July 25, 2013

What is Bourgeoisie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeoisie?wwparam=1282163575

I ask this because I hear the term used a lot, and while I know how it is defined, I am curious to know how WE actually define it.

Some say the American Middle Class, with their Ipods, are Bourgeoisie. Some say upper middle class types are, some say factory owners are. Are small businesses Bourgeoisie? Are teachers, anyone with a college degree?

I ask because I would like to know who this term applies to.

July 24, 2013

Why England having royalty might not be so bad

In the UK, you have two heads of state. You have the royals, who are the SYMBOLIC heads of state. They deal with the cultural aspects of being the head; the charities, the boat christenings, etc. Now the folks that work in London are the TRUE heads, who can focus on actual government. They also do not have the mantle/cultural baggage of the royals, so people can insult and berate them without dealing with cultural issues.

I think this system allows the UK to be free of distractions when they pick the person who is supposed to actually run the country. They can pick boring technocrats that have little charisma, but a lot of experience in getting actual results. On the other hand, every time we elect someone, we try to compose a poem rather than pick a leader. How much is about how charming the person is, or if it is time to finally elect a (insert group here.) This not only allows for confusion, but in the case of charming types like Bill Clinton or Ronny Ray Gun, it allows them to spin a pretty narrative that takes attention away from what is actually being done.

I know we can never have a royal house, but I do think that, if the UK ditches theirs, we could see the quality of politics go down, as something will need to fill the vacuum. Hey, Sweden also has a royal house, and they seem to be perfectly fine being that role model for social democracy.

July 24, 2013

Why Anthony Weiner has me disappointed.

Let me lay my cards on the table:

No, I really do not care who a Politician is having sex with.

The exception is if said person was a Rapist or Pedophile. The reasons for that should be self evident, but in case they are not, I do not want someone who is committing a violent crime writing laws. That is the very, very least I could expect. Of course, powerful people, be they Bill Clinton or Madonna, tend to get whatever they want in terms of sex, it's part of the perk of power, and no amount of moralizing is going to keep some fool for being taken for a ride, or, in the case of the two I mentioned, someone from trying to get their 15 minutes of fame/book deal.

Yes, I am aware that the GOP is full of man-whores that never, ever get called out. We have to be honest, as long as there are companies that will buy a politician's vote, some people are immortal, because they will buy the TV ads. When David Vitter got caught, the old Louisiana saying came to mind, that once a Pol had the right allies "the only thing that would make him lose his job is to get caught in bed with a dead girl or live boy.." Sorry for the quote LGBTS, but you know that is how they think, and it highlights the fact that if Weiner were gay, the Powers that be would bury him. Or, as Rachel would put it IOKIYAR.

So, why am I pissed at Weiner, because he KNEW the stakes, and he knew that the GOP had their siege engines ready, as they already used them. He saw Spitzer go down as well, as Wall Street made sure that anyone thinking of doing anything stronger than "bipartisanship" would get squashed. He could have gotten into a treatment facility (yes they do have them for sex addicts), and not entered into the ring until he was ready. No, like Bill Clinton before him, he thought he was too smart.

What hurts is that we have another case of honey trapping, and yes, the GOP should me mad at their dogs, but the churches will run in and say "he hates gays and abortion and lazy brown skinned people, Jaizzus needs your vote!"

July 23, 2013

question about Ken C and Northern Virginia

My friend lives in the VA side of DC. He says that North Virginia is actually quite liberal, and thus, the people from the rest of the state tend to be more Dixie-ish, as they fear Northern VA might hook up with DC and become a more Northern state. Is there truth to this?

July 20, 2013

To the Millenials from a Gen Xer

The following was inspired by this article:
http://rall.com/2013/06/04/syndicated-column-the-new-generation-gap-gen-x-vs-gen-y

Dear Millennial:
The article I quoted is from Ted Rall, a self appointed voice of Gen X. He is an asshole at times, but at other times one of the stronger voices against the right, thus worth reading. However, despite the part where he begins remembering how we got smeared, he seems to go right on smearing you. Generations often wind up repeating the mistakes of their elders, and I write this to try and undo that.

He proceeds to make fun of your culture, digging in on things like steampunk. It's funny coming from someone that is a champion of punk rock. Punk was hated, misunderstood,considered low class, but yet, he worships it, and proceeds to make fun of you because you change and rediscover things like, oh, playing more than three chords or a different way of growing a beard or wearing an older cut of dress. He uses the word "boring" and even says he feels his generation is younger than yours.

