Ian Welsh is a Canadian blogger. Excellent. Sees things others do not.
I enjoy his writings.
The past few days I have reported re the wealthy corporate and individual conservative class. The extremely rich. How they are behind the protests in the streets, make money from politics, care not about the U.S. except only as an opportunity to add to their wealth, etc.
Some have responded to my writings and spoken word re this group suggesting I’m crazy. Know not that of which I speak.
As it turns out, Welsh agrees with me. I suggest you read his blog of 4/21/20 titled “The Sheer Awe Inspiring American Clusterfuck.”
His blog way too long for me to fully share with you. However, a small portion with a few short excerpts is. His words inspired by coronavirus and its impact on the U.S.
Descriptions like “reinfection…..a complete clusterfuck…..America is broken…..all empires and great nations end – they rot from the inside.”
He writes, “America is a failing state…..awe inspiring to watch. Surreal. Amazing.”
Re the wealthy/the elite, he writes, “The American elite reaction to anything these days is to see it as a looting opportunity. Pump up the stock market, let the peons starve and run out of rent money, shovel money to the rich, and buy up distressed assets. That’s what both DC Republicans and Democrats are doing and ok with.”
Additionally, “…..the elites are inbred, out of touch with actual production and only capable of playing political games. They get money by manipulating politics, not by genuine production.”
Bettie Page was the first modern day model. The classic. She set the standard for all models who followed her.
The original pin up girl. Racy. Taboo. First known as Queen of Pin-Ups. Then Queen of Bondage. She was Hugh Hefner’s third center fold Playgirl.
Graduated high school with a 97.19 GPA. Second in her class. A college grad.
Bettie spent many years in Key West. Off and on. Found God in Key West. Became a born again Christian. It was 1958. Bettie attended the Key West Temple Baptist Church. She became drawn to the multicultural environment.
Her born again status resulted in her giving up alcohol consumption. Her favorite drink became root beer. She enjoyed her drinking, whatever it may have been at the moment, at Turtle Kraals.
She did missionary work in her later years.
Bettie died this day in 2008.
I think of Larry Smith, Christine Cordone, and Terri White as I share the following with you.
They are musicians. They work “gigs.” Musicians working gigs a huge part of the Florida work force. Represent 20 percent of the work force. They are legally independent contractors. Not however part of the “work force” recognized for purpose of receiving stimulus monies.
Florida is way back in processing stimulus payments under their program at the present time. However, the State is looking at making “gig” workers part of the program so they will receive weekly $600 checks.
Terri White and Larry Baeder are doing a live stream show tonight at 8. From the Greenfield Guitar.
Necessity is the mother of invention. With bars closed, Key West musicians have no where to perform and earn a living. Many have turned to the internet. As Terri and Larry are doing.
Their show tonight being carried nationwide.
If a viewer is so inclined, donations can be sent via Viewer and PayPay.
Keys beaches will remain closed. Local authorities showing more wisdom than Governor De Santis and Jacksonville authorities.
However consideration is being given to opening golf courses and public parks. No decision made as yet.
Coronavirus testing in the Keys has sucked. The population 74,000. Tests performed 952.
“12 Mile Reef” a 1953 movie filmed in Key West. On this day in 1953, the movie crew arrived. Took over the Casa Marina. Including the movie’s stars Terry Moore, Robert Wagner, Gilbert Roland and J. Carroll Nash.
Seventy five locals were used as extras. Tino’s precursors.
Today is the 50th birthday of Earth Day. We are still struggling with the problem.
There is a picture on the internet showing the crowd marching on Earth Day 50 years ago. On Fifth Avenue. A mass of humanity from one side of the street to the other as far as the eyes could see.
I am just getting into Zoom. Sloan set me up Sunday. I have not yet tried to use the site on my own.
Zoom is one of the newest and hottest social network sites. It began as a social life line early in the pandemic. It has taken off!
Zoom has exceeded expectations. Personnel are complaining. Being worked hard. Wearing them down. The site is being used for everything. It has swiftly developed into everyone’s “go to.”
The $2.3 trillion stimulus package provided $349 billion for small business loans. As we all know, the money went swiftly. The banks moved the processing rapidly.
Why not! The banks earned in excess of $10 billion in fees in so doing.
Harvard’s $8.7 million payment from the same stimulus package has raised concerns. How did Harvard get the $8.7 million or any amount? Why a university? If proper, why so much for a university that has one of the richest endowments in the world?
When the news first broke, it sounded like Harvard was getting a piece of the small business portion of the stimulus.
Trump has demanded Harvard pay the money back.
Harvard refuses.
Harvard advises the monies did not come from the small business portion of the stimulus. The Payment Protection Program. Rather, it came from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund portion of the stimulus package. Properly intended for colleges and universities. The Higher Education portion specifically designated to help colleges and universities mitigate the impact of the coronavirus.
I believe the monies to Harvard never the less inappropriate. Harvard in the position to cover its own losses, whatever they may be. The small business man on the other hand not.
Enjoy your day!
I agree with you Lou, about the Harvard monies, and for the reasons you state. Harvard should have an insurance plan for catastrophes that might require it to shut down. But shouldn’t businesses, including restaurants also need protect themselves from this sort of thing? Why should Ruth Chris’ Steak Houses get $200m? And why aren’t Republicans all up in arms about ANY business getting government help, aren’t they all about “leave us alone” and “no regulations,” we can do it ourselves!
It is PEOPLE, citizens who the government should be helping. Forgive student loans, pay unemployment, pay health care, etc., etc. Let the money in these times trickle UP for a change. Harvard will benefit this way, commerce will benefit this way too.
Welch and your ideas about the elite clasz, is interesting. Almost everything said about them is probably true, although there is one or two things that bother me. Mostly is the “they both do” part. I don’t really see that as true, or at least not completely true.
For an example, not all insanely rich people seem to only care for them selves and have no interest in us plebes. It seems to me that there are a bunch of them that do, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, George Soros and several others. Sure they are out of touch on some level and do work hard at getting even more money, but they also give to politicians that are not always in their best interests (Warren, etc.). And they support social functions (arts, poverty, environment) that are also not supportive to Welsh’s dark predictions. However, Welch does seen to nail what the right wing uberwealthy seem to be. doing. They don’t seem to have any empathy for “the people” at all.
I know this will seem to many as just divisive politics, but if the shoe fits……
I also think that if you look at the facts maybe you’ll come to the same conclusions as I have. There is hope and good people out there with money that can make it right. Giving up because “both sides are the same” just isn’t always true, that’s cynical and not productive. We can fix this if we won’t be conned.
Harvard is getting 8 Million not 8 Billion. And it should be paid back along with the overcharged tuition for the last 50 years!
How can ANYONE take you seriously?
Tom, you are so righti I
too agree its hard to take Lou serious!
Say Lou, how does the golf course look from your angle? Are they keeping It sharp? Can’t wait to get back out there hitting crisp iron shots. We are really lucky to have such a fine course to play on, even if it hurts sometime.
The bottom line looks to be that the top dogs have come to the conclusion that a certain number of people will have to be sacrificed in order to save the economy.
Although I feel the 8m (not billion) stimulus for Harvard University seems a little over the top and unnecessary, I would like to first see what other universities might have received, before making any decisions singling out Harvard alone. There could be some real eyebrow raisers. Does anyone have any figures?
To put this in perspective dollar wise, Fisher Sand & Gravel Company of North Dakota was awarded $8m for 800 feet (that’d be over 52m per mile) of border wall. In that context Harvard’s money seems like it is being put to pretty good use and might better serve all Americans.