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A muse on the elite
Author: TriSec
Date: 03/31/2012 13:20:00
Good Morning!
I want a house. I want a plane. I want to travel. I want to not worry about paying my bills.
Seems to me that's what American society is rapidly becoming...I want, I want, I want. But to turn a phrase, "Who's paying for this, Morris?"
Middle Class America was once the so-called "American Dream". Study hard, work hard, and you can live a decent life and maybe make it a little bit better for your kids.
I made the observation back during the Bush years that we are quite possibly the first generation in American history that has it worse than the one before us, and there is a strong possibility that the next generation will not be living as well as we do now.
But I can't figure out what the other side wants. Their whole rhetoric since January 21, 2009 has been "take America back". Again I ask, back to what, exactly? The old saw that you need to spend money to make money has never been more true; all we need to do is look back through our history and see things like the WPA, CCC, and other programs that helped restore the economy and rebuild the country.
Ah, but now we've got the idle rich. Again from our history, there's something called the robber-baron. A very small, elite group of Americans built some of the iconic businesses of the 20th century and lived ostentation lives. You still now them, names like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Flagler...and places like The Breakers or Whitehall.
Mitt Romney is a kindred spirit to these men. At least a century ago, none of them had the pure arrogance to think that they could run the country; it was enough for them to print money and live lives the rest of us could only dream about.
I do find it somewhat amusing to think that each and every cycle, the election is pitched as "the most important election in all of American history!!!" by whoever is out of power. In all honesty, there might be three or four presidential cycles that you could add that label to. 1860, 1932...not many else.
Whether or not we send Obama back to the White House this time around, I at least have the impression that this could be at least as important as the election after1932. We were in such dire shape, then as now, that it's taken considerable effort just to get the train back on the track the past 4 years.
The question now becomes, what do we want for the next four? We can start moving the train again, or knock it back into the ditch. There really is no other choice.
Not many of us happen to live near the rarified air the elites breathe, but the next time you might see an expensive car, or drive past a fenced-in mansion, remember that these are the people Mr. Romney is going to take care of.
Who's looking out for us?
I want a house. I want a plane. I want to travel. I want to not worry about paying my bills.
Seems to me that's what American society is rapidly becoming...I want, I want, I want. But to turn a phrase, "Who's paying for this, Morris?"
Middle Class America was once the so-called "American Dream". Study hard, work hard, and you can live a decent life and maybe make it a little bit better for your kids.
I made the observation back during the Bush years that we are quite possibly the first generation in American history that has it worse than the one before us, and there is a strong possibility that the next generation will not be living as well as we do now.
But I can't figure out what the other side wants. Their whole rhetoric since January 21, 2009 has been "take America back". Again I ask, back to what, exactly? The old saw that you need to spend money to make money has never been more true; all we need to do is look back through our history and see things like the WPA, CCC, and other programs that helped restore the economy and rebuild the country.
Ah, but now we've got the idle rich. Again from our history, there's something called the robber-baron. A very small, elite group of Americans built some of the iconic businesses of the 20th century and lived ostentation lives. You still now them, names like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Flagler...and places like The Breakers or Whitehall.
Mitt Romney is a kindred spirit to these men. At least a century ago, none of them had the pure arrogance to think that they could run the country; it was enough for them to print money and live lives the rest of us could only dream about.
I do find it somewhat amusing to think that each and every cycle, the election is pitched as "the most important election in all of American history!!!" by whoever is out of power. In all honesty, there might be three or four presidential cycles that you could add that label to. 1860, 1932...not many else.
Whether or not we send Obama back to the White House this time around, I at least have the impression that this could be at least as important as the election after1932. We were in such dire shape, then as now, that it's taken considerable effort just to get the train back on the track the past 4 years.
The question now becomes, what do we want for the next four? We can start moving the train again, or knock it back into the ditch. There really is no other choice.
