old man 76
old man 76's JournalTo my grandsons on graduation.
This month I have two grandsons graduating from college and one from high school. I tell them my time has come and for the most part gone the future belongs to them. Look forward because the past is why we have history books and the future is shaped by what young people do. The world is always emerging and changing. Think bold and reach far in the years to come. You will have achievements and a few failures but sixty years from now it is better to say I gave it my all then to say I wish I had tried.
How to make a Third World Country
How do you create a third world country? First you have a wide disparity in wealth with a small percentage having most of the money and power. Next you have no programs that would provide health care, food and basic shelter for the poor. You have no laws or regulations so people will have no guaranteed wage, unsafe or dangerous working conditions and no labor laws at all. See, it is coming together. Starving people will do whatever just to have food and work for nothing. Businesses in third world countries can produce with very little cost and make large profits. Of course you need a large powerful military to protect wealthy corporations and people any place in the world. You also give the wealthy people and corporations low taxes and subsidies so they will bestow wealth and power to the government in power. This is true trickledown economics. You might also want laws that forbid most human rights such as challenging government authority or voting rights. As for women’s rights, well their main function would be to produce new workers as the life expectancy for the poor workers would be very short. I am sure that as time passed, as with any plan, it would need a few changes but the desired effect would be achieved.
Now I would like to take credit for devising this plan but I cannot. Read Paul Ryan’s budget, pay close attention to the republican senators and representatives. Watch Fox News for a few days. If I said this was my plan it plainly would be plagiarism.
Do you believe in miracles?
My grandmother used to say that there is a little good in the worst of us and a little bad in the best of us. Everyone has probably read Paul Ryan's proposed budget and undoubtedly everyone has picked up on the Republican view of how to deal with the less fortunate, and people who are immigrants, gay or of different ethnic backgrounds and religions. There is also the Women's Rights and their opinions on how they should be dealt with. This is Easter Sunday and one might hope for a miracle in which the Right Wing found some compassion and understanding for those less fortunate, which would take in people who do not fit the Republican view. Do you think such a miracle is possible?
Welcome Spring
Welcome to the first day of spring. I was greeted with about ten inches of new snow this morning and the weather forecast said I could expect a few more inches before it was over. Now the people in the north east pride themselves on being a hardy lot. Most of us wouldn’t give up the forest, rivers, lakes and streams or the sunrise over the ocean. We will be here next winter and enjoy the new snow and crisp air. However, to be honest, on at least one morning when it was about twenty below or a foot or more of snow to dig out of, have you said to yourself what am I doing in this frozen forsaken place?
The Ukraine
I have been reading the Republican thoughts on the Ukraine. Of course the first thing they do is blame the president that is a given. What I laugh about is the Republican notion that all we need to do is scream, holler and threaten a country we don't agree with and that country will back down. Bush's two war prove that is not effective. How ever this is what the Republicans do in government. Scream, holler and threaten but in reality accomplish nothing. The only thing sadder is the conservatives who believe them.
Not in America
I watched a report this morning on children from Syria receiving medical care in a refugee camp. I also read a report on people including children living with out food or shelter. This situation has been happening different places all over the world it is sad to say. In America we have always condemned such conditioned.
We have no people in government who would want to deny people, food, shelter or medical treatment or do we?
The squirrel and I thank you
The squirrel and I thank you for viewing our post. Yes the squirrel is real and no he doesn’t talk. Watching him eat did make me think. As much as the Republican would want people to think the reason for food stamps, reduced housing, Medicaid and other social safety nets is because people are lazy and don’t want to work. It is not so. Any living thing will do what they must to keep from starving, freezing or suffering. They don’t just say it is too much effort, I would rather sit here and die.
The world has changed and we can’t go back. Populations have increased, resources have shrunk and globalization, automation and technology have changed the employment needs. This country must change with the times. The idea that we need to get back to the good old days is a conservative fantasy. If the Republican machine has its way they will say the United States is the best place in the world to live if you have wealth, position and power. They will also say, with pride, in poverty and human suffering we are proud to say we have caught up and expect to exceed the countries we used to condemn for the treatment of their people.
Conversation with a squirrel
It was very cold this morning and when I went out to where I feed the birds and other critters there was this big grey squirrel eating cracked corn. I asked if he was hungry and he said I am almost starved. I said generally you are down in the rich folks neighborhood they put out some pretty good food don't they. The squirrel said they have stopped feeding us. It seems they feel they pay to much in taxes so they can't afford us any more. One lady said she barely had enough for her new spring wardrobe. I said its not fancy but your welcome to what is here. The squirrel said thank you and could he ask a personal question. I told him ask away. He looked at me and said are you by any chance a Democrat.
GOP Charm School
Read in the paper this morning where the GOP is sending some congressional candidates to charm school. Shane Osborn, of Nebraska, Matt Whitaker, of Iowa, and Terri Lynn Land, of Michigan for starters. They will go to GOP’s Senate campaign headquarters in Washington to learn, in part, what not to say and how not to say it. As the old saying goes you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and the best they can hope for is a better snake oil salesman. The Republican's end game is the same, they just want to be better liars.
Pete Seeger
It always is a loss when a person of principal and good conscience is gone. Let us remember his work and sacrifice and all try a little harder to make our country a better place.
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