Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
2/2/12
7/22/11
Song Of The Day: Tramp The Dirt Down
This song is really for Maggie Thatcher, but it is so illustrative of the avarice shown by our own idiot politicians I just had to post it. And I love Elvis.
Tramp The Dirt Down by Elvis Costello
I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's
Face in her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice
Coming down on that child's lips
Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the lord my soul to save
Oh I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live
Long enough to savor
That's when they finally put you in the ground
Ill stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down
When England was the whore of the world
Margaret was her madam
And the future looked as bright and as clear as
The black tarmacadam
Well I hope that she sleeps well at night, isn't
Haunted by every tiny detail
Cos when she held that lovely face in her hands
All she thought of was betrayal
And now the cynical ones say that it all ends the same in the long run
Try telling that to the desperate father who just squeezed the life from his only son
And how it's only voices in your head and dreams you never dreamed
Try telling him the subtle difference between justice and contempt
Try telling me she isn't angry with this pitiful discontent
When they flaunt it in your face as you line up for punishment
And then expect you to say thank you straighten up, look proud and pleased
Because you've only got the symptoms, you haven't got the whole disease
Just like a schoolboy, whose heads like a tin-can
Filled up with dreams then poured down the drain
Try telling that to the boys on both sides, being blown to bits or beaten and maimed
Who takes all the glory and none of the shame
Well I hope you live long now, I pray the lord your soul to keep
I think I'll be going before we fold our arms and start to weep
I never thought for a moment that human life could be so cheap
Cos when they finally put you in the ground
They'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down
Tramp The Dirt Down by Elvis Costello
I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's
Face in her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice
Coming down on that child's lips
Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the lord my soul to save
Oh I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live
Long enough to savor
That's when they finally put you in the ground
Ill stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down
When England was the whore of the world
Margaret was her madam
And the future looked as bright and as clear as
The black tarmacadam
Well I hope that she sleeps well at night, isn't
Haunted by every tiny detail
Cos when she held that lovely face in her hands
All she thought of was betrayal
And now the cynical ones say that it all ends the same in the long run
Try telling that to the desperate father who just squeezed the life from his only son
And how it's only voices in your head and dreams you never dreamed
Try telling him the subtle difference between justice and contempt
Try telling me she isn't angry with this pitiful discontent
When they flaunt it in your face as you line up for punishment
And then expect you to say thank you straighten up, look proud and pleased
Because you've only got the symptoms, you haven't got the whole disease
Just like a schoolboy, whose heads like a tin-can
Filled up with dreams then poured down the drain
Try telling that to the boys on both sides, being blown to bits or beaten and maimed
Who takes all the glory and none of the shame
Well I hope you live long now, I pray the lord your soul to keep
I think I'll be going before we fold our arms and start to weep
I never thought for a moment that human life could be so cheap
Cos when they finally put you in the ground
They'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down
12/18/10
11/19/10
11/14/10
Song Of The Day: Tramp The Dirt Down
I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's
face in her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice
coming down on that child's lips
Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the Lord my soul to save
Oh I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live
long enough to savour
That's when they finally put you in the ground
I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down
When England was the whore of the world
Margaret was her madam
And the future looked as bright and as clear as
the black tarmacadam
Well I hope that she sleeps well at night, isn't
haunted by every tiny detail
'Cos when she held that lovely face in her hands
all she thought of was betrayal
And now the cynical ones say that it all ends the same in the long run
Try telling that to the desperate father who just squeezed the life from his
only son
And how it's only voices in your head and dreams you never dreamt
Try telling him the subtle difference between justice and contempt
Try telling me she isn't angry with this pitiful discontent
When they flaunt it in your face as you line up for punishment
And then expect you to say "Thank you" straighten up, look proud and pleased
Because you've only got the symptoms, you haven't got the whole disease
Just like a schoolboy, whose head's like a tin-can
filled up with dreams then poured down the drain
Try telling that to the boys on both sides, being blown to bits or beaten and
maimed
Who takes all the glory and none of the shame
Well I hope you live long now, I pray the Lord your soul to keep
I think I'll be going before we fold our arms and start to weep
I never thought for a moment that human life could be so cheap
'Cos when they finally put you in the ground
They'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down
11/6/10
9/23/10
Don't Buy It
America is a commercial. Everything gets done because someone found a solution to a problem we didn't have, and they sold it to us, and we bought it. Suckers.
The Republicans want to privatize the Veteran's Administration as one of many "new solutions to healthcare" because privatization will clearly be better and more personal and more suited to your specific needs (cough).
Won't any doctor deal with your specific needs, no matter what channel the money flows through, as long as they get paid? Of course. It's not about your needs when politicians tell you they need to make 700 versions of something to suit all the different needs of our diverse country. We're fucking human. Not so diverse! We need bones set, cancer abated, wounds healed, ailments diagnosed, and the other doctor stuff.
Health care delivery should be done in the least expensive way possible. Hell, everything should be, from a business perspective, right? So who in their right fucking mind would want anything other than universal health care. They wouldn't. But they got suckered. They bought what the politicians were selling. And the rich benefit because they own the politicians. We all know that. That was the plan. And on and on.
The Republicans want to privatize Social Security and let Wall Street have at it, even though it would cost, like, 5 times more to administer privately. But they want you to have more choices, or something.
Republicans want to "lower" taxes by continuing Bush Billionaire Bailout because "small businesses" will get crushed if we don't. Small businesses like Bechtel. Right.
The Republicans want to ban abortion. Period. To save the unborn, for Jesus. Or something.
