Showing posts with label greedflation sucks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greedflation sucks. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Mad King Watch (Take V): Stand Up On May Day!



<i.>
From People's Action
Billionaires and corporations have taken over our government and are trying to blame immigrants for the consequences, turning neighbor against neighbor. With their allies on Capitol Hill, the ultra-greedy are trying to steal our medicine (Medicaid), food (SNAP), affordable clean energy, and homes through a murderous budget proposal for the coming year.

And, through their DOGE havoc, they’re firing people and creating chaos to put money in billionaires’ pockets at the expense of our families, our freedoms, and our future.

But they don’t stop there.

Day to day, billionaires and corporate America pay us too little while raising our rent, utility bills, and health insurance premiums. Corporations neglect our homes, pollute our communities and the planet, and deny us needed medical care.

That ain’t right.

This May Day, people across the country are rising up to stop the billionaire takeover and demand that our government put our families over billionaire fortunes—public schools over private profits, health care over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics. We reject the cynical division between newcomers and long-time Americans. As one of our founders, Gale Cincotta, said: “We have found the enemy and it’s not us.”




<ii.>
So much for the organizational nitty-gritty. One other thought that occurs to me, however, is that these occasions are not just about America's mad king, but the general sickness that afflicts all of our institutions, all of whom display equally regal instincts.

I got a reminder of this fact yesterday, when I visit Harry's Family Friendly Mart, our chief competitor with Matthew's. The biggest difference between both stores, however, is the clientele they serve. 

Our small town elite prefer Matthew's, because it offers all those high end fripperies that only they can afford -- the $10 organic TV dinners, $6 feta cheese blocks, and $5 pasta bags -- while Happy Harry's caters more toward the proles in town, judging by the preponderance of store brand items, though It doesn't matter which store you visit. Both will leave your wallet equally battered and bruised.

Nevertheless, I gambled on Happy Harry's, lured by the promise of three Diet Pepsi two-liters for four bucks. Simple and straightforward, right? Wrong, as I discovered, when one of the cashiers checked the sign. Guess what? Buried under the "3/$4," in way smaller print, is the actual container that applies -- not the two-liters, but the 1.25-liter ones.

Since the cashier had gone to the trouble of fetching the last three 1.25-liter bottles, I reluctantly parted with my four bucks. I didn't want to waste somebody's best effort, and since Squawker and I were going out of town, the smaller size would come in handy. 

But the whole experience felt sour, as I told the cashier: "You guys are like the cable company. There's always some type of cute little 'wiggle,' or 'out,' and I have to use my jeweler's lens, or magnifying glass, just to see if that 'special deal' still applies. I'm sick and tired of it."

This is the problem with constantly invoking, "Caveat emptor," which bad actors find ways of pushing to the limit, and beyond. I got another unpleasant reminder of this reality when I bought a couple cans of Pepsi from a gas station that I patronize, now and then. But something tasted really off when I took my first sip, which felt like drinking metal and water -- no soda taste to be had!

A quick review of each can's bottom surface solved the mystery, as both expiration dates bore a January 2024 stamp. "What's somebody doing," I asked myself, "trying to sell 16-month-old pop?" I've seen the owner, who drives a bright yellow Hummer, so I'm fairly sure he's making out well enough. It's worth remembering that, barely a century ago, stores routinely adulterated their products with arsenic, chalk, and lead, to keep food on the shelves longer (and thus, maximize profits).

At a certain point, becoming a full-time detective gets downright exhausting. You don't want to risk salmonella from sampling that suspect package of chicken, because the relevant inspectors have been fired -- or the fox is literally guarding the henhouse, to cite two rapidly emerging hallmarks of the restored Trump regime.

You want to feel reasonably confident that your "friendly neighborhood" bank won't pick your pocket by invoking some hidden fee buried in the fine print. But this type of society, amid America's apparent march to competitive autocracy, is what we're staring down -- which is also worth remembering, as we protest nationwide tomorrow. 

It's not just about the cult of personality surrounding these men, so much as the collateral damage that they and their devotees inflict, once all the madness that they've unleashed is finally undone for good -- and we begin the dreary task of picking up the many broken pieces that they've left behind, in their wake. --The Reckoner



Notable Events

Chicago, IL

Des Moines, IA
Join Iowa CCI and allies for a Public School Strong rally:

Maine
Join Maine People's Alliance and allies at events statewide:

Lyon, MA
Join Neighbor to Neighbor and labor allies for events across Massachusetts, from Worcester to Springfield:


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Monday, March 10, 2025

Mad King Watch (Take IV): Letter From Bernie (Glimmers Of Hope?)

 

<Spotted On Instagram>

Another can of worms, another stomach burns
Yeah, your ghetto burns,
It's the song I hate, the song I hate...

