The line between your growing job dissatisfaction and our knee-jerk reaction to terrorism is connected by a thread. Sadly enough, the thread looks like James Carville’s penis.
*
James Carville is a political operative who once worked for President Bill Clinton. He teaches college in New Orleans and is a paid political advisor for campaigns in Europe, Israel, and Afghanistan. If you haven’t heard, Carville appeared on a sports radio show and discussed airport security, body screening machines, and your right to privacy. Carville said, “What I want is, let me pay for something, give me a safe flyer card, and then y’know, go measure my penis and let me get on the airplane.”
I’d like to measure Carville’s penis but it’s impossible because he is a ginormous pussy.
*
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities, and there’s no bigger atrocity than the wussification of the American spirit. Instead of being a country of fighters and patriots, we’re whiners and complainers. We don’t know how to fight back because our educational standards keep slipping due to the attack on public education that began during the Reagan administration by Bill Bennett. Instead of thinking critically, we engage in fake partisan battles on the internet and roll over out of fear when things get tough.
And make no mistake, people. Things are tough.
- Meaningful healthcare reform will never happen.
- Al Qaeda is stronger than ever thanks to incorporating American business concepts of franchise-like storefronts and decentralized infrastructures. They’ve removed silos and created small cells throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
- We spent billions of dollars on a war that was meant to create a false, contained front to fight terrorism that never really came to fruition.
- The middle-class is shrinking and our labor force is asked to take service-level jobs that barely cover the cost of getting to and from work.
We’re faced with unparalleled challenges as Americans, we’ve sold our future to China via Walmart, and we face more and more threats to our security by religious zealots and all-around lunatics.
And here’s Carville talking about his penis. What are you, James? French?
*
What’s worse is that some of the best and the brightest advisors who write for regular joes — like you and me — blame you for not making the right kinds of choices in your life. As if you have a choice in the matter.
We never have honest discussions as Americans. If we did, we would talk about how the system is rigged. We are fooled into fighting over divisive cultural issues that aren’t all that divisive to anyone under 40, but we are never asked to weigh in on important issues like national security and foreign policy. We can’t get a fair shake and be involved in shaping our own economic destinies because the people in power have us arguing amongst ourselves over a smaller & smaller piece of the economic pie.
But no, really, it’s our fault.
*
We don’t need tort reform or term limits in this country. We need an entrepreneurial and electoral revolution. The change we seek won’t come from Obama, the GOP, or anyone on television who profits from the status quo. The revolution will come from you, and it will come when you stop fearing death by terrorism — or death by a thousand cuts from your health care costs — and you start acting like an adult who is competent, fearless, and has the ability to change things.
Can you run for political office? Can you donate your time to a cause that’s important to you? Can you just man up, please?
The day you offer to have your dick measured by a TSA airport screener who has no collective bargaining rights and earns $12.75/hr is the day you tell the world that you are a castrated and emasculated fool.
It’s also the day that America fails.
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Now that is my kind of post. So much of it rings true here across the pond too. I wish more people would get angry and agitate rather thansucking up the bollocks that we are consistently fed through the media.
Amazing article. While I may not agree 100%, the writing and call to action is inspiring. Keep it up (and I am not talking about Carville’s penis). Thanks
Keep on swinging and fighting and agitating…we (collectively) can “man up” and quit spending all our energies on discussions of starlets, Michael Jackson, Sarah Palin’s shorts shot, the new season on American Idol, etc.
I concur that we need radical rethinking AND IMPLEMENTATION and the list for me includes education (pre-K through graduate school) so that it matters for everyone, meaningful healthcare reform that actually contributes to our health and moves the U.S. up in the global health list, tort reform with reasonable award caps so we all begin to practice integrity and competence in our work, financial reform that delivers real GDP growth, and global climate change that delivers real progress on slowing/reversing our impact on the environment, etc.!
And age has NOTHING to do with it…
Thanks for the post…got my juices flowing this cold Monday morning!
I feel like standing up and applauding you on this one, Laurie. Great post!
Did you read Maureen Dowd on Sunday? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/opinion/10dowd.html
She is guilty of everything you write about here. Sorry, I do not want my president to be my dad. I already have one.
