Conflict: America, land of opportunity…

Amongst other things, Educator Dr. Cornel West wrote that America is a worshiper of the individual achiever and by implication, not group achievements.

“Come to America,” they are told, “…and you can be anything you want to be!” And for the local villagers, “Study and work hard. Sooner or later you will realize the American Dream!”

In my opinion, America missed an opportunity to have level playing fields for all its citizens during the Reconstruction Era (1863-1877), WW2 (1939-1945), Woodstock (1969) and HealthCare Reform (2009-20010). During each of these periods, scapegoated Black issues kept us from becoming a truly great country. The distractions are rampant, including social manipulations from every corner of our society.

It is those rampant distractions and massive social manipulations that has allowed a select few to reach the pinnacle of their aspirations and wildest dreams to the detriment of our country. “Hey, wait for me!” are now shouts heard only from the delusional, attempting to herd cats.

Hey, have you heard? America has a new creed: “In this country, it’s every man for himself. Help yourself but don’t take too much!” Due to its racial issues, America will continue down the road named “Perish” before it succumbs to the business of growing. We have seen enough evidence as the moving finger continues to write. Sad.

The Country is Getting Mugged
By BILL MOYERS and MICHAEL WINSHIP
Excerpt: (Opening paragraph)
Living in these United States, there comes a point at which you throw your hands up in exasperation and despair and ask a fundamental question or two: how much excess profit does corporate America really need? How much bigger do executive salaries and bonuses have to be, how many houses or jets or artworks can be crammed into a life?   After all, as billionaire movie director Steven Spielberg is reported to have said, when all is said and done, "How much better can lunch get?" But since greed is not self-governing, hardly anyone raking in the dough ever stops to say, "That's it. Enough's enough! How do we prevent it from sweeping up everything in its path, including us?"
Read more at:
http://counterpunch.com/moyers03122010.html

And Why America Can’t Grow

Dan Rather Explains Controversial Obama 'Watermelon' Comment
Excerpt:
All this is the backdrop for what I said on the Matthews show. I was talking about Obama and health care and I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas, when country highways were lined with stands manned by sellers of all races. Now of course watermelons have become a stereotype for African Americans and so my analogy entered a charged environment. I'm sorry people took offense.
Read more at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-rather/watermelons-washington-an_b_492890.html


And

What is "America" any more? So many things...
by jm214
Excerpt:
Reification: Re the notion that I think "America" has some kind of "evil intent." I don't suppose "America" has any "evil intent" either. "America" is a word, an idea, a bit of geography, and it is not "America" that does all this stupid stuff, building this huge, top-heavy, doddering, clumsy, hyperbureaucratized, gear-headed military establishment and all the contractors and Congressmen and talking heads that go along with it. Or creating the conditions for "Wall Street" to be able to steal both the present and the future by trading Monopoly Money for real dollars and writing and "negotiating" and taking the money and running from "commercial paper" that will be paid off, if at all, by the people who generate Real Wealth in "America." So any more than Goldman Sachs wiseasses and their Funny Munny "investment mechanisms" and bone-us babies are "America."

More……
Call it a rant, which is what crazy people and old geezers whose meds need to be adjusted and little kids do, I guess. I just wish people, "my fellow Americans," would somehow become magically smart and aware and careful enough to see they are being had.
Read more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/13/845830/-What-is-America-any-more-So-many-things...

Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-SPAN and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
P.S. First they find a people of color to scapegoat ....

Lying for pleasures and Rep. Eric Massa

I quickly dismissed going to Google to find out “Why do people lie?” The database has to be replete with opinions and I also have one.

Somewhere along the way, villagers linked the word “hypocritical” (Adj.1.hypocritical - professing feelings or virtues one does not have) to the word “lying” i.e., a hypocritical liar.

In my opinion, a hypocritical liar plays a “cat and mouse” game with you. They posit a lie thereby grabbing your attention and the “catch me if you can” game is on. They tenaciously want to find out just how much attention you have been paying to them.

The liar, or hypocritical liar if you will, searches for the depth and breath of how much they have peaked your interest in what they have said and appear to take great pride in how long they can sustained your interest with their verbal gymnastics. They push your patience to the n'th degree. In a way, you may also consider them verbal and/or physical masochists. Note the perpetual smile they always seem to have. It may be ever so slight, but it is there!

Rep. Eric Massa was on the Larry King Show last evening. Mr. Massa is a liar. He is a hypocritical liar. The word “masterful” readily comes to mind! He is a good liar and one of the best I have seen in the political arena.