A sieg heilin' squirt, you're an important jerk
Yeah, a fascist twerp, 
it's the song I hate, the song I hate...

We're banging pots and pans to make you understand
It's the song I hate, the song I hate...
<"Youth Against Fascism," Sonic Youth>

Fact! Tsunami were "Youth Against Fascism" before fascism was cool ! This show apparently never happened. I found the flyer in the SMR suitcase archive but couldn't remember a thing about it. @markanderson has a memory that @SonicYouth asked us to organize the show but couldn't play it for some reason. I don't remember any hard feelings though...@sonicyouth were always pretty cool. Can you even imagine getting a permit to do this type of protest at the Washington Monument in 2025 when park rangers are fired and the Nazi salute is back in vogue. Time for a reunion? I'd give a lot to see the Holy Rollers again.

========================================================================================

Well, much has happened, as they say, so, no use trying to summarize all the nefarious doings rattling around Trumpworld -- as I've said in the past, we'll leave that task to others. The real question, obviously, focuses on the immediate and practical, as in, "What can we do about all this madness swirling around us?"

That's why we thought it's worth running this latest update on Bernie Sanders's road tour of the nation, talking directly to voters -- red, blue, or green, and everything in between -- outlining what's at stake if Trump's orgy of mass firings, "impounded" funds, and other Biazrro World maneuvers are allowed to go unchallenged.

Word has now gone out that AOC and Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, are offering to hold any town halls that the Republicans are refusing to do. We've seen this movie before, of course, in 2017 -- when Republicans went into hiding, acting as though they'd just enrolled in the witness protection program, while they plotted to unwind the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

It won't help them then, and it won't help them now, since my standing joke is that even red state voters will probably miss such fripperies as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security (not to mention more specific ones closer to home, like special needs programs, or farm contract payments).

The guiding point that sticks out for me, in Bernie's letter, is that "we cannot simply be on the defensive -- in opposition to Musk and Trump." The opposite, in other words, from what out of touch Boomer technocrats like James Carville are advising: "Play dead, play possum," as if the political era of 1996 still existed, and the combatants were still quibbling over the finer points of budgetary arcana. Suffice to say, when the legacy media holds up this grizzled Yoda-like figure who hasn't worked domestic elections in decades, as some kind of working class whisperer for the ages -- if you believe that, well, I've got some prime swampland you can help me drain.

Now is the time to be heard, because in six months, we may not get the same chance if we lay back, and rest on our real or imagined laurels. As Bernie points out in his letter, broad levels of public support do exist for a more equitable healthcare system, and getting big (tech) money out of politics, among many other progressive goals. At some point, Trump and his minions will be gone from the scene that spawned them, and the Democratic Party cannot dine out indefinitely on that standard go-to takeout dinner of, "We're not Trump." 

Look at what happened during the pandemic, when circumstances forced governments' hands, large and small, to provide the sane relief measures they'd always begged off as too expensive, or impractical, or wide-ranging to implement. For an all too brief period, Americans got a glimpse of what a more extensive social safety net might look like -- from the expanded child tax credit, to the eviction moratoriums, and pauses on student loan debt, to name three major examples.

And, while that list might not exactly given Europeans sleepless nights, the array of supports offered a tantalizing preview of what we could have, if we could force the political governing class to do it, if we only could get them to feel the heat of public opinion! This idea offers a powerful antidote to the bromides that have delivered so little for Democrats at the political box office -- starting with, "Here's what you can't have, for Reasons A, B and C, so let's see what you stand."

Imagine what kind of world we'd have, for instance, had Obama not caved in to killing the public option. Or codified Roe v. Wade into law. Or raised the minimum wage, or overturned Citizens United, or banned gerrymandering, when Democrats enjoyed a 58-40 majority in the US Senate, during Obama's first two years as President -- when you could have passed whatever reforms you wanted.

Remind your friends and neighbors of these unpleasant facts, the next time they claim, "Obama tried hard, but the Republicans wouldn't let him do anything." True enough, for much of his tenure, but not during those crucial opening two years (2008-10), which end up the high water mark of newly elected Presidents' domestic achievements. Claiming, "They wouldn't let him," sounds better than the alternative ("We couldn't be bothered, because we always thought we'd get another shot"). 

And look what happened, once those extended supports were allowed to wither away, and companies began bullying people back into the office, out of some misplaced notion of going "back to normal." Who cares if you can barely afford the food on your hope, or the bill it costs to keep your lights on? You can always get some third or fourth dead end job to shell out for it all, right?

