Once Upon a Time

String by Better health

As we approach the new year we must reflect, times are hard. The wars go on unabated, our people struggle unassisted, Wall Street continues on unmolested. Our rights are assaulted on all fronts, illegal searches, arrests. We are overwhelmed by a contrived, co-opted, corrupt, corporate media. "He that controls the past controls the future."

Julian Assuage, Bradley Manning become nails of truth sticking up only to be hammered down. Any and all that dare speak the truth can expect the same treatment, "In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are f*cked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely." Hunter S. Thompson

Hope and Change has become Nope and Strange. The guy who ran for office as our friend and champion doesn't know us anymore. He fails to understand that it isn't we that have changed, it isn't we that have changed our positions. It isn't we that have complained needlessly, we haven't forgot him. He has forgotten us!

It is difficult in the rarefied air of Washington, where the music plays when you enter into the room. Difficult, when the chef cooks what ever you want, whenever you want it, to remember and to keep your feet on the ground. It's the Elvis syndrome, where everyone laughs at your jokes. Where your every idea is praised by the bottom feeders and qualified by operatives who triangulate the position into palatable bites of chum, which then become meaningless drops of ink on the page.

There was, once upon a time a Roman Senator, he was concerned by the large number of slaves running loose in Rome. It concerned him greatly that these slaves could move unaccosted and unmolested through Rome. His suggestion was simple, all slaves should be required to wear a uniform identifying them as slaves. Initially this plan generated a great deal of support among the ruling class. Then cooler heads prevailed, there were all most as many slaves in Rome as there were free men.

A uniform would not only make it easy to identify the slaves, it would enable the slaves to identify each other. What would the slaves do when they discovered that they were nearly equal in number to their oppressors. The proposal was withdrawn, because it was better that the slaves not know how many other slaves there were.

We live in these dark times separated, calculated, emasculated and wondering what do we do? How can we fight back, how can we resist? How can we fight the rain, how can we hold back the storm? Our immense power is stymied by our separation, the media preaches to us conspicuous consumption. Its shameful to be poor in America, it is to be hidden, lest others discover and begin to think less of you. Except that the others are struggling as well. They too hide their struggles, but are alone.

There are, even by shaded government figures over 15 million American men and women totally unemployed. There are, even by shaded government figures 10 million more Americans under employed. They work part time when they want full time. They work odd jobs and temp jobs for low wages with no benefits. Teenage unemployment stands at 26.8 percent. Those fast food hamburger jobs have been taken and held by their parents.

Perhaps, we need to tie a string around our finger to remind us that we are not alone. Perhaps, a simple cotton string around our wrists to remind ourselves that our numbers are more than the most populous state in the union. To remind ourselves of the millions that have lost homes, and lost jobs. To remind ourselves that over one million school age children are homeless on any given night in America.

A simple cotton string, a slave uniform, a uniform for the disenfranchised and the pushed out of society. Made to feel less than others because the economic ship sank and left us floating in the angry seas. Blamed by the media for the ship's loss when we were merely passengers. We weren't responsible for the overloading nor are we responsible for the cargo not being tied down but the media blames us just the same.

Perhaps a simple string can tie us all together, I'll see your string and smile. You'll see my string and we will understand each other. I've been around this situation long enough now that I've heard the stories which all start with, "I was working at" and all end with, "then I got laid off." Our numbers are our power, our separation is our weakness. If we could just identify each other and find each other we could begin to feel better about ourselves. WE ARE TENS OF MILLIONS! If we walk together the ground will shake and the politicians will quake.

Where is our Congressional representation? Who speaks for the unemployed in Washington? I was reading an article yesterday about Ben Bernanke's quantitative easing plan. Bernanke hopes it will stimulate the economy, only its not Ben Bernanke's job to stimulate the economy. Its the Federal Government's job to stimulate the economy.

In 1944 Franklin Roosevelt was asked by a reporter, is the New Deal still valid? Roosevelt answered, "In 1933 the economy was very sick. Dr. New Deal came along and prescribed the Banking Act to make the banking system healthy again. He prescribed the Homeowners Loan Corporation to stop home foreclosures and the Farm Credit Act to save farms. He created the Securities and Exchange commission to protect investors.

He prescribed the WPA and the CCC and the TVA to put people back to work. He prescribed a host of other programs as well. Dr. New Deal was a specialist, today we have another doctor, Dr. Win the war."

Our current leadership offers us instead of a doctor, a school nurse. School Nurse Fix the Economy prescribes tax cuts. Unemployment? Tax cuts! Low demand? Tax Cuts! Home foreclosures? Pay the banks to do something about it! Who will fix the economy? School Nurse Fix the economy answers, "Don't ask me, ask Dr. Bernanke!"