The Color of Greed

Someone recently said something to me about school districts in a certain city. The districts had been recently taken over the state because the local school boards were failing their mission.  You know, blacks enriching themselves at the expense of other blacks.

As if that's somehow unique to African Americans.

Huh. That's interesting. Because....

Bernie Madoff. White.

Enron. The smartest guys in the room. Remember them? Mostly pasty white.

Source (2006)

Jack Abramoff. Just because I have a crush on him, doesn't mean he isn't  slime.

The Robber Barons. They look pretty white. And look how gleeful all the money made them.

And the biggest whiner.

Enriching himself at the expense of all ethnic groups and his god.

I'm sure these two need no introduction. Pay no attention to  Trump's tanning goggle lines.

Nor these two.

And lest you think I believe it's all on one side of the political spectrum....

James Traficant and his Hair of Corruption.

Good old Rostenkowski. What?

In case you wonder how it's done.

Or why....now these fellas look happy. Wonder why?

Unemployment Diary: Hallmark's Cards for the Unemployed

Echoes here, doesn't it?

I've been trying to come up with a post, but the news is so bad, the brainpan so desolate, I can't think of what to say. The depression or The Depression?

MathMan showed me an article that made me want to nutpunch somebody. An irrational response, but there it is. My reaction was visceral. What, you may wonder, could upset me so?

Hallmark has launched a series of cards offering - - what? condolences for a career? get well from your unemployment spurred depression? watch your savings go Over the Hill? -- yeah, Hallmark now makes a card you can run out and purchase when your friends and assorted accomplices lose their jobs.

Swell, huh?

I think it's charming how the people in the HuffPo article who support the idea have jobs or will be hawking the damn things. Sure, sure, Hallmark is responding to consumer need out of the goodness of their hearts. In that case, they should be giving them away.

Do I sound bitter? I know I do. After 21 months without a job and having only had three interviews in that time, I'm back to bitter. I've already cycled through all the other fucking emotions. There are millions just like me out there. And by out there, I mean your friends, your neighbors, the guy biting his nails to the quick as he watches the dollars rack up as he pumps his gas. And the longer we go without a job, the harder it's getting to find a job.

Listen, if you ever make the tremendous mistake of sending one of these cards, please be sure to include a check, some cash or a prepaid credit card. Because your friends don't need another piece of paper to remind them that times are about to get even tougher. They need help. If you can't give them a job, give them something that will help them no matter how temporarily. Ten minutes of not worrying about how you're going to pay your bills is ten minutes less than you would be worrying.

And when you're in this situation, any time not worrying about money or bills or finding a job or what assholes say about the unemployed is a good time.

Fred Flintstone, Governor of New Jersey

I hear people say they like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Yeah, you like him like you like Fred Flintstone. You're willing to overlook his obnoxious behavior because he comes across like some kind of regular guy. A straight shooter. An ethnic Archie Bunker in a tie.

Well, the truth is he's an obnoxious jerk who's really only in it for himself. I don't think for one second that his vision has anything more to do with the greater good than does that of Dick Cheney or the Koch Brothers. He's about Chris Christie and his power. And he doesn't give a shit which little people he has to step on to obtain it.

His behavior toward his constituents tells you everything you need to know about how little he respects them.

People just give Christie a pass because he looks like your dumbass cousin Tom who doesn't give a shit whether anyone likes him or not either. It's a phenomena that needs a name. We think we like those people who do their utmost to repel us. We think if we like them, then they'll like us back and we'll be in some special club.

We're not after the guy who likes everyone. Think Mitt Romney, my friend, who is so heck bent on making people like him that he's performing more intricate dance steps than Chaz Bono will do on Dancing with the Stars. I get dizzy just listening to Mittens.

To his credit Christie did defend his choice of a Muslim judge when the haters turned up the steam on their Muslim disgust, but that just goes to show you that it remains a universal truth that rarely, if ever will you find someone who is all bad or all good.

No, Christie's exactly what he seems. A kiss up, kick down bully who wants to cut social services and programs that we've all worked long and hard for. And why? So that rich people can keep more of their money, of course. And so that people who contribute to him might make a profit off privatized things like education and libraries. But don't believe me. Read for yourself, my darlings.

Don't be fooled. Just because someone looks like they'd sit right down with you at Ryan's Buffet and enjoy the hell out of those  cinnamon rolls doesn't mean they get you. Trust me, Chris Christie doesn't even see the point of getting you. 

Bought

Source

Sometimes it seems like they only let us vote to add some legitimacy to their crimes against The People.

Source

I don't think anyone leaves Congress with less money than they came with these days. And if they do, they're obviously doing it wrong.

If any of my kids tell me that they plan to run for state or federal office, I'm going to jump up and click my heels because at least then I can count on a spot in one of the nicer nursing homes.