Wow. Back to politics for a moment. Check out this post from Lambert. I found it linked by Paul Krugman. Succintly explains how Americans have bought into the Billionaires game for the last 30 years or so. It has always been amazing to me how these elite rich folk have successfully glorified themselves, (a small, powerful, group that control the corporations and the political parties) and demonized the rest of us, the poor, the disenfranchised, the average working stiffs, anyone who isn't in the millionaires or billionaires club, and/or anyone who isn't lionizing them and wanting to be just like them. I mean don't we all want to learn all the great knowledge Donald fucking Trump can teach us? Certainly he has some secrets about hair-care that he can impart to us!
I mean, I guess we all want to be a millionaires, or billionaires, how many of us want to be on welfare or unemployment, how many of us feel solidarity with the dude asking for change on the corner? I for one, have always felt empathy for the "have nots," my motto has always been, "there but for the grace of god go I." I almost always want to bet on the underdog. I guess it kind of came out of the tradition of my family, working people, Democrats, FDR was a saint. Working stiffs, always striving for more, but just getting by really. And well, there's something noble about that too. And I don't think it's fucking class envy, but I have always been suspicious of the elite money. You know they wouldn't be where they are if it wasn't for all the "common folk" who bought their fucking products or services or whatever. They wouldn't fucking be rich, if it wasn't for all the other people in the world who did their jobs or bought their shit, or paid their taxes so we could even have a country to make profits in.
Solidarity!
Anyway, it's a great post. I do think our politics have been driving economics and it really should be the other way around. We have gone off the rails, and as per some enlightened friends I know, maybe it really will have to get even worse before it can get better, but I'm hoping we can use the 2008 election to start some kind of change of consciousness. So which millionaire running for office is gonna look out for the little guy? Who knows? I mean, "why a duck?" Krugman's analysis of Obama's rhetoric seems spot on. We do need a fucking fighter. Someone ready to go to the mat. Lambert gives it all context. Brilliant.