Not many of us happen to live near the rarified air the elites breathe, but the next time you might see an expensive car, or drive past a fenced-in mansion, remember that these are the people Mr. Romney is going to take care of.
Who's looking out for us?
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
trojanrabbit on 03/31/2012 15:52:08
trojanrabbit on 03/31/2012 15:52:08
I think the Republicans not only want to knock the train back into the ditch, but then blow it up so it can never get back on track again.
Hmmm it's been snowing today. Not even two weeks ago it was in the mid 80's.
Hmmm it's been snowing today. Not even two weeks ago it was in the mid 80's.
Comment by 
livingonli on 03/31/2012 17:05:49
livingonli on 03/31/2012 17:05:49
At least we know why so many people played the Mega Millions this week. For many people, that seems like that is the only way you are going to move up the economic ladder now.
Comment by 
Will in Chicago on 03/31/2012 17:34:46
Will in Chicago on 03/31/2012 17:34:46
TriSec, I think that there are some in this country who want us to return to the economic conditions of the early 1920s -- when the wealthy benefited greatly and there was a large, often silent working class and a very small middle class. Without a comfortable middle class existence, many people focus on survival and have little time to make political claims for social or economic equality. Indeed, the conservatives of the 1960s were alarmed by the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Rights Movement, the anti war, and other movements because they were composed of ordinary people demanding political rights. I am sad to say that there are those in America who have always believed that democracy must be very limited and that an elite must be the true rulers.
TR, the weather here has been up and down. No snow, but we are back in the 50s after being in the 80s recently.
TR, the weather here has been up and down. No snow, but we are back in the 50s after being in the 80s recently.
Comment by Will in Chicago on 03/31/2012 17:39:12
Will in Chicago on 03/31/2012 17:39:12
Ironically, we are looking at a high of 63 today, 82 tomorrow and back to 57 by Tuesday.
By the way, my districts are out next week, so I hope to be here more -- when I am not doing household projects with my brother. I am finding a lot of positions to apply to in Massachusetts, and I will let my friends out East know when I might head back there.
Getting back to the topic of TriSec's great blog, we must also remember that in the past, there were always those pundits that acted on the behalf of business interests or other forces. Rush Limbaugh in many ways hearkens back to Father Charles Conklin. Sadly, we have many people who have no idea of our history and make me wonder if we are condemned to repeat it.
By the way, my districts are out next week, so I hope to be here more -- when I am not doing household projects with my brother. I am finding a lot of positions to apply to in Massachusetts, and I will let my friends out East know when I might head back there.
Getting back to the topic of TriSec's great blog, we must also remember that in the past, there were always those pundits that acted on the behalf of business interests or other forces. Rush Limbaugh in many ways hearkens back to Father Charles Conklin. Sadly, we have many people who have no idea of our history and make me wonder if we are condemned to repeat it.
Comment by 
Raine on 03/31/2012 17:48:13
Raine on 03/31/2012 17:48:13
AFP is here Filming Bob brew.... I'll have pictures tonite of this afternoon....
pretty kewl, huh?
pretty kewl, huh?
Comment by 
BobR on 03/31/2012 22:34:30
BobR on 03/31/2012 22:34:30
15 years ago, I had a house. I traveled (went abroad nearly once a year - a couple of years twice). Now I am making a lot more money but the rare vacation has to be within driving distance. We rent now, and dreams of buying a house are just that: dreams for now.
I am not trying to get sympathy; we are still doing better than a LOT of Americans (part of it is the high cost of living in the DC area). But there has definitely been a shift. I don't know how other people manage. The cost of modern life is not reflected in the economy or salary increases or minimum wages.
I fear we are headed towards dystopia.
I am not trying to get sympathy; we are still doing better than a LOT of Americans (part of it is the high cost of living in the DC area). But there has definitely been a shift. I don't know how other people manage. The cost of modern life is not reflected in the economy or salary increases or minimum wages.
I fear we are headed towards dystopia.