Saturday, April 12, 2008

Bitter? Damn Straight!

Barack Obama's speech about 'bitter Americans' turning to God, guns or antipathy has resonated with both the Clinton and McCain campaigns who both seized the opportunity to label Obama as elitist, which, coming from a couple of fucking millionaires is as about as cynical as it gets. It also proved that not only are the Clinton and McCain people out of touch with the problems facing American citizens, it also shows there is really no difference between McCain and Clinton.
What do working people, not only in PA, but in the rest of the country have to be bitter about?
Four years ago, gas prices were fixed at around $1.20 a gallon. Ten dollars for gas would fill me up for the week. Today, that same ten dollars doesn't even get me half a tank in a car with a smaller tank and engine, and only gets me to work and back twice, with just enough to make it back to work one more time. I should be happy about that?
Four years ago, thirty dollars was enough groceries for me for a week, with enough food for during the week, plus on the weekends (and Wednesdays) when my children stay with me. I used to be able to feed my kids breakfast cereal on the weekends, now I can't even afford to buy a box to eat during the time they're at their mothers, because milk has to be figured in, and the price of that has gone through the roof as well. (As a side note, I will concede that the kids are better off without breakfast cereals and milk, both being not very healthy, and full of additives and rBGH)
In the last three years, my rent has gone up 14%, electricity costs more, and even phone rates have risen as well. While I used to be able to afford DSL, I now use Dial-in-for-free, which gets me on the internet, but is slower than a Bush governmental response to a natural disaster.
My taxes have gone up, and yet, I get nothing from it. The roads I drive on are crumbling under my wheels. Sure, I vote in elections, but my political influence is nil, since I cannot afford to donate thousands to any campaign. What do I get from candidates? Empty rhetoric such as
"If we start acting like Americans," Clinton continued, "and role up our sleeves we can make sure that America's best years are ahead of us."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I'm already working full time, now you fucking multi-millionaires want me to work more? Fuck you! That's why we have public servants, to act in the public good and do what's best for all Americans. Don't ask me to sacrifice any more because I don't have anything left to give to you blood suckers!!!!!!!!!(As you have probably sensed by now, I have turned to antipathy rather than God or guns, which is probably best for everyone)What the fuck are you willing to sacrifice?
As I said earlier, both Clinton and McCain have seized upon this truism as a way to distract the media from their favorite talking points, Clinton's continual lies and McCain's complete incompetence ( mentally, that is) when it comes to the facts. Fuck them both. Perhaps these two live in a dream world where if you hum loudly enough and repeat "It's alright, it's alright" enough times then things will be all better. Sure and click them ruby slippers together and maybe the good witch will take you home to Kansas, but guess what, Toto? We're not in fucking Kansas anymore!!!

4 comments:

Peacechick Mary said...

I'm kind of glad those two numnuts are making a big deal out of this bitter working class thing. It has given us all a chance to check our bitter-o-meter. The majority are nodding their head to what you say, Lews. Well done, as usual.

John Good said...

Let's call it the NEW great silent majority. . .

Kathy said...

Clinton and McCain are definitely the ones out of touch with average Americans. My husband is from Pennsylvania and was forced to move to Michigan after the steel mills all started closing down. What replaced all those good union jobs? Fast food and retail jobs at minimum wage - without benefits.

Bitter is being forced to start over again and uproot your family to a new state because your job is eliminated, and then after 20 years in another industry (automotive) you find that your wages, benefits and retirement benefits are being cut again. How many times can people keep reinventing themselves? And how the heck are people supposed to reinvent themselves with lower wages when the prices for basic necessities aren't coming down?

We can't all do what gigolo McCain did and marry a millionaire, and we can't all become president and go on the lucrative speakers circuit. Some of us need to do the menial everyday work that keeps this country running.

Anonymous said...

You must mean your state taxes have gone up, right? Federal tax levels have been steadily decreasing since '01. Kinda weird to bitch about state taxes in a post complaining about the Federal Government.

YF