If there is anything, I’d like to see change in this decade is eradicating the culture of fear permeating the country. Fear of terrorism, fear of the brown people crossing the borders, fear of criminals, fear of gay marriage…the list goes on. Say what you will about Michael Moore, but he was dead-on in Fahrenheit 911 about the government exploiting fears through mechanisms such as raising terror alerts.
You remind me of my days of following George Lakoff and his now defunct Rockridge Institute, Laurie. In his books Moral Politics and Don’t think of and Elephant-Know Your Values And Frame The Debate, Lakoff illustrates how the clever use of metaphor and other linguistic strategies has manipulated the public’s perception of political issues and ideas. Wedge issues such as gay rights and abortion have deliberately been used to distract people from other issues of critical importance, simply through linguistic sleight of hand.
Frank Luntz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz) has orchestrated the conservative troops to massage the message so well that many people automatically ignore the man behind the curtain with their eyes transfixed on the great OZ. I have no clue as to why people give Fox News (Luntz’s message machine) any notice, but they do, and it has great power to distract the American public from the real issues.
During his campaign for election, President Obama mastered the message himself very well, in a much more authentic manner, but of late, he has gotten lost in the swamp of wonkyness.
With idiots like Carville out in front of the liberal, or progressive message, it is no wonder we lose credibility. There is nothing about this guy that makes anyone want to value progressive ideas. Why do people even give him a microphone???
We need an entrepreneurial and electoral revolution. Tell me more of what you have in mind. I am all about it.
Great enthusiasm, loud thoughts, huge issues, way to whip-it-up-Sister. No doubt you will hear these accolades all day. Hell, I just read this and it made me want to salute! But it also begs the question, so what are we going to do about it? Perhaps that is the whole point of the post, but I do lob the ball back in the host’s court and ask, what are your real thoughts? What is realistic to think can happen?
I thought The Bama was supposed to be our inspirational leader, driving *CHANGE* and revamping the system, and working for us like no other has since…Kennedy? Lincoln? Are we all (over the course of today’s posts) going to fess up to the fact that The Bama Promise is starting to ring hollow? I mean, admit it, Dem or Rep, we all got choked up when he took the stage on election night, we all were amazed to see Oprah standing in the crowd, crying and weeping on the shoulders of strangers, and we were humbled by the moment, humbled by the idea, humbled by what had been accomplished. But righting this ship and *changing things up* was The Promise, it was not meant to just be the satisfaction of seeing a person of color elected to the Highest Office. Has change come?
Taxes. Jobs. Education. Health Care. The War(s). Corruption. A broken economy. Government that is too big. Debt. A legal system gone awry. Back-to-back generations of entitlement and excess. Obesity. High fructose corn syrup. Nuclear weapons. ..
Nukes, that is a good note to end on. They do say Rome crumbled from within, but Rome did not have nukes. You look at history, all the nations that have risen and eventually fallen. It is different with nukes. I don’t rightly ever see a time where we will hand over the car keys to the fellow who just beat us in the drag race. Sure he might have the pink-slip and the oil and the gas, but the car? Hell. We’ll drive it off a cliff before we hand it over. I mean, really. Nukes are like that…no matter how bad things get, we got nukes, and we’ll use them before we let our sovereign status leave us. We’ll use them before we lose WWIII, be that a military or economic war, or both. How do we man-up to prevent that?
I just like it how you use both “p words” (only one acceptable by your biology teacher) in an “HR blog”. Yeah right, HR Blog…
Carville is a “personality.” He’s paid to be provocative. He was on a sports talk show where phallic references are meant to be amusing. The fact that he failed doesn’t have much bearing on why the economy is in shambles and it certainly isn’t tied to collective bargaining rights for airport screeners. I am, frankly, baffled what unionization for a service sector job affiliated with the government could do or not do to impact the economy, terrorism or our future.
Here’s the deal — we pissed away insane amounts of money with the stiumulus. When we went through this excercise in the early-mid 1900′s we emerged with the TVA, a national parks system, and an infrastructure of highways, airports and upgraded shipping ports that enabled us to dominate every major industry for the next 50 years.
Best I can tell we’re spending a comparable amount of money to ensure banks have money they’re not lending, people who have historically not purchased even basic health care when it’s been available to them can receive it at the expense of those who do not wish to buy it for them, and we can continue to fight two overseas wars with enemies we cannot see whose targets costs 1/100th of the munitions used to destroy those targets. I don’t understand what happened to repairing our network of collapsing bridges, investing in technology that eliminates the need for fossil fuels, and building an IT infrastructure comparable to the physical infrastructure constructed under the New Deal.
