• Home
  • Booklets/Grouped Entries
  • Tech Tsunami
  • List of Entries to Date
  • About the Author

usrevolution5

~ USA Headed for a 5th Revolution! Why?

usrevolution5

Monthly Archives: December 2017

#275 They’re Coming to America. Well, They Used to.

23 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by Jordan Abel in Lessons of Revolution, Personal Stories, Societal Issues

≈ Leave a comment

Readers: this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about the Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.

Note: most entries are formatted as conversations.  Characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters (see link at top of page).  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Jordan’s Office, Washington, DC.  Typical morning with Jordan and assistant, Gelly.   

092615_2031_Characters7.gifGelly:  “Good morning, Jordan.  Have a nice visit yesterday with Greenie and JC?”

Jordan:  “Morning Gelly.  The visit was fantastic.  Lots of good information for Greenie’s articles about the Revenge Revolution.  Anything new with you today?”

Gelly:  “Nothing earth shattering.  On the way in I did hear an old song that made me stop and think about how the US used to be.”

TurtleneckJordan:  “Not sure what you mean.  Used to be like what?”

Gelly:  “Like a place that welcomed immigrants.  A place where people from all over the world wanted to come.  Well, wanted to come BT…before Trump.”

Jordan:  “What song sparked all this?”

Gelly:  “Remember in the 1980’s Neil Diamond wrote a song called ‘America’?”

Jordan:  “Yes.  Really liked the song.  But, haven’t heard it in a while.”

Gelly:  “Neither had I.  When I heard it this morning, it seemed different.  Not the music, the words.  The words seemed much more powerful than what I remember.  In fact, I got all teary-eyed.”

Jordan:  “C’mon, Gelly.  Really?  Why so emotional?”

Statue of LibertyGelly:  “Because, for the first time…and I don’t know why now rather than when I heard it years ago…for the first time I could picture my relatives on the boat coming to America.”

Jordan:  “You’re getting teary-eyed again.”

Gelly:  “Can’t help it.  My father came to America from Europe when he was 13 years old.  Travelled all alone.  Just think about that, Jordan.  You’re 13 years old, on a boat for the first time and heading to a new country where you don’t speak the language.  Some of your relatives must have done the same thing.”

Jordan:  “Mine came earlier…late 1800’s so not many stories about the ‘old country’.  The family seemed more concerned with assimilating.  Can’t blame them but a lot of history was lost.”

mortar-boardGelly:  “That’s too bad.  What really bothers me is how the US went from a country where people wanted to come to a country where it was nearly impossible to immigrate unless you had a bunch of money or some special high-tech skill.  My father had no money and no special skill.  He worked his whole life as a laborer.  My mother could barely speak English.  Yet look at the family now.”

Jordan:  “In one generation you moved from parents with very limited education to all the siblings being college grads.  Your kids are all college grads.”

Gelly:  “That’s what’s so frustrating.  Why did the country turn against immigration?”

Trump KingJordan:  “You know why.  King Trump.”

Gelly:  “King Trump who would never admit his family name was changed to be more Anglicized.  Maybe the Revenge Revolution will help turn around attitudes toward immigration.  I hope so.  Otherwise, people like me…and you too Jordan…will never be part of America.”

Jordan:  “Gelly, excuse me just a minute.  I’m going to get a cup of coffee.”

Gelly:  “While you do, I’m going to download the words to Diamond’s ‘America’.  I’ll also get a link to YouTube so you can hear it.  After you get your coffee, do me a favor and, spend a few minutes listening to the song and studying the words.  And think about your relatives who made that journey.”

“America”, written and sung by Neil Diamond

Far,
We’ve been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star

Free,
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream

On the boats and on the planes
They’re coming to America
Never looking back again,
They’re coming to America

Home
Don’t it seem so far away
Oh, we’re traveling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm

Home
To a new and a shiny place
Make our bed and we’ll say our grace
Freedom’s light burning warm
Freedom’s light burning warm

Everywhere around the world
They’re coming to America
Every time that flag’s unfurled
They’re coming to America

Got a dream to take them there
They’re coming to America
Got a dream they’ve come to share
They’re coming to America

They’re coming to America
They’re coming to America
They’re coming to America
They’re coming to America
Today, Today,Today,
Today, Today

My country ’tis of thee (today)
Sweet land of liberty (today)
Of thee I sing (today)
Of thee I sing.

