Cost of Living in a Fascist America

The dissonance between the news one receives from Democratic and Republican sources, that is from the Wall Street/government based media, reminds me of the stories I used to hear about communist eastern Europe when I was a youngster.  Everyone knew that government statistics were nonsense and that the broadcasts from the state-dominated media were propaganda.  So it is today in "Progressive" America.


One of the chief areas where government has manipulated information is with respect to prices. The Poughkeepsie Journal featured an article on September 6 describing how costs in Dutchess County have increased more than wages partially because the wages in New York City have declined and there is a sizable commuter element.  One point that the article omits is that the Bureau of Labor Statistics excluded house prices from cost of living calculations in the early 1980s. Thus, inflation has been understated for nearly three decades.  In response to declines in house prices over the past two years, the federal government has intervened aggressively to prop them up. This has had the effect of exacerbating the cost of living increases to a far greater degree than is revealed in government numbers.  When talking about house prices, the fascist media treats their inflation as essential to economic well being.

Recent graduates face earnings profiles that start at maybe 4 times what they were in the 1970s but house prices have gone up much more than that.   If you start work earning $40,000 but houses cost $200,000, then you are put in the position of becoming a debtor to banks at heretofore unknown levels.
I worked as a doorman at a posh New York City apartment building on 54th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues during the summer of 1974.  The apartments were selling for $55,000 or so, while doormen were making ten or $11,000.  In other words, given the calculus of the today's housing market, I as a college-aged doorman could have afforded an apartment in the exclusive building where I worked.   Looking at it another way, the apartments in that building now probably sell for $1.5 million, a twenty-fold increase.  But doormen's wages have increased four fold.  Yet, the enormous escalation in the cost of housing due to government policies is omitted from consumer price increase calcluations (the Federal Reserve Bank and the banking system are the only reason for these price increases, not some other exogenous explosion in housing demand).


The belief that price increases are due to forces other than government policy is superstitious.  Yet, that kind of superstition is provided in the American media and from universities.  Rather than discuss price increases in terms of government decisions to allocate wealth to banking and real estate interests, the Poughkeepsie Journal considers cost of living increases to be an unfortunate but uncontrollable and spontaneous phenomenon.

Think Global, Act Local

I mailed about 650 Town of Olive Republican newsletters. As I mailed the newsletter, which announces a Town Republican Committee meeting, I have increasing concerns about the future of my involvement with the GOP, especially with respect to state-level and national-level candidates, i.e., for Senate, Governor and President.  I have been happy to support NY 22nd CD George Phillips, who is having a very nice $500 per plate fund raising dinner the same night as our Town meeting. 

I took myself off blog impresario Larwyn's mailing list, telling Larwyn that I do not want to associate further with GOP activists. I do not think that the GOP is different from the Democratic Party, and the American public continues to resist transformation of either or creation of a third and fourth party. 

I also told Raquel Okyay that I would not support her projected candidacy for state assembly further.  Besides being a Lazio supporter Okyay continues to support the policies of George W. Bush.  I consider Bush to be a fascist and a crook, and Lazio is no better.  Hence, I do not see the point of supporting Okyay in her strategizing about a candidacy.  I suggested that Okyay familiarize herself with basic books on freedom such as John Locke and Friedrich Hayek, but unsurprisingly she took no interest in doing so.  Rather she wrote the following response to my e-mail, which comes after hers:

 

Raquel: Mitchell -- You want to put all your eggs in the Paladino basket - go for it - You are no friend of mine.  You watched a man you don't know give two speeches and you are prepared to not just throw our friendship under the bus, but also do damage to my carreer!  What the f*ck is wrong with you Mitchell?  Wake up out of your dream - you just lost one of the best allies you had.    

Me: Sorry, Raquel.  I do not support Progressives.  I've already let Mike Marnell know my opinion that the Lincoln Eagle ought to oppose you if you run for office in this district.  George Bush is sc*m.  I cannot support someone who likes him, which you do.  You're a nice person, but that does not change the underlying issues.   George Bush has done tremendous harm to this country, and I put his supporters in the same category as Obama's supporters.  To me, you are equivalent to Rahm Emanuel. That you do not see the difference between Paladino and Lazio only adds further support for my assessment that your political views are opposed to freedom.  If you don't know what I'm talking about you need to do some reading, because you are not educated about freedom.  And I don't mean the New York Times, which agrees with you about Lazio.  I mean John Locke, Murray Rothbard, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich von Hayek, Bertrand de Jouvenal and the Federalist Papers.

Raquel: Mitchell I'm shocked!! We can disagree in a primary race, can't we?  Why does Paladino do this to people, I don't get it?  Did we even support the same GOP candidate for President in 08, Mitchell?  Did it matter?  You may have saw Paladino speak a couple of times, but you know me for years.  I expect this from amateurs, not from old friends like you.

