August 14, 1935
Yesterday, the Social Security system in America turned a sprightly 76 years of age.
Now politicians are calling for this septagenerian to be sent off to Dignitas, in the same way the greedy looking for their inheritance put pressure on their elderly relatives.
At their peril, they forget one of the main reasons it was created and the riots in England, even accepting the opportunistic nature of those involved in the latter ones, should remind those at the top – the poor can take action.
I can not even begin to imagine how horrible life would have been in the 1920’s and 30’s for those facing poverty. I was recently unemployed for six months. It nearly broke me. I put on a massive amount of weight because of a need to buy cheap stodgy food, I became behind in rent as my Housing Benefit did not cover the full rent and the gas bill during a very bleak British Winter was 5 times the meagre £65 ($100) that a single man is expected to live on while unemployed in the UK. Yet, while it was a pittance – it was there. It was something.
If I had lost my home I would have not been someone nearly “broken”, I would have been broken and I would have been angry.
In the 1920’s there were a lot of very angry,very poor people noticing the vast differences between the haves and the have absolutely nothings. As a result Germany turned to fascism as the answer. Russia to Communism. The US wanted to ensure that the “haves” could continue to have, by ensuring that those with nothing were at least given a tiny crumb to keep them satisfied. A simple solution. A real “middle way”. A New Deal.
Well now the haves do certainly have their share. Income disparity has returned to 1920 levels but there is a basic level of survival but that basic level of survival is now threatened by “austerity”. An already minimal support system in the UK is being slashed and in the US even the survival of Social Security is under threat. All while the very richest are getting richer, everyone else poorer to make up for the taxes that the richest are not even paying.
In Conservative eyes, the poor need punishment to force them to work, the rich need to be made richer through “tax incentives”. Where are the “tax incentives” for the poor? Every aspect of Social Security is being threatened so that the haves can get even more.
It should be obvious to all, scrapping or smashing the New Deal will NOT create some Freidmanite Oasis in North America. It will destroy lives, it will create and foster anger amongst those who will literally have nothing. That should be obvious and it is a disgrace that the right have moved so far to the right that the death of the New Deal is even considered as a possibility, never mind by the man the media is pushing as the new Republican front-runner for President.
Bankers destroyed the World economy and were given $trillions by Government’s across the World to bail them out. For the very biggest looters, who stole sums of wealth most people could not even contemplate there was no prosecution.
Some kids got angry, rioted and looted, nicking some trainers and tvs. The wrath of the media and government will descend (and is) upon them. Again, the poor need punishment, the richest need “more incentives”.
I ask this simple question to Republicans, when you have slashed police budgets, scrapped fire services and taken everything from the very poorest to give to the very richest, how safe will your home be?
thebigotbasher
The_Conservative_Lie
The Conservative Lie 
I was watching a documentary about the French Revolution recently. It really hit close to home that King Louie the XIV in an effort to help France’s economy, he tried what is being done now here in the U.S. : he raised the taxes on everyone EXCEPT the ones who could afford it the most, the wealthiest in the country.
History is about to repeat itself. The top 1% in this country think they have nothing to fear. 300 years ago so did the wealthiest French.
Let them eat cake!
You really don’t understand conservatism. You probably don’t even know any conservatives. (Don’t confuse conservatives with Republicans. Republicans are politicians, and I don’t care if they are Dem or Repub, if a politician’s mouth is moving he or she is lying).
In 30 seconds I could see that you are just repeating left-wing talking points. Under we all understand who we really are, we’ll get no where.
I know that people like Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Pamela Geller, Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan, the koch brothers, fox news, the teabaggers just to name a few, are anything but conservatives…they are hateful rich right wingers that want to destroy this country.
Which begs the question : what do you real conservatives really stand for? what is it that you want?
I honestly don’t believe you stand in line with these nutcases I mentioned above. I would like to believe you are opposed to them and are concerned for the welfare of not only yourselves but also of other innocent people.
I am neither left nor right. What I do see happening in this country will eventually lead to instability and revolution. History has a way of repeating itself. It’s unavoidable and it will happen.
The fact that you used the terms like “teabagger” and “hateful rich right wingers” means you really don’t care about civil discourse, and I don’t engage people like you. Hey…how about all those hateful rich left-wingers?
You claim to be neither left nor right. The fact that you only listed people on the right means you are not being honest with yourself. And I also don’t deal with dishonest people.
*IF* there are left wingers out that that engage in the level of hate we would have heard it by now. I call out people for what they do regardless of their political views.
Let me remind you that there is NO left-wing equivalent to the level of hate coming from the people listed above. NONE. No matter how you try to defend them, there is no left-wing equivalent.
