It Don't Look Good Folks
Thanks to the concept of "Market Democracy" and it Fanatical adherents that made and make up the Clinton and Bush Misadministrations, we are now approaching the worst Economy ever in my 47 years. Unless you've been detached from American society some how in the last year, you know about the Mortgage disaster and the resulting unprecedented foreclosures. And unless you are extremely well to do, the Inflation of life's necessities is hitting your purse or wallet pretty hard. Today we learn about another Economic Indicator that should grab even the most foolhardy Bush and Clinton supporters attention.
"Citing expected growth in unemployment, the Congressional Budget Office this month projected a continued increase in the monthly number of recipients (of Food Stamps) in the next fiscal year, starting Oct. 1 — to 28 million, up from 27.8 million in 2008, and 26.5 million in 2007." There are about 300 Million of us in the U.S. You do the math. As the article states 1 in 8 Michigan residents are getting food stamps. It's serious folks.
Just as I Really Do Wish That We Were Greeted As Liberators, I really wish the Market Democracy Economic Policies that were fully implemented during the Bush/Clinton/Bush years were the best thing ever for America. Even if I could pretend to wish it all away and pretend the information concerning our Economic woes did not exist, I can't close my eyes to what's happening in my town. On my street. To my neighbors.
My town is in South Central Pennsylvania. My street is narrow and lined with houses over a hundred years old. Nothing high falutin on my street. The houses are so close together some people call them row houses. Built when Brick, Plaster, Indoor Plumbing and Gas Lighting made for the most opulent living people born before 1900 could ever hope for. Today, some are being spruced up, while other are falling into disrepair or just so far gone that they are rotting shells of what they used to be. Still, people plod on. Like Bertha who lost her husband 2 years ago. Bertha is well over 60 and still goes to work 5 times a week. Or Betty, who lost a husband and a brother on the Bloodyfields of France. She got married again, had lots of kids and divorced her abusive husband years ago. Now she has 23 Grandchildren and 4 Greatgrandkids at last count. She had 24 Grandchildren. One young boy died last year in car accident on the way to the beach on July 4th. She has 2 daughters who live with her. Well, now one does. The other is at John Hopkins. She has Crohn's Disease and she will most likely die soon. After her Grandson died, Betty who by the way is a very devote Roman Catholic set up a Mother Mary statue in her backyard. Every morning I would see her on her 80+ year old bent knees praying in front of the statue. Came winter and the statue was draped. Yet just a few days ago, though it was cold and blustery, there I saw her, praying the Rosary. When we moved here I was so surprised to see such an old woman with the amount of vitality that she had then. She lost that sparkle in her eye, oh about July 5th of last year. She's the best neighbor anybody could ever have. Guess who provided me the care and sympathy when I needed it the most? The 1st day I brought my Lil Joe home from Daycare I found my Mother dead on the couch. Distraught and with a 1 year old on my hands Betty entertained and took care of him while I tried my best to deal with the Mortician. And after I ran from the house to escape the sound of the zipper on the body bag she gave the floor of her living room to cry on till I could cry no more. There's not many like Betty. I will miss Betty Dearly if she dies before I.
There are other neighbors. Some good, some fair, some bad. They come and go. Like Michelle and Tom.
Michelle and Tom bought the house across from us about 2 years ago. A young married couple in their late twenties, they had waited until they had careers well established and a home to call their own before they brought a child into the world. I well remember them coming on Sundays before they moved in and painting and repairing that house and making it into a home. Michelle gave birth to Maggie around a year and a half ago. Cute Lil Girl. Reminded me of Joe when he was so new....
I didn't get see her or Michelle and Tom much. After 6 weeks on the Family Leave Medical Act she had to go back to work. He worked nights and she worked days. 6 days a week. At Citi Group. About 9 months ago they put there house up for sale. A bit high I think but that didn't matter. No one came to look anyways. A bit after they put it up for sale Michelle got pregnant again. This time a Little boy. Such good news! I planned to buy the Lil Guy a Mega Pack of infant diapers like we did for Maggie. I would like to do that still. But I can't. You see, this young couple so full of hope and driven by a hard work ethic were laid off by Citi Group. And around the turn of the New Year they moved out. Must of been in the middle of the night or on one of my trips to visit my aged inlaws who lived about 70 miles away. Because no one saw them or the moving truck. The For Sale sign was taken down soon after that. I checked online and read the sales on the local paper but could find no info.
When I got back from ordering my Mother's Gravestone today in Frederick Maryland, I saw the Sheriff had parked in front of Michelle, Tom and Maggie's house. When he saw me, he came over and inquired what I knew about the people who lived there. I told him what I knew and then asked him if it was a foreclosure. He answered yes. I told him about them working 2 jobs and added in "they kept their noses to the grind stone". He said, "Unfortunately that don't count much these days. The Lenders don't care about no grindstone." He then walked across the street and put the notices up and dropped a few papers into the door slot. Later I went over and read what he had posted.
All of the dashed dreams of Michelle and Tom symbolized by a few words, "Sheriff's Sale...."
If a young, vigorous, college educated, fully committed married couple can't make the American Dream a reality today we should all be worried. It don't look good folks. It really don't......
Note:For those that want to fully understand how we got where we are today, you can start your Deprogramming by watching the 4 part BBC series 'The Century of Self".
Part One: Happiness Machines
Part Two: The Engineering of Consent
Part Three: There is a Policeman inside all our Heads and he must be Destroyed.
