Clinton v. Bush and a thought

Bush said that he understood the struggle of blacks in America. Yeah, but understanding from reading it out of books and having Condi telling you how it was growing up in the shadow of Bull Connor while you grew up in Connecticut and Texas at a prep school surrounded by white kids of privilege is one thing. Growing up dirt poor in the South in Arkansas with blacks is another.

Bush doesn't get it, he can't get it, Pesky can, Condi could at one point, Mike Kernell can, Steve Cohen can, John Kennedy couldn't, Bobby Kennedy could, Bill can, Hillary can't, I can, Evan Bayh can't, John Edwards can, Harold Ford Jr., much like everything, can go both ways. The struggle of blacks and Hispanics in this country is something that only a small number of us that aren't can understand and take to heart.

You either have to live in it for years, or be born with an understanding and empathy of people that transcends all. Bush insults everyone when he says he can understand it. Yes, on one level you can, but unless you have ever lived hand to mouth, not running the heater or air conditioner to save money to pay the rent, made a wish sandwich, held a women's hand while her husband died of untreated cancer at home because there was no money to treat it, gone to work every day at a job you hate for low pay and then gone to another just to pay the bills, cried yourself yourself to sleep because you are scared your children are going to end up in the situation you are in, you cannot begin to understand the struggles that poor people of any race deal with on a daily basis.

We must all work to overcome the class divisions that seperate us in this city. There are plenty of white and black people in this community that are working to build the bridges of community. There are just as many white and black people working to make their struggle their own, excluding those who they see as different, saying that they don't understand their struggle and cannot begin to undestand it.

In some ways they are right. But in many, many more, they are wrong. I may be a hite, heterosexual male, but because of my life experiences I can understand at a deep level the struggles of blacks, hispanics, gays, and women to find equality and a future in this country. You could argue that I can understand, but I cannot know the environment. That might be partially true, but until you get to know me and my background, you would be wrong.

Women attained the rigt to vote when men decided that it was unfair for them to be suppresed in such a way working with them to overcome millenia of oppresion in their struggle fr equal status. Civil rights for blacks and latinos came about when whites relaized that we are all one brotherhood and oppresion and suppression was wrong.

Gays are beginnng to receive this in more and more areas, but are fighting against the same forces that worked against the previous groups. The Bible was used to justify segregation and the suppression of women. What is the difference between forbidding a white and black person from marrying and forbidding two men from marrying? The struggle for rights for homosexuals is not the exact same as the struggle for black civil rights. However, the struggle for blacks was not the exact same as the struggle by women. They are tied together though. The end of rights for one means that the government can remove the rights for others. Ask yourself, who will be there to speak out for you?

Where's that handbasket?

Shit's going down in the Middle East. I got nothing to say except that for once, I support Isreal. Normally, I disagree with Isreal on the Palestinians, but in this case I think they are in the right. Surreal moment on MSNBC last night, Tucker Carlson interviewing Netanyahu. Carlson in Tel Aviv, while Binny was in New York, slight switch there.

The NeoCons are salivating because now they can further destroy the military and invade Iran and Syria. Great, get ready for a draft because conservatively estimates run that we will need another 400 thousand troops to take over those countries as well as keep a presence in Iraq. Last word on this, THESE ARE NOT THE END TIMES YOU DUMB M*&^%^FU&^ERS.

Cohen should win his race, but he needs to keep campaigning harder. Steve wants to join the Congressional black caucus if elected, I wonder what Mike Kernell thinks of that. I just put up a sign in my neighborhood less than a half mile behind Stanton headquarters. McKinney almost lost. Yeah, I know she's one of ours, but she is a little crazy. Usually she's good crazy, but sometimes not.

Republicans of course hate Ronald Reagan. You gotta love a bill that I can agree with Frist on. It's strangely ironic that for once his medical judgement was used in a positive way, although all the stem cells in the world would not have saved Schiavo. The Arkansas man who recovered from a twenty year coma is different, his brain mass never deterioted 50%

I have removed two anonymous posts from people who got a little vulgar. I don't mind profanity, but dude, be a little creative. Also, I hate people who are cowards and hide behind anonymous posts. This shows that you are just a little baby who doesn't want his name known to others. I am not going to be like Steve and disable anonymous posting, Vishnu knows I welcome all posts, but if you want to comment, use an alias, it takes less than two minutes to create one.

Out but remember, all white people are racists no matter where they live.

Republicans hate poor people

Despite all evidence that sales taxes are regressive and hurt poor people the most. All three stooges came out in favor of a national sales tax to replace the income tax. Once again I have to call out shenanigans as the Republicans know they can't win on actual important issues like job creation, national defense, and deficit reduction.

Instead these morons call for what else, death to gay marriage, they want to take your guns, abortion (remember it may be only 1% of all of them but if you got too close with your family or you tempted one of those criminal types and got raped and preggers, well, you're out of luck in a Republican world), and the damn revenuers taking all your income. Class wargare again. John Edwards said it best and that's why I was supporting him before I realized it was hopeless and voted for Sharpton.