The super-rich--especially the Billionaire Boy's Club of Bill Gates, Eli Broad, the Waltons, and Mike Bloomberg. I hate those guys--see an opportunity to suck a new market dry. Billions of dollars are being earmarked for unproven, uninformed, and damaging structural changes in public education. The media are seeing their opportunity to use the unfounded fear of shitty teachers and unions run amok to get in on the edufeast as well. All because they won't fess up to the poverty they help maintain as a cause of poor graduation rates. It's the poverty, stupid.
Democrats run around scared of being yelled at because they, like the Republicans, are selling you something you don't need. They are politicians first. Democrats, well, maybe second?
You don't need Social Security, the Veteran's Administration, Medicare, or anything else privatized. They will continue to tell you that you need more choices. No. They need you to be confused so you will be scared and vote for them when they lie to you.
Those politicians are selling you something you don't need. They are pushing it. They are pushers. Damn the pusher-man.
The Republicans want to privatize the Veteran's Administration as one of many "new solutions to healthcare" because privatization will clearly be better and more personal and more suited to your specific needs (cough).
Won't any doctor deal with your specific needs, no matter what channel the money flows through, as long as they get paid? Of course. It's not about your needs when politicians tell you they need to make 700 versions of something to suit all the different needs of our diverse country. We're fucking human. Not so diverse! We need bones set, cancer abated, wounds healed, ailments diagnosed, and the other doctor stuff.
Health care delivery should be done in the least expensive way possible. Hell, everything should be, from a business perspective, right? So who in their right fucking mind would want anything other than universal health care. They wouldn't. But they got suckered. They bought what the politicians were selling. And the rich benefit because they own the politicians. We all know that. That was the plan. And on and on.
The Republicans want to privatize Social Security and let Wall Street have at it, even though it would cost, like, 5 times more to administer privately. But they want you to have more choices, or something.
Republicans want to "lower" taxes by continuing Bush Billionaire Bailout because "small businesses" will get crushed if we don't. Small businesses like Bechtel. Right.
The Republicans want to ban abortion. Period. To save the unborn, for Jesus. Or something.
The super-rich--especially the Billionaire Boy's Club of Bill Gates, Eli Broad, the Waltons, and Mike Bloomberg. I hate those guys--see an opportunity to suck a new market dry. Billions of dollars are being earmarked for unproven, uninformed, and damaging structural changes in public education. The media are seeing their opportunity to use the unfounded fear of shitty teachers and unions run amok to get in on the edufeast as well. All because they won't fess up to the poverty they help maintain as a cause of poor graduation rates. It's the poverty, stupid.
Democrats run around scared of being yelled at because they, like the Republicans, are selling you something you don't need. They are politicians first. Democrats, well, maybe second?
You don't need Social Security, the Veteran's Administration, Medicare, or anything else privatized. They will continue to tell you that you need more choices. No. They need you to be confused so you will be scared and vote for them when they lie to you.
Those politicians are selling you something you don't need. They are pushing it. They are pushers. Damn the pusher-man.
8/4/10
Smart Advertising Executive Gives Democrats A Lesson In Marketing
A friend of mine started a blog. This appears to be the first post. Yeah, he's pretty smart.
End Bush Billionaire Bailout
By Josh Weltman
If Democrats want to end the “Bush Tax Cuts” they should all start calling the program the "Bush Billionaire Bailout.”
Democrats have good ideas. Ending the the Bush Tax Cuts is a good idea. Letting the cuts expire would raise the tax rate 2% on the wealthiest Americans, people who make over 250K a year. Some even make over a billion. During a recession, when times are tough, asking the strongest to carry a bit more weight is a good idea. It should not be hard to sell. But Democrats are bad salesmen.
Time and time again, Democrats stand helplessly by and watch Republicans paint shitty ideas gold and sell the sparkling turds to the American public. Getting “Government off people’s backs,” ending the “Death Tax,” the “War on Terror,” are all proven bad ideas wrapped in great words that sell hard.
But Democrats don’t even know how to sell their good ideas. I don't know why. Maybe Democrats think their ideas are so good they'll sell themselves.
They won't.
Maybe they think selling will over simplify their nuanced elegant programs, plans and solutions.
It will. That's the point.
People don't want nuanced and elegant choices. People don’t even want good choices. People want easy choices. Good salesmen know this. Republicans know this. Democrats can’t seem to get it through their thick pointed heads.
Why, for example, if Democrats want to get rid of the Bush Tax Cuts, are they calling them the "Bush Tax Cuts." Who doesn’t like a “Tax Cut?” I like “Tax Cuts.” Every American likes a "Tax Cut." They are never going to sell Americans on ending a "Tax Cut."
Democrats control the White House, the House and the Senate, but what’s frustrating as hell is their unwillingness to take control the political debate. -- To sell their ideas.
They let Republican strategist control the debate. They let Fox News control the daily news cycle. And they let pollsters like Frank Luntz control the words used to frame ideas.
Democrats should take control of this one. And sell it hard. Get together and pull a Luntz. Rename the “Bush Tax Cuts” the "Bush Billionaire Bailout." -- Americans hate bailouts. You don’t need no high priced Washington pollster to tell you that. Try it. And listen to what people say.
It’ll sound like this.
A Billionaire Bailout! Are you serious! During a recession? With one in six Americans out of work! Republicans want to continue the "BUSH BILLIONAIRE BAILOUT!
No freaking way!
That Billionaire Bailout thing has got to stop! And anyone who wants to keep that Billionaire Bailout thing, they can take a hike too.
Listen Democrats. Hear that? Don’t it sound sweet? It’s the sound of Americans buying a good idea.
Are you sold?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