Watching Mr. Massa last night awakened me to how much time the media focuses on the grand larceny liars of our society. They saturate the airwaves and print media with them. They have made programming those liars a cottage industry to the utter detriment of our society.

A lot of us have liars in our families but they certainly do not dominate the conversation during Sunday dinners. At least in my family it did not happen. Most of the time said liar was referenced, if at all, in transitional conversations. They were of no real interest to us as a family and I now personally find it mentally un-productive listening to what a liar has to say. I have no interest whatsoever.

I turn off the radio and avoid any post or diary dealing with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict; anything about Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin and, at this time, most of the talk, post and diaries regarding the HealthCare Reform Bill. It just, (Yawn) no longer interest me; just literally an endless stream of Themes and Variations. Color me bored.

If it is true man seeks pleasure and not pain, our political liars must be living it up in pleasure heaven here on earth, thanks to the media. The political liars who readily come to mind are not people overtly opinionated but rather selfish, attention and pleasure seeking hoes!

Liz Cheney; Dick Cheney; Karl Rove; Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman who just may be liars due to dis-orientations by Mother Nature but liars all the same.

As always,
BB

For love of Bach

I took a class in music wherein we students had to compose music using what was called the “Twelve tone system”. It was modern music and the gist of composing it, as our teacher ‘splained it to us, was having to use all twelve notes in the music system you yourself composed. The crazy part was after playing one note, you could not play it again until the other eleven notes were played. I hated it!!!

I was a Bach man during those days. Still am. But in those days, I lived, breathed, bathed and ate Johan Sebastian Bach. I loved the way he made me think!
Damn, I wish I had studied harder because surely by now I would be spending much of my time reading and playing The Goldberg Variations day in and day out, even with my amputations. (Sigh)

As always,
BB
P.S. I recall William Buckley Jr., in one of his last interviews saying he was also studying the variations but he was doing them on his harpsichord.

“Precious” kicked to the curb

Up to about three days ago, the movie Precious was a strong contender for the best awards. Suddenly, even in my nonchalance regarding movies and awards, I was hearing talk about a movie I never heard of.

When I saw a short trailer of the movie in question, The Hurt Locker, I learned it was about the war in Iraq. I remembered the Bush administration soliciting and cajoling Hollywood to make (propaganda?) movies regarding the war.

I had further memories of World War 2 films always winning numerous awards and how Hollywood was once again instrumental in gleefully promoting its “patriotic” agendi. Hollywood has always been one of the American oligarchy’s favorite toys.

-(Ring)
-Sid?
-Yes?
-What’s this about Precious getting high awards next week?
-It was a good movie, you know.
-The Pentagon helped financed The Hurt Locker. Did you know that?
-But…
-Need I say anything more?
-Got’cha!

‘The Hurt Locker’ Wins Big at Oscars
By MICHAEL CIEPLY and BROOKS BARNES
Excerpt:
“The Hurt Locker,” a little-seen war film with big backing from the critics, pushed past “Avatar” and other crowd-pleasers to win the best picture Oscar at a Sunday night ceremony here, while its director, Kathryn Bigelow, became the first woman to win the directing award.
Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/movies/awardsseason/08oscars.html?hp

As always,
BB

To 30m Americans: “Heal Thyself!”

It is my understanding the HealthCare Reform Bill will help approximately 30 million Americans get healthy and maintain a healthy status.

There was a debate on C-Span this morning within I learned a bunch of stuff regarding the contents of the HealthCare Reform Bill. The participants were Rick Scott, Conservatives for Patient’s Rights, and Ron Pallack, “FamiliesUSA.Com”.

In my opinion, the eloquence and masterful command of the English language displayed by Mr. Pallack in explaining the bill should have made all proponents of the bill proud. It was a pleasure listening and learning.
Mr. Scott said he started his organization with 5m dollars and its chief objective is to explain to the American people what is in the HealthCare Reform Bill.

Several thoughts surfaced as I was listening to the exchange between Mr. Scott and Mr. Pallack:
1. What would America be like in the very near future minus approximately 30 million people who can not work or die prematurely due to a lack of adequate health insurance?

2. If predictions are correct America is going to the dogs, would it not be better to have healthy Americans in there fighting for its survival than losing the battle due to having a society that is literally to sick to put up a fight?

3. If approximately 30 million people can not work or keep a job for health reasons, how would that effect Social Security checks of the elders and up-coming elders?

As always,
BB