Songwriters: NEIL DIAMOND, © Universal Music Publishing Group

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

#274 US Melting Pot. Discussion: Should We Rethink Assimilation? (Part 10 of 10)

12 Tuesday Dec 2017

Posted by Jordan Abel in Lessons of Revolution, Societal Issues

≈ 1 Comment

Readers: this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about the Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.

Note: most entries are formatted as conversations.  Characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters (see link at top of page).  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Coffee shop near Jordan’s office Washington, DC.  JC, Greenie and Jordan continuing conversation from previous day.  Series starts Entry #265.  This entry is a bit longer because the topic is a bit more complex.

092615_2031_Characters1.jpgJC: “So we all agree…as did most of the public except the one percenters and Republicans inside the Beltway…that the Trump so-called tax reform act was not tax reform. It was a giveaway to the rich. The tax bill also gave extra special help, of course, to the downtrodden Trump family. Bless their little hearts.”

Greenie: “My, my, Miss Daisy, aren’t we cynical today?”

JC: “There’s no cynicism. The GOP, aka Gutless Old Politicians, took out their souls and donated them to King Donald. Then the King proceeded to humiliate his very supporters whenever his Twitter brain took control.”

092615_2031_Characters2.jpgGreenie: “Alright, alright, let’s ratchet back to why we started this conversation. And what I’m trying to write about.”

Jordan: “You mean, as ethnic groups assimilated over time, did political parties become defacto ethnic groups, substituting for the ethnic tribes?”

JC: “And shouldn’t we also ask if one or both political parties forced assimilation…or at least accelerated assimilation?”

IndianGreenie: “Interesting question — to what extent was assimilation forced? We know from Wolf Man Native Americans were forced to give up native culture. What’s worse is even though much of the culture is gone today, many native tribes never assimilated. The culture disappeared and the Indians have nothing to show for it. Not a good combination.”

JC: “What about forced assimilation of other ethnic groups? Did Democrats or Republicans or both parties effectively force assimilation? Jordan, you’ve been quiet so far. Whadda you think?”

1960s Equal RightsJordan: “I’d say yes, the parties did force assimilation. Let’s start with recent history. The fourth US Revolution, aka Cultural Revolution, took place in 1960’s, early 1970’s. During that period Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and some other anti-discrimination laws. Plus, the courts started to force compliance with Brown vs. Board of Education. The question for Greenie’s articles, ‘did those laws somehow force assimilation’?”

Greenie: “If I remember history correctly, the votes for most of the civil-rights-related legislation were along philosophical lines and not party lines, correct?”

confederate-flag-steev-stamfordJordan: “Correct. The legislation had strong support among Republicans and Democrats…but only Republicans and Democrats from northern and western states. Southern Democrats and the then rare Southern Republicans were nearly unanimously opposed.”

Greenie: “So, if we look at the political ramifications of the civil-rights legislation, Southern Democrats who opposed the legislation migrated in mass to the Republican Party. During the migration, most of the southern Republicans who one might consider moderate were replaced. Some replaced by a Democrat and the balance by conservative Republicans.”

Dictionary2Jordan: “Parallel with the migration of southern Democrats to Republicans was creation of new a new definition for the word ‘conservative’. So-called conservative Republicans were not really conservatives, either by the dictionary definition or by the traditional political definition.”

JC: “If not conservative, then how would you label them?”

Jordan: “Radical, as in Radical Republicans. The approach the Republicans took during the Obama Administration, then with Trump and right up to the Revenge Revolution…was the antithesis of what was defined as conservative governance. The Radical Republicans disregarded conserving the environment, disregarded conserving citizens’ 50_cal_rifle_by_bebop953rights, except of course, the right for even the mentally ill to own a 50-calibre assault weapon, and disregarded fiscal conservatism.  Reagan, Bush 43 and Trump all proposed legislation that resulted in huge deficits.”

Greenie: “I’m going to turn the tables about who’s calling the kettle black. Aren’t you being a bit radical? Many of us didn’t like the Republicans’ policies but why do you think they were radical?”

US Debt Percent GDPJordan: “We can go through the details if you  want.  I think one of the best indicators why I labeled Republicans radical is debt as a percent of GDP.  I carry this chart around to remind my Republican colleagues that Reagan and Bush were not really fiscal conservatives.”

