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Fii pregatit (Be ready)
“Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.”
Voltaire, letter to M. le Riche, February 6, 1770
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
I strongly believe in the freedom of speech. I am ready to defend it to my last breath. I believe it is through dialogue, through discussions and arguments that we learn about ourselves as humans and are able to better understand our circumstances, abilities and opportunities. As Oscar Wilde wrote, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple”. It takes a wise, courageous and honest person to see both sides of an issue.
With that in mind though, I do not think everything is arguable. Nobody shall argue that we need potable water, or that we need forests on this planet so we can breath. Who can tell me that wars are fought with the blood and sweat of the wealthy aristocracy? Do I really have to back-up my argument that the rich are getting very rich nowadays, while the poor are getting very poor and that the government does not care about the state of the common man and woman, the worker in the United States?
“Since the onset of the Great Recession of 2007-2009, labor market conditions have deteriorated dramatically for U.S. workers in the aggregate … The incidence of underemployment problems in the fourth quarter of 2009 was 13 times higher among those workers in the bottom household income decile as opposed to those residing in the top decile of the income distribution (20.6% vs. 1.6%). These stark findings clearly reveal that the economic costs of underemployment in the current U.S. economy were disproportionately borne by workers at the lower end of the income distributions. Thus, underemployment contributes in an important way to the high and rising degree of income inequality in the United States and to growing poverty in the recession.” http://www.clms.neu.edu/publication/documents/Labor_Underutilization_Problems_of_U.pdf
What are we doing about poverty and our lack of opportunity? There is no more American Dream. Forget about it. I am most certainly growing tired of the people who consider themselves Republicans or Democrats and who are fighting over scraps. This is certainly not the time to be arguing over nonsense, especially since both parties are basically one and the same: “To maintain the illusion that working people make decisions, it is useful to have two parties that pretend to be different while representing the same folks at the top.” http://www.greens.org/s-r/33/33-16.html
The United States government has been taken over by bankers and while everyone was charmed by the Obama-spell in the last couple of years, they have master-minded the greatest heist ever! The common man is in gutter now but we should be happy because not everyone is doing so badly, right? We have reports that:
“With third-quarter figures from JP Morgan expected to begin a bumper profit reporting season today, a study of more than three dozen banks, hedge funds, money-management and securities firms estimates they will pay $144bn (£90bn) in salary and benefits this year, a 4% increase on 2009… The research, by the Wall Street Journal, found pay was rising faster than revenue, which gained 3% to $433bn, despite a slowdown in stock trading.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/12/us-bankers-record-pay-bonuses
To me this entire recession or depression, or whatever you want to call it is honestly a bad joke. I am not sure how the banks have not gone up in flames and how bankers have not been found scalped on the streets. Democrats and Republicans should be outraged! Everyone got fooled.
It is critical to understand that Obama’s campaign as well as that of McCain had received considerable funding from Wall St. and bankers (as well as other sources). “Overall, bundlers in the finance, insurance and real estate sector have hauled in at least $30 million for the Republican candidate -- far more than any other sector …Bundlers in the larger finance, insurance and real estate sector have collected at least $13.4 million for Obama, making it his most generous sector.”
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/bundlers-for-mccain-obama-are.html
It did not matter who won the last presidential election. The bail-out would have still happened whether it was Obama or McCain in office. People would have been screwed-over by bankers who would have collected their billions in bonuses either way. How can people think their interests and their well-being is looked out by the government (or the parties hustling for office) when we see statements such as:
“Democrat Barack Obama has captured $9.6 million in donations from employees working for securities, mortgage and drug companies, compared with McCain's $6.6 million.” http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aRCVqfSQ43Eo
“Obama’s campaign treasury has collected nearly $400,000 in campaign contributions from employees of Lehman Brothers, while McCain campaign has $145,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26723715/
Within the last year alone there are reports that: “Six leading banks -- JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), Wells Fargo (WFC.N), Citigroup (C.N), Bank of America (BAC.N), Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) -- spent a combined $6.9 million on lobbying in the first quarter. That marked a 4 percent increase from late last year and a jump of about one-third from the first three months of 2009.” http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN212172942010042
Lobbying is the root of most of the problems in government. It is through lobbying that bankers got bailed-out while people got thrown-out on the streets. It is because of lobbying that the control of the monetary system was happily given-over to a bunch of crooked bakers in December, 1913 who called themselves the Federal Reserve Bank. It is because of them that the national debt is where it is. A country should be able to issue its own currency without going in debt. However, in the United States every dollar made is given to the people by the Federal Reserve Bank at interest! The people do not have control of their currency/money, the bankers do. Thank lobbyists for that.