I’d be ok with paying more in taxes if I thought I was getting something for it. Or better yet, I thought my kids and kids’ kids might be getting something for it. But if my tax increases are funding extra special treatment for government-subsidized medical plans for residents of Nebraska and Florida (and Nebraska and Florida alone!!! — look it up) it makes it hard for me to have faith that these douchebags can do much to help me or any of the rest of us.
MOST people don’t get it. The Conservatives AND the Liberals are wackos. The “silent majority,” who I believe is overwhelmingly moderate needs to be less silent. The problem is that there aren’t many moderate zealots. If you can figure out how to get reasonable, rational people fired up and engaged I’m all for it.
This post is perfect for 2010 since we’re in the mid-term elections. It’s really up to us to decide who we want in Congress and in our local government, but sadly, money takes over and people aren’t educated enough about who are we voting.
I also like to add that my generation (Gen X and Y) need to stand up and actually vote. If they think the system is flawed, do something. You can protest and write letters but come November, your vote actually counts and if don’t vote, don’t be crying spilled milk for doing nothing.
So it really is up to us to shape the country for the next decade and hope people are listening.
By the way, as a Mr. tony little, Lehecka is thankful for linking his site. Now, he’ll give you a hug.
Laurie
Thanks for getting my Monday off to a great start. You are absolutely right. We need to not only man up but to speak up.
Have a great day!
@Dale–You throw all of this out as if it is accepted by all that these are the evils of society:
Taxes. Jobs. Education. Health Care. The War(s). Corruption. A broken economy. Government that is too big. Debt. A legal system gone awry. Back-to-back generations of entitlement and excess. Obesity. High fructose corn syrup. Nuclear weapons.
They are not.
Paying taxes is not a problem. Paying taxes for things that matter and make our country function effectively is not a problem. Insanely wealthy people who fleece the American public getting tax breaks is a problem.
Health Care reform was never about health care. It was/is about insurance industry reform. The name was changed to fool the American public into thinking that the problem with health care costs was with the providers, not the middle men making a profit off of the woes of others.
Government that is too big Says who? I am sick of hearing this. Who decides what is too big based on what? A government’s size cannot be determined arbitrarily by a bunch of tea baggers. How do you measure it? Let’s not use the James Carville metaphor.
As for the war/s–funny how we don’t hear a lot about Iraq anymore.
The minute Obama got into the stream, he was hit with a flood of concrete. I am not going to say that I think he has completely lived up to expectations, but I think that it is premature to say that the promise has rung hollow. He is in a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation. When he takes bold action, he is criticized for doing too much; when he takes his time and allows the system to do its job, he is criticized for not doing enough.
But as Laurie says, change is not going to come from the president. It comes from people getting off their butts and making change. I like that she used the word entrepreneurial, and I am eager to hear more. Perhaps she is suggesting something other than the kind of protest with which we are familiar, with trashy signs and T-Shirts and megaphones. A kind of change that comes from creative positive forces, rather than fear-mongering and belly-aching.
Lets all talk about how we do it, shall we?
Maybe we should all Woman-up. What the hell does it mean to Man-up, anyway?
“Can you run for political office?” Yes, but I won’t. A quote from HBO’s Deadwood struck me the other day and seems appropriate: “Don’t guarantee what you’ll never do . . .” If I got into politics, I fear that I’d have to test that maxim daily. That’s not something I’m ready to do in my life.
“Can you donate your time to a cause that’s important to you?”
Yes. That is an excellent idea and I highly recommend it to everybody reading this blog. I do need to be more involved with causes I feel passionate about. I’m going to look for ways to help Foster children.
“Can you just man up, please?” Hopefully, the answer to that last question, serves as the answer to this question as well.
Excellent post, Laurie. You set forth a great challenge. I look forward to seeing how everybody else accepts the challenge and “man’s up.”
Words is words. Actions is actions.
Laurie,
Run for office. Something where your voice can ring out over the bought and paid for politicians we have.
I’ve been around forever (I seem to say that in every comment) but I’ve never seen a time like this where we need clear voices and all we get is muddied crap for guidance and legistlation.
Say it out, girl.
