Comments on: American Dream Gasps for Breath http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:07:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mulga Mumblebrain http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52595 Mulga Mumblebrain Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:45:45 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52595 The only reason social equity and equality improved in the US last century was fear of Communism. Once Gorbachev surrendered, understandably, to avoid a nuclear war with Reagan's motley crew of apocalypticists lusting for Armageddon, the plutocrats were able to resume the neo-feudal market capitalist project at full steam. The coming over to the capitalist camp of India and China provided hundreds of millions of low wage serfs to drive down First World wages. The working class suffered most in the Anglosphere countries where Reaganism, Thatcherism, Blairism and Clintonism all favoured the rich over the rest, to varying degrees. Of course this elite hyper-greed doesn't keep an economy ticking over. The masters can only have so many yachts, Porsches, luxury homes and trophy wives and mistresses, so mass consumption is still required. Alas, the US worker, with median wages below 1970s levels, and maxed out on debt, is a busted flush. Not that the plutocrats care. Their greed and contempt for others are rooted in their psyches, in the dessicated embryoes of their still-born souls. They cannot act in any other way, so until and unless they are removed from their current position of total global dominance, we will continue to career towards both neo-feudal serfdom and ecological collapse, and the hour is late. In fact I think we will discover soon that it is already too late, and the hell of violence, destruction and death visited upon Iraq, a vision of the things to come, will soon be the inescapable global reality. The only reason social equity and equality improved in the US last century was fear of Communism. Once Gorbachev surrendered, understandably, to avoid a nuclear war with Reagan’s motley crew of apocalypticists lusting for Armageddon, the plutocrats were able to resume the neo-feudal market capitalist project at full steam. The coming over to the capitalist camp of India and China provided hundreds of millions of low wage serfs to drive down First World wages. The working class suffered most in the Anglosphere countries where Reaganism, Thatcherism, Blairism and Clintonism all favoured the rich over the rest, to varying degrees.
Of course this elite hyper-greed doesn’t keep an economy ticking over. The masters can only have so many yachts, Porsches, luxury homes and trophy wives and mistresses, so mass consumption is still required. Alas, the US worker, with median wages below 1970s levels, and maxed out on debt, is a busted flush. Not that the plutocrats care. Their greed and contempt for others are rooted in their psyches, in the dessicated embryoes of their still-born souls. They cannot act in any other way, so until and unless they are removed from their current position of total global dominance, we will continue to career towards both neo-feudal serfdom and ecological collapse, and the hour is late. In fact I think we will discover soon that it is already too late, and the hell of violence, destruction and death visited upon Iraq, a vision of the things to come, will soon be the inescapable global reality.

]]> By: mjosef http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52518 mjosef Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:03:55 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52518 Here's to Don Hawkins, the voice of true humanity. Keep publishing, keep your head into the wind - a Dissident for our times. Here’s to Don Hawkins, the voice of true humanity. Keep publishing, keep your head into the wind – a Dissident for our times.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52485 Don Hawkins Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:32:24 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52485 Don't pay your bill's only get what you need. Do you really think a credit rating is going to help in the coming years? Of course this is happening right now for many many people and unplanned so let's plan it join the party. Is this a radical idea yes but not as radical as a few have plans for I am sure. Don’t pay your bill’s only get what you need. Do you really think a credit rating is going to help in the coming years? Of course this is happening right now for many many people and unplanned so let’s plan it join the party. Is this a radical idea yes but not as radical as a few have plans for I am sure.

]]> By: mike3 http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52478 mike3 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:23:39 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52478 So how can that be done? So how can that be done?

]]> By: mike3 http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52477 mike3 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:23:19 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52477 I believe Progress is always possible. But not the MATERIALISTIC thing we call "progress" today, i.e. gain more and more wealth and more and more material crap. If anything, abandoning that materialistic thing will be real progress. Getting rid of the plutocracy would be real progress. I believe Progress is always possible. But not the MATERIALISTIC thing we call “progress” today, i.e. gain more and more wealth and more and more material crap. If anything, abandoning that materialistic thing will be real progress. Getting rid of the plutocracy would be real progress.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52450 Don Hawkins Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:51:18 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52450 Then I sent this e-mail to CNBC. In the subject box I wrote, Like a rock. Hello, One of guests just said we meaning the States needs to dominate the World again. Don't you just love it when people talk like that? My first thoughts were USA USA drill baby drill and no new tax's. I wonder how many of your guests have read the book of knowledge. I always' like chapter one the first words. Chapter One People of Earth we are in deep do do. (unknown) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. Charles Dickens, “If you don't have a good ground organization, the message isn't going to get through, especially on a cold wintry night in January,” “The essence of the American dream is the understanding that we are here on this earth and in this land for a higher purpose: to discover-and develop to the fullest-our God-given potential. Anything that stands in the way of the dream, we must fight. Anything that enhances the dream, we must support.” Steve Forbes It's like the pre-World War II calm in Britain when I was a young man. No one did anything until bombs began to fall. We really don't notice climate change; it seems theoretical to most of us. When the first great climate disaster strikes, I hope we will all pull together just as if our nation was being invaded. James Lovelock The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. –Stephen Hawking Remember the book of knowledge is not written in stone feel free to make changes it's Ok. Don Read DV Mr. President? Then I sent this e-mail to CNBC. In the subject box I wrote, Like a rock.

