Rants Archive Year Three

:: back to the molotov lounge :: to bottom ::

There is too much to rant about in the global political scene. The images of war on TV have hooked me on the news drips, but I still know that there are other issues raging that merit just as much focus. I am one of the unemployed and quasi-uninsured, instantly making my life that much harder. I share a car but am still impacted by the high cost of gas. I believe that gas should cost even more, making way for alternative fuel sources, but still feel the pinch. My inlaws are seniors who cannot make ends meet in this capitalist society because their meds are expensive (they can get them for free but it has been nothing but a hassle to get them on the programs). I have no children, but many school districts in the Bay Area aren't meeting their budget needs and are being turned over to the state for administration. UC and many other public universities are turning down admissions due to budget constraints. The lesson here: TV might tell you that the War is in Iraq, but it isn't. TV might tell you that Greenspan thinks the economy is on track, but I don't see that. Reality is what is happening in your community, so I suggest you wake up and smell the empire.

04/22/04

Happy Memorial Day. Have you registered for the Selective Services lately? You have to if you want the US government to give you college loans. I registered in 1987, and actually thought about joining the navy. It was the US Army recruiter that bugged the hell out of me. He'd call me every week and try to guilt me into joining up. I took AP history in the 11th grade and saw horrible photos of WWII that another student brought for a project. They were her grandfather's pics of Germany and the liberation of concentration camps. So in the 12th grade I'd said screw you to the US military. But the Army recruiter wouldn't take ANY excuses. I had to finally hang up on him until he got the hint. Fortunately, I had choices for college funding. Many of the poor kids in Iraq today are in it mainly for the funding and extra part-time cash. Now they're policing a foreign land and dieing for a messy attempt at freeing Iraq. Everytime I see those slick US Army commercials, I can't help but think of the recruiters response to my distaste for guns and killing. “You'd do it for your flag and for freedom wouldn't you?” I said no then, but know that I'd do it for my family and friends; never for a flag or military industrial complex. Rage Against the Machine says it all: rally around the family with a pocket full of shells. That's where the bottom line gets drawn.

05/23/04

:: back to the molotov lounge :: to top ::