Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Daydream Believer and a Homecoming Queen


John McClane(L)
John McCain(R)

I believe this election is still close because a great number of the voting populace have confused John McCain with John McClane, of the "Die Hard" movies. We certainly need a "Yippie Ki-Yay" kind of guy right about now, but I think Bruce Willis is in a House of Blues somewhere blowing harp. So we're left with surly tough-guy John McCain applying for the lead role in the next disaster classic, "Soft Money Dies Hard." He's going to "clean up Wall Street" and "reform the Old-Boy Network in Washington." He's going to "follow Bin Laden to the Gates of Hell," because, as McCain/McClane says, "I know how to win wars." Like that one against the villian who blew up an office building. Now that he's cast Sarah Palin as his wisecracking, gun toting, sidekick, we have either a blockbuster, or a sit-com waiting to happen.

There's nothing like a total economic collapse to re-focus the attention. As a lay observer of the Bush economy, I posted an article about this a year ago that I encourage you to revisit by clicking on the title of this piece. But that great ship, the no-holds-barred U.S.S. Free Market, has hit the iceberg and there aren't enough life rafts to go around. And then, the deregulating, anti-government greedheads who have placed us all in this rudderless boat, have the fucking gall to come before Congress and ask for $700 Billion dollars to pass out bail-buckets to Wall Street, but only if no questions are asked, and we must act immediately. Sec. Henry Paulson, the one doing the asking, is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and has surrounded himself with GS execs to assist him in the current crisis, even while Goldman Sachs is one of the firms in danger of collapse. I don't see any brokers jumping off the ledges yet, so shouldn't we all just stop and take a deep breath?

I'm the first to admit I don't know Freddie Mac from Bernie Mac, except for they both recently died, so I appreciate John McCain's honesty in admitting that economic matters aren't his strong suit. But to suggest a "9/11 style commission" to study the problem when you've just been told the economy is teetering on the verge of the Great Depression Part II, is the equivalent of sitting in a classroom reading "My Pet Goat" when the country is under attack. Now, McCain is eviscerating the very culture he helped to create in his "Maverick" days as "The Great De-Regulator." Only Ronald Reagan patented that fake cowboy stuff 30 years ago, and what Bush the Elder once called "Voodoo Economics," has now come to its' full fruition. Things finally "trickled down" alright, all over me and you. But I don't want Dr. Phil Gramm, the architect of removing institutional regulation like stripping varnish, to be Secretary of the Treasury after the "Ownership Society" has just become the "Borrower Society."

The implosion of the McCain campaign is further evidenced by the Disneyesque, manufactured Sarah Palin bubble that is just about to burst. After being secluded like a college student cramming for finals and being tutored in politics by former Bush operatives, the Palin camp made a serious blunder in trying to manage the media on her meet-and-greet at the United Nations. Attempting to ban a pool reporter from the room while allowing photographers to capture the friendly smiles is an old Soviet-style propaganda stunt. Someone should remind the Governor that in the lower 48, we still maintain that quaint "Freedom of the Press" thing, and sooner, rather than later, she will have to subject herself to the same scrutiny every other candidate must face. In 1980, Geraldine Ferraro's glow fell victim to her husband's sleazy business associates. Should the "First Dude" receive a similar examination of his secessionist views since his wife wants to hold office in this country? Tomorrow, Sarah has a photo shoot with Bono, who's a pacifist, so I hope she washed the blood off of her hands after meeting with Henry Kissinger today.

How anyone could support a candidate who's entire political career has been a trajectory leading to the current crisis is beyond me. His answer to provocation is force; his answer to fiscal crisis is committee. I don't know about you, but I am not a Georgian today, and I will not send my stepson into another politician's misguided war. Our country is being drained, financially and militarily, by the expenses of occupying a sovereign nation and our collapsing financial institutions, but John McCain "can't wait to introduce Sarah Palin to Washington." It's too late for introductions, but I'd like to get in my request. I am an entertainer who serves a societal purpose, and I made some bad investments several years ago that have affected my ability to perform happily. I would like the government to bail me out and reimburse my losses, or I could be too stressed to sing at Woofstock, the music festival for pets, in Overton Park next Sunday afternoon. That would be a huge loss for canine morale, and payback is a dog. This might be a job for John McLane.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

So where are all the comments? What's wrong with you people? Who out there has not had enough of dealing with stupid people in power? Ready now....my anger is available if no one else's isn't.

