Monday, May 26, 2014
Memorial Day with Dad in Michigan
Slide Fire at 13,423 acres, 10% contained
UPDATE - Slide Fire
LOCATION: The
Slide Fire is located in Oak Creek Canyon north of Slide Rock State
Park and burning northward, predominantly on the west side of the
canyon.
SIZE: Approximately 13,423 acres; 10% containment
AIR QUALITY: Sedona experienced very high levels of particulates in the morning hours on Sunday. The public is advised that
if they feel ill as a result of wildfire smoke to take necessary
precautions including to stay indoors, use a HEPA filter, limit your
activities and contact your health care provider for additional
information. Residents
and motorists are asked to use caution as visibility may be limited at
times. For information regarding the health impacts of wildfire smoke,
visit the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) website for Wildfire Support, http://www.azdeq.gov/function/
EVACUATIONS: As of mid-day on Sunday, there are no new evacuations. Evacuations remain in place in Oak Creek Canyon from Slide Rock State Park to Sterling Springs Hatchery. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has announced the lifting of the pre-evacuation warning, effective at noon on Monday, May 26
for residents impacted by the Slide Fire in the Kachina Village and
Forest Highlands sub-divisions. This action is dependent on fire
activity. An
evacuation center is located at Sinagua Middle School at 3950 E Butler
Ave. in Flagstaff. A shelter for pets has been set up at the Coconino
Humane Association 3501 E. Butler Ave.
Coconino County is reminding people to register their cell phone number with the CodeRed system at www.coconino.az.gov/emergency. Only registered phone numbers will receive notifications about any pre- or mandatory evacuation order.
FIRE ACTIVITIES: On Saturday,
efforts to suppress the fire were hindered by smoke that prohibited the
use of aerial observation aircraft. Helicopter activity supporting
firefighters on the line was also significantly reduced. Late in the day
a helicopter was able to complete a mission dropping ignition devices
(PSD) to burnout fuels between the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon and the
fire line along Forest Road (FR) 535. High moisture levels over the
fire during the night time hours prohibited further burnout operations. A
230KW power transmission line was re-energized located northwest of the
fire. Another APS line was also energized heading east from the Arizona
Department of Transportation maintenance facility near the overlook on
Hwy 89.
On
Sunday, burnout operations will continue along Woody Mountain Road FR
231 depending on weather conditions and the outcome of nightshift
operations. Crews will continue to mop up and reinforce completed
containment lines on the perimeter of the fire. Fire personnel will also
work with APS in Oak Creek Canyon to repair power lines damaged in the
area. While burning conditions on Sunday will be tempered by weather
conditions, a warmer and dryer period is expected for early this week.
Although
numerous burnout operations have occurred over the fire, the overall
impact is very similar to those of a controlled burn. Sensitive
application of fire is utilized to minimize impact on the forest.
Because
of fire conditions Coconino County has instituted a ban on open burning
on County public lands and private lands in the unincorporated areas of
the County. The ban went into effect at 10:30 a.m. Friday May 23 and
will remain in effect until fire danger conditions subside. Further
information on this ban may be found at www.coconino.az.gov.
CLOSURES:
Hwy 89A from Sedona to Ft. Tuthill, Forest Road (FR) 535 at Hwy 89A, FR
533 at Hwy 89A, FR 231 at Rogers Lake, FR 527 & 530 (west side,
Volunteer Canyon area), and Casner Mountain closed to all vehicles.
Constitution never meant to be sacred
GEORGE TEMPLETON: COMMENTARY
By George Templeton
Gazette Columnist
Mythical
Myth
The
power of mythology comes from people who honestly believe it and act on
it, even though their perceptions are far removed from reality. Myths
are not lies when they speak to the search for truth and meaning. They
fail when they are used to idealize and romanticize instead of guiding.
To regard them as literally true is like eating the restaurant’s menu
because the food is listed there. Myths are best understood within the
context of their origins. The following is in this spirit.
