Hi Miriam,
Looks like the heavy rains the past two days have finally run out of
water. Supposed to be sunny and around 52 degrees for our high. But
now I can't work on the road since all of the pot holes that had
almost dried up, are now small ponds. It's taken Cathy and me from
Valentine's Day until now, to feel almost human again. I'd begun to
think I had walking pneumonia except that Cathy was experiencing some
of the same symptoms, and a good friend and her husband were also
competing with us for, "Worst Feeling" award.
As for the attitude of "mainstream" White America toward Jews, I
suggested that the Empire's ruling class keeps them on the shelf, in
reserve to be hauled out and beat up when the need arises.
Jews were doing just fine in Germany, holding a shaky economy together
following a slow recovery after WW I. With the rise of the German
Empire and its political wing, the Nazi Party, rich Jews suddenly
became the problem keeping the hard working folks from getting back on
their feet. I can still remember the stunned voices of Jews who did
manage to make it to America. They could not understand what had
happened. How could you be looked up to and be respected one day, and
hated the next? Many Jewish communities in Europe felt that they
would get along if they just tended to business and did nothing to
ruffle the waters. They miss assessed the depth of long standing
suspicion and the level of resentment against them as a People.
It's attitudes such as those that give me an empty feeling in the pit
of my stomach. I hear echoes from those days in the 30's and 40's
coming from Nazi Germany, all the way through time and across the wide
ocean, to be rooted in the American People.
Sure, at the moment we have the Muslims to beat up on. They and the
other Terrorists and "Illegals" who are blamed for our troubles. And
of course we still have another shelf for the socialists/communists
who have taken over Hollywood and what remains of our labor unions.
But since our troubles are caused by our worship of Corporate
Capitalism, we can never solve them by beating up on people already
disenfranchised. Soon we will be left with only our Fourth Class
Black Citizens and...and...Jews. In my lifetime I have seen the hate
that festers just below the surface of "middle class white Americans".
Vandalism of Synagogues and crosses burned in the yards of Jewish
families. Did I ever tell you that Cathy and I were retaliated
against foror speaking in defense of a neighbor who was Jewish? We
smelled something burning in the night, but could not see what it was.
The next day, out in the back lawn and out of sight of our house, but
in full view of down town Renton, was the remains of a large cross.
It was gasoline soaked rolled up newspapers laid out in the shape of a
cross, and set on fire. The Renton police looked around and suggested
that we keep our doors locked.
And my memories go back to the Second World War...the "good war". As
we White children, mostly Baptists and Methodists and Presbyterians,
played our childish games on the school yard, several boys thought it
was funny to change the words of a popular song. The song went, "If I
knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake"...they changed the word,
Cake, to the word, Kike. And this, while thousands of Jews were being
slaughtered. Where did such contempt come from. Young children. We
were 9 and 10 years old at the time. Of course it was not just Jews,
Catholics took their licks, too. And as always there were the
Negroes. Boys and girls, when choosing up sides for a game, and
little girls jumping rope would chant, "Enie meanie miney Moe, Catch a
Nigger by the toe. When he hollers, make him pay. Fifty dollars every
day". My mother overheard my sisters and me chanting this bit of a
rhyme while playing with several friends. During dinner that evening
she explained to us how hurtful the word Nigger was to those folks we
then called Negroes. She told us about how, as a young girl during
world war one, people would call her dad, Levi Earl Ludwig, and shout,
"Ludwig, go back to your Kaiser. We don't want your kind around
here." We decided that we could replace the offensive word with the
word, Tiger...catch a Tiger by the tail.
Believe me, I could not have picked out better people for my parents
if I'd been asked. Yet, there was a time when I resented the fact
that my parents expected me to always consider the under dogs, the
down trodden people of the world. "How", I asked myself, "can they
expect me to become successful if I have to keep worrying about those
people less fortunate than me?" At the time I never thought that our
neighbors high on the hill looked at my family as being one of those,
"Less fortunate" families.
But all of that was back around the War Years. Today we're so much
more civilized. Today we don't send our children out to play horrible
games like Cops and Robbers, or Cowboys and Indians. And most
certainly we have come to love "our Jews", as long as they stay in
their place.