This is the truth. Laws are only made to hold us down; our lives will only deteriorate more and more until the government is taken back from the hands of rotten politicians who only act in the interest of banks and corporations. There are no two sides to this! People have to wake-up and realize that it does not matter who they vote-in as long as lobbying remains legal and prospers. Be ready to act decisively!
“I may contradict myself but the truth I do not contradict.” – Michel de Montagne
Note: the title “Fii pregatit” was borrowed from a Romanian hip-hop group who made a song with that title. This piece was written with that song in mind and with Mrs. Lynda’s article http://hubpages.com/hub/There-are-two-side-to-every-question-the-closed-minded-attitude-in-modern-society
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Comments
well, Mr Wolfman Jack you have written one helluva humdinger here! Bravo!
There is however one point I would like to make and that is whether rich or poor we are all at the mercy of own egos which are motivated by greed and selfishness. It is ego that keeps us apart and prevents us from seeing the truth. It is the mind set that keeps a rich man rich and a poor man poor and ta both extremes money is considered God.
Thank you for another great hub.
I thought you might appreciate this movie which is part 1 of 5 parts about the Federal Reserve by Zeitgeist:
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I know nothing of poetry Mrs. Storyteller - that was a song and I love music. I am not even a hundred percent sure that is the write translation, although I did ask someone who is Ojibwe for the translation.
I can enjoy poetry but songs, beats, rhythms ... that makes my soul jump around lol.
Thank you for stopping by again. All the best!
Hey, Mr. Happy. How is this project coming? I have to comment again, considering your lovely poetic contribution to my light hub. I do love Native American poetry. Sing to me again soon!
Great article and thanks for the follow. It has all been said before. In God we trust and Banker's Trust are synonymous to Americans. It takes time to unravel years of propaganda and blind patriotism.
Great points Mr. Happy it is the wealthy elite that are destroying the American economy.
This sounds like my words in other words. The words must be heard and in the end the people still most Vote. I choose the ballot over the bullet. Keep writing. In some nations people are killed for writing. Use what you got.
Mr. Happy, I appreciate your passion over this subject and your willingness to meet and greet every response in the hub comments section. I have learned a lot. It is difficult to defend a silent majority who is concerned first about ourselves, isn't it? If there is no passion for helping others raise their standard of living, what is the point of a democracy? Is it all about me? That does not create much of a society, in my opinion. Certainly not one that is highly evolved.
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Mr. Wayne, I find your idea that "Maybe that is part of the whole plan...break the back of small banking in America and the money is then controlled by a very limited number of entities", very interesting. I never thought of that. It might be very true indeed.
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lol Mr. Mickey, I'm not blue - I'm colourless and I am humbled by you saying that I am "right as rain". I can only wish but I don't pretend to have any definite answers, I just say what I see.
May Wakan Tanka guide your path! All the best.
Mr. Happy... I do agree with a lot of your hub here! However, I do have to say that it's high time for some citizens to get off their butts and do something for themselves too!! I know povery I grew up in it and to add to that I worked very hard as to not be dependent on anyone, especially the government! I think a lot of the problem here too is some people find it so easy to depend on the govenrment for their basic survival...by this I mean I see capable bodies waiting for disability everyday, I see people on foodstamps to feed their children but they continue to have more kids, I see some collecting unemployment as long as possible no matter that their are jobs readily available! I think some of the problems we are facing currently are directly related to people becoming way too comfortable taking handouts..while the rest of us work. Maybe some feel it's beneath them to work at mc donalds or wal mart, well I say take a job no matter what at this time... Contribute to the economy not take from it! The only way the government can hold any of us down is through enslavement and keeping us ignorant. Educate yourselves and always strive to work hard...nothing comes for free! Many days I have said we are all slaves to our government...like worker ants! If they keep us busy enough/ keep us hungry, then we don't pay attention to whats going on in Washington or anywhere else for that matter! Well we all need to wake up smell the brew, do something for ourselves to move forward in life/succeed! We could all give excuses for not going forward in life or staying on the reservation if you will...where will that take you?