JC: “I thought Trump was even worse.”

Jordan: ” He was and I need to update this chart for the Trump tax giveaway.  Just look at the line turn up under Reagan and again under Bush 43. And, oops, the line comes down under Clinton. This chart disputes Republicans claims about trickle-down economics…really voodoo economics.”

PoliceGreenie: “Don’t you think just as important was how Republicans behaved? During the Obama Administration, Republicans bragged about blocking every effort by Obama to govern, no matter what the issue. The net effect of Republicans was a negative effect on growing societal wealth, not positive.”

JC: “Under Trump the GOP rightfully earned a reputation for selling their souls. The Trump craziness, which the Republicans enabled, was to try to break everything that worked. If something needed fixing, smash it rather than trying to repair it. Throw what worked out regardless of the consequences.”

Trump KingGreenie: “Maybe the baby got thrown out with the bath water because Republicans either didn’t understand what they were doing…gee, that seems rhetorical…or had no kahunas to stand up to King Donald…or both. But how did actions by Trump and the kahuna-less Republicans affect assimilation? Was assimilation affected positively or negatively?”

Jordan: “Trump’s focus on targeting immigrants from non-Western European countries forced many immigrants, even those who’d been in the US a long time legally or were citizens, either to assimilate quickly or hide. So, I’d say Trump’s actions accelerated forced assimilation.”

JC: “Least we not forget Trumps’ endorsement of hate groups. Nothing like the president supporting actions by the alt-right. I really appreciated the resurgence anti-Semitism. Thanks a lot Donald.”

Swastika Ballantyne 2017


Jordan: “A neighbor of ours had a swastika painted on their garage door. Look, I agree that Trump’s behavior was way over the top. But Trump didn’t start this behavior. Trump was a product of the post-Reagan Republican party.”

Greenie: “If we go back and analyze the effects of the anti-discrimination laws passed in the 1960’s, these laws seemed to reduce discrimination. Let me correct myself, these laws seemed to reduce overt discrimination…for a while anyway. Then along came Reagan and his claim of some Reaganwelfare queen driving a new Cadillac…unproven, of course…and his constant harping that government was the problem and not the solution. Dear Ronnie’s rhetoric caused an uptick in discrimination. Discrimination seemed to bounce along until Trump opened the floodgates. I still shake my head over his remarks about Charlottesville.”

Jordan: “Another change was enforcement of Federal anti-discrimination laws. When Department of Justice was a real enforcement agency, the states complied with the laws. At the same time certain states became experts in a new kind of discrimination…gerrymandering. Gerrymandering was designed to give one political party control of state legislatures.”

JC: “Jordan, you know Republicans will counter and claim by stating the state reps were elected fairly. C’mon, now be nice.”

1 1 3Greenie: “If the elections were fair, then why were there states, including Jordan’s home state of NC, where somehow the total number of votes favored Democrats…and sometimes overwhelmingly…yet the Republicans managed to control the state House and Senate, occasionally with veto-proof margins. That math doesn’t work, unless of course, districts are gerrymandered.”

TurtleneckJordan: “Please, my home state is not North Carolina.”

Greenie: “I know, but I like to pick on you.”

JC: “Those ‘gerrymandered’ legislators then enacted all kinds of restrictions on voting. For many southern states, the restrictions became a modern-day poll tax. All the restrictions were implemented under the guise of preventing voter fraud…even though no valid evidence of fraud was ever presented.”

Supreme CourtGreenie: “While we’re talking about legal discrimination, let’s not forget the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the case about the wedding cake. A bakery owner in Colorado claimed religious rights allowed him to discriminate against gays…and I suppose anyone else he didn’t like. Just by taking the case, SCOTUS showed how far the hard right had infiltrated every branch of government – Executive, Legislative and Judicial. I must hand it to Republicans, they did a masterful job of implementing a hard-right, white Christian agenda. Anyone who didn’t fit their profile was SOL. The approach worked until Trump got too out of control. At that point, many people who thought they were in the Republican circle found themselves on the outside…and screwed.”

