After a day of reflection and a night of sleep and dreams I can unequivocally state that practical mystic and I made the right decision not to drive to Lansing yesterday. If she had really insisted, I probably would have agreed to travel with her. One part of me enjoys complaining and being angry over the sad state of politics in this country, but the other side says “stop complaining and take action, do something about your beliefs and convictions, do something that you have control over.” So, it would have been entirely appropriate and positive to have decided to get out yesterday and stand up at the state capital in support of union people everywhere, who are insisting on their rights and fundamental dignity.
After all, are unions responsible for bringing down the economy and creating massive problems, including huge budget deficits for the public sector beginning in 2007? A whole bunch of other culprits or “barbarians of wealth”, as a recent book title calls them, come to mind: large banks, people pushing variable interest rate mortgages on people who could not afford them after the teaser rates expired, real estate speculators, etc. It’s remarkable that to this day not one of the major suspects has been indicted, let alone convicted, for the calamities they caused. And they are not likely to be. The top executives at Countrywide, AIG, Goldman Sachs, are let off the hook.
Then there are the top 2% of people in this country, who somehow cannot have their taxes increased at all according to a minority controlling the votes in the last Congress. And what is the effect of that inaction on our federal deficit? And who is mentioning the huge costs of our continuing involvement in perpetual wars year after year in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. But no, it’s easier to go after public unions, teachers, firefighters, etc. How much reporting have you seen on what these employees actually earn in pay and benefits?
Well, having said all that, how could one even hesitate to get up and go to a demonstration? Laziness? Hopelessness? Part of that entered in, I suppose. Part of it came from the suspicion that these demonstrations would be barely covered, if at all, in the mainstream press. That proved to be the case. Even Huffington Post made no mention of demonstrations at state houses to my knowledge. But also, I had the feeling that demonstrators would be talking to each other and not to the larger country.
And why did voters in Wisconsin elect the Republican governor last November? Maybe this is the only way for voters to learn what is in their best interest. Several times in the recent past I have said that maybe things just have to get bad enough for people to demand change. Well, people are demanding change, but not necessarily the change I believe in or is necessary and just. Amazing the spin that politicians can put on things and have people buy it.
There are always those who will drink the Kool-Aid. I decided to eat the pancakes. Um good!
And then I had a dream. This is getting too long so more tomorrow.
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