On politics:
I helped someone run for public office locally. He has a great amount of background and experience that would help resolve several of the problems the community faces (crime, budget problems, etc). He walked to every door in his district. He spent 3 hours every night, and then 6+ hours each weekend walking door to door. The other guy won simply because he was in the more prevalent party of that district. We won’t go into the fact that the guy who won hid a $40 million deficit using accounting tricks twenty years ago. That’s quite common locally. You have to be in the right party or it doesn’t matter.
Still, there are several problems with local races. Unless the local media does accurate fact checking, you have to decide which person running is more trustworthy. Even then, information is incomplete. The paper decided to endorse the other guy (who hid the $40+ mil. deficit, as they reported back in the early 90′s). People often vote party line locally because of this dearth of information.
I’m not saying don’t run, but think strategically before you throw yourself into a race. The ideal time to join is when a seat opens up with the favorable party in the district. Try to avoid taking money–even from the party–when you can so you are beholden to no one. Races are expensive. Local races can cost $10k+, and you’re just sending out fliers and putting up signs at that price!
BZTAT — raising taxes on the insanely wealthy doesn’t work. The insanely wealthy are so insanely wealthy they can afford tax accountants and are able to shelter their income. The only way you can actually have equitable taxation is to move to a consumption tax. Rich people buy more stuff. You drive a benz, you pay more tax. This also captures the hidden tax revenues of hookers, hairdressers, bar tenders, drug dealers, and others paid in cash.
Government is like the a skinny person with a massive beer gut. It’s not too big. It’s too big in the wrong places.
High fructose corn syrup, dairy and oil have tentacles in our society that almost no one understands. The plastic in your phone, computer monitor, computer and credit card likely originated as fossil fuel. The hand lotion you use and lip balm you apply likely contain petroleum. Almost everything you eat that can’t be directly traced to the ground from which it grew or animal from which it was harvested has a corn syrup component in it. Try raising a kid who is wholly lactose intolerant and you’ll get an amazing wake up call on how unnecessarily integrated into our diets cow milk has become.
The government IS the problem. They not only let this stuff happen — their driven by lobbies for these major industries. Harry Reid and Trent Lott are different versions of the same mannequin.
Well done Laurie! Very inspiring to see someone ‘man up’ and voice their opinion about something that is pissing them off.
Anytime you want to do a guest piece, let me know. This is a thing of beauty.
Whose fault is it in a country of the people, by the people and for the people. In a country that in this past historic election still only had 56.8% of the voting population bother to get off their ass. In a time where information/knowledge is cheaper and easier to obtain then any point in human history.
Yes, I hate that education has been eroded; as a former educator, it actually pains me to think about. But I see our biggest failure as parents. Both in what we fail to teach our children (the value of education, hard work and compassion) and what we teach them by example (fixation on short term goals, instant gratification and entitlement). Yes we are promised a free and appropriate education and the Government has by in large failed to deliver, but that is no excuse for anyone to fail their children. Understand what your children are learning, and learn it yourself if you don’t already know. Teach your children to think critically and ask questions, and do it by example.
What she said.
Kick-ass post!
Can I be your runnng mate? I am a great #2 in an organization.
I am really anti-anti-establishment. It is so easy to criticize groups, be those groups, companies, democrats, republicans or government. In the end, those group are made up of each of us. We work for and run companies – companies are only groups of employees. Government is made up of individuals that we elected to be our representatives.
We all have choices and we all have power. Stop bitching about things being broken or unjust and start realizing that you are, we are, all the problem. You don’t like it…change your behavior.
The economy sucks? Do something about it. Buy local, stop using debt. Get a job, any job.
Don’t like our government? Before you all consider running for office, how about you all try voting?
Don’t like wars? Try behaving each day with just a little more humility and tolerance.
Small acts by each of us can change the world.
One to stand up, speak the truth, and change things?
America is ignorant. I go to the polls to cast my vote. And every time, I am amazed at how profoundly uninformed my neighbors are as they discuss who they will vote for. And I don’t mean that as in I disagree with them. I mean that as in their reasons for voting for candidate X have no basis in policy or position, but rather looks, or color, or gut feeling, with some people admitting their indecisiveness 5 minutes before actually voting. America doesn’t have the intelligence to elect the right people. America doesn’t have the intelligence to care. America doesn’t have the intelligence to question the highly-spun reassurances of government public announcements. And the transparency of the information age just makes them think someone else is figuring things out for them while it provides a stronger tool for the controlling propaganda of the elite and powerful. New communication mediums change nothing, they merely amplify the good and the bad of humanity.
