words to the wise, tim.

the u.s. has lost jobs every month since december. in september, this country lost 160,000 jobs. that will keep you from agitating for that pay raise. oftem times, when a corporation lays off a bunch of workers, we are told it is done so they "can stay competitive." fine, but how are their newly unemployed workers supposed to "compete" in the "global economy" now that they don't have work? supposedly, a "trim" workforce is "good" for the economy, reminding us once again that real people are not a part of this thing called "the economy."

the house burned down, as they revoted on the bailout and passed it. first of all, why didn't the first vote stick? hell, they voted the bailout down! what is the point of having a vote if you can just vote again in a few days if your vote doesn't satisfy the power structure? and why is it that they were able to change their no vote when their yes vote will surely stand? it isn't like they are going to vote again, now that the power elite has the vote they want. all that no vote did was allow the house to pretend to be defending the american people. it was total bullshit. the fact is, you can not go against the economic power structure in this country and expect to have a viable career in mainstream politics. at most, our system allows for a handful of progressives, which they can then point to to show how free we are. of course, these progressives better not make a run for the presidency. then, they will be mocked and degraded by the same political structure that supports them as long as they know their place.

but yeah, this bailout is a bitch, and it's nonsense. if you want money, stop bombing people. if you want money, redistribute wealth. if you want money, institute a progressive income tax that clobbers corporations and wealthy individuals. the idea that taxing corporations is going to hurt the economy and discourage job growth is beyond crazy. as it is, we are losing jobs by the hundreds of thousands monthly. furthermore, many of these corporations should be eliminated. think of the money, time, and talent that goes into advertising, that goes into product testing, that goes into banal research. think of the money being wasted by the entertainment industry, by the auto industry, by the oil industry, by the water industry. there is much to be confiscated and redistributed. the problem is not a lack of money, but the horrifically uneven distribution of it. and what is money but a means by which to obtain goods? so, why don't we just go about producing the needed goods, and distributing these necessities to all the people of the world? we don't need money for its own sake, but rather, for food, for housing, for clothes, for heat, for health care, for electricity. so, why don't we just produce these things for all? why does money even need to be involved? instead, how about an international system of bartering, and a localized system of trading goods and services? "i'll give you a spanish lesson for a large pizza!" yeah man, it's the stuff we need and want. the money is just a way to get the stuff.

or should be. the fact is, these assholes have been playing with monopoly money, and it's biting them in the ass. all these loans and credit cards. it's bullshit, because it's an economy that is not based on the real needs of real people. it has no manufacturing center; it's not connected to reality at all.

all i'm saying is it's time to keep it real. instead, the house decided to mortgage our future.

praise the (land)lord.

but first, past the ammunition.