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Winston Smith is an ex-Social Worker. I worked in child welfare, and in medical settings and in homeless settings. In the later our facility was geared as a permanent address for people to apply for welfare. Once they received that we could send them to facilities in which their welfare paid the bill and provided enough for a meager existence. We also referred people to vocational rehabilitation services. Many of the people who came to us were people who were clearly emotionally ill, but Reagan's slashing of the services for these people caused them to become homeless. One woman I dealt with-St. Jane, believed she was in direct communication with God, urinated freely without using the facilities and she had 47 bags of trash which were prized possessions. She got welfare and was sent to a facility were she could survive. The rule was that our facility could be used 1 time only as we had too many people who thought that the services that we provided we would lift them from the dire straights that they were in. Well, we provided our services for St. Jane around Thanksgiving. On Christmas Eve she was back with her 47 bags of trash and wanted to stay at our facility. I informed my superior of this situation, but we declined to provide services for St. Jane. She slept in front of our facility in a snowstorm. The local rag took the picture and excoriated us for what we did. The local welfare department asked her where she would like to live. St. Jane said Chicago because she liked the wind. She knew on one there. She and her 47 bags of trash of were carted onto a train for the windy city and never of again. The local welfare department was glad to get shed of her. Social welfare in the mid-1980's was geared to blame the victim. Ill people were sent home from hospitals were no one was going to help them because social welfare budgets were slashed by Reagan. Bush 41's â"thousand points of lightâ" was just another way to shaft the weakest in our society. Bush 43's faith based initiative was just another attempt to reduce social welfare services. Reagan's â"Just say Noâ" was the pinnacle of hypocrisy. No services for those who desperately needed them under the guise of tough love.
Obviously I became burnt out by too much indifference regarding our weak and weary. I couldn't look at desperate people and could not get myself to say that what I could offer them wouldn't really help themâ"it would only get them out of my office to be another person's problem, until the local welfare department carted them away.
I had little interest in politics until the illegal Iraq War started. Growing up in the 1960's caused me to understand that the GOP used war to attract right-wing extremists to vote for them. When â"Tricky Dick'sâ" secret plan to end the Vietnam War unfolded into elongating our presence there for 8 years I knew that I would never believe a GOP war-monger again. I dislike Obama's plan to escalate our presence in Afghanistan and see it as a craven attempt to placate the GOP. Maybe he'll reduce the GOP's attacks against him, but it will at the expense of alienating his base.
49 Comments
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 12:59:53 PM
Article : "What type of military strategy is needed in Afghanistan?"
Any involvement in Afghanistan is futile.
Monday, October 26, 2009 at 7:34:07 AM
Article : "Why is Obama protecting 43?"
Obama must prosecute 43 because it is his responsibility.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 2:17:16 PM
Article : "The GOP doesn't care about policies just votes."
The GOP media doesn't care how it lies to the red staters.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 2:13:15 PM
Article : "43 and 1/2."
If a Democrat had preceded Obama he wouldn't be doing this.
Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 12:32:51 PM
Article : "The GOP knows how to maximize vast right-wing conspiracy."
The GOP has to rein in their lunatic fringe.
Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 7:49:51 PM
Article : "If I listened to this junk my brain would rot also."
Too much sadness for the GOP to foment anger.
Sunday, July 26, 2009 at 10:22:09 AM
Article : "You did it to Abu Zubaida!"
Big bro 43 was a hypocritical propagandist.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 5:44:21 PM
Article : "Specter is an opportunist--he holds inconsistent political s"
Mr. Whitten I disparage both parties equally .
Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 5:33:51 PM
Article : "Big Bro 43's "meaning of is" perjury or obstruction of justi"
Prosecuting previous administrations is the GOP stance.
Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 1:50:22 PM
Article : "The US has to prosecute W for war crimes."
Obama must honor his pledge of being an agent of change.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 6:47:36 PM
Article : "W broke international laws; Obama should prosecute"
Breaking international laws is worse than consensual sex.
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 3:24:15 PM
Article : ""That's been going on, in the name of all of us.""
W had to increase our fear due to the enormity of his crimes
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 1:10:49 PM
Article : ""That's been going on, in the name of all of us.""
Delusional GWOT
Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 4:29:36 PM
Article : "Bush, with criminal intent, planned the economic crisis for"
Let them eat cake and die!
Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 12:54:57 PM
Article : "Bush nightmare land-the US!"