Of course, he forgets that you were the first generation to grow up when the American dream had finally come down. We Gen Xers saw the initial fall, and it was bad, especially when many Boomers were calling us slackers. However, you knew the dream was dead, you did not do the equivalent of our Kurt Cobain, and shoot himself because the sex drugs rock and roll dream the baby boomers started turned out to be hollow. You found different dreams,different methods than the ones that failed, and moved on.

That is why YOU are the ones that made OWS, why you had solidarity with the Arab Spring. Of course, because you did not fulfill Rall's dreams, he mocks you. He wanted OWS to turn violent, for you to be the meat fodder for his dreams, never even asking what yours were. Then again, not only does he realize that violence ruins revolutions, but that the forces of evil were a lot better organized and funded than the same bastards the Boomers and Xers fought. The old gray men have learned their lessons, changed tactics, and frankly, bribed the MSM, which means they can get away with a lot more than Joe McCarthy ever could. Even on DU, you had people throw mud on OWS and you, which made the old gray men laugh.

Yes, you depend a lot on the internet, on the twitter and facebook, and yes, you will be the ones that need to rein those forces in before the NSA and Wallstreet ruin whatever potential they have. You supported Obama over Hillary (something many Boomers will never forgive you for, and will try to punish you for in 2016 when they try to plant Hillary on the throne.)

In short, no you are not boring, you are interesting, and the older people who slam you for living with your parents should compare not just how expensive college was for them, or what wages where for them, but acknowledge the fact that there is simply not much opportunity period. You have been given the short straw, yet you have done a lot with it, which means that you will be the ones tough and resourceful enough to make it in a future that your elders have squandered. Yes, you do act a bit older, and are quieter, which Rall hates, but maybe he can see that, unlike my Gen X, which kept whining about how those Boomers ruined everything, you are more about actions than emotions.

July 15, 2013

To all those who want to Boycott Florida

Let me ask you two questions?

1) what would you say to the Florida liberals that have been pounding away for years trying to change this state? The tooth Fairy did not vote for Obama in 2008 and 2012, we did.

2) Outside of boycotting, do you actually plan any support or aid to those of us down here trying to change the state?

Or are we just collateral damage?

July 14, 2013

First they shot the young black teenager

But many did not speak up, because they were scared of young black teenagers too.

To many of the wolves in sheep's clothing people that supported GZ, because of our "gun rights" pray tell, how long until the beast that has been freed tonight starts gnawing on your flesh? The right wingers that thought GZ had a right to feel threatened by TM feel threatened by a lot of other people too:

They think Gays are a threat to their way of life,
They feel Women that are not under control are a threat,
and yes, even if you are a white liberal, a blue dog conservative that makes Hillary look like Bernie Sanders, they consider YOU a threat.

All it takes is for the cops to look the other way,
and for a jury of idiots to either be led down a line of BS, or simply enact the malice in their heart.

Guess, what, just as they cheer for this verdict, they will cheer freeing whoever shoots you!

and just in case you wonder where I got the thread title:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came%e2%80%a6

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."

and before people start throwing the "ewww, you made a Nazi comparison" thing, sometimes, the shoe does fit, and there are plenty of "good Germans" in Florida, and around the nations.

July 14, 2013

four years into Obama's term (about GZ)

and the GOP not only gets what it wants, it seems to feed off it, as , thanks to citizen's united, the billionaires have simply bought power. I can appreciate the LGBT marriage victory, but for that, it feels like Romney won.

July 14, 2013

To Zim's "liberal" supporters

I expected FR to support Zim, but I never expected so many gun nuts and veiled racists on supposed "liberal" sites.

All I will say is this: many of us who are darker than a cup of Coffee have worked very hard for liberal causes, because we really do want to be considered part of our own nation. Even though we know that there is a gulf between the words written and the deeds done, we have given our lives, fortunes and honor towards these ends. Even liberals in Florida like me, that won victory in 2008 and 2012, but now, we know that many people that claim to be our friends are not.

What twists the knife is that this is an all woman jury. In light of the war on women, how this jury can award someone who beats his girlfriend a prize is sickening.

July 14, 2013

please remember us liberals down here

There are many liberals here too poor to move, who helped get sixths state blue in the Elections. We need your help down here, at least your support, especially to get Rick Scott out.