Founding Fathers
The
Founding Fathers are often cited as exemplary of the common man. The
message is “yes we can”. It is patriotic, moral, and doable. But if
the ideal is only wishing and not realistic, we probably will never
fully achieve it.
Who were the Founding Fathers? Were they the men who risked their lives when they signed the Declaration of Independence? Was Thomas Paine, the hero of today’s common-sense anti-intellectuals, the most representative of original thought? Would you give more credit to George Washington, the Father of our Country, who sided with Alexander Hamilton, his Secretary of the Treasury, favoring a strong federal government and a national bank? Do you include the men who attended the Constitutional Convention and the States that ratified the Constitution?
The Founding Fathers were mostly conservative, revolutionary elites who did what they saw as necessary to create a sufficiently strong government in a time of great uncertainty. The fifty-five men who attended the Constitutional Convention were large-scale planters, farmers, and merchants who owned property. Forty-two of the fifty-five had served in Congress, seven had been chief executive of their state, eight had helped to draft their state constitution, twenty-one had fought in the Revolutionary War, half had graduated from college, eighteen had spent a year or more working and studying abroad, sixteen were born aristocrats, and most of the rest came from wealthy families. They were elites that were not typical of the population.
Democracy
Who were the Founding Fathers? Were they the men who risked their lives when they signed the Declaration of Independence? Was Thomas Paine, the hero of today’s common-sense anti-intellectuals, the most representative of original thought? Would you give more credit to George Washington, the Father of our Country, who sided with Alexander Hamilton, his Secretary of the Treasury, favoring a strong federal government and a national bank? Do you include the men who attended the Constitutional Convention and the States that ratified the Constitution?
The Founding Fathers were mostly conservative, revolutionary elites who did what they saw as necessary to create a sufficiently strong government in a time of great uncertainty. The fifty-five men who attended the Constitutional Convention were large-scale planters, farmers, and merchants who owned property. Forty-two of the fifty-five had served in Congress, seven had been chief executive of their state, eight had helped to draft their state constitution, twenty-one had fought in the Revolutionary War, half had graduated from college, eighteen had spent a year or more working and studying abroad, sixteen were born aristocrats, and most of the rest came from wealthy families. They were elites that were not typical of the population.
Democracy
Will our future be determined by single-minded men of a particular narrow ideology?
Elitism holds that organizations are run by minorities who have similar backgrounds, educations, and values. We thought that democracy was majority rule, one-man, one-vote, but the popular vote winner has not always been elected president because of the Electoral College mechanism.
Elitism holds that organizations are run by minorities who have similar backgrounds, educations, and values. We thought that democracy was majority rule, one-man, one-vote, but the popular vote winner has not always been elected president because of the Electoral College mechanism.
The Founding Fathers never intended to create a democracy nor did they envision the political parties we have today. Liberty meant individual freedom instead of democracy, but State’s rights had proven weaker than required. The Founders sought to create a government that would be part monarchy (the President), part aristocracy (the Senate and Supreme Court) and part democratic (the House of Representatives). They recognized that the world would change. That is why they created the Constitutional amendment process. They wrote in broad-brush strokes, perhaps because that was the only way they could get agreement. The Constitution’s generalities are powerful. It has not become obsolete because it has been interpreted.
Pluralist ideology holds that for many decades democracy has functioned as a competition, a bargaining, and a compromise among organized concentrated power groups. It is argued that these groups tend to balance each other and protect the individual from abuse. It is the reason for unions, political parties, and ideological factions. The lone individual has little power. Big money buys influence. But influence is a machine where cause and effect cannot be separated. Reality and thoughts continuously influence each other.
Money that politically speaks is a mechanism that is not in the Constitution. The Supreme Court recently confirmed that corporations are “people” that can shout and that wealthy individuals can donate as much as they want to influence public thinking. If you are very wealthy your opinion can count a lot. This opposes the model of the educated, informed public who in the long run will make the decisions that are fair, ethical, and best for the health of democracy. It is not a new argument. Does wealth and power counter the instability that comes from the mindless whims of the masses?