Suppose you have a sick child. This is a very sick child. Your only child. The doctor in which you've invested all your faith to save your baby has hired a number of specialists because the diagnosis and the potential treatment options are unclear. Your baby just vomited blood and her eyes are spinning around in her head. You've never been so scared......and rightly so. You sit down and talk to the specialist who has been brought in to take care of her falling blood count and you notice that when you ask what is wrong with your baby and what is the plan to get her counts up you don't get an answer that addresses your question. You say, "why are the counts going down and what can we do to prevent them from dropping any further?" You hear, "I know a lot about blood counts, I can see the Blood Bank from my kitchen window." You ask, "Are you sure that the Pulmonary physician is right who suggested that the blood counts were low because of the lung infection that has dulled the bone marrow's capacity to make red blood cells, doctor?" You hear, "I have never reallys spoken to your Pulmonary doctor or any other pulmonary doctor. I usually ask my husband about things." You ask, "Do you really think that surgery is the right thing to do right now with her being so weak and her blood counts being so low, dear doctor?" You hear, "I always suggest surgery for most everything. Why spend precious time thinking about what to do?"

Sarah Sarah Full of Grace, your elevation to candidate for the Vice Presidency of the United States may be one of our saddest moments as a nation. It speaks to the utter dumbing down of a ONCE great nation such that we will kill our children (literally and figuratively) as well as their prospects ...along with any national self esteem we might have left.

Remember people. The folks who designed this nation were the highest of the intellectual elite. Tom Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, George Washington. Does anyone out there realize this? Does anyone realize that the complications in the thought process that could create a Declaration of Independence is that of the highest order. High IQ, unfortunately is an absolute requirement for the job. Without a high horse power engine upstairs mistakes large and small and gigantic are the only possible outcome....there's just too much that needs considering before actions are taken. You've got to be able to see miles down the road before you even put your foot down on it.

Sarah Palin would not be Tom Jefferson's choice to be VP. Let's get real. McCain has thrown us to the wolves that are still left standing in Alaska...those that she hasn't shot from a small fixed wing airplane.

Give me a break!! Even Rome went down with more grace than this. If this wasn't actually about life and death, because it is, than I could just be embarrassed. But because people will die in our country and other people's countries either from our guns or from our inability to control our financial markets this is dead serious.

Don't embarrass yourself and your country any more. Vote for brains and wisdom, for intelligence, and the capacity to understand nuance, for a steady hand on the tiller, and an FDR type approach to a country that is going down the tubes.

Get smart, for God's sakes! Stupid is as stupid does.

Anonymous said...

Very well said. I forwarded this to a few friends. Very well done Right ON !
So who does one vote for? I personally can not vote. I am a LEGAL immigrant with a legal card
and papers and have been paying taxes since the day I arrived. I already knew the language (no press 2
on the phone) I thought of going back to my old country. My friends tell me Muslims are coming in
daily .Citizens are marrying Muslims and calling their kids Mohammed etc. See the invasion in London.
I know this is a lot of propaganda but very scary. So what are we suppose to do if I could vote ?
Is the other guy trustworthy ? We are living in such a dangerous world. One can not believe E mails
any longer. but I have a few I will forward to you. I don't know what to think of them Please ignore
these E mails if they offend you. I am not forwarding political E mails any longer. Don't trust any of them.
Thanks for sending this E mail to me.

Anonymous said...

will you explain "what is it that wall street has been doing that is failing and causing this stress"?
do you have access to info that explains what a "derrivitives" (and other such current terms) are?
how do they help me? who do they help?
if the "people" being rescued by the 700 bil are not rescued will we all drown?
how will it affect us (meaning our family).
should we collectively plant a garden and keep chickens?

b

Anonymous said...

RIGHT ON & RIGHT UP, RH! It is a form of insanity that EVERYONE is complaining about EVERYTHING.. but yet a lot of folks say they will be voting for McCain/Palin! LADIES & GENTLEMEN, INTRODUCING NEW & IMPROVED BUSH POLICIES!! WHAAA??!!
I certainly don't look at Obama as "The Second Coming," but if this Nation is headed to hell, I would at least like to try a different road map! Who knows? We may just find a smooth frontage road that will give us some relief from this miserable, rocky, pot-holed "Interstate Bush!"
I'm not looking for miracles, just a beginning! McCain looks like a bad ending to me.

Anonymous said...

REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

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I AM WORKING WITH MR. PHIL GRAM, LOBBYIST FOR UBS, WHO WILL BE MY
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ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR A RELIABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY PERSON WHO WILL ACT
AS A NEXT OF KIN SO THE FUNDS CAN BE TRANSFERRED.

PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, IRA AND COLLEGE FUND ACCOUNT NUMBERS
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THE FUNDS AND DETAILS ON THE TRANSFER OF YOUR 31% COMMISSION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY MINISTER OF TREASURY PAULSON

bbenton said...

If the current economic crisis is not enough to de-rail the Palin/McCain double talk express, then I guess the country will get what it deserves. Whether or not we are truly on the brink of a total economic meltdown is subject for debate but saving that one for another time, let's assume it is. What now? Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has put forth a plan that calls for the tax payers to foot a $750 trillion bailout that would still allow for bonuses to be paid to the CEO's of the very companies on the brink of failure and in typical Bush fashion, 'we can't wait another day and we can't expect anyone at the top to take an y responsibility, nor can we question what moves are made or even if they are legal'. Been there, done that. I doubt I will be the first one to point out that Paulson has been Treasury Secretary for 2 years now, which means he was there for nearly a year and a half before Bear Stearns collapsed. At that time, nearly every good mind on Wall Street said that Bear was just the 'tip of the iceberg' but at the same time, in March of this year, Paulson declared on ‘Meet The Press’ that the economy was strong and for the next 5 months he did little to solve the ever-growing problems. Now he comes up with a plan that needs to be done yesterday and without any oversight. Good job Pauly. If Congress caves in to this demand by the Bush Administration, then the Palin/McCain ticket may be the right one for the country. We are, after all, a country of the people, by the people and for the people where majority rules. If the majority in Washington is ignorant enough to cave into a lame duck Bush who is up to the same old tricks that got us into Iraq, then why should we think that the country who sent them there is smart enough to elect or even deserve Obama? The last two election cycles we elected a cheerleader to be president so why not go this time with the guy who still views the economy as ‘fundamentally strong’ and whose running mate measures foreign policy by the view out of her kitchen window?

Actually, I really think that this time it will be different. Hopefully, both Democrats and Republicans will stand up to Bush/Cheany and strike Section 8 of the plan, demanding oversight, striking the huge bonuses that would be paid by taxpayers to the failed executives that got us here and hopefully negotiate some sort of taxpayer relief should the plan actually work. Let’s not forget that if we in fact spend $750 trillion to buy bad assets, then at some point they will be sold at either a profit or a loss but as it stands now, there is no language in the plan that says the taxpayers will benefit from any recovery of money. I suspect that Democrats will demand oversight as they always do and Republicans will stand up to Bush because this time, they have nothing to lose except an election.

Anonymous said...

I've read this blog on a few other occasions and I am so very much more satisfied with the level of smart conversation I am reading today. I feel a little lift to my day now that I see there are a few smart people out there. Thank you Mr. Haskle.

Randy Haspel said...

Somebody better call Haley Barbour, McCain's just about to bust up his Ole Miss World's Fair. This transparent stunt could cost him the election, especially in Mississippi.

Anonymous said...

Yes,Not Your Average Girl, there are smart people out there,but I'm wondering if you are one of them. Check your spelling, it's Haspel, not Haskle. Sorry, but maybe you are average after all.

Anonymous said...

Gregg, you have made an eloquent commentary. I agree in principle with just about everything that you said. I just don't think that the requisite intelligence, wisdom, experience, etc., etc. are being offered by either candidacy. This is a crisis that demands the best that this country has, and I don't believe that those people are in sight. But, I am in agreement with just about everything that you so brilliantly addressed.

Anonymous said...

Amen! Amen! Amen! Preach Brother! I have a question: shouldn't somebody be on the witness stand, testifying before some congressional subcommittee about this crap? Uhm, ok. I have another question. Shouldn't somebody be in jail right about now? How in the hell can the actual BANKS fail and Wall Street struggle with more dips and dives than a swim team...and no one is in jail behind it? Didn't they put America's Homemaker, Martha Stewart in the slammer for some financial wrongdoings? Enron? MCI? Any of those ring a bell? Those companies have gone down the sewer but somehow these clowns on Wall Street is going to get a $700 billion dollar clean up for their f*** ups! I'm with you, man! Where is my bailout? Hell, I been struggling financially for a few years now, especially since I bought my house. I can't even get the PMI removed from my loan and these bastards will skip free with $700B in their coffers! McCain is a joke...always have been and always will be one.

Anonymous said...

Ya'll agree with each other so much. This site has become boring.

How can so many be so stupid.