Utter hatred of the citizens he vowed to serve.
Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 12:26:12 PM
Article : "You lost! Stop the hypocritical legal defenses and destroyin"
Maybe something will happen.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 2:46:09 PM
Article : "Will Obama honor big bro 43 by imprisoning him for the good"
They must be brought to justice.
Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 3:57:03 PM
Diary : "Beyond a shadow of a doubt the Iraqi dissident was paid to t"
perhaps you're right, but
Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 3:18:42 PM
Article : "GOP emptiness."
empty promises by empty suits
Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 10:04:38 AM
Article : "Terrorism thrives in lawless areas"
Pool of right-wing extremist Christian jihadists for W!
Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 9:36:56 AM
Article : "Terrorism thrives in lawless areas"
Causing our terror for GOP partisan gain.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 10:13:44 AM
Article : ""What Happened""
McClellan and O'Neill both were in the inner circle.
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 5:28:31 PM
Article : "Iraqi, and our, interests are not being advanced."
Back to no fly zones in Iraq after these losses.
Monday, February 18, 2008 at 10:37:25 AM
Article : "History is repeating itself: Nixon and McCain"
There has been a GOP tradition--a lack of credibility!
Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 10:57:39 PM
Article : "W has us in the wrong theatre of his propaganda war--GWOT."
The New York Times initially published the "Pentagon Papers"
Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 10:40:47 PM
Article : "W has us in the wrong theatre of his propaganda war--GWOT."
History is repeating itself! Why-
Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 1:28:30 PM
Article : "W has us in the wrong theatre of his propaganda war--GWOT."
Herr Karl and the "bubble boy" failed.
Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 6:50:53 PM
Article : "Where are the "16 words" in this State of Union?"
warrantless wiretap
Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 6:49:01 PM
Article : "Where are the "16 words" in this State of Union?"
"The last five years have cost us dearly"!
Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 6:46:59 PM
Article : "Where are the "16 words" in this State of Union?"
He has blown so much!
Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 1:48:12 PM
Article : "W is the Who's "Tommy"."
Lies are his only means of communication.
Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 11:43:15 AM
Article : "What government? What legal system?"
Apply Pakistan's plight to our's!
Friday, October 12, 2007 at 4:07:58 PM
Article : "It is always the same."
W's GOP is responsible!
Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 4:44:35 PM
Article : "The hatred chokes away any attempts at reason."
A step in one direction and another the other way!
Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 4:34:54 PM
Article : "The hatred chokes away any attempts at reason."
Love, not hate, is the answer.
Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 8:37:46 AM
Article : "People like Olbermann are rare."
Let's pray we aren't doomed to repeat our mistakes.
Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 8:21:56 AM
Article : "10 Fast and Easy Steps from Freedom to Fascism"
I was accused of supporting "leftist fools".
Sunday, September 16, 2007 at 8:53:28 AM
Article : "Who is in Ken Lay's grave?"
Response to DIgg comment
Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 5:16:24 PM
Article : "Underneath his chest full of medals Petraeus was wearing a c"
Basic syllogism shows Petraeus lied!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 6:51:31 PM
Article : "Both the Democrats and the 4th estate are culpable."
The steps to defund programs have been done before.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 6:00:29 PM
Article : "They are spineless."
rolled again
Sunday, August 12, 2007 at 1:40:51 PM
Article : "Surge is spiraling out of control."
Two articles today show some of the huge problems in Iraq.
Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 3:11:13 PM
Article : "No rules for W's government."
We are marked for death!
Sunday, July 15, 2007 at 11:20:55 AM
Article : "W has made the US weaker due to his crimes."
Thnk you Dear wcepler for your comment.
Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 3:26:36 PM
Article : "What is there to trust?"
Lute the new fall guy, same as all of the others.
Friday, May 18, 2007 at 8:15:42 PM
Quicklink : "Of Actions and Consequences, Torture and Troops"
Turn around is fair play, but let's pray that doesn't occur
Friday, May 18, 2007 at 4:27:22 PM
Article : "W doesn't care about our boys and girls in the US military!"
We've tortued others. Sadly, why can't they torture us?
Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 7:38:14 PM
Article : "Shiites have sub-contractor doing their wet work."
Surge is going to backfire the day after it ends.
Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 4:26:30 PM
Article : "Why not state the plain facts about the genocide in Iraq?"
McCain is helping W to paint a pretty picture of the surge.