Furthermore, we are a fractured nation of warring cultural and ideological tribes. Our politics are not deliberative, but resentful.
Finally, some realize all this and give up.
So add together the ignorant, the culture warriors, the partisan hacks (including tea-baggers), and the discouraged, and of course the elite, rich and powerful, and subtract those from the American population. Still believe you have a chance?
No, we will bumble along for a while, then the end will come. Americans (or whatever they will call themselves then) will finally be shocked and forced into playing nice and paying attention. Under what political regiment that occurs is anyone’s guess.
Your Passion is Contagious…. Keep letting your light shine on!
Best, Brian-
“Oh snap” isn’t even close to covering how ferocious (and welcome) this post is.
There’s so much about our institutions and identity – health care, politics, and individual liberties, to name three – that are irrevocably broken. “Political party” is just another name for “legalized prostitution” – it’s all pay to play. Loved Scott’s comment: “Harry Reid and Trent Lott are different versions of the same mannequin.” It’s a matter of very, very small degrees.
I think many of us who understand this don’t feel empowered to change it or aren’t sure where to start. You have to have a lot of patience and be prepared for people to tell you how horrible an American you are.
And to paraphrase “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, I fear for the future. For every one smart, engaged, sophisticated Gen Y’er who can grasp the complexities of the world, there are three more behind them who couldn’t point out New Jersey on a map, but can name every cast member of “Jersey Shore.” I overheard one Gen Y’er say to another the other day, “I don’t watch the news on TV or read the newspaper. I’m hot. Why would I do that?”
It’s why people will believe in and defend things that they know just a little about. It lets them off the hook from having to do the heavy lifting and thinking. And it’s why people are so immovable – “you cannot reason someone out of an idea they didn’t reason themselves into.”
I’m also fearing the continued encroachment of church unto state, but perhaps that’s (a) another topic and (b) because that Catholics Come Home TV commercial is playing about every 20 seconds.
@theHRD Oooh! British talk. Love it. Also, do you blame the media? I blame us for blaming the media. We are so lazy, sometimes.
@jk I’m not sure I could keep up Carville’s cold, emasculated penis. Thanks.
@Deb Thanks! It was cold, this morning!
@Angela Thanks.
@Bruno God, give me 200 more reasons to hate Maureen Dowd. How does this woman get a platform?
@BZ Frank Lutz can suck it.
@Dale I think electing the first african american president is a big deal. The. End.
@Charlie Some guys really hate the word penis. It makes them blush. Are you one of those guys? Penis? Penis? Penis? I’m really trying to get blocked by every corporate firewall in the united states.
@BZ Hey, I like man up. I’m going to use it more often — especially with Scrubs. Like, “You need to man up and stop peeing on the couch pillow when I travel.”
@Scott I appreciate your passion but you know I don’t agree with you — and ‘the silent majority’ is a straw man that Nixon used to keep us in Vietnam. Collective bargaining rights don’t kill. Terrorists kill. Let’s place responsibility and blame in the right hands.
@Tracy The minute I heard it was the Kornheiser show, you were on my mind. I’m serious. I giggled and thought, “How delicious. Tracy will be thrilled when I write about this…”
@Christine Thanks!
@HRPuter I think people can man up in more subtle ways that make a difference. How about just saying NO more often? No to removing your headscarf? No to a racist joke? No to donating to your church when it violates its tax-exempt status and endorses a candidate you don’t agree with?
@ali I’m happy to say it, but I can’t run for office. I’d be painted as a liberal elitist who is pro-abortion, pro-drugs, and pro-welfare. It’s tough to run against the truth, I guess.
@econopete I have a past [gasp!] and I would never run. I suspect most people in my age group feel the same way.
@Scott The government is not the problem. A corrupt government and an uneducated electorate is the problem. Both are created by institutionalized power structures that benefit 1% of Americans. Also, enough with the fat metaphors. My belly and I are offended.
@Nathaniel I’m not sure I can technically man up — but maybe more than James Carville can.
@Jason Thanks.