Broken
The
irony of our democracy is that it has continued to work, until
recently, through hundreds of years of geographical expansion,
demographic diversification, philosophy, scientific, and technical
evolution, and wars. Our government is to serve people, not for people
to serve the government, but individual liberty can get in the way of
the compromises that are necessary to prevent stalemate.
Now, we have a politics that wishes that the world that is never was and that would return us to a longed for, mythical past. Vicious people strive to make mountains out of molehills. Ideology promotes a disdain for reason. No amount of evidence will convince deep belief and illiteracy.
Now, we have a politics that wishes that the world that is never was and that would return us to a longed for, mythical past. Vicious people strive to make mountains out of molehills. Ideology promotes a disdain for reason. No amount of evidence will convince deep belief and illiteracy.
Government Abuses
The untruth accuses our government as criminal, but what is wrong is when envy becomes patriotic.
Adam Smith in his 1776 classic, The Wealth of Nations, claimed that a hands-off policy by the government would ensure unlimited economic growth. It has never existed and does not exist now. Laissez-faire government policy is a myth fostered by people who want support for their self-interest or who want to argue for State’s rights.
Government is a catalyst that serves powerful interests. Wealth and politics helps to focus talent and harmonize resources that work for the public benefit, but envy grows. Entitlements go to business as well as the public. History shows that government, that has always seen its role to increase the wealth of the country, comes down on the side of business when choices are to be made.
Standards and regulations promote uniform efficient business practices, reduce misunderstanding, and prevent conflict. Examples include the Anti-Trust Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, and standards for doctors, lawyers, clean air, and uncontaminated water. Federal regulations protect all the people of our nation. They are not, as extremists claim, a government conspiracy to control persons and their property. Regulations are shepherds of responsible freedom.
Historical Facts
Adam Smith in his 1776 classic, The Wealth of Nations, claimed that a hands-off policy by the government would ensure unlimited economic growth. It has never existed and does not exist now. Laissez-faire government policy is a myth fostered by people who want support for their self-interest or who want to argue for State’s rights.
Government is a catalyst that serves powerful interests. Wealth and politics helps to focus talent and harmonize resources that work for the public benefit, but envy grows. Entitlements go to business as well as the public. History shows that government, that has always seen its role to increase the wealth of the country, comes down on the side of business when choices are to be made.
Standards and regulations promote uniform efficient business practices, reduce misunderstanding, and prevent conflict. Examples include the Anti-Trust Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, and standards for doctors, lawyers, clean air, and uncontaminated water. Federal regulations protect all the people of our nation. They are not, as extremists claim, a government conspiracy to control persons and their property. Regulations are shepherds of responsible freedom.
Historical Facts
We
know history by what we have experienced during our lifetime. We
suffer from anachronistic thinking by distorting the past and
understanding events and ideas out of their chronological order and
context. We project contemporary values onto the past and look at the
end result of the evolution of events instead of their origins.
Consider the Civil War. It was not the good guys versus the bad. It is a myth that the Founding Fathers had the solution to slavery planned from the start. This “feel good” triumphalism washes guilt and responsibility away, suggests the problem is solved, and makes it easier to undo accomplishments.
Slavery highlighted State’s rights, regarded as the real reason for the Civil War, but it was more complicated than differences between the North’s industrial economy and the agrarian South. Neither the Republicans or Lincoln had proposed abolishing slavery where it already existed, but there was disagreement on what would happen in the Western Frontier. Federal action on taxation, tariffs, railroads, monetary policies, and land policies contributed. The Southerners right to own property included slaves but it interfered with the North’s right to compete in a free market of equals. Like today’s culture war between conservatives and liberals, the North and the South had different values that had co-existed long before the Civil War broke out. Both came to believe in conspiracies to destroy the other’s way of life. There was none, but people acted as though they existed. There were unresolvable differences rooted in morality and State’s rights versus human rights that ultimately required a war to resolve.
