OK so is it "dinner" or "supper?" Maybe a discussion for another time. I have an informative graphic at the bottom of this post.
Well, why not have a government shutdown too, on top of so many other concerning things? We hear names of so many prominent political leaders now who are Southerners. You might say, from states of the old Confederacy? We could try to moderate that here in the Midwest by elevating some Democrats for balance. But no, if anything we have joined right in.
I cannot fight it. I can try to share some cautionary notes, that's all. No one need feel threatened by me, as I am part of such a small minority. People do sense that there is something wrong. They have refused up 'til now to think maybe the political left has anything to offer. Up to now they follow the lead of the righties when it comes to demonizing the so-called "left."
The left simply arises when the common people realize they are being screwed. The political left is a matter of utility - it arises when there is a need. A need like right now when a corporate big shot makes news by saying that all the struggling Americans could get by better by having breakfast cereal for their evening meal!
The wealthiest people want the poor to "just get by." That way, the poor can stay quiet and suppressed. Just stay out of the way of the wealthiest with their stock investments. Make sure to keep interest rates rock-bottom. Because that always feeds the interests of the stock market which is now the golden calf.
An ordinary stock market is supposed to have real fluctuations. Instead we have the occasional "pullback" which is often attributed to "profit-taking" and isn't that kind of a cute term? It suggests something positive, because of course profits make the world go 'round. The pullbacks are so short-lived, they hardly prompt any concern. Well, no real concern at all, it appears, because we yawn and expect the "financial news" portion of our media to tell us within a day or two that everything is rosy again!
A few years ago "shrinkflation" was a rarely-heard term. You might have to explain it to someone. Today the U.S. president actually uses it in a public pronouncement, a plea to companies to just knock if off. You might be thinking, "well leave it to a Democrat to make a statement like that because they depart from reality. They think there is a 'free lunch' and there isn't. Businesses have to do what they have to do."
Well fine, let them do what they want in our purportedly free market system. But when enough of the common people feel they're being screwed seriously, a rebellion can become fomented. Doesn't world history teach us this?
The right wing protectors of the status quo would accuse me of suggesting such a thing, a rebellion. Silly rabbit, I am just trying to point to the possibility. Indeed, in the "cautionary" context. Which is fair enough? Well I don't know, and here I'll point to the extreme right wing: Senator John Kennedy, he of the same name as a past president. He is from Louisiana and reflects the reactionary forces in his part of the country. For the record he was a Democrat who endorsed John Kerry in 2004. Today - no hyperbole intended - he looks like the reincarnation of Joe McCarthy. Look how he has grilled some nominees. He is absolutely Joe McCarthy redux.
The right wing element reflects a considerable portion of society that thinks something is wrong. And they flail away. We see it here in Western Minnesota - so many have "drunk the Kool-Aid." We need answers to try to live happier lives. The wealthiest people have pushed a system that insists that interest rates must be kept super low, forever preferably. But it's like ignoring climate change. The consequences in the long run could be catastrophic.
Let me explain something pretty fundamental to you: the wealthiest element of society likes inflation. Again, no hyperbole intended. And why would this situation exist? It exists because as a basic economic fact, inflation increases the separation of rich from poor. The wealthiest strive to protect their status which I guess is just human nature. It's human impulse.
And to keep the less-well-off subdued and compliant, they make suggestions like how people can get by eating breakfast cereal in the evening. Or in the same category, the suggestion to "stop buying coffee at places like Starbuck's." Or here in Morris, at Caribou I suppose. It is patronizing. People are not stupid and if they choose to buy coffee that seems expensive, it's because they really want it. We don't need lectures.
Dining out is getting steadily more problematic. It's in the news: the buffets that are still out there are getting strained - think "endless shrimp" - by customers coming in and consuming a whole lot. People are doing this to ensure they'll get decent nutrition that might cover their needs for 3-4 days. If restaurants don't like people doing this, they can change the terms of their service, change the contract between business and customer. It's their prerogative. But don't complain about people coming in and "feeding their faces."
Food is a fundamental need. The wealthiest people want us to get by eating breakfast cereal, so as not to notice how tough things are for the rank and file. Meanwhile the stock market rises as if by magic. No longer any fears at all about stock investing. I had the notion ground into me when I was young that the stock market is all about risk. It's a playground for the rich people only, I was told. Well it still is in 2024, only they have contrived a system with low interest rates to keep everyone comfortable and anxiety-free within their class.
Meanwhile the artificially low interest rates are screwing the less-well-off. Until what happens? Well who knows? But just look at world history. Senator John Kennedy cannot fend off the inevitable forces, not with cheap rhetoric from the political right. In the meantime, looks like we'll get another "government shutdown." You have to follow the bouncing ball and sing along.
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| (from "pro writing aid") |
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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