There are more I could’ve listed, but it would have been much much longer.
The reason I’ve called tea party members “teabaggers” is because of their level of idiocracy. They don’t realize that they are being used to support causes that are against their own interests funded by people like the koch brothers. It has been reported many times when the tea party, when they have held their so-called “rallies” they have brought guns and have on several occasions have walked the fine line of threatening politicians in office and other people opposed to them.
Those are the facts. But the fact that you won’t even engage me says A LOT about you. Typical but not surprising. I would’ve honestly loved to hear a true conservative say to me :
“I despise the tea party, I despise fox news, I am not a racist nor hate monger, I despise Bush, I despise outsourcing and seeing our jobs beings given to other countries, I support the separation of church and state, I support equal education, I support equal rights, and support an individual’s right to freedom.”
Even a true conservative would agree with this.
If you need a lesson in a conservative that stuck to real principles and honor, look at William F. Buckley. That man I respected and is one of several conservatives that did not engage in hate to get his message across.
Help people like me understand people like you instead of an “us” versus “them” mentality.
Interestingly enough, I just spent 20 minutes on trying to do just that, Joe, trying to explain to you where I stand on the issues (which is probably more libertarian than conservative). But — really — my Firefox session crashed. When I get back from lunch, I’ll re-write my reply to you.
If you actually believe there is no similar hate speech on the left, you haven’t been paying attention. But it’s probably not your fault. It’s just not reported by the media very much.
When Biden refers — or agrees — that the Tea Party acts like terrorists, that’s hate.
When Maxine Waters says the Tea Party can go straight to hell, that’s hate.
When Herman Cain is personally attacked and called offensive names because he is a black conservative, that’s hate.
When Michelle Bachman is called just about every vile thing because she is a conservative woman, that’s hate.
When the Minuteman want to give a speech at Columbia University, and are overrun and chased off the stage by left-wing students, that’s hate.
When I’m called a racists and a bigot, with my head up my ass, for wanting to secure our border, that’s hate.
And that’s just the light stuff.
Here’s 10 years worth: http://michellemalkin.com/2011/01/10/the-progressive-climate-of-hate-an-illustrated-primer-2000-2010/
Now, if you can’t admit that the left-wing does indeed have its hate-mongers, then I’ll stand by my reasoning for not engaging many liberals.
Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews and Jeanne Garafolo are some examples left’s version of hate-mongers. I can’t stand to watch them. (I don’t watch much cable tv crap. I prefer to read for information).
I don’t despise the Tea Party for standing up in what they believe in. Why should I? So only liberals get to voice their own opinions? I don’t despise anyone who disagrees with my opinion; that’s kind of hateful, isn’t it? I might think many liberals are misguided, but I don’t despise them. It’s been hard for me to talk to liberals because I usually get attacked personally. I will say to you, sir, you have not, so for that I thank you.
So what do I stand for? A state that doesn’t control my life. A state that doesn’t take 40 percent of my income (local, state and federal), and I’m middle class. A state that doesn’t increasingly regulate my way of life. A state that doesn’t spend its way to bankruptcy. A state that promotes equality of opportunity, rather then equality of result. A state that isn’t controlled or influenced by special interests, whether it’s big business or teacher’s unions. A state in which all of it’s citizen have a stake in the game, not just the 50 percent that pay taxes.
I do believe a woman should have a right to an abortion. I just don’t want to pay for it. I don’t believe that an individual should be jailed for smoking pot in their own home, or for that matter, what kind of consensual sex they practice. I do believe in separation of church and state, but have no problem with nativity scenes on the public square. I believe that fanatical secularism is just as troubling as fanatical religion.
I believe that while our government should provide essential services, private individuals do a better job at most things. There should be a safety net, but I believe they way our government handles this is a huge waste and actually ends up demeaning large groups of people. It doesn’t help them lift themselves out of poverty, but actually helps trap them. I believe are enough resources for everyone, and there is no point in class warfare or resenting the rich. I believe the larger the government, the smaller the individual.
And I have studied Buckley, as well as guys like Edmund Burke. Buckley once said: “Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.”
I hope this aids in your understanding.
Of course. I’m not going to attack you for the simple reasons that you live in this country like I and you have a right to be heard just as I. We’re not politicians. I only want to hear and understand you because this is our country, we have to live together here, and there is such a thing as compromise. I don’t hate your views. In fact, quite a bit that you said makes sense to me. In fact, you’re more liberal than I am. I’m actually quite conservative to tell you the truth which shocks quite a number of people LOL.
I’d rather tell you that more privately than in a public forum.
Feel free to email me at sntaylor@yahoo.com anytime.