The idea that history repeats itself implies that nothing has changed, that perceived patterns reveal causation, and it ignores unintended consequences. A retreat to the past is argued to be the solution, forgetting that a single unsuspected outcome alters the evolution of history. History is not about clear answers.
Taxes
Consider the Civil War. It was not the good guys versus the bad. It is a myth that the Founding Fathers had the solution to slavery planned from the start. This “feel good” triumphalism washes guilt and responsibility away, suggests the problem is solved, and makes it easier to undo accomplishments.
Slavery highlighted State’s rights, regarded as the real reason for the Civil War, but it was more complicated than differences between the North’s industrial economy and the agrarian South. Neither the Republicans or Lincoln had proposed abolishing slavery where it already existed, but there was disagreement on what would happen in the Western Frontier. Federal action on taxation, tariffs, railroads, monetary policies, and land policies contributed. The Southerners right to own property included slaves but it interfered with the North’s right to compete in a free market of equals. Like today’s culture war between conservatives and liberals, the North and the South had different values that had co-existed long before the Civil War broke out. Both came to believe in conspiracies to destroy the other’s way of life. There was none, but people acted as though they existed. There were unresolvable differences rooted in morality and State’s rights versus human rights that ultimately required a war to resolve.
The idea that history repeats itself implies that nothing has changed, that perceived patterns reveal causation, and it ignores unintended consequences. A retreat to the past is argued to be the solution, forgetting that a single unsuspected outcome alters the evolution of history. History is not about clear answers.
Taxes
Mitch McConnell likes to say that taxes are un-American, but history does not agree.
The British felt that the colonists were the primary benefactors of the expensive Seven Years War that defeated the French so they should help pay for it. To reduce the costs of warfare with Indians in the West, Parliament declared a Proclamation line to prevent the colonists from invading Indian Territory and enforced it with troops. The Proclamation Line interfered with the Westward expansion needed to make the colonies economically viable. The Parliament’s taxes invalidated the powers of the colonial assemblies to tax, leading to the cry of “no taxation without representation”.
The British felt that the colonists were the primary benefactors of the expensive Seven Years War that defeated the French so they should help pay for it. To reduce the costs of warfare with Indians in the West, Parliament declared a Proclamation line to prevent the colonists from invading Indian Territory and enforced it with troops. The Proclamation Line interfered with the Westward expansion needed to make the colonies economically viable. The Parliament’s taxes invalidated the powers of the colonial assemblies to tax, leading to the cry of “no taxation without representation”.
The Constitution
Did
the Founding Fathers plan to create a constitution that would promote
or restrict religion and not be neutral? Did they create a moral credo
defining the duties of man towards God, that would last forever and
would be relevant at all times, or did they, perhaps inadvertently,
promote a situational morality about man’s duties toward man? Will
America follow the same religious path that lead to the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire and the rise of fundamentalist terrorism? Is the
Constitution subordinate to the States because it was created by them or
is it a union of the States that has power over all of them?
The Constitution’s Tenth Amendment limited centralizing power, claiming that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The wording of the amendment was debated and changed from “… the people thereof” to acknowledge that there were undefined powers belonging to the people of the whole country.
The Founding Fathers lived in a much simpler time. It was before electricity, cars, airplanes, radios, and significant science. They never dreamed that they would be portrayed as “godlike” or that the Constitution would be regarded as a sacred, unchangeable document.
The Founding Fathers left no instructions to help us understand how to interpret their work, perhaps because it sprang forth from no single intent. Contemporary views will always be flawed rationalizations that try to explain history based on outcomes and incomplete documentation. Can the reasonable person’s judgment strike a prudent mean between absolutism and the relativism of the evolution of language and situations?
