Archive for Commentary

Change Is Not Human Nature

October 10, 2011 Commentary, Current Events, Writing No comments

For example, they are doing construction on the roads in and around the campus of the University of Minnesota and as a result there are several detours you are forced to take in order to avoid the work being done.  For the past several weeks there was a section that forced all traffic to share the right hand lane in order to cross through an intersection that is undergoing a lot of work.  Today they changed the flow of traffic over to the left hand lane and as a result almost ever driver coming from either direction was momentarily stymied by this change, myself included.  It didn’t matter that they had put up new signage to indicate the direction of traffic, we had all become accustomed to the previous method.  We were comfortable and familiar with it even though we didn’t necessarily like it.  But things changed and so we followed our instinct to fight that change.  Just like now.  The Occupy Wall Street and other Occupy movements represent change.

The American Dream

October 8, 2011 Commentary, Current Events, Writing No comments

Someone once said, if you repeat a lie often enough it becomes the truth.

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The American Dream.  Wake up America, that dream ended a long time ago.  The American Dream is now a carrot on a stick that is being dangled in front you so that you will be lulled into a sense of complacency.  While many of you have been pursuing the American Dream a huge share of the nation’s economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top one-hundredth of one percent, who now make an average of $27 million per household.  The average income for the bottom 90 percent of us?  $31,244.  Yes, there are people in America living the dream but it ain’t you.  In 2010, CEO’s were making 343 times what the average worker took home.  But most of you do not care about this obscene gap because you are too busy watching the latest episode of your favorite show or downloading music or wondering when the next iPhone will be available.  Nobody complains as long as their ability to consume is unaffected.  You are blissfully complacent.  Ignorance is the new American Dream.

Wake up America.

Yes, Yes You Are A Part of the 99%

October 7, 2011 Commentary, Writing No comments

The Occupy Wall Street protests that are spreading across the nation have many average Americans scratching their heads.  They look in the mirror and do not see any kinship with the protesters in the news.  They have a good job and own their own home.  They drive a newer car and go to the movies and out to dinner on occasion.  They themselves are employed by a large corporation and have decent healthcare for their family.  They question why anyone would blame a corporation for the state of the economy.  They think that the protesters are all bored college students and disgruntled unemployed people who have not really tried to find a job.  Life is good.

But what happens to someone when they lose that good job for whatever reason?  What happens when they cannot immediately find another job or if they do find another job it pays much less and perhaps even lacks benefits?  What happens to these people when they realize that they do not have a great deal of cash in checking and savings and they still have to pay a mortgage, car payment and credit card bills on top of food, utilities and gas?

Are these people even thinking about what could happen to their good life or do they just assume that bad things only happen to other people?  They don’t grasp what is going on in this country today.  They cannot see just how bad corporate greed has gotten and how much worse things can get.  That large corporation that currently employs you and your friends has no obligation to keep you employed for the rest of your life.  When a corporation sees an opportunity to downsize the workforce or send jobs overseas in order to save money and generate profit that is exactly what they will do and worker be damned.  You defend the corporations out of ignorance.  Nobody is saying that all corporations must be dismantled.  We all understand that companies must exist in order to provide the goods and services that we all need and desire.  But the unchecked greed and lack of accountability must end.

Whether you like it or not and whether you see it or not, you are all a part of the 99%

The Buzz: My Day In Words

September 8, 2011 Commentary, Writing No comments

Today I had planned to throw down some ink in preparation of creating a new screen for one of the pieces I am displaying at my show in two weeks.  Sadly, I did not accomplish this task.  On the bright side, I played several relaxing rounds of MW2.  There is still time for me to edit some video that I shot from the Midtown Greenway so it looks like once again I have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  The End.

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