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Here are again some facts:
About 40% of our country’s 4.9 million Native Americans live on reservations (2008, Office of Minority Health). Living conditions on the reservations have been cited as "comparable to Third World," (May 5 2004, Gallup Independent)."
"Lakotah men have a life expectancy of less than 44 years, lowest of any country in the World (excluding AIDS) including Haiti.
The Lakotah infant mortality rate is 300% more than the U.S. Average.
The rate of diabetes is 800% higher than the U.S national average.
Median income is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.
97% of our Lakotah people live below the poverty line."
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Mr. Ahorseback, I shall start backwards with your comment.
The corporate influence in gov`t is our main problem. Our defect political system is crippled due to lobbyists and their meddling. Many of my blogs talk about that. I am trying to raise public awareness on this issue.
I write about homelesness too because it is a big problem in Toronto. I am indeed trying to find solutions for this as well. The main problem here is that there is no affordable housing and there is a lack in programs which would help reintegrate people in the workforce.
About the native American reservations ... what can I say ... The way they have been forced to live is shameful. I have almost seen too much. I wrote a piece on a Native Reserve this last summer. Again as I wrote above, I am doing what I can in bringing awarness to such issues.
I do vote; I attend political meetings with my representatives in gov`t. I cover demonstrations and rallies. I often email politicians and political parties. I am also a member of Greenpeace and I am a firm supporter of the Red Cross.
And what do you mean that my `use of the poverty of native American reservations , and the "homeless " under a bridge in New Orleans` are questionable ... I am not sure what you mean. You cannot possibly by questioning the atrocious conditions in which many Natives live in North America.
Yes, you are right - we have to work at bettering the system.
Mr Happy , Greetings ,Theres a lot of criticism of the system of "capitalism" going on here, The democracy of America is an imperfect system! There we said it ! Ok !lets get on with making it better. In the recent mid term elections the percentage of voters in My state that got out to change it? About 60% !!! Hummm. Not much of a going concern. Your use of the poverty of native American reservations , and the "homeless " under a bridge in New Orleans , well , lets just say it is questionable in fact. Listen , corporations and governments have O- % concience . Period !!!!. There is no evil mastermind behind capitalism in America or Canada, for that matter , there is just complacency and apathy ! These are the evil people behind America. I will close by saying this ,I always get a little testy when anyone bashes America.The answers ? Do you know who your senators are ,or congressmen and women? Did you vote at all? What are you "personally" doing about the Native American reservations? About the homeless? About corporate influence in government? Stay well , Mr Happy.
You make a strong case for your point on the two party system. I think you are correct to some degree on the bailout as Pelosi and the dems were already in position in 2007 to make that happen by virtue of majority vote. I find it interesting that George Soros predicted a bailout of at least $600 billion dollars before the elections of 2008 were in the books. If indeed there is a favortism toward the banking industry, it stops at the Wall Street level as there are far too many small banks in this country which are just hanging on due to their ratio of outstanding non-performing assets (bad loans). Maybe that is part of the whole plan...break the back of small banking in America and the money is then controlled by a very limited number of entities...not a bad idea. I agree wholeheartedly that lobbying is a huge problem that is out of control and basically represents the government and the the lobbyist thumbing their nose at the American citizens. Between that situation and the tendency to attempt to buy voting blocks with the unions using taxpayer dollars...there is not much good going on in Washington and we will all be better off if the government is in deadlock for a while. I also offered a comment to your post on my "American Scum" article. Thanks for a good write. WB
You're true blue and right as rain. God bless you1 Keep telling it like it really is. Your words are absolutely true.
Mr. Happy - I couldn't agree with you more in reference to this article. I still stand by my article on multiculturalism (http://hubpages.com/hub/does-multiculturalism-real... but at this stage of our countries demise it's the least of our problems. It's funny how the Obama administration chastised the banks, but another QE by the Fed and once again the banks will benefit, and the middle class takes another blow to our standard of living. I was always leery of conspiracy theories, but I am becoming a believer that Obama knows that his socialist agenda would greatly benefit from a total collapse of not only the American economy, but the worlds economies. If this QE on November 3rd that is expected from the Fed doesn't work, the only option that will be left is a institution of a global currency based on the Gold Standard. This will usher in their long awaited socialist global government. Bible prophecy fulfilled!!
