" We continue to enjoy the fauxnaif routine offered by Republicans and their media flunkies: What could Gore mean by "the people against the powerful"?" Progressive
Oct, 2000

Class Warfare, Anyone?(Brief Article)
Author/s: Molly Ivins

We continue to enjoy the fauxnaif routine offered by Republicans and their media flunkies: What could Gore mean by "the people against the powerful"?

Dubya was so confused about it that he called it "class warfare." I especially enjoy watching Washington pundits affect to be unable to figure out the fuss. They cover Washington, D.C., and they never in their whole lives have seen or heard of a case in which special interest money influenced legislation against the people and in favor of the powerful.

They missed communications deregulation (a bill written by lobbyists), utilities deregulation, bankruptcy "reform," banking deregulation, the S&L disaster, the killing of the patients' bill of rights, the pittance in royalties from public lands paid by the oil companies, the sugar subsidy, the ethanol subsidy, and the auto industry's lobbying against higher pollution standards and a rating system for SUV rollover hazard.

What could Gore mean by "powerful special interests"?

They missed the drug industry's continuing ripoff of the public above and beyond the already wretched pricing system by sneaking drugpatent extensions through Congress, never noticed the insurance industry spending $10 million to kill health care proposals, didn't see the corporate tax write-off for obscene executive salaries, haven't wondered why a $1-an-hour increase in the minimum wage can't get through Congress, and never saw the Forest Service subsidizing logging roads for the timber industry.

So, why in the world is Gore trying to incite "class warfare"?

By the way, I'm fascinated by the fact that Dubya far outpolls Gore among men. One guy played football, went to Vietnam, and is notoriously emotionally distant. The other guy was a cheerleader who got into a National Guard unit through family influence, lost money in the oil business, traded Sammy Sosa, and is now sliding through a Presidential race on his charm. Do I not get American men, or what?

I just finished with nine months of treatment for cancer. First they poison you, then they mutilate you, then they burn you. I've had more fun. And when it's over, you're so glad that you're grateful to absolutely everyone. And I am.

The trouble is, I'm not a better person. I was in great hopes that confronting my own mortality would make me deeper, more thoughtful. Many lovely people sent books on how to find a deeper spiritual meaning in life. My response was, "Oh hell, I can't go on a spiritual journey--I'm constipated."

Being sick actually narrows your world, I'm afraid--makes you focus more on yourself. Maybe when it's over and you don't feel like crud all the time, then your spirit soars.

I vomited in the office, couldn't sleep, lost fifty pounds. I don't recommend the diet. I was like, help, I'm flunking cancer.

Of course, I laughed a lot--who could not laugh? I got my first hair a few weeks ago. It came in right next to my mouth--that little mustache I've always hated. That God--what a sense of humor!

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), April 07, 2001

Answers

There's a lot of "not getting" going around. I'm mystified as to why people don't know by now that conventional burn,cut,poison medicine is the last thing to do. And, that people who cover Wash DC politics don't know that the global scam is being perped by both parties, like good cop, bad cop. It's down right baffling.

-- KoFE (your@town.USSA), April 07, 2001.

In my normal attempt to steer away from the politics being discussed, I'll comment on the following:

Of course, I laughed a lot--who could not laugh? I got my first hair a few weeks ago. It came in right next to my mouth--that little mustache I've always hated. That God--what a sense of humor!

A male friend of mine has always been amused by the aging process in men. He said, "Why is it that the hair on our heads fall out, but the hair in our noses require more frequent trimming? And, what's the deal with hair in our ears?" I have a short female friend who married a tall man. Her first gift to him was a "nose-hair clipper".

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), April 07, 2001.