Me: I have heard Carl speak twice and he has emphasized the following issues: excessive welfare spending and cutting the state budget by 20%. No Republican has such a focus, certainly not Rick Lazio who was involved in the biggest expansion of government in the past 25 years, the corrupt bailout of Wall Street conceptualized by the Republican Party and George W. Bush.

I think it is clear, Raquel, that we have little common ground. You continue to support big government advocates like George Bush and Rick Lazio and, like your fellow Progressives in the Republican Party, are troubled by Mr. Paladino's focus on 20% budget cuts, which you attempt to deflect with an out of context quote about welfare recipients in jail. Afraid of going to jail, are you? In any case, please do not consider me a supporter of anything you have in mind for the future. I do not like Progressives.

Subaru Psychology

 Motor Trends named the Subaru Forester 2009 Sport Utility of the Year (see bottom video below).  Because of its four wheel drive and reasonable price ($31,000 fully loaded) the Forester is a good choice for a second car in the Catskills, where winding mountain roads and snowy winters are the norm.  For instance, my 1991 Ford Probe was unable to go up Overlook Mountain back in the winter of '98 (it couldn't get traction about half way up) and my Lexus went into anti-skid mode going downhill on the curvy Boiceville end of Piney Point Road last winter.  Plus, the Forester's ample rear cargo room is ideal for hauling trash, lawn products from the hardware store and other artifacts of rural life.

But there is a problem:  the Subaru "love" commercials.  A friend in Olivebridge, which is Subaru country (as is my neighboring West Shokan) points out that mainly left wingers, diesel dykes, people with bumper stickers that read "Women's Writers' Conference", transvestites in tu tus and hippies drive Subarus.  My friend takes issue with my buying a Subaru seeing that I view Republicans as a big government party and consider Democrats the party of Karl Marx.  See the two commercials below.  Clearly,  the Subaru love theme is problematic.  The Subaru is a car for vegetarians, not high cholesterol types like me.

After my friend made this observation I began checking out Subaru drivers. They are passive-aggressive.  Left (never right) turns in busy intersections; speeding up when you try to pass them on the NYS Thruway; erratic stops in the Village of Woodstock.  Passive-aggressive driving is characteristic of leftists, who are tolerant of all values and will lynch you if you disagree. Equally, left-wingers are plain bad drivers as any drive through Woodstock will confirm. The recognition that Subaru drivers are passive aggressive supports my friend's claim that they are tu tu clad granola crunchers as well.


But this argument leads me to the best reason to buy a Subaru. It is the perfect undercover vehicle. I can go to Woodstock, park in the lot behind the Houst hardware store, load up on rock salt, and no one will break my window.  Or, I can attend an Obama rally and everyone will think I'm really a supporter. Or visit the farmer's market in Woodstock. Or the next Arlo Guthrie concert in Bel Ayre.  An undercover vehicle has many uses around here.  Contrast that with a red Porsche.

The Subaru Forester is the perfect undercover car. 

Conversation with Contrairimairi about Failure of GOP

Me:

Unfortunately here in New York the GOP is decidedly socialist and no change is in sight despite the Tea Party. The Tea Party itself is confused. There is little hope of progress here, the state will continue to decline until the economy collapses.


Mairi:

I've been following your postings about the goings on there. I am not certain that we CAN take America back in 2010 or 2012. There are so many "progressives" entrenched in both parties, that I think weeding them out is almost hopeless. The strong contenders here in Illinois are "progressives" even though running under the "R" banner. It's a joke, and it's HORRIFYING! People here are claiming they will not vote for anyone but a "D" or an "R", and it's looking like any "extra party" contenders will be thrown off the ballot here anyway. There are "suspicious" claims by the same two individuals challenging their signature petitions. If you remember, that's how BO won here in the past.


The candidate I was previously working for won entry to the ballot for an underdog, but the challenges, even if unfounded, seem to be "SOP" and moving forward regardless of the evidence to keep other contenders ON the ballot.

If we are afforded the possibility of electing only candidates from either major party who are still hell-bent on destroying the Constitution, what's the gain? Pelosi or Pelosi-light. Either way, the Constitution is still under a major assault that I am not certain we can rebuff in time.


GOD Bless,

Mairi

P.S. - One small bit of good news, it has been found out that Gillibrand accepted donations from a man who has sent contributions to hamas. (He has also contributed to the GZM.) She is claiming to have no knowledge, and promising to "look into the matter", but this will NOT be good news for her!

Me:

All of the GOP bloggers I have been hanging out with for the past 5 years are turning out to be party hacks, loyal to Rick Lazio who accepted a bonus for securing $25 billion in bailout money for JP Morgan. I'm asking Larwyn to take me off her mailing list.  I consider Republicans to be no different from Democrats.  The Republicans are more anti-freedom than the Democrats.