Frankly Miriam, we Humans are like a bad case of the Black Plague,
spreading death and misery across the planet.
We managed to survive the Black Plague. Can we win over such deeply
ingrained feelings that keep us turning on one another?
If there is one thing that I truly resent, it is the fact that this
will all play out long after I am no longer around to observe it.
I only ask two questions. What is this thing we call the Universe,
and, What is our role in it?
Carl Jarvis
On 3/8/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
In America, white Jews no longer have a problem. Well yes, I know about
those burning synagogues. But in terms of power, white Jews can be rich and
powerful. Adelson, Soros, Sidney Blumenthal, Haim Sabin,the rich Democrat
who is an Israel supporter but who teamed up with Adelson, AIPAC, Bloomberg,
Schumer, etc.
As for Obama, That book about him that I started reading from Bookshare, is
now on BARD, Rising Star. Obama , from what I've read so far, (it's a really
long book and I need to get back to it), is a very very intelligent
ambitious manipulator. He was bound and determined to be the first black
President, and it surely was not in order to lead a revolution.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2018 6:16 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: book review - David Cay Johnston - It's Even
Worse than You Think
Well, I see that I'm in good company. I listened to the Democracy Now
headlines and some of the chatter by the several women Amy talked with. For
nearly 50 years I've seen the rise of hope, only to watch hope dashed.
Women have come a long way down the road to equality, but that equality is
more equal with the American Working Men, not with the nation's
Billionaires. And even as women make some gains, the gap widens between the
Have's and the Have Nots. So the majority of women are actually standing
still while the majority of men are losing ground. It's a rush to the
bottom. Well, maybe not a Rush.
More like a Whimper to the bottom. Anyway, it is just another diversion.
The old Shell Game. It's a game of distraction. Sure, women are still not
equal, and Blacks are still treated like dirt, and Mexicans are treated like
criminals, and Brown people are treated like Mexicans, and Asians are all
right...in their places, and Jews? Jews have a special place in White
America's heart. They are kept on the shelf, so that whenever the Empire
needs someone to dump on, especially if it deals with banking or finances,
the Jews are yanked off the shelf and soundly beaten.
Blue collar's are turned against white collars, job holders against retired,
young against old, and even fat people are cursed and ridiculed. But by
God, we love our Billionaires. Even when we sneer or jeer at them. When
the chips are down, we will pucker up with the best of the Empire's Lackeys
and lick their boots if it means we can bask in their light.
As for Barack Obama's genius at Geopolitics, I'm not sophisticated enough to
sort it out. But after he had been in office only a short time, I pegged
him as someone needing to be accepted by "the fellows", you know, the Good
Old Boys. He saw himself as a compromiser. I saw him as, giving in.
Barack Obama is one very bright, well educated, experienced man. He had to
know that the Ugly American White Man would gang up on the Black Boy who
dared to play in the White Mans White House. For 8 years Barack Obama
managed to look as if he were above it, and managed to keep his cool. But
he did very little for the working class, and even less for the suffering
around the world.
I simply cannot like a man who allows murder to continue going on around the
world. If he could not stop it, then get out of the office. Let a cold
murderer like Donald Trump or Mike Pence take over. I'm in need of climbing
down off my soap box, but I have to say one last time, Just what the Hell
did Barack Obama do for all of those working class Blacks who believed in
him? I'm sure that Barack Obama sleeps in finer night clothes and between
finer sheets than I can afford, but I bet I sleep better. I have one
thing...one claim that Barack Obama can never make. I have never killed, or
ordered the killing of another human being. But, to my discredit, I've
never found a way to stop the murders being committed in my
name...supposedly to keep me safe.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/8/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
I didn't listen to all that stuff about International Women's Day on
Democracy Now. I tried to analyze why the whole thing leaves me cold.
I think perhaps it's because it's all words and wishes and a kind of
fantasy, sort of like religion. People celebrate, dance, make speeches
and pronouncements. They talk about being powerful. But life goes on.
