tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17933211.post5173716276751330258..comments2023-08-29T06:24:26.566-06:00Comments on Dateline Chamesa: A Revolutionary Weblog: Essay #90: "The Festival of Stupid"G.E. Nordellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07003567998012129452noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17933211.post-15209929475070183642010-05-02T19:56:09.771-06:002010-05-02T19:56:09.771-06:00Antidote to stupidity --
Why are the vast majorit...Antidote to stupidity --<br /><br />Why are the vast majority of adults "stupid"? Why do people from age three up watch TV and some listen<br /> to talk and other radio shows? Half of the time are the sales pitches and the other half are really dumb: violence, pseudo-sex, noise parading as music, meaningless small talk, and the "nattering nabobs of negativity". It's time to turn off the radio and TV. <br /><br />Each neighborhood ought to have a weekly "Potlatch Potluck". Simple, we all attend at a park, community center or school, bring our share of food and something to be auctioned-off with all of the proceeds going to a local named 501.c.3. It just might work -- neighbor helping neighbor -- a 2000 year old idea, come to life, again.<br /><br />Jim Millerjimmiller5417https://www.blogger.com/profile/18326353688204773008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17933211.post-74615565939662391472010-05-01T16:07:17.071-06:002010-05-01T16:07:17.071-06:00GAMING THE SYSTEMThis is a featured page
"A b...GAMING THE SYSTEMThis is a featured page<br />"A billion here, a billion there -- pretty soon it adds up to real money."<br /><br />After my last submissions of major grant applications to the Federal government, I was plenty exhausted from the huge effort to read and understand the instructions, fight the lousy software and then compact way too much information demanded into few pages.<br /><br />I realized what had been happening. The Feds have such a huge number of people fingering the preparation of grant invitations, that every federal employee had to leave his/her mark on the FOA, thus adding more and more stuff for us applicants to do and more hoops to jump through. Also, the more stuff required, gives the Feds that many more reasons to turn down the applications, until only their friends are left as viable grantees. They then award the grants to their friends. -- the new spoils system in government.<br /><br />The feds have never had an accounting system which could be audited. No one really knows where the money goes. Take BIA -- Bureau of Indian Affairs which stole billions from the Native Americans. BIA managed to get the Federal District judge who originally pounded BIA, removed from the case and the case basically disappeared. No President has the insight, political will or political backing to take on the Fed bureauracy and slim it down and kick out the thieves. We are stuck with most all Federal and state agencies "gaming the system" rather than accomplishing their real jobs. Democracy is not working because the con artists have infiltrated government and taken it over. We "enjoy" a vile "corporatocracy".jimmiller5417https://www.blogger.com/profile/18326353688204773008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17933211.post-82095701001257876782010-04-22T09:55:15.399-06:002010-04-22T09:55:15.399-06:00Gary,
You are right on every point. Now what? You...Gary,<br /><br />You are right on every point. Now what? You, alone, cannot correct the wrongs. I, alone, cannot correct the wrongs. You and I together with a thousand or even a million folks cannot correct the wrongs.<br /><br />We either need a new political party, or several billion dollars, or both. Neat trick if you and I can start the ball rolling. <br /><br />Whatdoyousay, we start a new political party -- say the Jefferson, or Hamilton or Jay party (per the Federalist Papers) or the Ben Franklin Party, or the Lincoln Party? Our motto will be "Whack-a-Bush" or "No more Bushwackers". Our party logo will be a four person family with the home in the background. -- Only the wife is Black, the Husband is Asian the boy is white and the girl is Mexican. The dog is a mutt.<br /><br />We will need a progressive platform. You should write it since the elements you touched on constitute the index and all you need to do is to pick the antidote to the evils you describe, as the platform.<br /><br />We need a whiz-banger of a charismatic leader and a think tank in support of the leader. I'm not charismatic enough and I doubt you fit that mold or would want the job. Your blog is basically the think tank. We can all contribute our ideas and comment on each other's ideas (respectfully). We need a Ralph Nader type of leader. We need a mascot – how about the mutt dog? Let's call it “Sparky” or some such name.<br /><br />Moreover, we need to begin working our way into the politics ("All politics are local") by gearing-up our local chapters then supporting our candidates for school board, county commissioners/supervisors and city councilpersons. Then work toward winning Congressional districts and some state assembly and senatorial districts. Eventually, we get U.S. Senate seats and elect the President and VP. <br /><br />Instead of a having our meetings known as a “Tea Party” we could have a “Creme d' Coco Party” or a “Coffee Au Lait Party” or a “Chocolatē Party” or a “Mulligan Stew Party”. We could have face-to-face as well as virtual parties, all at the same time in the same room. We should try to arrange the chapter meetings in a school cafeteria and do potlucks – so we can chew on our food and crew on our politics at the same time. Whatdoyouthink? <br /><br />We need to take-on the abrasive talk-show hosts who are paid to lie, misquote and bad-mouth everyone who does not snap to attention to their moods and views. We can label them the N3's – "nattering nabobs of negativity". The hate they spew is ill-disguised racists.<br /><br />We can use the blog-o-sphere as our media and start a monster mailing list of members who are equally as pissed as we are. We can continue to peel-back the layers of cover which the super-rich have applied to themselves and expose their greed and predatory practices. Our members can contribute to a "story board” archive of their personal experiences of how the rich have preempted their lives, their labor and their small earnings. Mine is: During the second college stint, I worked at Home Depot for $10.00 per hour while the CEO, Bob Nardali, earned $85,000 per hour.<br /><br />We need to find a file or hacksaw and start cutting our chains. Maybe our motto should be the old, “The Truth Will Set You Free.” We will also need a fight song. Maybe Keith Carridine will let us use “Born Again American” or maybe the Star Wars theme. We also need a long list of short slogans suitable for placards.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Jim Millerjimmiller5417https://www.blogger.com/profile/18326353688204773008noreply@blogger.com