There are two America's. One for us 95 % of the population, those who work hard and scrap by, putting aside a little at a time to make sure that our children can have a little future. The other is for the other 5%, you know, the one the system is rigged to favor. Republicans do a damn good job of creating an issue on wealth where we stumble around like a drunken sorority girl.

Taxes, instead of showing people that their tax money goes for things that they use, want, and better yet need, parks, education, roads, health care and retirement for your parents, we let them show welfare queens (fake), studies to study studies, and other "evidence" that the government is wasting your money.

I know that some waste is going on, but Clinton trimmed a lot of fat reducing the size of the federal government more than any president last century. Republicans expand government at every opportunity, thereby wasting more money.

We want to keep government running efficiantly so that it can continue to provide for the next generation and beyond. Republicans want to expand government so that it collapses in upon itself, which is their true goal.

Getting back to wealth, Republicans use ideas like family farm and small business. News flash, their are few family farms that are the sole source of income anymore. Most of them are agribusiness that are worth more than $5 million. Most small buisiness are also worth less. How many small business do you know make more than 420 thousand a month in profit? Those that do are usually in possession of more than one location. But rather than point out things like this, we let the Republicans paint us as antiinheritance. It only became the death tax because inheritance sounds like something rich people get.

More later.

Boring week and a raving lunatic

Nothing much happened other than Pesky was called a racist, WTL a racist, me a racist, and I'm sure some other well meaning practical liberal was called one again in this town. These people are missing the true racist in the Memphis Subversive Coalition, Left Wing Cracker, his name saye it all.

It strikes me as deeply offensive that blacks can insult ignorant white trash that chooses to be ignorant and uninformed. Yet when one of us pigment challenged individual points out that the system is stacked against blacks especially poor blacks, we are branded as racist. News flash, the system is stacked against you and for white people, however, the system within your community is even more stratified. Yes, I have an inherant advantage over you in job applications because I am white and especially here in the South, most hiring managers are white.

But, the media is full of examples of blacks embracing ghetto culture, ignorance, and the quick buck over perserverance, education, and long term wealth growth. I ain't getting into that argument. The media is full of people who overcame the ghetto. Unlike thirty to fifty years ago, these examples nowadays are almost entirely sports related. The highest earning African-Americans today are overwhelmingly sports figures.

What's worst is today's sports stars are overwhelmingly pussies when it comes to making political stands. Why? Lack of real education on the issues and education by their agents toward gaining more endorsement dollars. When was the last time you remember a black or white sports star other than Pat Tillman making any comment about the current situation other than, "I support the troops", "They are the real heroes", "This puts our job in perspective", and/or "Republicans mean I get to keep more of my signing bonus to spend on strippers, diamonds, and some other useless shit that I'm going to have to sell in 10 years when my career is over".

Okay, I made the last one up, but its true. Michael Jordan refused to endorse a black canidate in North Carolina saying that white kids buy shoes too. NO SHIT!! But, if others had taken your stance, where would you be today. How much of our acceptance of Terrell Owens is because of Muhammed Ali? Clarence Thomas used affirmative action to get into law school and get his first jobs and now wants to end it.

Circling back to Pesky's point, Memphis is not separated on racial grounds, like every other city, it is separated on class grounds. Memphis just happens to be overwhelmingly black. Contrast us with Atlanta and Washington, D.C.. Similar racial demographics. Similar major corporation dominating everything. Similar corrupt mayor. The difference is that they had a vibrant middle class that is upwardly mobile. They bring in events. They do things. Memphis does not. WHy, we as a city have seemingly given up, and we need to change that. How, give me your suggestins and I'll post mine on Wednesday.

Random thoughts on a Wednesday afternoon.

Finally broke down and put up some links to the most of the west of the Memphis Subversive Gang, aka the 'Cue. As the least known and respected blogger of us, I have to get some links somehow.

Try this link for the podcast, Cue Podcst 1.

Junior getting into a pissing match about his dad, bout time you grew a set although Bryant is not who you should be targeting, you can beat him, its Hilleary and Corker that can defeat you easily.

Cell phones should be banned from school, but before and after are a different thing, but one of those cell phone blocker thingamajigs.

Uggh, Reggie French and Mark Luttrell are a case of definitely holding the old nose when you pull the lever.

Dell Gill has said to some that the only time he was actually out of order, he wasn't called on it because they agreed with him. So what Dell, others sing your praises, but you are just too arrogant for me and in a lot of ways, not all, but in a lot of ways you and many others in the SCDP represent what is wrong about the SCDP and our party at the local level nationally.

Imagine you get elected to the local Party Board. You get a little bit of power and you think that makes you a mover and shaker. You also work hard to get others elected. They fail and you say to yourself, I know why they lost, they didn't do thing X that I told them to do. So you decide to run for an office.