Women are beaten by their male partners, raped by soldiers and by
dates. They bear children and watch them die in famines.
Anyway, not all the elites are finding Trump useful. Hillary would
have been much more useful than he is. Think how well Obama did at
keeping liberals happy while satisfying the elites. One of the
"experts" I heard, talked about what a genious he was at Geopolitics.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2018 12:51 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: book review - David Cay Johnston - It's
Even Worse than You Think
Miriam and Bonnie...and All Women on this International Women's Day.
And to those men who have come to understand that on a good day,
they/we are about as smart as the Women of the World.
It is my humble male opinion that the Empire's Oligarchy will not
allow Donald Trump to be removed from office just so long as they can
use him to run interference for their pillaging and plundering. And
just as long as there is a Public Anything, they will keep their Crazy Lap
Dog around.
But that's just my opinion.
Carl Jarvis
On 3/8/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've heard Johnston interviewed on Democracy Now and other programs,
and I read his previous book. The problem is that although Trump is
committing crimes every day, like profiting financially from the
Presidency, no one seems to want to start impeachment proceedings on
this basis. There appear to be other crimes as well, which relate to
encouraging riots and unlawful behavior. There are obvious medical
issues related to his brain function.
But instead of using what is obviously true to get him out of office,
the Democratic Party is resorting to incredibly complicated and far
fetched accusations and Mueller's investigation which, although it
may uncover all sorts of wrongdoing, probably won't ever come up with
proof that Trump has committed Treason.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Bonnie L.
Sherrell
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2018 12:10 AM
To: Blind Democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] book review - David Cay Johnston - It's
Even Worse than You Think
_It's Even Worse than You Think: What the Trump Administration is
Doing to America_ by David Cay Johnston
The Trump administration started with a blatant lie in which he and
his communications director, Sean Spicer, claimed that his
inauguration was the widest attended and watched inauguration EVER,
which was easily disproved.
Things have descended from that point. Kellyanne Conway has insisted
that this was merely an "Alternative Fact," and Mr. Trump commonly
claims that anyone who demonstrates that he has lied--again--is
promulgating "Fake News"
intended to discredit his win in the 2016 election. Like a child
sticking his fingers in his ears and singing "La la la" when someone
tries to get across an undesired truth to him, Trump consistently
insists that this is a trick by the Democrats, who ought to have won
the election, trying to explain away their ignominious loss.
He has surrounded himself with a cabinet of people who for the most
part are totally unqualified to lead the departments they were
assigned to, and he has given them all directions to dismantle every
rule and law intended to safeguard the environment and to promote
equality amongst our citizens.
Johnston describes these as "termites" eating away at the
infrastructure of our country, and we are already seeing the negative
effects of this destructive activity.
Late in the book, Johnston points out that Trump's policies encourage
law enforcement to be rough on those being arrested ("Just toss them
in the paddy wagons--don't worry about them getting hurt." "You know
when you put them in the back seat of the squad car, don't put your
hand on their head to protect
them.") He's encouraged the crowds in his rallies to punch those he
thinks are there to criticize him. He thinks that if teachers are
armed, they will magically prevail with a handgun against killers
armed with automatic weapons.
He's described neo-Nazis and white supremacists as being "fine people"
whom he apparently sees as being morally equivalent with those who
counter-demomstrate against them. And he is seeking to build up the
armed forces while cutting financing for health, education, social
security, medicare and medicaid, and just about any other program
intended to support those who are unable to provide for themselves.
He continuously vilifies the mainstream media at the same time he
courts them, desperate for any praise he could possibly pry from them
while refusing to do anything constructive to actually build up our
nation.
His role models are Vladimir Putin and other dictators, and it's
pretty plain he wants to join their ranks. And he apparently
believes that if he can militarize the police and get the Pentagon
behind him, he will possibly be able to become "President for Life"
here in our nation.
This is well researched, with facts taken from the public record. It
is not a book we should ignore, and I encourage everyone to read it.
It is available in all possible media. I both downloaded it from
Audible and to my Nook in e-book format.
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large
"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even
the very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR
"Don't go where I can't follow."
We gave the Goblin King control of our nation!