@Corey It’s harder and harder for parents to set the example since most of those parents were let down in the 80s and 90s. I’m part of the last generation of students that had meaningful and impressive test scores. #sad
@Carmen xoxoxo
@Paul You’ll have to fight Scrubby for it.
@Michelle I love that you’re anti-anti-establishment. You’re the kind of woman who gets stuff done.
@David T. I’m still bullish on America. We can pull it together — and we’re still better than most other countries. I’m a liberal elitist, I’ve lived in Europe, and I still like America. That’s saying something.
@BKJ Thanks.
@Patrick This comment is so meaty. Ferris Buehler. Catholics. Immovable thinking. OMG, it’s like you’re a writer or something. Gasp. So good. I want to read more political writing from you.
Americans are on the Dole. In Roman times that meant you enjoyed your free bread and beer and the free entertainment of watching slaves and animals slaughter one another in the arena. Now it means you watch your sitcom or American Idol or the sham of the network news while eating your $2 value meal. They are just different forms of distraction to keep us from waking up to see what is really going on and making an actual difference.
Yet, don’t you find that this level of awareness is too dificult for most people? It is too much work, too uncomfortable, too taxing because it makes them feel helpless. We are a country by, of and for the people. The problem is most of the people just want to go to work, watch their shows, buy their junk and be left alone.
And if you think that healthcare and wars are scary, watch “Food Inc.” and be terrified that Monsanto, Pfizer and Eli Lilly are making decisions about our food supply – yup, that’s right, our sustenence is being controlled by chemical and pharma companys. YIKES!
If nothing else, let’s be aware of what is going on – even if you can’t run for office or donate time, be aware EVERY TIME you pull out your wallet where your money is going and who or what it is supporting.
Keep rabble rousing and we’ll keep reading.
I don’t suggest collective bargaining rights kill. I’m suggesting that unionizing a group of people who are already less competent than we want them to be makes no sense.
I made no Nixon reference. Nixon’s “Silent Majority” was synonymous with Pat Robertson’s “Moral Majority.” And I don’t think either of them constituted a majority in the statistical sense of the word. In fact, I specifically said most people are moderate. If you didn’t have a moderate middle, you’d have no comparison point against which to define your right and left wingers. I have as much distaste for the right-wing loonies who were just displaced as the leftists who are in power now. That’s why I think we tend to experience the biggest boom times when one party runs congress and the other the presidency. Doesn’t really much matter which. They’re forced to compromise and govern from the middle, which hurts the fewest people. Both parties over-reach when they think they have a mandate.
You are right — we do disagree. But your point of disagreement underscores why I feel the way I do. We put this disengaged, corrupt 1% in place. So they ARE our government. And they don’t work. I’d happily accept an increase in my taxes if they explained how the money would be spent, how they’re paying down debt, and how they’re planning for the future. If the head of GE made capital decisions like the U.S. government he’d be indicted. That’s just wrong.
Sorry, Laurie. “Man-up” fits in my category of feminist ire, right there with “dude” and “having balls”. I don’t have to have male equipment to say what I think and do what is needed to be done.
But we are in-sync on everything else here, I think.
I think that we can have strong influence on the political process in ways other than running for office. Look at how much Al Gore and Jimmy Carter have done after their political careers. Martin Luther King Jr. had tremendous influence as well without holding office. And I am one to think Hillary is accomplishing much more in her present position than she would have done as president.
No one would ever elect me to a political office. I do, however, believe that I have had impact on the development of my community in other ways. I actively participate in the development of the downtown arts district in my hometown of Canton, OH, which has received raving reviews both locally and regionally for bringing back Canton’s dying economy. I participate in the electoral process by voting, contacting elected officials about issues, volunteering for local levees, etc. I also actively engage in online dialogs such as this one to keep the discussion from becoming one-sided smack-down arguments.
Thx for giving me today’s opportunity!
Sweet! Now THAT’s some serious punker HR, in the very best Fugazi / NOFX / Minutemen (D. Boon’s, not Joe Arpaio’s) kinda way. It’s high time we all grew up from DIY skate ramps and garage bands to DIY politics. School board, zoning board and public library board of trustees are all great places to start.
I was not planning to respond here, because in truth I do so little in terms of political or social activism other than voting. My politics are a source of friction between my husband and me so I can’t exactly get out there and canvas for a candidate or whatever without creating problems. But enough excuses for my own laziness and apathy.
