[lbo-talk] [Pen-l] Janet L. Yellen's full speech

Chuck Grimes cagrimes42 at gmail.com
Thu Feb 14 20:24:40 PST 2013



> No. It's worse than that. They have done something: they have cut social
> programs, they have destroyed schools,they have cut local and state
> funding, and they have passed a healthcare act that will be ruinous to
> most and profitable to the forProfitHealthBiz.
>
> North Carolina just reduced unemployment benefits by about 30% and reduced
> unemployment period to as little as 12 weeks. This in a state with 9.5%
> unemployment.
>
> They are in fact doing plenty of something.
>
> Joanna

I don't disagree of course. It's the pose of the so-called liberals in government that bothers me.

While I was semi-employed a year and a month ago, I kept pressing for a meeting or somekind of discussion about a local tax to fund emergency repair services. This would have been a minor modification of an already existing local tax for emergency transportation services for disabled. I was told, Oh we can't do that in this climate---as if the non-existant anti-tax forces dominated local government---which they clearly do not.

The so-called leadership of the so-called community had completely absorbed the center Democrat line of keeping cuts to a minimum, instead of aggressively advocating for public funding. This answer was coming from people who were intimately familiar with the likes of Barbara Lee and Loni Hancock. Here is Hancock's latest:

http://sd09.senate.ca.gov/

All worthwhile but almost entirely worthless in relation to the larger economic conditions. Here is Nancy Skinner's page:

http://asmdc.org/members/a15/

Again all worthwhile but more or less fringe issues. And this is from three women who are practically Trotskist-commie radicals beyond the pale according to current US standards.

All this talk about recycling, eco-green this and that, stemming the tide of gun violence and so forth are perfect issues to pretend to do something liberal without actually fighting for anything.

Well, it doesn't matter really. The people I worry about are the younger generation say just over 18 who look at on a completely empty void with nothing but a black hole for a future. Hussle some drugs, con your way through, keep a near worthless job that barely pays for rent with a roomate and what? Go to overpriced city college and pretend it will make a difference?

I don't like getting old, but I sure don't want to be young again in this bullshit day and age. Reminds of Hemingway's poem, Nada y pues nada...

CG



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