ScrewedJC: “You mean outside on who really got the tax breaks. Outside when Trump stated that voters in Alabama should support a pedophile so Trump could be assured of a majority in the Senate? You mean outside when they realized Republicans in Congress were going to pay for the tax giveaway to the wealthy by cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits of everyone else? You mean when Trump supporters realized Trump gave oil-and-gas companies and mining companies carte blanche approval to basically destroy public land and keep all the profits? You want me to keep going?”

Greenie: “I’ve got more than enough info for the articles. If we address the basic question, then yes as ethnic groups assimilated, political parties became defacto tribes, replacing ethnic groups. What also got left behind in the assimilation was the core identity of the ethnic groups. What also seemed to occur is forced assimilation accelerated under Reagan and reach a pinnacle around Trump, when covert actions of the Federal government strongly discouraged maintaining separate cultural identity.”

Greektown DTWJordan: “I’m hopeful that the Revenge Revolution ends the Trump vision and encourages members of ethnic groups to…what would you call that…dis-assimilate. Whatever the right term, I hope ethnic groups begin clustering again. Remember places that used to be known by their cultural heritage – Little Italy, Chinatown, Greektown? Somehow we’ve got to keep working to reduce discrimination and to encourage people to display their cultural heritage. Am I crazy to suggest that?”

Greenie: “No crazier than usual.  Now we need to get out of here so I can start writing.”

 

#273 Unintended Consequence of the Pinocchio Tax Plan (Part 9 of Series about US Melting Pot and Ethnic Groups)

05 Tuesday Dec 2017

Posted by Jordan Abel in Causes of the Revolution, Societal Issues

≈ Leave a comment

Readers: this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about the Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.

Note: most entries are formatted as conversations.  Characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters (see link at top of page).  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Coffee shop near Jordan’s office Washington, DC.  JC, Greenie and Jordan continuing conversation from previous day.  Series starts Entry #265.

Jordan:  “Just before the break, we were discussing how members of political parties seem to be brainwashed.”

092615_2031_Characters2.jpgGreenie:  “Let me add something.  Before the Revenge Revolution, I think many elected representatives were brainwashed.”

JC:  “You talking about state and local elected reps?  Some of those guys have always been off in the weeds.  Or you talking about reps to the Federal House and Senate…or both?”

Greenie:  “Both but especially the national reps.  The House had….and maybe still has some…a bunch of wackos from both parties.  And at times the behavior of these wackos is very strange.”

092615_2031_Characters1.jpgJC:  “Like during the Obama Administration, the Republican-led House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act what 50-60 times?  It was some ridiculous number I remember that.”

Greenie:  “Exactly my point.  But to me what really went haywire was the Senate…at least before the Revenge Revolution.”

JC:  “You think many of the Senators were brainwashed?”

Greenie:  “Unfortunately, yes.  What still sticks in my mind is how the Senate drafted the so-called tax reform legislation.  Virtually every major claim the Republicans made about the plan was a bold-faced lie.”

TurtleneckJordan:  “Greenie, did you smoke some funny weed when we were on break?  All lies….well, almost all lies?”

Greenie:  “You know I’m right Jordan.  Hey, you’ve studied this stuff a lot more than I have.”

Jordan:  “OK, what’s on your list of lies?”

Greenie:  “First, the idea that corporations would pass along money saved on taxes to employees was laughable.  What an absolutely sick joke.  The second big lie was that corporations would expand their businesses and hire more people because of the tax cut.  That’s the trickle-down economics BS theory.”

voodoo-2015958Jordan:  “You’re right and so was George Bush senior.  It really is voodoo economics.  Read my lips, there is no, zero, nada empirical evidence supporting the trickle-down theory.  In fact, the empirical evidence indicates what actually happens when trickle-down plans are implemented is exactly the opposite of what the Republicans claimed.

Greenie:  “It seems so simple to understand.  If you’re a business owner, the only time you spend money to expand the business and hire more employees is when you expect demand to increase.  The tax cut might increase demand for Tiffany’s jewelry but companies selling to the average Joe, what part of the tax plan was going to give them more money?  If workers don’t get much extra cash, where’s the demand going to come from?  Duh, folks.  This is not rocket science.”

Assembly LineJC:  “You know who did understand…and more than 100 years ago?  Henry Ford.  One of America’s greatest industrialists and a one-tenth of one percenter if there ever were one.  He understood more about what creates demand than the Republican clowns in Congress who passed the give-to-the-wealthy act disguised as a tax reform.  Ford increased wages to $5/day for two reasons: (i) stabilize the work force; (ii) increase worker take-home pay so they could afford to buy his cars.  Did he benefit?  Yep.  He made even more money.  I agree with you Greenie, what is so hard to understand about basic economics?”