Good information and to the point. Congress is the one who said that everybody deserved a home and that is true but everybody cannot afford a home and that is part of what happened to America. They got one and they could not afford one because Barney Frank said they needed one.
Our country is in a mess for sure....no arguement....
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My comment was in response to you saying that poor people have flushing toilets and are not as bad as poor people in third world countries. I think they are just as bad (see my "Poor People" article, has relevant photos at least lol).
About the Native situation, what can I say ... it is quite tragic. Whether they chose to or not such living conditions are shamefull for people living in a first world country. I am sure the people living under the I10 chose to live there too ... there or on the downtown streets. There is choice indeed: the garbage bin or the sewer. Great ...
Don't these people choose to live there? My great grandmother was full blooded Cherokee and she didn't live on a reservation.
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Here is some more statistical information for you Mr. James:
"Lakotah men have a life expectancy of less than 44 years, lowest of any country in the World (excluding AIDS) including Haiti.
The Lakotah infant mortality rate is 300% more than the U.S. Average.
The rate of diabetes is 800% higher than the U.S national average.
Median income is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.
97% of our Lakotah people live below the poverty line."
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Mr. James, the people living under the I 10 in New Orleans do not have flushing toilets.
"About 40% of our country’s 4.9 million Native Americans live on reservations (2008, Office of Minority Health). Living conditions on the reservations have been cited as "comparable to Third World," (May 5 2004, Gallup Independent)."
Things seem to be worse than you think Mr. James or that is my opinion at least.
This is a pretty good Hub. I surely agree about the Federal Reserve and lobbyists. I don't agree that there is no opportunity. I personally knows dozens of people who started poor and earned a fortune through having a great idea, and working hard. The income gap I am more ambivalent about. For one, I think it is important to consider the envy factor. A study shows that three times as many people would be happy earning $50,000 a year if their neighbor made $25,000; as would be if their neighbor made $100,000. That is human nature. Wealth is relative. In Guatamala, where a friend of mine is a missionary doing charity work, many people don't believe it is true than the poorest Americans have flush toilets. They can't imagine it. The poor in America are hardly poor by world standards. There is in people hard feelings if anybody has more than they do.
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Thank you for commenting Paulette. It does seem that politicians have forgotten who they are supposed to represent and who they should be thankful for having a job.
Mr. American Romance, I suppose you are right and the American Dream is not fully dead but it doesn;t look like there's much life in it. The opportunities of the 1950's and 1960's are far gone. The time when one salary was enough for an entire family and the mother stayed at home to raise the children seems to be another life-time almost.
Mrs. Darlene, it is our fault though for politicians doing what they want. The general public has ignored politics for the most part in North America and they have only started paying attention a few years ago I'd say (when &#%$ hit the fan already).
Thank you for the comments and the time spent to do so (Mr. AmericanRomance & Darlene).
Hello there, of course I too believe in free speech, yet a few of my hubs have been banded by our affilities example; protect our children from pedophilest, how to avoid date rape. Now, these are not nasty or disgusting hubs, these are issues we face everyday in the world we live in. Our goverment has turned away from the poor and the elderly, and is not protecting our consitution...bravo for a hub well informed and a must read for everyone...
All though many points are factual,we must keep in mind the American dream is not dead. Look at the facebook guru for the latest example. I built a 650K a year business with a startup of 200 dollars! It can still be done and could be done much faster for many if government would simply step aside! People need to look for free work states with little regulation! I live in New Mexico and one cannot even stick a shovel in the dirt without a permit! Impossible for business to thrive here anymore and consequently our state is in financial trouble but the liberals are getting their way! Liberals stop the progress of the poor with regulation and the rich are always going to continue getting richer!
Mr. Happy -- great Hub! You hit on so many points that I am passionate about and want to respond to but can't because of space. Americans have to realize that we the middle class are being used and abused. We have to get up and out and let OUR voices heard. We cannot sit idly by and watch a few 'non-thinkers' take over the political system and then we will have to live with their decisions – that is CRAZY! What about what WE want. It seems to me that those who know do not speak and those who speak do not know. Let your voices be heard – vote on November 2 or Early Vote if you can.
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Thank you so much for your comments, everyone. I tried adressing a couple of issues in this piece I wrote, which I thought would cross political borders. I do think that conservative or democrat, we can all agree that lobbying has to go to be able to form a responsible government.
