Sunday, November 07, 2010

Banana Republic

Banana Republicans used to be a sort of internet joke, but it's no laughing matter. Nicholas Kristof notices the United States now arguably has a more unequal distribution of wealth than traditional banana republics like Nicaragua, Venezuela and Guyana.

Worse yet, there are all these voters who just elected a bunch of real Banana Republicans who are hell bent on making us number one -- in income inequality. And they intend to make the poor suffer for being "too stupid" or "too lazy" to reach that top 1% of wealth holders by shrinking the government spending on social programs that alleviate the misery of poverty. The slogan voters don't care. They feel important when the 1%ers wine and dine them, even if they always leave just before it's time to pick up the tab.

All while the ranks of the impoverished grow daily. One person tweeted today, "My son spent the weekend helping the homeless in Boston. Middle class families a year ago, homeless now." Another tweep tells me 1000 people live under Las Vegas in tunnels. Nothing lazy about those people. Surviving on nothing is hard work.

Slogan voters are feeling good right now. "They" won. They can't hear the 1%ers snickering at them while they plot to rig the game and end up with all the money. They don't realize how fragile their own safety nets really are and they won't until they break and they find themselves in the tunnels too. By then it will be too late.

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11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

And you represent the 1%ers? That is a real joke.

5:48:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

I don't see where she said she did, but I certainly do, funny man.

And what's it to you anyway?

10:43:00 AM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

And speaking of Bananas, David Stockman, Reagan's budget director, used the word "banana republic" when describing the current situation and he didn't mean the clothing store.

It's not 1981 and more tax cuts are the last thing we need, sez he.

He's the guy behind bringing down the top rate from 70% to 50%. Funny how Obama is a commie at 39.6% and Reagan a righty for 50%

USA, just another name for Bozo's Circus.

1:21:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Thanks Fogg. I was going to suggest a reading comprehension class for our courageous anon.

3:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Ruth said...

Once again, the commenter proves the wingnuts are unable to understand simple facts. It's become a religious tenet to the right that giving more to the wealthy will produce prosperity, despite all the proof of that past ten years that it Does Not Do It. It's absolutely disproved, yet the 'faithful' cling to their Mammon. Not just reading comprehension, but basic judgment, is totally missing from their makeup.

3:19:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

I have a link from 2003 to a scientific study that suggests it's a cortical dysfunction that renders them unable to process information that conflicts with their preferred world view. Best explanation I've seen that would explain why it's not just anonymous thugs who cling to discredited theories.

6:28:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

"cortical dysfunction"

Caused by chronic cerebro-rectal inversion, perhaps?

8:14:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Ha! Surely some portion of that segment suffers from that. But this is the study I mean:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/20/opinion/meyer/main584753.shtml

4:23:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Oops, let be try embedding that link.

4:23:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If any wing nut is unable to understand facts, it's those on the left. Your hero, the man who claims to be a 1%er is a delusional microbe of a human being. I believe he was holding the chart up side down when he read his IQ. Captain Dumbass is not as intelligent as he fancies himeself to be. Actually, he is an unmitigated asshole. A fungus on the scrotum of intelligent debate. An anal rash on the ass of life.

6:50:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

One percenter? In financial terms perhaps. In IQ it's 99.999th percentile, if you know what that means.
But OK, you want a pissing contest? Try not to get piss all over your camo shorts, OK?

Ever been invited to the boardroom of Europe's biggest bank to give your opinion on investment strategies? Ever give anybody a million dollar Christmas present? Ever live in an 18,000 square foot house on the water? Ever change your underwear? Can't be a lot of yes here, can there, hot shot ;-)

You can't possibly know what an ass you're making of yourself, but no hard feelings, If I bump into you in Nevis or Antiqua or Juan-les Pins, I'll buy you a Bud Lite or whatever it is you drink.

10:04:00 AM  

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