Forget it! We can, and must, do better than allowing all these reactionary oligarchs to impose some reheated Cromwellian 16th century social order by executive fiat. The GOP's collective alibiing for its Dear Leader offers a real opportunity for Democrats to clear the decks, stop dancing on the defensive, explain their ideas, and force an honest discussion about what they'd like to see happen.

Now that they've gotten the baton back, let's hope they don't drop it yet again, and bring home the realities of what's at stake. Never forget the real reason that all those supports faded away, and the bullying back to the office, returned with such full force.

Not because they didn't work, from their perspective -- but because they worked just a little too bit well. Now is our chance to let them know, loud and clear, once and for all, that it's high time for something else. Something that works for us, for once. --The Reckoner

You know history as well as I do. Real change never takes place from the top on down. It always takes place from the bottom on up when ordinary people, by the millions, stand together to fight oppression and injustice.

With your help that is exactly the movement that we are building.

Over the last several weeks I have held a series of town meetings in districts with Republican House members who won close races in the last election.

And what I have found is that in these districts, and all across the country, Americans are saying loudly and clearly: NO to oligarchy, NO to authoritarianism, NO to kleptocracy, NO to massive cuts in programs that working people desperately need, NO to huge tax breaks for the richest people in our country.

As you know, the Republican majority in the House is very slim. If we can convince 2 or 3 Republican members from these districts to vote against cutting Social Security, Medicaid, Education, Nutrition and VA programs in order to pay for huge tax breaks for billionaires, we can defeat that horrendous piece of legislation.

Our first events in Nebraska and Iowa drew thousands of people.

But that was NOTHING compared to the events we just wrapped up this weekend in Wisconsin and Michigan.

On Friday night in Kenosha, Wisconsin we drew 4,000 people who came out on a cold night to stand up and make their voices heard.

Bernie on the road

The next day, we went to Altoona, WI -- population 9,200 -- where we had over 2,500 people attend our town meeting. I have long been told that progressive ideas are not popular in rural America.

Bernie on the road

Not what I saw there.

People in Altoona, and across the country, understand that health care is a human right, and our economy must work for all, not just the few.

And we closed our meetings in Warren, Michigan where we had more than 9,000 people come out to hear Abdul El-Sayed, Shawn Fain of the UAW and me. It was a gym full of people.

Bernie on the road

And an overflow crowd.

Bernie on the road

And an overflow-overflow crowd.

Bernie on the road

And an overflow-overflow-overflow crowd.

Bernie on the road

And by the way. At these rallies I made it clear that we cannot simply be on the defensive - in opposition to Musk and Trump. The working families of this country are hurting and we must go on the offensive - fighting for concrete solutions that will improve their lives NOW.

The good news is, poll after poll also shows that our agenda is incredibly popular with the American people. People want the wealthiest in this country to pay their fair share, they want leaders with the guts to take on the drug companies and the oil companies. They understand that healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. Overwhelmingly, they want an end to our corrupt political system that allows billionaires to buy our elections.

We’ve now taking our campaign against Oligarchy to Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. Next, it looks like we’ll be heading out west.

Let me close by thanking the almost 200,000 people who have contributed over the past few weeks to make these rallies possible. I am very appreciative of your continued financial support.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

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Thursday, February 27, 2025

Mad King Watch (Take III): Join The 24-Hour Economic Blackout Friday!

 

    Suggested Soundtrack: 
"People Have The Power" (Patti Smith)/
"Wait For The Blackout" (The Damned)

Nothing better sums up our current malaise than this Rolling Stone headline that recently caught my attention: "The Oligarchs Are Done Pretending To Care." Well, guess what? So am I, and should you, which Friday's request from People's Union USA is all about.

For the relevant nitty-gritty, go right to the bottom. Short, sweet, and straightforward, like all direct action should be, right? Don't spend any money for 24 hours, but if you must, make sure that it only goes to small local businesses. Above all else, don't use credit or debit cards. The next chapter comes with a one-week boycott of Amazon (March 7-14), which will kick off a series of others. We'll feature those details here, once they become available.

As the collateral damage of Trump's restoration continues laying waste to our government and our constitutional heritage, it's encouraging to see The Resistance, however we define it, taking on a more concrete shape. Presumably, People's Union USA recognizes what observers have pointed out from the beginning -- namely, that lawsuits and "pressers" (press conferences) will only accomplish so much.

Nonviolent direct action, on the other hand, can accomplish even more, because it doesn't require permission from any political establishment to proceed. A guiding principle is that the people lead the movement, not the other way around. Every time I hear Democratic mastodons like James Carville, who hasn't worked a domestic election in decades, advise us to "play possum," "wait for Trump to punch himself out," "wait for the MAGA Republicans to implode," I just want to upchuck! Trump and his trusted hatchet man, Elon Musk, didn't wait for us to react, so why should we return the favor? That makes no sense!