Ideology
The Constitution’s Tenth Amendment limited centralizing power, claiming that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The wording of the amendment was debated and changed from “… the people thereof” to acknowledge that there were undefined powers belonging to the people of the whole country.
The Founding Fathers lived in a much simpler time. It was before electricity, cars, airplanes, radios, and significant science. They never dreamed that they would be portrayed as “godlike” or that the Constitution would be regarded as a sacred, unchangeable document.
The Founding Fathers left no instructions to help us understand how to interpret their work, perhaps because it sprang forth from no single intent. Contemporary views will always be flawed rationalizations that try to explain history based on outcomes and incomplete documentation. Can the reasonable person’s judgment strike a prudent mean between absolutism and the relativism of the evolution of language and situations?
Ideology
The
sociologist Karl Mannheim claimed that all knowledge is ideological
except for the exact sciences and math. Because knowledge is never
politically, socially, and morally neutral, and always rooted in
interpretations that proponents want to become universal, we can never
agree. Modes of thought are so different that mutual understanding is
difficult. It is beyond myths that are used as politician’s weapons in a
battle where winning requires destroying the other side. If we are not
careful, we might get what we are asking for. It is as Pogo said, “We
have met the enemy and he is us.”
The material for this opinion is based on Professor Mark Stoler’s Great Course, The Skeptic’s Guide to American History.
The material for this opinion is based on Professor Mark Stoler’s Great Course, The Skeptic’s Guide to American History.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Arlington
Graves of America's war dead at Arlington, 06/15/07. (photo: Bruce Dale/National Geographic)
25 May 14
here
is probably no greater insult to those who have served their country
than to use public support for them as a validation of war itself.
Memorial Day is not about the glorification of war. It
is about the sacrifice of human beings who believed and believe that
their sacrifice will bring about good.
Arlington National Cemetery is not the only place
where American veterans are laid to rest, but it is certainly the symbol
of burial with honor for those who have served. It is, however,
important to remember how Arlington came to be.
Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery was the
home of Confederate general Robert E. Lee prior to the Civil War. As an
act of personal retaliation against Lee, the union buried war dead in
front of his home. Lee never returned to the house. Years of legal wrangling over the house followed,
but the message was clear: the Union blamed Lee for what they saw as an
unnecessary war and the toll, in human terms, was his to bear.
Arlington House and the dead around it might well be
the greatest anti-war statement ever made. Every war exacts a horrible
price in human terms; unnecessary wars are a betrayal of the very
nations they purport to serve. Arlington bears witness to it all.
Why wait for the terrible price of war to be exacted to deliver the next war’s plunder to Arlington? The war planning itself should be done at Arlington House. When the next decision to launch a war that will add to Arlington’s toll is made let the dead speak too.
Why wait for the terrible price of war to be exacted to deliver the next war’s plunder to Arlington? The war planning itself should be done at Arlington House. When the next decision to launch a war that will add to Arlington’s toll is made let the dead speak too.
Let the planners stand as Robert E. Lee did at
Arlington House and make the next decision there. Maybe they will make a
better decision than he did. They will certainly have more help.
The senators, the White House staff, the Joint Chiefs,
put the war planning room there, at Arlington. Let them meet there.
Maybe Arlington will serve the purpose Union Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs
intended when he convinced Lincoln to turn Arlington into a war
cemetery: Make those who plan war account to the dead.
Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
Drought forces wildlife into neighborhoods
Don't be surprised if you see more wild animals around town in the next few months. Drought conditions may cause creatures like elk, deer, bobcats, foxes, coyotes and even bears to wander further into town than normal, as they seek sources of food and water.
"Animals may go into search mode," says Larry Phoenix, a field supervisor with the Arizona Game and Fish Department Region 2 office in Flagstaff. "If they can't find food and water in the forests, mountains and areas where they normally live, then they head to places where these essentials can be found."