If history is an indicator and predictor of the future, it appears politics are cyclical. The cycle ranges from one extreme to the other end of the spectrum. An example: Romanticism to pragmatism... Dictators to democracies... It is apparently the natural order...
Americans for the most part are not 'getting it' and they scare me. Factions of darkness seem to be taking over America and Americans have no real passion for their own causes anymore. Great hub though.
The bankers rule America. Your writing exemplifies your passion. Well said on a complicated, convoluted issue.
Great Hub Mr. Happy. I would reccomend Robert Kiyosaki's newest book, "Conspiracy of the Rich". He speaks on a lot of what your talking about.
When you consider that over 50% of the world's wealth is in the hands of the top 3% richest people or companies. Banks have taken it to the poor guy since the dawn of time. Obama is just a little pawn in their hands.
I would like to think that voting can make a significant difference or at least put a little pressure on the opposing forces.
I saw a program on PBS this week telling the story of a husband and wife in their late 50's, both having lost their jobs. The husband has been about 150 interviews with no work in sight. They did everything possible and still lost their home. They owned and lost their own business and regret that they did not take on unemployment insurance as they are left without any help other than the local food pantry. The news is not much better for the recent college graduates; one young woman is back living with her parents, because after college all she has is a huge student loan. She is working part-time at the restaurant she worked at through college. Another young man with a $20,000 college loan entered the National Guard to be sent to Iraq dismantling bombs. His mother, didn't want him to enlist. She is recovering from cancer. The irony is he got a $20,000 sign on bonus for enlisting in the Guard. Kind of makes you wonder.
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One can meet me with whatever slogans they want. I'll take it which ever way it comes and deal with it. People will be educated if they are given the chance. I believe in the common man even though for the most part he/she has been misguided. I have written this for those who think that the two party system represents them. Cheers for commenting Petra! Did you listen to the song "Fii Pregatit"?
"Eu astept sa fiu lovit,/ Astept zambind, /Pentru tot ce-am vazut pana acum,/ Sant pregatit"
What can I say Happy? The sad part is that people are brainwashed to the point that they wouldn’t understand the truth if would hit them over the head. In fact it hit them already, but most people still think that it is raining every time the politicians’ spit on them.
I agree with Lynda; trying to explain or to inform regular citizens (with the best intentions at heart) will be meet with the slogan “we are the greatest country in the world”, “our system is the best ever” and other nonsense, only to label you at the end as being anti-American.
The new law of the Supreme Court gave carte blanche to lobbyists to make whatever contributions they want and buy themselves the candidate that will better protect their privileges. To even think that a person’s vote count is more than a joke, it is being naïve at best, but I would say it is like getting drank on pure water. And you are absolutely right; it would not have mattered who was elected president or from which party. All presidents are given a set of cards and they sit at the table with no power to keep them or fold them; the scenario is being written for them and they are just taking the fall, while the real players are pulling string from an invisible dark room.
Whatever the big and powerful do, it goes; there are no consequences for any crimes and the only ones to pay the price are the little people. Would they ever speak up? Not a chance; there is no political conscience in this country, just an amorphous mass of obedient and silence drove of cattle advancing slowly to the slaughter – house.
It has been said that “every country has the government that its people deserve” I thought that the hard working and decent people of America deserves better, but apparently NOT
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You brought-out a good point Mrs. Lynda by talking about socialism. We humans, are social animals. We also live together in what we call societies. Would logic and reason not dictate that our economic and political system should be of a social nature as well? That is the only sensible way in my opinion: as social animals we need to create social systems of living.
I thank you for the honor you do my little hub -- which was apolitical. You are preaching to the choir in my case, and I have written my thoughts on these and other issues in the past and will not list my hubs on economics, health care, etc here. 'Tis true. The saddest part of it all is the common man is duped into working against his own best interests time and time again. All you have to do is say key trigger words like "socialism" and the programmed response comes out. He doesn't know what it means, but...
Like my Florida neighbor who in conversation thought it strange the French were so socialist considering how they suffered under that great communist Hitler.... Uh-huh. I long ago gave up trying to explain and educate. And it is on that note I wish you the best of luck.
There is no one so blind as he who will not see.
There is no one so bound as he who erroneously believes he is free.
I admire your earnest belief. Lynda
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