Smart Money and Power

Smart no money

The liberal smart people in this country go into teaching, librarianship, the arts, non-profits, nursing, and other service-oriented careers. They don't make a lot of money, in fact, money is much less of a priority than a good life and a satisfying career. I've been married to two liberals in my life, like me (artist, IQ was 127 according to my mum), who have made evenings and weekends at home a priority. Both could have been work-a-holics in a heartbeat, but we each chose life over paid work. Most of my liberal friends teach and/or live in apartments.

Smart with money

There is an enormous imbalance of wealth. Most wealth dwells among the more individualistic and conservative smart people. They find so many ways to hold on to money, avoid taxes, earn money, avoid taxes, spend money, go into debt, money, money, money...

This hit me twice today. Once when I saw the numbers on fund raising for the Bush/Gore recount. It's nuts: Gore only raised $3 million with unlimited contributions, Bush raised $14 million with LIMITED contributions ($5,000 each contribution). Now the Republican-controlled Congress has passed a law that only allows limited contributions to a recount fundraising. Gee, who does that so clearly benefit?!

The other hit was finding out on AM radio that the UCLA college Republicans raised over $30,000 from an appeal to AM radio listeners. This is more money than any other group on campus (probably 20 or 30 times any other group on canvas from my own experience with student group budgets). The Republican AM announcer set out Republican values: Liberty and freedom for individuals and the world (roll your eyes if you're a woman, gay, or Iraqi), the ability to hold on to more of their money, while balancing that to keep schools working.

I was dubious about the last value, it seemed like a token to keep people from thinking Republicans are too obsessed with money. That is really there only value. They are obsessed with wealth, and keeping it! The people we know who are voting Republican, half of whom are not rich, because they think they'll save money and taxes (I think the middle-class Republicans are mistaken--taxes are the same for most no matter who is president, but with a Republican, the really rich and wealthy gated communities get bigger breaks, the poor and crazy people are put out on the street in greater numbers, and everyone pays more in every other sector of spending as in health, school, banking and insurance).

Money = Power

Republicans have more than enough money to buy votes, suppress votes, suppress the media, and manipulate recounts.

The next time I hear a conservative talking about liberty and freedom I'd like them to be asked how that works for the typical citizen who receives the same useless and limited information from every news source they read or see on TV (except PBS, which few people watch, thereby giving trash TV more money, more power).

I am praying for an honest American election.

As stinky as it was that Florida's Republican machine got Nader on the ballot against a court ruling, his appearance on the ballot is democracy (believe me, I loath Nader for helping George W. Bush in Florida).

This is a lesson in state power--who is in charge MATTERS. Do we want people who want power for it's own sake, or people who want to govern? Democrats know how to govern. Republicans have shown us that they take, and take and take (health premiums, gas prices, college costs, war costs, corporate deals, middle class money, American and Iraqi lives, at home with meaner assault weapons, and abroad) while preserving their own thrones.

We have become an imperialistic, hated nation. And Bush and his neocon buddies don't give a damn. We should, it's not smart or secure to be the world's bully. It may feel good to rednecks, but even testosterone-driven men and women (like Tammy Bruce) should care about what happened when the world ganged up on Rome, Napoleon, Russia, and Germany.

Don't think we're hated? Even Tony Blair won't endorse Bush, he's remaining neutral, but everyone around him has said he'd rather work with Kerry to make the world a safer place. Turkey's conservative Islamic party is becoming more powerful--we need respect and real leadership in the world to help Turkey and other countries fight radicalism--not this incompetant, imperialistic Bush trail of errors!! The candidate who wouldn't participate in "nation-building"! He's so ridiculous making vague promises to people to take care of healthcare (his Medicare for drug companies) and to give our troops 30-days callup notice--he's a bate-and-switch guy--he's a liar! When will we learn that? Why doesn't our press hold him accountable for that? Why don't troops have 30-day advance notice now?

He will fool us twice if we actually elect him this time.

As a nation, we can do ourselves a favor by pulling our heads out of our arrogant asses. We need transparency and responsibility in government. Bush has pulled the curtain off of our nationalist, imperialistic nature, and placed it opaquely over our government's actions and responsibilities to the people.

Wake up, America!!!