dagblog - Comments for "Half Of The Country Is Struggling Economically"

Interesting, indeed. If we

Elusive Trope — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:16:27 +0000

Interesting, indeed. If we shift our perspective just a little on this impulse, it is reducing the whole idea of having a job to one of social stability. Control and stability are very closely related in our collective minds, and while people generally don't like to be controlled by others, they do tend to prefer life to be stable rather than unstable. Even, in many cases, if that stability isn't necessarily pleasant. It is knowable, and thus comfortable.

In a twist, there is the vague sense that if everyone just put on their uniforms and punch the time clocks, there wouldn't be any issues for the betters to deal with. Or at least a lot fewer ones. This amorphous notion about society is inter-related with other amorphous notions like criminal activity and poverty. People go out protesting things and the next thing you know we have cats and dogs sleeping together.

Nothing like a prize on

jollyroger — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:14:34 +0000

In reply to Jolly, I am sorry. Had my son

Nothing like a prize on Christmas, and fuck us all, every last one...A merry one yourself. Bet it's almost a white one where you are, or at least damn cold.

in the origingal- "La

jollyroger — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:12:15 +0000

In reply to That is a most awesome quote,

in the origingal-

"La majestueuse égalité des lois, qui interdit au riche comme au pauvre de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler du pain."

I kind of like it better in english...

What an interesting,

Michael Maiello — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:35:26 +0000

In reply to There is also for some who

What an interesting, conformist impulse it is to yell "get a job" at somebody who is trying to change the way society confronts social, economic or political issues. It really reduces the whole idea of having a job to one of social control. Put on your uniform, punch the time clock and leave the big issues to your betters.

Jolly, I am sorry. Had my son

Richard Day — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 19:19:58 +0000

In reply to "The law, in its majestic

Jolly, I am sorry. Had my son over and missed this.

I hereby render unto Jolly the Dayly Christmas Quote of the Year, given to all of Jolly from all of me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

There is also for some who

Elusive Trope — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:47:39 +0000

In reply to Or that if it exists it is

There is also for some who use their job, and how much time and energy it takes from them, as an excuse to themselves if not others as to why they don't get more civically involved - why they don't volunteer at the soup kitchen, attend local government council meetings, etc. I have never done a protest (most of them dealing with the environment and not the economy per se) when at a least a few people literally shouted "get a job!" from their cars as they passed by. If they accept we worked and protested, then this would undermine their excuse.

The ranks of welfare cheats

Michael Maiello — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:19:36 +0000

In reply to Or that if it exists it is

The ranks of welfare cheats have always been overstated. But, like the meme "Greeks retire at 50" it is easy to convince the majority that other people's problems are self inflicted.

Or that if it exists it is

Peter Schwartz — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:52:37 +0000

In reply to excellent points.

Or that if it exists it is simply due to a lack of individual initiative or the result of poor life choices (young or single motherhood, criminal activity, you name it...)

This is another piece of it that I have a hard time articulating.

Since Reagan (mostly), we've had the image of the welfare cheat and, in general, the person who's just too lazy or too entitled to do for himself.

But even though welfare recipients and the poor have always been with us--their ranks expanding and contracting a bit with the economy--we weren't hearing much about "the lazy and irresponsible" UNTIL the crash and the ranks of the unemployed and UE benefit recipients swelled dramatically.

But WHY should we now suddenly be hearing this chorus blaming unemployment on the moral deficiencies of the unemployed? Why should the OWS protestors be greeted with "get a job" and be accused of being unwilling to get their hands dirty at McDonalds?

After all the people who've been unemployed for the last two or three years WERE working people, hard-working people who went to work every day, bought homes, raised kids and were, in general, responsible folks and definitely not anything close to "welfare cheats" or layabouts.

And yet now we hear from the right, more than at any time in the recent past that I can recall, that these people "lack initiative," or expect the government to take care of them.

My conclusion: It is an ideological defense of a capitalist system whose defects have been laid bare for many ordinary, even Republican, even conservative folk to see for themselves.

When capitalism is on the ropes, you blame government and you blame the unemployed as the cause to divert attention and anger from the true causes.

That is a most awesome quote,

Verified Atheist — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:49:22 +0000

In reply to "The law, in its majestic

That is a most awesome quote, jr. I'm going to have to file that away somewhere…

excellent points.

Elusive Trope — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:26:25 +0000

In reply to Just to continue a bit... I

excellent points.