So, I always try and succeeded in keeping this about poetry or the process of it – I do this by writing directly about poetry/writing and indirectly, but today I break this tradition.
I’ve largely left my politics out of my work and certainly off this blog – I appreciate that there can be a connection and sometimes things need to be said – Like my poem ‘meditations on the death of a solider‘ – also available in my book hands on the hips (shameful, I know.) – there are other times that it has crept into my work on a slightly less obvious scale – as in ‘shortform. However, I have gone to minor pains to not allow others to learn of my political leanings for the simple reason that it has nothing to do with the appreciation of my poetry and words. While other creators have made their career about being one way or another or on a particular political topic I have never wanted this for myself, it is largely a personal decision.
There are many things I am not shy about as I see them as human issues and not political and other things I’ve managed to comment on without divulging my personal view – like in creating bumper stickers that say – Abortion – or – GUNS – or – Gay Agenda – – on these I have managed to keep my personal viewpoint secret (well, not the gay thing, I’m pretty open about that (also, this bumper sticker business idea – it’s mine, don’t steal it.))
Those bumper sticker will available soon, Here and anywhere else I can place a button.
This brings me to today. As I read commentary about the current debt issue and spending issues and who pays and who doesn’t – I let fly my political beliefs in response. I was sickened by the way our thought process has been framed from infancy. All public and private and religious institutions play into creating this framework and breaking it is near improbable – people simply cannot see where they really stand in the eyes of the political machine and in the eyes of the elite – which are one, working together to maintain status quo where it cannot simply rule.
– my comment is below –
I amazes me how many people are now casting blame on Obama alone for this – or how many people cast blame on the machine of the GOP – “they” will keep winning as long as they can keep us infighting about which side is right and which is evil – neither side is right or working for the better of the taxpayer/voter/citizen/mankind – both sides are in it for themselves – their own pocketbook, their own retirement. Think about how they always vote themselves new raises – every year and for a few years now there is no COLA for SS or Disability – that Vets gets their benefits razed in order to find the political machine – none of this is for our benefit – when will the populace wake up and realize that it isn’t GOP vs Dem – Not Left vs Right vs Middle – but US vs THEM. That is how they see it – if you aren’t in the top 3% you never will be and they will make damn sure of that – the 97% without a real voice need to work together, because combined – we have the guns, we have the numbers, we have the ability to change everything – damn near overnight – this can be done peacefully and damn well should start now.
EDIT: – Cathy commented (see below) and I I responded with full heart about the health care thing. I thought it was well written enough to post here. a little redacted at the end and keep in mind Cathy is Canadian so the written thoughts are with that in mind.
With health care – my deal is simple. We (US citizens) are already paying an insurance company upwards of thousands of dollars a month (some as low as 400 for individual) – it would actually be cheaper for us to have our taxes raised by several hundred a month to pay for universal – if we can spend so much damn money killing people – even our own people – why can’t we be bothered to heal them? What BS – and yes yes yes – the Canadian and British Health Care Systems are victimized in our press which is controlled by the government which is controlled by insurance and other big business – so the lies and propaganda trains keep rolling.
Health Care for all works most everywhere it is done. With the unbelievable American technologies and money we ought to be able to have the greatest Health care system in the world – which we don’t as is evidenced by our infant mortality rate and our average life expectancy – we are below thirty on these when our supposed perfect system should and could be pulling out a top 5 – like a whole bunch of countries with Universal HC.
I don’t think that in most US cities – you could get a prescribed procedure and proceed to have said procedure in four days, normal wait time for non-emergency is a week or more – maybe four days for an emergency for a doctor without some clout. All this and – my prescriptions cost me over 1400 a month. – one thousand four hundred USD per month. Such Bullshit.
To add – and this is an ugly truth – A large portion of me believes that the only reason we don’t have it isn’t because of some fear of socialism, which exists, and we have anyway (police, fire, USPS, DOT, Medicare, Social Security and so many others) but that those with the ability do not care and simply don’t want to help the people that are different from them – the power here is held by the white privileged christian male – if you are not of the first two – they would rather you leave or perish. I said it. If you are black, Jewish, Mexican, Asian, Indian, Gay, mixed, disadvantaged, handicap, transgendered, sick… you are fucked without paying for their help – and you better pay it all in advance otherwise they own you for the rest of your life. Debt is only another way of placing people into servitude. Most debt – real debt is created from medical expenses and lost time at work due to medical necessity.
Maybe I ought to shut it now…
the platitudes of willful resemblance 