Jordan:  “Greenie, what about taxes for individuals?  Weren’t the tax rates for middle class wage earners lowered?”

092615_2031_Characters12.gifGreenie:  “Technically, yes, some taxes for individuals were scheduled to go down for a couple of years.  But then lower-wage earners got the finger.  Cuts for individuals were temporary…unlike the cuts for corporations which were permanent.  You want me to continue with the list of lies?  It’s a very long list.”

Jordan:  “I know we could be here all day.  Just a couple more.”

HorseGreenie:  “The claim that the tax revenue associated with the additional growth in GDP would offset the deficit caused by the wealthy welfare program.  Another big, fat horse-pucky lie.”

Jordan:  “I know you’re on a roll but just one more on your list of lies and then I have an idea.”

Greenie:  “What do I think was the biggest lie of all?”

JC:  “You mean aside from Trump claiming he would be hurt by the so-called tax plan and actually pay more taxes?”

Greenie:  “Wasn’t that another crock of you know what.  The biggest lie of all was the real reason for the tax give away to the wealthy.”

Jordan:  “You don’t expect politicians to be truthful, do you?  I mean, c’mon.”

pants-on-fire Greenie:  “I do expect people, and especially those in the Senate, to at least have some moral character.  The biggest pants-on-fire lie was the intent to not offset the added deficit…even the Tooth Fairy knew the deficit was going to happen…to not offset the deficits with reductions to Social Security and Medicare.”

JC:  “You’re painting a picture that the Republicans knew all along the tax plan would screw the people who voted for Trump…and in many cases the very people that could least afford the cuts in support.”

Jordan:  “What Republicans overlooked with their goal of cutting so-called entitlements was one very big and unintended consequence…the Revenge Revolution.  The Republican leadership, especially Pinocchio…I mean Mitch McConnell, was so beholden to key supporters…Koch brothers, Adelson and the boys…that he and the other Republiocan senators forgot a fundamental rule.”

fat-personGreenie:  “You mean, if you’re going to steal from the masses, make sure the peon’s bellies are full before you start stealing?  Otherwise they get pissed.  And they did get pissed.”

Jordan:  “What also struck me about Republican’s arrogance when drafting the tax bill was how contrary their actions were to fundamental religious principles.  I’m not naïve enough to think these guys were all religious zealots, despite some of their claims.  But just look at what the tax bill did.”

JC:  “You mean like the Republicans forgot about some basics…like don’t steal, don’t lie, and care for the disadvantaged?  Where were all the evangelicals?  Why weren’t they up in arms?  I don’t recall any kind of protest from so-called religious-right senators.”

abraham_lincoln_clip_art_15515Jordan:  “And then these same a-hole Senators claimed to be members of the party of Lincoln.  Party of Lincoln, my ass.  Lincoln Republicans were a whole lot more ethical than McConnell’s crop of Republican bandits.”

Greenie:  “Gee, Jordan, you still seem to be a bit upset.  That fiasco was not too many years ago…but still.  Anyway, in the end it worked out.  The greedy Republican Senators were too blind or too stupid to see it coming.  As much as disruption as it caused, I thought the Revenge Revolution was the perfect retort to the self-centered SOB’s.  Now, I’m upset.  Let’s break.”

 

 

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013

Categories

  • Affordable Solutions
  • Back Asswards Thinking
  • Background
  • Background Stupid Is as Stupid Does
  • Benefits of Revolution
  • Causes of the Revolution
  • Common Sense Policies
  • Corporate Policy
  • Definitions
  • Diversions
  • Economics
  • Education Issues
  • Federal Budget
  • General Motors
  • Gov't Policy
  • Infrastructure & Fixed Fuel Prices
  • Innovative Thinking: Ideas and Products
  • Lessons of Revolution
  • Personal Stories
  • Possible Solutions
  • Post Trump Presidency
  • Rebranding Black Community
  • Sense Check
  • Societal Issues
  • Stupid Is as Stupid Does
  • Tech Tsunami
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • usrevolution5
    • Join 29 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • usrevolution5
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...