You go out there and try and you fail. You try again and again. After the third time, your candiacy is a private joke. Meanwhile, you keep geting elected the local board and help others win, garnering you some loyalty. Rather than help others succeed you and keep the party fresh and new, you hang on to your limited power. New talent is not brought in in numbers and the bit that is beholden to the current cabal. When the old guard retires, the new guard is caught with a smaller and smaller group to draw fresh ideas from.

We are seeing in Memphis an atempt at changing the guard witht the Kuhn gang. I am finally going on record with saying that all true Democrats should support them. They are the current leaders, but mre importantly, they are for the most relatively new, relatively young party members who want to help change the world. Te Deaniacs, who I never supported, the Moveoners, and the fedupers are all part of this mish mash of good people. Let's support them and in so doing, renew the tree of Liberty with the blood of tyrants. Who wants to be first in line to cut Willie?

I see things are coming out the way I foresaw

Three years ago I made an impassioned plea to Cracker over what I wanted the SCDP to be. I wanted it to have relevance, be a power, and raise a lot of money. To do this, it was going to have to come to grips with what it was. A joke.

Ultimately, the Ford, Chism, and Herneton factions were going to have to be largely removed. The first step was the removal of Gale Jones Carson. I thought that election of Katherine Bowers was a step in the right direction. While Katherine delivered Memphis in 2004, she was apparently more concerned with her own succession of Roscoe and allegedly taking bribes.

We follow her with the compromise Matt Kuhn. Matt was doomed from the start. I think I put it once that his coalition was reminiscent of an Italian parliment in the 80s. Matt is toast and that is a shame. Whoever follows him will be the guy who follows the guy who tried to change things.

I don't hate to say this, but it is known that I am going to lay the blame at one man's doorstep. Dell Gill. Dell is beloved by Cracker and many others because of his tireless campaigning and desire for the party to succeed. Christ on Lady Libertine, so do Mike Kernell's consigliore Jody Patterson and Mike Brister, but that doesn't mean that they should run unchecked, and Dell does.

Yes, I am white (that's what the W in my WMD stands for). Yes, I live in Whitehaven. No, I don't have enough capital and experience to criticize him, but you know what, I am right.

Too often, we have driven out members of this local party who have worked tirelessly and be shit upon. Quintrell, Cracker, Patterson, and Mr. Personality, Jim Strickland all have been crapped on by leadershit in the local party. I think Cracker will be back within the fold. I remember a conversation we had a year ago and he changed fairly quickly about that.

The local party is having a problem recruiting locally because we are seen as a party that is out for ourselves (isn't that the Republicans stance?). We are not recruiting whites because our leaders ignore them and write them off. The gay community is close to dumping us because of the vitriol of preachers who cannot equate gay rights with civil rights. We might lose the Hispanics because they religiously are more inclined to vote more for Republicans, and we are the party more likely to have racial divides than the Republicans.

Ultimately, its late and I'm tired. Remeber, the soil of the future is fertilized with blood and bodies of the present. We need to have a bloodletting. I've been saying it for three years. We need to organize and storm the ramparts of next year's conventions and force our way onto the committees and take over.

Out.

Happy Birthday Ya Schmuck

Bush is 60, great, that means he'll be able to soon collect that disappearing social security.

Lieberman made me even madder at Lloyd Benson. Yes Joe, you ran against Shrub, but at the same time you showed the confidence you have by running for Senate as well. From what I saw, Lamont did okay, but he needs to hammer the point that Lieberman has no faith in Democrats, and that is why he is running as an independant as well. It seems like he would rather blow up the party there and cause division than admit defeat graciously.

Doesn't appear that Kenny Boy's wife will have to pay out anything due to the two key assets of his being protected. Very Christian of her to take care of others and lifting herself up by the straps of her Manolo Blahnks.

Kos is either doing something very good or something paranoid filled. Eventually when I figure out what I am doing, I will put links in these.

Finally, saw he Lady Libertine figure at Starship Jesus yesterday. If it's been said, I apoligize for ripping them off, but I wanted to go get a couple of pink flamingos and some garden gnomes to put out there as well. That thing would be a Jeff Foxwoarthy joke if he wasn't such a Republican piece of crap.

Reason number 12 why Willie shouldn't be mayor: He was even worse as superintendant and ran on that record. Remember kids, fail upwards.

Good News and Bad News

Joe Lieberman is actually going to pull a petition and run as an indepenant if he loses the nomination? Good for him way to show that faith like you did in 2000 when you ran for both VP and the Senate.

Not much else happened in the last week. North Korea tested a rocket this morning providing Bolton a reason to appear and the rest of us to hate this unconfirmed piece of crap.

Oh, Yeah. Kenney Boy Lay died this morning. I would say the usual platitudes, but he was scum. No two ways about it, scum.

Also, remeber to vote for Ed Stanton if you think the Jews are out for your money and to steal your babies.

Reason Number 2 why Willie Shouldn't be mayor. Uh, look at the budget?