many times we need to go over this, but this is actually a real-life version of what Obama promised during the campaign. Didn’t you jump up and cheer when your guy promised that he’d get Republicans and Democrats to work together?"


Yes... Ms. Collins, exactly... People expected Obama to be this transformative presence in the new American Government, and he may actually BE such a thing... But no true Republican will be happy, and certainly no true Liberal Democrat will be happy.

In the stimulous package bill currently blundering through the US senate, my OWN democratic Senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar voted for a REPUBLICAN amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

Okay... Highway beautification? Yeah, we can do without that sort of thing right now in our tough times. And casinos and gambling establishments? Fuck them. But... Everything else????

Parks? Museums? Theatres? Art Centers? We don't NEED these things anymore?

Minnesota has been losing its small theatre companies, dance is suffering, arts organisations are tumbling... And now the Feds have decided that none of these things are important either.

May I just say that I fucking HATE living in America at times like these... Corporate ass-wipes who put us into this failing economy in the FIRST place are getting huge stimulus cheques from the US government and $18 Billion of this money went for BONUS cheques to the CEOs of these companies. Aren't bonuses meant to be perks for GOOD work?

All of that is fine... But the arts are not.

When people can not afford to go out to dinner... A FREE museum or art gallery can be the only thing for a family to be able to go out and DO. The cultural side of life can be the only thing that will help people be able to DEAL with their problems, but... No... Culture is the FIRST thing to lose it's funding. But we'll give money to giant polluting corporations that DO NOT use the money to STIMULATE anything... No... They use it for fun company trips to the Virgin Islands, and for big bonuses for it's owners.

America... Get WITH it. Fuck the Republicans in congress and pass a REAL stimulus bill that will actually STIMULATE the economy! Money for the poor... Money for non-profits, money for small-business... Money for cities and municipalities who will help people that actually NEED it.

The Republicans continue to 'cut taxes.' F That. RAISE them. The CEOs that just got $18 billion in money from our government? Take it back through taxes... Tax the richest 10 percent in America 50% of their incomes. Tax them on bonuses... Tax them on property ownership... Tax the fucking rich, and give it to the REST of society that actually need it.

There IS no middle class anymore. Without a middle class, there is social unrest. (Just look at the history of Europe during the 19th Century. When there is no buffer of people between the REALLY rich and the VERY poor... The poor get angry. The poor get violent... And the country suffers.

--Tuckmac

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