Michigan Radio is doing a series called “Three Things” where various people name three things they can do to help the state’s future. I realize this is cliched, of limited utility and rooted in consumerism which is likely part of the problem. However.
When he was on, Jeff Daniels said to buy locally as one of those three things, and if I actually keep this in mind rather than blowing it off as a cliche, I think it can be a small positive step. It can have implications for ending the “price wars” that put so many people in jobs that don’t pay the bills (and again, I know this is not a perfect idea because many people need those very low-price goods and can’t afford anything else, but I can), and it can help build up my local community.
Our electoral process will be skewed (and probably screwed too) until we remove the almighty dollar from the equation. Until candidates to not have to whore themselves for large donations or be independently wealthy (hence part of that 1% already in power) we will not have a government by and for the people.
Abraham Lincoln would never be elected today. To homely, not educated enough and too poor.
Yes, I know Barak Obama was elected with Pay Pal donations but he would be the exception, not the norm, and he is one voice shouting into the gale.
@BZ We’ll have to agree to disagree on the nuts/dude/penis issue. Shows you how divergent feminism can be! Who says we’re all intolerant, man-hating, cat-loving women who wear cardigans?! (Oh wait, I totally wear cardigans.)
@Kentropic SKATEBOARDING IS NOT A CRIME.
@Space I loved buying locally in Kalamazoo. It made me feel like I was making a difference — even when everything closed around me.
@Low If we don’t have the dollar, how do we measure value on the things that are important? I’m actually pro-money. I like nice things. I want more money than everyone else. I just know [insert cliche] that with great powers comes great responsibility.
Girl I need to be mentored by you. Well said! I think that we started to go down hill when politically correct speach was taken to an extreme ie, Guilty criminals are called: Persons of interest. When Rapist, mass murderes and child molesters are given therapy in jail, paid for by their victims tax money, because it is “their right.” When less than 50% of eligible americans vote because we have no civic pride, don’t give a shit or because ‘it just does not affect me.” I mean, there is something wrong with the world and careers at companies, if the fastest way up, is out. I could go on. YOu get my point. Lets stop being sheep and followers and start being leaders for crying out loud!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the pussyfication of America!!!!!
Laurie, point taken but I can at least, I don’t know, shop at Meijer and VG’s instead of Kroger or Wal-mart. Which is the height of apathetic “activism” because I don’t like Kroger or Wal-mart.
Local stores in my town might be struggling (off the top of my head, my favorite restaurant and a really nice local gourmet grocery store have gone belly up) but I feel like larger Michigan brands like Faygo and Dearborn sausages are doing OK, perhaps partially on the strength of Michigan pride? Or so I delude myself.
Bill Bennett’s a boob. I debated him when he was Sec of Ed (and I was 17). Apparently I won.
That’s not because I’m a great debater. I talk about as fast as the FedEx guy from those old commercials.
He was just so incompetent that he couldn’t handle a semi-stuttering, hyper-fast talking 17 year old punk (literally – maybe my earing, weird hair, & combat boots freaked him out).
He’s the guy who captained the scuttling of our eduction – the education that our emerging leaders are now trying to lean on to figure out how to clear up this mess.
Maybe this is why places like… Luxembourg rank higher than us in quality of life standards….
@Laurie you have a past? I’d love to hear about it. I could use some juicy reading right now.
Amen, and thank you. Carville just slapped in the face every honest working person in America. Personality or no, he’s insulted us all.
mmmm. Bill Bennett’s boobs.
sorry. lost myself for a minute there.
Now that was a badass post! As a Gen Y’er (Y, X, one of those things) who votes (egads!) and researches candidates’ positions before voting (oh noes!), just thinking about the future of this country of ours – and what I’ll get to live through – makes me shudder.
Most of the Congress is too beholden to one special interest or another to think much of their constituents until it’s reelection time (why are we shouting about gay marriage and health care “reform” with record unemployment?), so the best thing we can do is to throw out all the incumbents, and start over from scratch. 23 Democrats and Republicans are already either retiring or deciding not to run for office next year; now we just have another 400+ to go.
Keep up the good work!
“@Dale I think electing the first african american president is a big deal. The. End.” Enough already. Can we finally move on from the color issue to start looking at results.
I realize that I am late commenting to this post ( I’m actually usually a lurker), but that was the best post I have read anywhere in MONTHS!
Thank you