A Thousand Words
As you can imagine, I find this open war against the middle and working classes--as exemplified by these doings in Wisconsin--to be pretty much the most appalling thing I've ever been appalled by. There's a sense in which you have to just marvel at the way Our Republican Overlords have somehow managed to convince vast swathes of non-billionaires that a marginal tax rate of thirty-eight percent on our noble hedge fund managers is the most onerous, cruel oppression EVER; whereas teachers are worthless parasites who pretty much deserve to live under bridge abutments. I understand tribalism and all, but we've reached the point where that doesn't provide a tenable explanation if you don't factor in mass abnormal psychology. But regardless of whatever rationalizations you can come up with, there is no getting around it: I hate hate hate these motherfuckers, and I hate the fact that we live in a society where hatred is unavoidable. Read this if you want to see them in action. It is not a pretty sight--though to be fair, some of the people quoted are more in the "I got mine, fuck you" camp, which makes them less idiots than assholes. I thought this guy summed it up pretty perfectly:
The mind performs a lively reel accompanied by fiddle and hammered dulcimer.
On a very mildly hopeful note, while it may well be too little too late, it looks like at least a few people are waking the hell up. See this in comments to the Runnin' Scared piece:
When I left the military, I considered the "Troops to Teachers Program". Even with my retired military pay, I simply could not afford to teach. I was shocked by how poorly teachers are paid. It is beginning to look like the Republican party, a party that I have supported all of my life, has lined up solidly against the working class. They were quick to pass tax breaks for the bankers and hedge fund managers while eliminating the Making Work Pay Tax Credit. That will cost most of us between $400 and $800 this year.
No snide remarks to the effect of "you're just now figuring that out?" please. Everyone takes his or her own time (alas).
The mind performs a lively reel accompanied by fiddle and hammered dulcimer.
On a very mildly hopeful note, while it may well be too little too late, it looks like at least a few people are waking the hell up. See this in comments to the Runnin' Scared piece:
When I left the military, I considered the "Troops to Teachers Program". Even with my retired military pay, I simply could not afford to teach. I was shocked by how poorly teachers are paid. It is beginning to look like the Republican party, a party that I have supported all of my life, has lined up solidly against the working class. They were quick to pass tax breaks for the bankers and hedge fund managers while eliminating the Making Work Pay Tax Credit. That will cost most of us between $400 and $800 this year.
No snide remarks to the effect of "you're just now figuring that out?" please. Everyone takes his or her own time (alas).
posted by GeoX, one of the GeoX boys. at 2:54 PM
