Ah life in Bush's America

folks I do now believe that if we have clean elections, the Dems will take the white house in quite possibly a historic landslide.

Many of you know that I have helped Troops at your local PX make the bill by paying for milk, or other necessities of life they
can't pay for, such as diapers.

Well, today I had to go to the store in a nice middle class neighborhood in So Cal... as far from a Navy Base as you can get

The lady in front of me could not pay the full bill. Middle class... so I paid for the difference. She knew that her full bill ran X amount, for what she bought today... but inflation overtook that. She was quite distraught by the whole situation... and I just asked the cashier, a couple times, how much more? He, for whatever reason, perhaps is against store policy, or didn't want to do it... I have no clue... didn't tell me, until after the fourth time he did... and I paid the differential. I must admit, it was more than the usual diapers or three gallons of milk at the exchange... but this is the reason why I am telling you... elections are clean, does not matter who the Dems put forth, even, as the joke goes, a yellow dog.

Oh and as far as the lady is concerned, she was embarrassed by me paying for her... but I told her, someday somebody else will need help... help them then.

And for god sakes, I do hope none of us find ourselves in her situation, scrambling for the last bloody cent and not being enough... since last week, the bill did not amount to this. And yes folks, this is inflation and life under Chicago School Economics. I doubt most folks that saw this will connect the dots, but they know they are hurting... and they know they want change.

So many are struggling with inflation...or is it recession?!?!
It's a massive dose of both, and the middle class is in the crucible.

a tool of Chicago School to destroy a middle class.

Been readying Naomi Kelin's book and so many things are much more clear now

PS it is also my belief that we, as a society, may have to revolt... and reject this shit, but the first step is to break anomie and help each other

every time I go to the store I see a jump in prices. It is downright scary!!!

O8) :hug:

:hug:

Connect the dots. That's what it's about.

What you do to one you do to all.

And the people who saw it... well folks, (since this is a borderline liberal area of town) this is what real "Christian" kindness looks like.

Why the quotation marks? I am Jewish.

:-)

according to the government. It's the economic crunch, more than anything else, that will propel the Democrats into the White House t his year. People are tired of working harder than they ever have in their lives and barely making enough to pay the bills, with nothing left to save or spend for "fun". Economists are saying a recession could be coming this year, and I say, if it has to come, bring it on! to quote the prez.

in Bush's America. For the record, it started under Clinton. But things such as Food and energy are not part of the statistic, as they are in most countries. If they were.. I am betting real inflation is close to 25% right about now

Cloth diapers are cheaper and more eco-friendly.

I have helped around, diapers are part of it.

And since he has outsourced many more than he has created, that would a tough deal for her. Why oh why do middle class repugs continue too vote against their own financial best interests? You can't eat a gun or bullets or a bible for that matter, well maybe you could but it wouldn't' be very nutritious.

:-)

And why? The scam has been running for 30+ years... and it took a depression to break the spell last time around

He always told us kids, "Never a borrower nor a lender, be. Smart man, my dad!

And in many ways so am I

It's a challenge because this is a working class neighborhood. None of us have much to spare and we sign at the grocery store last week of the month.

But, we've found some work for five people. It isn't much but it puts money in their pockets that is theirs. It's not rent but it is food and bus fare, at least. Housing is more than we can do on our own at the moment although I notice, having gotten this far involved, some of my neighbors are slowly understanding that city hall is actively fighting affordable housing.

Stay close. Help each other. :grouphug:

and usually the working poor are the first to get hit... but once it hits the middle class....

That is when people finally notice... the old adage about affecting you...

And also, break the silence

Piping up is the most powerful move.

Great post, nadin. :hug:

About ten years ago, I was riding the train from NY to NJ, when a poor old African-American lady culdn't make her fare. She was going back and forth, loud enough for everyone in the compartment to hear (but not yelling, not even close, it was quiet and she was worried, pleading, not aggreesive in the least) with the conductor about what she could do, and it what straits she was in.

I'd like to lie and say that I stood up and paid her fare. I didn't. Mind you (and this is no excuse) it was during the Clinton Adminstration and I was not nearly as aware of the growing numbers of poor and downtrodden, my fellow Americans and human beings.

To be honest, it never even occurred to me to help her out for the minute or so the dialogue went on, I just squirmed uncomfortably. And isn't that a lovely metaphor for those of us who sleepwalked through those "happy, prosperous times" oblivious to everything else that was going on.

I cannot remember her story, but finally an African-American couple paid for her fare after about two minutes or more in the silent car, only broken by the lady and the conductor discvussing, him finally saying, "I'm sorry but you are going to have to get off at the next station."

Thank God for that. Thank God for you, nadin. And curse myself and all of us who slept while our country was dying. Curse all the rest who continue to sleepwalk as our nation and future are sold out to the most ruthless among us.

And I hope the next time something like that happens in my presence, that I have your strength and kind heart to do something about it.

and this is one way to break it.


It is also stunning to me that people find increasingly themselves in these kinds of straits, and the country is STILL sleep walking.

And those chances come every so often. I'll admit, at the PX it happens more often than not, since E-4 and bellow with a wife (or husband) and two kids, are on food stamps... and working poor... but tonight I was stunned to see it at a supermarket mostly frequented by middle class Americans.

That is when I realized... does not matter who our party puts forth, as I listen to the debate it entered wonky territory a while ago, any of these folks will do right for people like this desperate woman. And it does not matter if she votes for them or not... after all we are in an area of the country where there are good odds she will vote against her best interests... and that is the reality of where I live too.

Yes, even Senator Clinton will do right by her. That said I will be voting in the coming week or so... to make sure my vote is counted in the primary, as I will be most likely fly to Mexico with mom and dad, the latter broke his hip, and mom cannot do things such as lift the wheelchair we ordered... so I need to vote early at the registrar... and my vote if for Edwards. To me, he is the pit-bull in the bunch but all will try to be fair and do well by her... and many like her.

I also have to say, I have not seen that desperation in anybody;s eyes since my time as a medic in Tijuana...

P.S. The working poor have been in a recession for a VERY LONG time. And, the poor, well, they are in survival mode. How can a person living on a monthly SSI check of $400-600 budget?

If only they worked harder, got a different degree, etc., etc., etc, they'd be in a better financial position. Hubby's a doctor, and our money's a lot tighter than we'd expected by this point in his career. No expensive cars, no private school, tightened budget for Christmas, cutting back on road trips to see family, cutting way back on food budget, and it's still tighter than I'd like. I'm trying to figure out where to cut in the budget to get more into savings.

:hug:

and you know what? As I told Tom, I have not seen that desperation since oh my days as a medic in a developing world country, or, you will be familiar with this... NOLA.