This Wednesday the U.S. Census Bureau released a report saying that the poverty rate in 2011 was at 15% of American households, representing roughly 46.2 million of our fellow citizens. It called the change in the rate from last year’s 15.1% “statistically insignificant” and further stated that median household incomes fell to $50,054, representing a 1.5% decrease from 2010 levels, the second straight annual decline. Additionally, the report indicated a slight easing of the unemployment rate between 2010 and 2011. During the same period the gap between rich and poor increased and there was a small decline in the number of people without health insurance. In a blog post, the White House said the data showed that government policies can help the poor, middle class and uninsured, while more work needs to be done. No shit Dick Tracy.
Speaking from a fundraising event in Florida (does he ever just talk to people, or must he also constantly get money from them?), W. Mitt Romney said that Obama “is the candidate that’s pushed the middle class into poverty.” Um, apparently Mitt was on vacation somewhere (probably somewhere nice and expensive) when George W. Bush and his Republican pals pushed the economy into the abyss during the Financial Meltdown of 2008. It must be a wonderful feeling to be able to awake each morning and invent a sparklingly bright new reality out of whole cloth. True reality bites the big one.
Willard went on to say that his party was not “…the party of the rich. We’re the party of the people who want to get rich.” Um, again…no shit famous-comic-strip-detective-named-Dick. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a party cannot survive on the 1% of rich Americans for support. It depends on support from a gullible electorate that believes their own ship of prosperity is about to dock any minute, courtesy of a party that really wants to keep them dumb and wanting.
I used to love to go fishing as often as possible, and it was pretty easy to do so when I once lived 60 feet from the shore of a lovely lake in east central Ohio. I fish for relaxation, not for food (I find it difficult to refer to it as “sport” since the lake was stocked with fish annually). Although I lack conclusive evidence (I don’t bother with DNA testing while engaging in catch and release fishing), I’m almost positive that I caught the same bass twice in one day, in fact the second catch was within a half hour of the first one. He (or she, like I said, I don’t do tests) must have been really hungry, or the artificial lure that I was using must have been exceptionally alluring that day.
But today I had a new insight about fishing, and it was from the fish’s side of the water. We as voters tend to swim along under the surface. We are hungry, not for mere illusory bait, but for actual substance. As we seek our elusive prey, we are given the opportunity of biting on false substitutes time and again. Like the hungry bass, eventually we take the bait and we’re hooked. What a terrible shock it must be to be hooked by the lip and forcefully pulled from our natural environment. Probably like going to bed as a comfortable middle-class American and waking to discover that your investments have evaporated and your family has slipped below the poverty line.
As I prowl along underwater (millions of homeowners know another meaning of that term these days), I see two twinkles just beneath surface in the distance. Warily approaching the first, I see a highly polished spoon bait, and know immediately that I would find no sustenance were I to bite. Above the surface I spy the fisherman. His fishing tackle is of the highest quality and his clothing is tailor-made. Behind him are a small group of supporters, laughing and sipping champagne. Occasionally, they hand him new rods and reels of the finest quality, or slip him a pocketful of gold so that he might purchase more of his own. Farther behind him is another group, sipping tea and shouting slogans of divisiveness sprung from minds unschooled in rationality or facts. I am hungry, yet wary, so I swim on.
The next bait that I encounter is so lifelike that I must check my hunger before I swallow it whole in an instant. Above the surface I spot another angler, not quite so well tailored but certainly no slouch. His fishing tackle is of good quality, certainly equal to the task at hand but yet a bit below that of his opponent. A small group stands close behind him as well, urging him on and supplying occasional gifts of silver. Farther back on the shore is a highly diverse group of people. It’s immediately clear that although they stand in support of the fisherman, they do not always stand in agreement with each other. Perhaps if they didn't shout at each other and point blame their fisherman would have an easier task. I remain wary and continue on.
Down the shore are a line of children with cane poles and unbaited hooks dangling in the water without hope. I cannot waste my time there. My hunger grows, yet there are no other offerings to consider. I circle back and eye the baits again as instinct tells me that I must choose one or the other. I want more, but what? It would be nice if I could find a fisherman using live bait. At least I’d have a chance to fill my belly before I am caught again.
aww this is some thing Godzila style of fishing. fighting with fish.
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