Hello,
One of guests just said we meaning the States needs to dominate the World again. Don’t you just love it when people talk like that? My first thoughts were USA USA drill baby drill and no new tax’s. I wonder how many of your guests have read the book of knowledge. I always’ like chapter one the first words.

Chapter One
People of Earth we are in deep do do. (unknown)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Charles Dickens,

“If you don’t have a good ground organization, the message isn’t going to get through, especially on a cold wintry night in January,”

“The essence of the American dream is the understanding that we are here on this earth and in this land for a higher purpose: to discover-and develop to the fullest-our God-given potential. Anything that stands in the way of the dream, we must fight. Anything that enhances the dream, we must support.” Steve Forbes

It’s like the pre-World War II calm in Britain when I was a young man. No one did anything until bombs began to fall. We really don’t notice climate change; it seems theoretical to most of us. When the first great climate disaster strikes, I hope we will all pull together just as if our nation was being invaded. James Lovelock

The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. –Stephen Hawking

Remember the book of knowledge is not written in stone feel free to make changes it’s Ok.

Don

Read DV Mr. President?

]]> By: David http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52448 David Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:54:22 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52448 Mr. Becker: Thank you for using the words "dream" and "fabled" as in "american dream" and "fabled economic mobility." The first word implies non reality and the second a myth. Only children believe such things. And if this nation has an abundance of anything, it is children masquerading as adults. The wealthy and powerful have merely acted on another old saying: It's as easy as taking candy from a baby. Mr. Becker:

Thank you for using the words “dream” and “fabled” as in “american dream” and “fabled economic mobility.”

The first word implies non reality and the second a myth. Only children believe such things. And if this nation has an abundance of anything, it is children masquerading as adults.

The wealthy and powerful have merely acted on another old saying: It’s as easy as taking candy from a baby.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52444 Don Hawkins Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:49:20 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52444 I sent this e-mail to CNBC this morning, “If you don't have a good ground organization, the message isn't going to get through, especially on a cold wintry night in January,” Steve Forbes It's THE question now for every President's legacy. Are Americans better off than they were four years ago? Well, new information about America's wealth under President Bush ... You won't hear it anywhere else but on right here on Forbes on FOX.” Steve Forbes “The essence of the American dream is the understanding that we are here on this earth and in this land for a higher purpose: to discover-and develop to the fullest-our God-given potential. Anything that stands in the way of the dream, we must fight. Anything that enhances the dream, we must support.” Steve Forbes Mealy-mouthed rhetoric and poll-tested cliches are no substitute for a muscular, substantive agenda,” Steve Forbes Wow a good ground organization, the message isn't going to get through, especially on a cold wintry night in January. Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar”, every “supreme leader”, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. Carl Sagan Yes thousands of years we human’s have been going in between light and shadow and we are there now no more second chances we come to terms with ourselves or we don’t and the story doesn’t end it’s just that we will not be here to read it. The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. –Stephen Hawking I wonder is Steve Forbes on the dot I think we are all on a rainy wintry night in January in California. Muscular, substantive agenda. Freedom work's on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam and all those thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines on a cold wintry night in January. Don Read DV every corrupt politician, every “superstar”, every “supreme leader”, every saint and sinner because I have a feeling the next just 7 or 8 months we will get to see the good the bad and the ugly at new levels on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam in the known Universe. I sent this e-mail to CNBC this morning,

“If you don’t have a good ground organization, the message isn’t going to get through, especially on a cold wintry night in January,” Steve Forbes

It’s THE question now for every President’s legacy. Are Americans better off than they were four years ago? Well, new information about America’s wealth under President Bush … You won’t hear it anywhere else but on right here on Forbes on FOX.” Steve Forbes

“The essence of the American dream is the understanding that we are here on this earth and in this land for a higher purpose: to discover-and develop to the fullest-our God-given potential. Anything that stands in the way of the dream, we must fight. Anything that enhances the dream, we must support.” Steve Forbes

Mealy-mouthed rhetoric and poll-tested cliches are no substitute for a muscular, substantive agenda,” Steve Forbes

Wow a good ground organization, the message isn’t going to get through, especially on a cold wintry night in January.

Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar”, every “supreme leader”, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there — on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan

Yes thousands of years we human’s have been going in between light and shadow and we are there now no more second chances we come to terms with ourselves or we don’t and the story doesn’t end it’s just that we will not be here to read it.

The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. –Stephen Hawking

I wonder is Steve Forbes on the dot I think we are all on a rainy wintry night in January in California.

Muscular, substantive agenda. Freedom work’s on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam and all those thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines on a cold wintry night in January.

Don

Read DV every corrupt politician, every “superstar”, every “supreme leader”, every saint and sinner because I have a feeling the next just 7 or 8 months we will get to see the good the bad and the ugly at new levels on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam in the known Universe.

]]> By: balkas b b http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52442 balkas b b Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:34:09 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52442 at least some of us had expected that the richest people wld not only get richer, but also wld tighten the grip on econo-military-educational-informational aspects of our grim- and getting grimmer- reality as well. plutocratic quest for utter control of the planet is just begining. For them, there is no longer nationalism or laws; the only goal is to destroy socialism and obtain planet by any means. So, worsening for low[er] classes is to be expected. We can expect either the serial wars and dismemberment and puppetization of many lands to continue apace. And speeding ahead before some lands cld obtain some defensive means such as WMD or warming makes parts of the planet uninhabitable. plutocrats have always dreamt about the ultimate goal: utter control of people and known world. known world 6K yrs ago had been mesopotamia, anatolia, arab peninsula, and egypt. today the known world, is not only the planet but also the moon and beyond. tnx at least some of us had expected that the richest people wld not only get richer, but also wld tighten the grip on econo-military-educational-informational aspects of our grim- and getting grimmer- reality as well.

plutocratic quest for utter control of the planet is just begining. For them, there is no longer nationalism or laws; the only goal is to destroy socialism and obtain planet by any means.

So, worsening for low[er] classes is to be expected. We can expect either the serial wars and dismemberment and puppetization of many lands to continue apace.
And speeding ahead before some lands cld obtain some defensive means such as WMD or warming makes parts of the planet uninhabitable.
plutocrats have always dreamt about the ultimate goal: utter control of people and known world.
known world 6K yrs ago had been mesopotamia, anatolia, arab peninsula, and egypt.
today the known world, is not only the planet but also the moon and beyond.
tnx

]]> By: lichen http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52423 lichen Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:58:39 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52423 Yes, I agree, unlike the right wing scum who call themselves "constitutionalists" say, we do have a right to social/economic equality. Monbiot is right in that article; I remember coming across an idiot right here on this website who couldn't understand that, actually, the collapse of industrial civilization would be the equivalent of a right wing military coup on a worldwide basis--it would banish all of our left dreams and principles into the void. Only right wing scum would wish for that. But yes, through 100% green, non-nuclear fuels, and one child per female policy, we can shrink our population and our carbon footprint in a sustainable, equitable, kind way. Yes, I agree, unlike the right wing scum who call themselves “constitutionalists” say, we do have a right to social/economic equality.

Monbiot is right in that article; I remember coming across an idiot right here on this website who couldn’t understand that, actually, the collapse of industrial civilization would be the equivalent of a right wing military coup on a worldwide basis–it would banish all of our left dreams and principles into the void. Only right wing scum would wish for that. But yes, through 100% green, non-nuclear fuels, and one child per female policy, we can shrink our population and our carbon footprint in a sustainable, equitable, kind way.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52414 Don Hawkins Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:03:58 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52414 For those of you that read that article in the Guardian and a little more than an article there is still time but both men see one very important thing. What needs to be done to try is zero not even a band aid. A new way of thinking is needed and very sure to make things as simple as possible but not simpler is part of that. "People of Earth we are in deep do do", could be a real big start. For those of you that read that article in the Guardian and a little more than an article there is still time but both men see one very important thing. What needs to be done to try is zero not even a band aid. A new way of thinking is needed and very sure to make things as simple as possible but not simpler is part of that. “People of Earth we are in deep do do”, could be a real big start.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/american-dream-gasps-for-breath/#comment-52412 Don Hawkins Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:47:09 +0000 http://dissidentvoice.org/?p=9926#comment-52412 I thought the witting might change in a big way and it started let's see in just 6 months more I am sure. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/aug/17/environment-climate-change I thought the witting might change in a big way and it started let’s see in just 6 months more I am sure.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/aug/17/environment-climate-change

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