If you see wild animals in your neighborhood, you should not try to help by feeding them. That can actually wind up doing more harm than good.
"You should never provide food, cover or water for wildlife," says Phoenix. "Animals that receive help from people become habituated to human-occupied areas and can feel too comfortable around humans. That's how many human-wildlife conflicts begin, as some animals become aggressive. Often, the animals that wind up biting or attacking people were previously human-fed. This type of aggressive behavior also puts the animal's life in danger."
Here are some tips for discouraging wild animals from taking up residence in your neighborhood:
- Don't feed wildlife. Remove pet food, water bowls, garbage and other attractants from around your home.
- Make possible den sites or shelters unavailable, including the crawl spaces under homes, by blocking them with fencing or other devices.
- Don't let wild animals get comfortable in your neighborhood. Discourage them by spraying with a hose, lighting up the area at night, playing loud music, shaking a can filled with pennies or even just banging pots and pans.
"Usually, the parents are not far away," says Phoenix. "They may be out gathering food or taking a short break from their young. If you remove the baby, you’re actually creating a problem. Also, this time of year, baby birds can be found on the ground. This is typically just a normal part of learning to fly. If you do find a baby bird, just place it back in the nest and give the parents a chance to come back and take care of their young."
This is also the time of year when waterfowl are nesting, so dogs should be kept on their leashes and kept out of local wetlands and marshes. Pets off leash are a danger to nesting birds and other wildlife.
For more tips on dealing with urban wildlife this summer, visit www.azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Slide Fire grows; Woods Canyon contained
SLIDE FIRE Firefighters continued to make progress Saturday battling the Slide Fire near Sedona, but rugged terrain was preventing them from getting to the firelines, and officials expect it to double in size before it comes under control.
Oak Creek Canyon and its campgrounds remain closed over the holiday weekend, with residents and businesses being told it could be a week before they are allowed to return.
And two communities between Sedona and Flagstaff placed on alert to evacuate if the fire gets close remained in limbo as fire officials said it was still too early to lift the warning.
The fire remained at 5 percent containment for a third day, with the blaze increasing to about 10,600 acres, according to fire officials.
The growth was expected.
WOODS CANYON LAKE FIRE
A fire reported Wednesday morning near Woods Canyon Lake has consumed about 150 acres east of Payson but is now contained, according to a U.S. Forest Service statement.
The Woods Canyon Lake Fire was first reported at 10:15 a.m. and, by 4 p.m., it had crossed Forest Road 195 and grown to its current size, the statement says.
Cathy Dowd, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman, said resources on the scene include a heavy air tanker, two Type 3 helicopters, one Type 2 crew and several fire engines. Helicopters are dipping water from Woods Canyon Lake.
Dowd says additional resources have been ordered and that no structures are threatened at this time.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Woods Canyon Lake is a 35-mile drive east of Payson.
Conservatives freaking out about guillotines
On the June cover of the conservative magazine American Spectator,
a vision arises from the collective unconscious of the rich. Angry
citizens look on as a monocled fatcat is led to a blood-soaked
guillotine, calling up the memory of the Reign of Terror during the
French Revolution, when tens of thousands were executed, many by what
came to be known as the “National Razor.” The caption reads, “The New
Class Warfare: Thomas Piketty’s intellectual cover for confiscation.”
One member of the mob can be seen holding up a bloody copy of the French
economist’s recent book, Capital in the 21st Century.
Confiscation, of
course, can only mean one thing. Off with their heads! In reality, the
most “revolutionary” thing Professor Piketty calls for in his
best-sellling tome is a wealth tax, but our rich are very sensitive.
In his article,
however, James Pierson warns that a revolution is afoot, and that the 99
percent is going to try to punish the rich. The ungrateful horde is
angry, he says, when they really should be celebrating their marvelous
good fortune and thanking their betters:
“From one point of view, the contemporary era has been a ‘gilded age’ of regression and reaction due to rising inequality and increasing concentrations of wealth. But from another it can be seen as a ‘golden age’ of capitalism marked by fabulous innovations, globalizing markets, the absence of major wars, rising living standards, low inflation and interest rates, and a thirty-year bull market in stocks, bonds, and real estate.”