Part Four: Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering.
I recommend the videos for all, but especially for those that vote for a candidate because they either have a "D" or a "R" after their name.
"Citing expected growth in unemployment, the Congressional Budget Office this month projected a continued increase in the monthly number of recipients (of Food Stamps) in the next fiscal year, starting Oct. 1 — to 28 million, up from 27.8 million in 2008, and 26.5 million in 2007." There are about 300 Million of us in the U.S. You do the math. As the article states 1 in 8 Michigan residents are getting food stamps. It's serious folks.
Just as I Really Do Wish That We Were Greeted As Liberators, I really wish the Market Democracy Economic Policies that were fully implemented during the Bush/Clinton/Bush years were the best thing ever for America. Even if I could pretend to wish it all away and pretend the information concerning our Economic woes did not exist, I can't close my eyes to what's happening in my town. On my street. To my neighbors.
My town is in South Central Pennsylvania. My street is narrow and lined with houses over a hundred years old. Nothing high falutin on my street. The houses are so close together some people call them row houses. Built when Brick, Plaster, Indoor Plumbing and Gas Lighting made for the most opulent living people born before 1900 could ever hope for. Today, some are being spruced up, while other are falling into disrepair or just so far gone that they are rotting shells of what they used to be. Still, people plod on. Like Bertha who lost her husband 2 years ago. Bertha is well over 60 and still goes to work 5 times a week. Or Betty, who lost a husband and a brother on the Bloodyfields of France. She got married again, had lots of kids and divorced her abusive husband years ago. Now she has 23 Grandchildren and 4 Greatgrandkids at last count. She had 24 Grandchildren. One young boy died last year in car accident on the way to the beach on July 4th. She has 2 daughters who live with her. Well, now one does. The other is at John Hopkins. She has Crohn's Disease and she will most likely die soon. After her Grandson died, Betty who by the way is a very devote Roman Catholic set up a Mother Mary statue in her backyard. Every morning I would see her on her 80+ year old bent knees praying in front of the statue. Came winter and the statue was draped. Yet just a few days ago, though it was cold and blustery, there I saw her, praying the Rosary. When we moved here I was so surprised to see such an old woman with the amount of vitality that she had then. She lost that sparkle in her eye, oh about July 5th of last year. She's the best neighbor anybody could ever have. Guess who provided me the care and sympathy when I needed it the most? The 1st day I brought my Lil Joe home from Daycare I found my Mother dead on the couch. Distraught and with a 1 year old on my hands Betty entertained and took care of him while I tried my best to deal with the Mortician. And after I ran from the house to escape the sound of the zipper on the body bag she gave the floor of her living room to cry on till I could cry no more. There's not many like Betty. I will miss Betty Dearly if she dies before I.
There are other neighbors. Some good, some fair, some bad. They come and go. Like Michelle and Tom.
Michelle and Tom bought the house across from us about 2 years ago. A young married couple in their late twenties, they had waited until they had careers well established and a home to call their own before they brought a child into the world. I well remember them coming on Sundays before they moved in and painting and repairing that house and making it into a home. Michelle gave birth to Maggie around a year and a half ago. Cute Lil Girl. Reminded me of Joe when he was so new....
I didn't get see her or Michelle and Tom much. After 6 weeks on the Family Leave Medical Act she had to go back to work. He worked nights and she worked days. 6 days a week. At Citi Group. About 9 months ago they put there house up for sale. A bit high I think but that didn't matter. No one came to look anyways. A bit after they put it up for sale Michelle got pregnant again. This time a Little boy. Such good news! I planned to buy the Lil Guy a Mega Pack of infant diapers like we did for Maggie. I would like to do that still. But I can't. You see, this young couple so full of hope and driven by a hard work ethic were laid off by Citi Group. And around the turn of the New Year they moved out. Must of been in the middle of the night or on one of my trips to visit my aged inlaws who lived about 70 miles away. Because no one saw them or the moving truck. The For Sale sign was taken down soon after that. I checked online and read the sales on the local paper but could find no info.
When I got back from ordering my Mother's Gravestone today in Frederick Maryland, I saw the Sheriff had parked in front of Michelle, Tom and Maggie's house. When he saw me, he came over and inquired what I knew about the people who lived there. I told him what I knew and then asked him if it was a foreclosure. He answered yes. I told him about them working 2 jobs and added in "they kept their noses to the grind stone". He said, "Unfortunately that don't count much these days. The Lenders don't care about no grindstone." He then walked across the street and put the notices up and dropped a few papers into the door slot. Later I went over and read what he had posted.
All of the dashed dreams of Michelle and Tom symbolized by a few words, "Sheriff's Sale...."
If a young, vigorous, college educated, fully committed married couple can't make the American Dream a reality today we should all be worried. It don't look good folks. It really don't......
Note:For those that want to fully understand how we got where we are today, you can start your Deprogramming by watching the 4 part BBC series 'The Century of Self".
Part One: Happiness Machines
Part Two: The Engineering of Consent
Part Three: There is a Policeman inside all our Heads and he must be Destroyed.
Part Four: Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering.
I recommend the videos for all, but especially for those that vote for a candidate because they either have a "D" or a "R" after their name.
Labels: Bush, Century of Self, Citi Group, Foreclosure, Hillary Clinton, Market Democracy, Noam Chomsky
