Home of the "Little Known Blogger"
yeah I know you did not ask!
I have become convinced that 90% of the world’s problems could be solved by doing three things. First, bring the human population down to sustainable levels, just not globally but in each area where there are far too many people for the land. Secondly, end the superstitious practice called religion, no matter what guise it is found under. Lastly distribute the wealth more equitably.
Simple huh?
yeah I know you did not ask!
What about next time Congress has some “must pass” legislation, instead of slipping a rider that benefits only the fats cats and decreases our democracy, we tact on riders to benefit all of us. Perhaps something to reform the student loan program, and make college affordable; perhaps something that will help bring good jobs back to America; perhaps legislation to bring our infrastructure into the 21st century; perhaps a realistic minimum wage; perhaps a tax code change to decrease the wealth gap; I could go on an on, but you get the idea.
Bad for business… Good for business… Two terms that one hears quite often. We apparently need business to some extent to meet our daily needs. The unfortunate aspect of business is that to a large extent it is based on the profit motive which often translates into unbridled greed. The way businesses and corporations are structured in this country it tends to shield individuals from most responsibility for less than desirable actions. A familiar buzz phrase is “corporate citizen” which in my mind is the paradigm for explaining what an oxymoron is.
When I hear something is bad for business it generally grates on my nerves. It frequently is a case of the tail wagging the dog. In this country, businesses and corporations have garnered more than their fair share of wealth. This wealth has bought politicians and who knows whom else. This wealth has managed to change the laws to shield and benefit these legal fictions. It has reached the point that if Lincoln was giving the Gettysburg Address today, his closing would read “and that government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations, shall not perish from the Congress.”
What started me down this well trodden path again was a news story this morning on NPR. It was reported that “Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at the rate of about a football field an hour. Since the 1930s, the Gulf of Mexico has swallowed up an area the size of Delaware.”
Many folks allege that this erosion of the wetlands that provide a buffer between hurricanes and New Orleans is the responsibility of the various oil companies operating in the area. For mysterious reason some of these folks feel that the entities that caused the erosion due to their business activities should pay to restore the land. It is costing Continue reading “Bad for business… Good for business…”
My Yankee wife has cooked me another traditional Southern meal to bring in the New Year. We had black-eye peas, turnip greens, rice and corn bread. It took a while to get her to cook cornbread the “right” way. First time she served me cornbread I thought it was cake. Now she makes it in a cast iron skillet with yellow cornmeal, and it is not sugary sweet.
Traditionally, black-eye peas are for good luck and greens are to bring wealth. There are more than a few theories about why this combination. The one I like best is “Eat poor on New Year’s, and eat fat the rest of the year.”
One I did not know about is the tradition of black-eye peas dates back 500 years to the Talmud:
“According to a portion of the Talmud written around 500 A.D., it was Jewish custom at the time to eat black-eyed peas in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s possible that the tradition arrived in America with Sephardic Jews, who first arrived in Georgia in the 1730s.”
And as Tevye would say, “Tradition.” Southern, Jewish or otherwise, tradition makes the world go round and helps to keep us grounded.
From Freakanomics…
50% of Americans say they cannot lay their hands on $2000 in 30 days. Why $2000, because that is a good guess at what an average, sudden crisis would cost. 20% of households making $150,000 per year say they cannot come up with the $2000.
On the flip side an American household spends on average $520 per year on lotteries. 20% of households say their only chance of accumulating wealth is the lottery. 40% of households making less than $25,000 a year make that claim.
Just something to chew on. Sorry link was taken down…
Another sad account of Foxconn and Apple and the high human cost of your iPhone: iEmpire: Apple’s Sordid Business Practices Are Even Worse Than You Think
Someone please tell what is right about unfettered capitalism be practiced globally with US in the lead.
Here is a link to a Forbes article listing the top 400 richest people in America. Number 400 has a net worth of $1 billion. Number 1 on the list, Bill Gates, has a worth of 59 billion. Six of the folks on this list made their wealth from Wal*Mart. Steve Jobs is number 39 with a paltry $7 billion. Michael Dell is number 18 with a worth of $15 billion.
Go to the top of the list and find the “source” heading. Click on Continue reading “How Much Do You REALLY Love That New iPhone?”
Like trite old saying, if you have to ask…it is a good bet you are not a 1%.
This is a little tool found on the Wall Street Journal site.
“The calculator above shows where your income stands on the wide range of the 99%. An annual salary above $506,000 puts you in the top 1%, while you need to make less than $2,500 a year to be in the bottom 1%. Where do you stand?”
It can be argued that household wealth would be a better gauge than household income, but this does give a sense.
The United States of America is involved in a civil war. Sadly, most of the population is not aware of the war raging around them. It is a war for the heart and soul of America and the American dream.
On the left side of the Koch-Kennedy line are millions of ordinary folks. They only want the chance to work, and to work at a decent wage. They want to be able to raise families, pay their bills, get reasonable healthcare, and to not fear old age as a time poverty and sickness. As a bonus they want to be able to have a savings so that they do not have to live paycheck to paycheck. Ideally, there is enough money left over after this for some recreation. Perhaps it is just me, but I do not see these as unreasonable desires. There are roughly 280,000,000 folks that probably fit into this category, about 90% of our population.
On the right side of the Koch-Kennedy line Continue reading “The United States is in a Civil War”
You’ve all seen them. Various bumper stickers denigrating socialism, health care reform, anything supposedly Liberal.
There does not seem to be a whole lot of ones out there of the other ilk. How about coming up with a few?
I’ll start it off.
Capitalism: Where 10% of the people have 65% of the wealth.
Capitalism: Have you checked your 401k lately.
I love how Korporations manage MY health care.
Canada could teach US about citizen centered government
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
John Lennon ~ Imagine
One of the principles of the Buddha’s Continue reading “Imagine – Right Livelihood”