End of the World: Again

---by Micheal

Every day, the media beat the drum of woe about how bad the economy is. There is so much wailing and gnashing of teeth that someone might get the idea that this is the first time since 1929 that our economy has been anything but roses and clover. A friend sent me this quote today. We were discussing it on Friday. It's a longish quote, but worth the time, so bear with me:

" I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. "

Doesn't this sound like today? You've probably heard something akin to this on the TV or radio this week. These words, however, were spoken by Howard Beale in the 1976 movie "Network". In January 1973, we had a catastrophic "stock market crash" with stocks losing 30 to 40% in value. The arabs instituted their oil embargo and oil costs quadrupled. The economy stalled. People lost jobs. Banks failed. It was the end of the world as we knew it. Wail. Gnash teeth. Howard Beale summed it up.

But, for all those people who sold their clothes and sat on their rooftops in order to watch the world burst into flames, it didn't. America struggled through a couple lean years of non-boom, but by the late 70s had recovered just fine.

Everyone needs to just shut up, sit down, and cool off. Don't sell your clothes and go sit on your roof. The world is NOT going to burst into flames. The "end of the world" has seen more sequels than Rocky. Stop being stampeded by the media.

RON'S RUMINATIONS'

By Ron Dupuis

Does anyone else beside me, your succinct yet mildly humorous host, anticipate how Ed and Elaine Brown must feel now that tax cheat Tim Guithner has been placed in charge of the I.R.S? For those of you with short memories, the Browns are the convicted tax evaders of Plainville New Hampshire currently serving time for not paying their fair share. Surely they must be anticipating the list of names soon to be provided by Swiss bank officials as too who has the most hidden, tax free funds on deposit. Democrats or Republicans?

Another subject: President Obama recently stated that our troops will soon be “disengaged” in the occupation of Iraq. Would someone please inform our President that our troops have been engaged” in the occupation of Germany, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, for over fifty years and may have to stay in Iraq in some capacity for an equal amount of time.

Still another subject: Attorney General Eric Holder is way off base in his statement that America is a “nation of cowards” when it comes to conversations on race relations. It has been the experience of many people that have spoken to me in the last few days that black people do not want to hear the word black in any conversation what-so-ever.

One final subject: Candidate Obama promised a “transparency in Government”. In order to question President Obama one must paraphrase “Dr Phil” and ask “How’s that working out for you?” Between Cabinet nominees with questionable jobs (non lawyer Tom Daschle as a “facilitator” at a Washington law firm at 1 million a year to several other questionable nominees with an array of tax issues) and a promise to post on line the final Stimulus package for all to see, President Obama’s “transparency in government” campaign promise seems a little transparent right now.


Ron Dupuis is a long time New Hampshire resident, a former State Representative, and a freelance writer. He may be contacted at drcdupuis@comcast.net

The Perpetual Race Card

--- by Micheal

In today's New York Times, is an article about people objecting to an editorial cartoon run in the New York Post. It shows two cops and a chimp shot dead (a reference to the crazed pet incident in Connecticut recently). One cop says to the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." The Times reports that Al Sharpton, among many others, are all up in arms about the implication that Obama is a chimp. "Blatantly racist!" they cry.

What? In the first place, Obama did not write the current stimulus bill. It was a joint effort of both the House and the Senate. Obama does not rule in the manner of a Persian king. (though some seem to think he should, or does). Clearly, the cartoon suggests that the current bill was no smarter a move than a chimp might come up with. There is no Obama in any of it.

In the second place, where was Al Sharpton for the last eight years when George W. Bush was being portrayed as a chimp? That has happened scores of times over the past eight years. Here is just one of them -- Bush as "Curious George". This is much more blatant than any implied reference in the Post. Where are ANY voices who called this "racist"? (cue the sound of crickets)

No. There were none. What we have now, however, is the dark flip side of what the Dems lamented about (loudly) during the campaign -- that people would play "the race card" against Obama. Why bother? The Dems themselves were playing frequently, and as this latest flap shows, they're quite content to KEEP on playing it -- even if it's not there.

Get over it, Sharpton, et al. If any criticism of Obama is automatically a racial slur, then you've painted yourselves into a corner. Obama has no other quality besides the color of his skin. How much more racist can one get?

New Junkmail: Sign Of The Times

---by Micheal
For years, up until maybe six or nine months ago, I would receive in my mailbox an unsolicited "offer" for a credit card. No previous credit history needed! Bad credit? No problem. Just about every major bank and a host of lesser known 'institutions' were nearly knocking each other down to get me to sign up for their credit card. Buy what you want! No interest (until later, when we whack you!). Easy easy easy!

Last October or so, I noticed that I wasn't getting those "offers" anymore. It was a welcome relief, even if offset by the avalanche of Christmas (junk) catalogs. All good recycling materials, I'll grant you, but I don't really want to be a recycling middleman. That's another story, however.

Starting in November or so, I began to get automated junk phone calls. I was accustomed to "Josh" of satellite TV, at least the first few words of his pre-recorded patter. (I never stayed on the line longer than that) Some new calls joined Josh. The names changed, but Steve, or Diane or Dave, etc. all called from the "Accounts Department" to let me know that I could get relief from my massive credit card debt.

I knew they were mass-market junk calls. I have no credit card debt. We charge what we need, gas, groceries, etc., then pay the balance due by the end of the billing cycle. We carry over no debt from one month to the next. So, I knew the automated calls were intended for Mr. Average Citizen, not me. Dave doesn't get any further into his blather than Josh does.

I was musing over this change in junk communications the other day. Awhile back, the junk was trying to get me to sign up for dozens of credit cards. Then the meltdown comes, due to this very blind abandon by the banks. Now comes the new junk to try and 'help me' with all the debt the stupid cards caused.

The Obama administration is giving us the bum's rush to agree to a huge stimulus package so we can get our economy back where it was. Back to where any moron with a credit card can overbuy in order to keep the factories humming. Don't we ever learn anything?