According to coroner's reports, Van Winkle, who had left his family strick instructions to "Wake me when the Revolution begins," died in his sleep. Friends speculate Van Winkle didn't anticipate the abandonment of the revolutionary spirit that birthed the nation for the apathetic attitude it presently enjoys.
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MEANWHILE As The World Burns
Or, as Dada might caption this 'toon:"It's for 'None of your fucking business!'" comes their answer from above.
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Today's blog is inspired by an idiom attributed to John F. Kennedy used to put forth the thought that an economy that is performing well is beneficial to all. Simply stated, it is, "A rising tide lifts all boats." (from an October 3, 1963 speech). As the cartoon suggests, current economics have disproven that theory.
But it was Kennedy's testament how cutting taxes would benefit all. This evolved into Reagan's idea of cutting taxes of just the rich, or "trickle down economics" as it came to be known (the trickle being delivered by the "haves and have mores" in the form of urine, as in "Piss on you!" to those below). Market policies of "free trade" followed, accelerating the trickle of the 80's to a downpour in the 90's, culminating in The Great Flood of the 21st Century. Trickling tinkle and *free markets* are turning out far costlier than anyone imagined.
(NOTE: This part of today's blog was inspired by a conversation last Friday morning with "Brenda" of Las Cruces. She teaches one of those faux "sciences", i.e., the social science of politics, the sibling of its brother, economics, aka "the dismal science.")
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Elsewhere in the news:
Citigroup, after announcing plans to cut more than 50,000 workers from its rolls and having lost almost $19 billion in 2008, is going to pay $400 million for the NY Mets to name their new ball park in the Queens, "Citi Field." Or is it?
After receiving $45 billion in taxpayer bailout funds and a guaranteed "government backstop for more than $300 billion in loan losses," there are apparently two disgruntled congressmen who are questioning this expenditure. Reps. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH, and Ted Poe, R-TX, are urging Tim Geithner, Treasury Secretary, to intervene and stop this extravagance.
Apparently Kucinich and Poe didn't get the message from the bailout beneficiaries that they have no right to know how they spend taxpayer's money.
As a curious Rip Van Winkle might have inquired upon stirring, "Has the Revolution started yet?"
"No, Rip, go the hell back to sleep!"
Meanwhile:
After almost 2 1/2 days without a computer, this is the first headline I saw online this morning. AP Investigation: Banks sought foreign workers.
Apparently, it is being revealed the banks that received more than $150 billion in bailout money requested over 21,800 visas for the foreign workers they hired at an average salary of almost $91,000. Apparently, the banks were motivated by the money they could save as the foreign workers they hire work cheaper than Americans.
The AP report says, while the actual number is likely a fraction of the 21,800 workers the banks sought to hire because the government limits the number of visas it grants to 85,000 each year....during the last three months of 2008, the largest banks that received taxpayers loans announced more than 100,000 layoffs."
How many of those may have been foreign workers brought in to replace American jobs is unknown.
It appears Rip Van Winkle's death was a merciful thing.
(FYI: For an nice blog on how much Bush may have profited during his 8 years in office, check out Redheaded Wisdom's "the Blind leading the Blind"! )
