I would increase funding of the arts --all arts. Drama, music, dance, painting, debate, crafts, etc...
I would not do a damn thing to the education department, other than make sure it's funded completely and fully, and that it's staffed with real educators, who actually are empowered to build that generation of people we are soon to need very badly, LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, because regressive policies have denied most average Americans the opportunity to do that.
Our public investment in future Americans is probably the higher priority need right now, particularly given we've surrendered our economic and technology leadership position, just so some of us can hit that quarterly number today, without doing the work to actually earn it the old school way, like we used to.
Critical thinking, promoted by the arts, is the one check we've got on dollars and dogma, currently polluting our civics to the point of doing harm. Many Americans will not get to experience these things in a meaningful way outside of their public school experience, and that's a crime on the people.
Show me where and how we need to pay for that, and I'm there, looking back at my own experiences, and how those things made a positive impact on me, there is absolutely no question as to the worth of them.
Frankly, most of the people who don't see the worth of that, either didn't get the experience, or if they did, often exhibit some agenda, bias, dogma, or character issue that is aggravated by those things being a part of the critically thinking society so they often need that "yeah, I'm one of the normal people" AM Radio / FOX TV escape, like a druggie needs their fix to get through the day.
Harsh words??
Damn straight! Sue me.
The fine arts --actually most arts in general, combined with a solid, public education, are also our most potent check against the damage done to our fellow citizens by bigots, racists, theocrats, and corporatists.
This particular progressive is NOT OK with reductions in those things at all.
Before we fuck the next generations over, wondering in our old age, just what the fuck happened to the world, praying that we don't become so feeble as to actually need that damaged generation to get us through, why don't we focus on the asses who are taking money out of the system, selfish fucks, who will spend a dollar not to pay their dime in fair share?
How about we stop the insane trade policy, and tax loopholes that have taken so much revenue out of the system so as to create a false crisis, in the hopes that the masses of ordinary, well meaning people, already fucked over by these kinds of cuts, unable to critically think for themselves in their best interests will knee jerk the programs away, so that the selfish, greedy, people of low character, and shallow minds, who can't stand the idea that these programs work and that stand as a shining example of the complete, profound, and total ideological failure they, and their ideas are, won't have to face that failure, happy to live in deep pools of blame and shame, un-impacted because of their likely drug addled, shallow, empty minds.
Do you need more on those topics? By all means, I'm here to help. Tell me who needs to feel the love, and where they are, and I'm perfectly happy to get it done proper.
You are welcome.
Now, back on topic. I've not yet seen any NEW Republican ideas. What I have seen is new ways to devalue existing ideas on the table, even their own ideas, simply for political gain. I've seen new and creative ways to abuse the civics, including that nice multi-million dollar, anonymous swift boating en-masse, Citizens United circle jerk about to start.
No word on the possibility, or viability, or even practicality of the ideas and people being favored. I'm not hearing that. I'm only hearing and seeing the tearing down of anything that has any momentum away from the Colorado Springs vision of America, where the freedom to be as big of a selfish fuck as possible, is alive and well, thank you, please pay at the door to your left, as we all carry our own weight, with our own money here, please, and thank you --don't forget your own TP for the can, because we all wipe our own ass here, and don't you forget it.
I don't even see reasonable debate on the ideas they do have, tired as they are. I'm serious about that. The GOP is about fear, uncertainty, and doubt, and works to feed and grow on the backs of the most fearful, selfish, socially regressive, and dumb people that exist among us.
More harsh words?
Yeah. You bet. At least "the Progressives", who happen to be the ONLY MOVEMENT OF SIZE, actually pulling for, and well aligned with the needs of the middle class, as opposed to the big corporations, who exported it for their own gain, happen to have lots of new ideas, great people, spirited debates, and a willingness to work for it, knowing full well the asses that got us here will likely benefit too, but that's ok, because it's just the right thing to do.
I've not seen anybody in the GOP do something because it's the right thing to do, unless it's "Bob says God Says"
We could very, very easily do worse, and the constant vilification of progressive minded people, completely ignores the fact that one does not have to be liberal to be progressive, as I'm sure the few remaining real conservatives, not sucked into a Rand Paul love fest would easily tell you.
I don't have a lot of respect for most of the GOP right now, home of the 23 percenters. Yeah, that's right. Every asshole in the nation, who has a social or financial axe to grind, is right there, GOP central, willing to let the world burn, so the gay people don't marry.
Frankly, I think the expansion of dumbed down, corporate mega-entertainment, coupled with unlimited dollars in politics is going to trump, simple, American civic values, sending us down a very bad path again. You watch too. The same asses that asked for it, will walk this world in denial, eager to point the finger at "those other people", because lord knows it can't be them again right?
Yeah. You GOP clowns get back to me, when you've got something material to say.
Posted on August 16, 2010 - 09:59 PM
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