Weekend Economists Take a Chance and Call a Bluff July 26-28, 2013

[Demeter]

8. I actually met a professional poker player as a guest speaker at a convention

The Mensa AG held in Detroit a couple years ago.

He looked exhausted, as if he hadn't had enough sleep for YEARS. He had a very unique outlook on life....rather detached from most of it.

Can one be a "real person" if one is living as an addict? I think back upon Maslow's pyramid of last Weekend's topic. Perhaps well-rounded, balanced, "self-actualized" people are an extinct species, or at least, endangered. But then, such is the case for a people at war, and we are at war, even if it was never "officially" declared. And the enemy, that's US: anyone who thinks that war on a nation's principles is more threatening than an invasion from without.

An outside invasion has a definite enemy, and a definite game plan and goal. You know when you have won: the borders are secure, nobody's getting shot up, regular life can resume.

How will we know when the "unofficial" war on the 99%, the people with integrity, the producers, is over?

Perhaps, when every last "useless eater," each parasitical 1% Elitist is hanging from a lamp post, and there's a wealth barrier to public office...you'd have to be no more than median in wealth to hold a government job, and not on anybody's bribe list.

For good measure, I'd confiscate all charitable foundations, too. That money was stolen from the 99% and should go into the public coffers to provide single payer universal health care and Social Security that covers everyone at a level of survival (at least poverty, and preferably median income). There are old people living on $800/ month social security, because they were cheated all their working lives. So, they can live in Section 8 housing, and food stamps, and poverty-subsidized phone and electric (maybe) and Medicaid (maybe).

Would it not be better for us all if that minimum standard of support were a little bit higher?