Yes, things do indeed
look very different to the haves and the have-nots. But some of the
haves are willing to say what’s actually going down — and it’s a war of
their own making. Warren Buffett made this very clear in his
declaration: “There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the
rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”
Warren is quite
correct: It is the rich who have made war against the 99 percent, not
the other way around. They have dumped the tax burden onto the rest of
us. They have shredded our social safety net and attacked our
retirements. In their insatiable greed, they refuse even to consider
raising the minimum wage for people who toil all day and can’t earn
enough to feed their children. And they do everything in their power to
block as many people from the polls as possible who might protest these
conditions, while crushing the unions and any other countervailing
forces that could fight to improve them.
The goal of this
vicious war is to control all of the wealth and the government not just
in the U.S., but the rest of the world, too, and to make sure the people
are kept in a state of fear.
But the greedy rich are
experts in cloaking their aggression. Like steel tycoon Andrew
Carnegie, who successfully transitioned from robber baron to
philanthropist, David H. Koch and his conservative colleagues put on the
mask of philanthropy to hide their war dance. Or they project their
aggression onto ordinary people who are simply trying to feed their
families, pay the bills, and keep the roof over their heads.
Many of the
wealthy liberals play a less crass version of the game: they talk about
inequality only to alleviate their conscience while secretly — or not
so secretly — protecting their turf (witness: NY Governor Andrew Cuomo
and his mission to reduce taxes on his wealthy benefactors).
It is rich Americans,
in particular, financial capitalists, who have made the war-like values
of self interest and ruthlessness their code of ethics through their
championing of an unregulated market. When we hear the term, “It’s just
business,” we know what it means. Somebody has legally gouged us.
People in America are
under attack daily. The greedy rich know it, because they are the ones
doing the attacking. They know that they have made collateral damage out
of hungry children, hard-working parents, grandmothers and
grandfathers. And somewhere behind the gates of their private
communities and the roped-off areas — their private schools, private
hospitals, private modes of transport—they fear that the aggression may
one day be turned back. They wonder how far they can erode our quality
of life before something might just snap.
The growing
concentration of wealth is creating an increasingly antagonistic
society, which is why we have seen the buildup of the police state and
the rise of unregulated markets appear in tandem. This is why the
prisons are bursting at the seams with the poor.
The oligarchs hope that
Americans will be so tired, so pumped full of Xanax, so terrified, that
they will remain in their places. They hope that we will watch the rich
cavorting on reality shows and set ourselves to climbing the economic
ladder instead of seeing that the rungs have been kicked away.
Of course, there is a
very easy way for the rich to remain rich and alleviate their nightmares
of the guillotine. That is simply to allow their unearned wealth to be
taxed at a reasonable rate. Voila! No more fear of angry mobs.
Or they can wait for
some less pleasant alternative, like a revolution. This theme, which
once timidly hid behind the scenes, has lately burst onto cultural
center stage.
The cover of the current issue of Lapham’s Quarterly, dedicated to the topic, “Revolutions,”
features five crossed swords. Its contents outline various periods in
history when ordinary folks had had enough, such as “The People’s
Patience is Not Endless,” a pamphlet issued by the Command of Umkhonto
we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress, in December
1961.
Very interesting reading for the 1 percent.
Lynn Parramore is
an AlterNet senior editor. She is cofounder of Recessionwire, founding
editor of New Deal 2.0, and author of “Reading the Sphinx: Ancient Egypt
in Nineteenth-Century Literary Culture.” She received her Ph.D. in
English and cultural theory from NYU. She is the director of AlterNet’s
New Economic Dialogue Project. Follow her on Twitter @LynnParramore.
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