We left our hotel/waterpark this morning, and made a pilgrimage to the Aerostich Riders Wearhouse. It is famous among long distance riders for their one piece riders outfit, one of the first to appear, I think it was the early nineties. It was sort of interesting, but not the spiritual experience of Pirsig's picnic table.
Next we stopped for coffee. Rant begins here > There was a TV in the coffee shop. It was tuned to Fox news, sound was off. Nobody was paying attention to it, except for two aghast Canadians, sitting at the bar, sipping coffee. Somehow, possibly subconsciously, right wing propaganda was spreading it's message. By reading the captions, I consciously was aware of the sign off message. Which said. "Remember, making money is not a bad thing." The whole scene reminded me of 1984 where big brother decreed that TVs be turned on at all times, broadcasting his slogans, this bad, that good. Then the people start repeating the slogans Making money good, giving handouts bad. The next time we went out was to a pub next to our motel near Marquette Michigan, for pizza. Again, a huge TV was turned on, again Fox News. Again nobody paid attention. If nobody is paying attention but me, why does it have to be on, and tuned to Fox News? Do they see me coming, run over to the TV, and turn it to Fox News so that I may become like them? <End of rant.
After the pizza we went into town on the scooter, where Friday night activities were going on at the waterfront. A live band was giving a concert. The sign said Pink Floyd. I don't know what Pink Floyd sounds like, but there was a guy up the street playing an electric guitar behind a hat with some coins in it, that sounded a lot better.
When we got back to the motel, we had the opportunity to meet some more people. As Mary Ann calls it. People from Michigan's Upper Penninsula are called Yoopers. We had the chance to talk to some Yoopers about Canada, and how socialized it was, and how America would never let it be invaded. My question was, why not tax rich people? Answer: because they provide jobs. Rebuttal: They do not: they shut down plants and send jobs overseas. Smackdown of rebuttal: People overseas need jobs too. You have to think globally, not locally. Apparently we had run into a broad minded right wing conservative.
Pictures: The Marquette cathedral. The statue is St. Francis, I wanted the hat on his head, Mary Ann said no.
Hmmmm ... I suspect it wasn't Pink Floyd ... as far as I know, they basically broke up way back in the 1980s ;-)
ReplyDeleteYup! That's the truth: 'Rich people provide the jobs.' ... must be true; I heard it on FOX News!
Of course, that's absolute bullsh*t! Demand creates jobs. When you channel virtually all of the economic gains to the 1% you effectively reduce demand (except for überluxuries) and hence reduce jobs. It's regular people with money in their pockets who create jobs!
Tax reductions have by now been clearly demonstrated to have virtually no effect on job creation: no one is going to lay off people, or not hire people, if the demand (and potential profit) is there.
Tax reductions for the rich is a program espoused by the rich, for the rich. What's so terribly sad about that is that this campaign of bullsh*t has been as successful as it has.
Unbelievable how much you look like Dad in that first photo, I did a double-take when scrolling down!
ReplyDeleteI was trying to look like St Francis, would have worked if I had put my hat on his head instead of his feet.
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