But there are no shortage of other reasons to launch the Blackout. As Newsweek's commentary points out, occupying buildings is risky, and hard to sustain for long, while overt acts of violent resistance can backfire, resulting in severe blowback that can stop a movement dead in its tracks. Street demonstrations can work wonders, if enough people show up to support them, if the media covers them, and if the powers that be heed them -- until they don't. What then?

That leaves the power of the purse -- our power. Stripping Trump and Musk of their aura of invulnerability is the key to slowing, then stopping, their so-called "shock and awe" campaign. The more we interrupt its momentum, the less likely it is to succeed. Once it stops doing either of those things, shock and awe has no relevance anymore. 

Starving their businesses of revenue is the most practical ways to show our disapproval of their traitorous power grabs, and pursuit of real and imagined enemies. Consider it a reverse tax, if you like, on the enormous wealth that our so-called political system allowed them to accumulate at such a rapid pace. Of course, the same scarlet letter applies to all the oligarchs who bent their knees to King Donald -- like Amazon's resident Dr. Evil, Jeff Bezos, who thinks nothing of killing political cartoons that might anger his new master, yet happily forks over $40 million on a proposed documentary about the First Lady. Need we say more?

Succeeding with a nationwide campaign like the 24-Hour Blackout sill also give the lie to the mass media's repeated attempts to bury the Resistance, as their star anchors and higher-ups strive hard to demonstrate how obedient they are, in advance. And, frankly, we can find no shortage of independent causes and organizations that could put our hard-earned dollars to so much better use.

Most relevantly of all, pulling off the Blackout also puts these businesses jockeying for Trump's favor on notice, that we can take our dollars elsewhere, even if it means sticking them in the safety of our pockets for 24 hours. If they heed disapproval, then find a different sort of customer who doesn't care, or doesn't mind. Either way, it's not our issue. 

Withholding our dollars -- and our consent -- also lets these corporate entities know that it's time to change how they treat us. Too many of them have grown too imperial-minded for their own good, as they continue to cut back employees, options, and services, always with an eye toward fattening up their bottom line.

You see it in the grocery stores, when they herd customers into one or two endless serpentine lines, even as they claim, "Nobody wants to work." You see it on retail shelves, all over, as business methodically eliminate smaller priced items in favor of more wallet-straining alternatives. You see it in the tech space, where its overdogs want you bundled, defaulted, and layered into infinity, which works well for them, but not so much for us.

One of the lasting legacies of punk rock, and the DIY indie movement that it birthed, is the simple notion that who you support matters as much as what you support, and why. As bitterly as people denounce the '90s-era major label signing gold rush, there wouldn't have been bands to scoop up -- without the Dead Kennedys, Black Flags and Circle Jerks that made it possible in the first place. 

The longer we can hang onto that cusp, the better off we are, and the more empowered we become. With that in mind, let your heart be your guide, and let your dollar speak your mind. See you Friday. -- The Reckoner



The 24 Hour Economic Blackout

As our first initial act, we turn it off.
For one day, we show them who really holds the power

WHEN:
Thursday, February 27th,
 From Midnight Till
Friday, The 28th, Midnight
(A full 24 hours of the 28th):
12:00 AM To 12:00 AM

WHAT NOT TO DO:
Do not make any purchases
Do not shop, online or in-store
No Amazon, No Walmart, No Best Buy
Nowhere!

Do not spend money on:
Fast Food
Gas
Major Retailers

Do not use Credit or Debit Cards
For non-essential spending

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Only buy essentials, if absolutely necessary
(Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)
If you MUST spend: 
ONLY support small local businesses.

SPREAD THE MESSAGE!
Talk about it, post about it,
and document your actions that day!


WHY THIS MATTERS!

~ Corporations and banks only care

about their bottom line.

~ If we disrupt the economy for just ONE day,
it sends a powerful message.

~ If they don't listen (they won't) 

we make the next blackout longer (We will)

 

This is our first action.

This is how we make history. 

February 28th

The 24 Hour Economic Black Out Begins.




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Sunday, February 23, 2025

Mad King Watch (Take II): The Most Beautiful Word In The Dictionary...Until It's Not

 

<https://www.downwithtyranny.com/>

“The most beautiful word 
in the dictionary: tariffs!”~ Donald Trump

Suggested Soundtrack (tie): 
"Up, Up, And Away"/
"Which Way To Nowhere"
The Fifth Dimension

Day One has long since come and gone, and guess what? To nobody's great surprise, prices are arcing, like the song says (see links below) -- "Up, up, and away, in my beautiful, my beautiful, balllooonnn!" Suffice to say, historians will likely file Trump's signature campaign promise -- that prices would "start going down, on Day One" -- as one of the worst examples of election-era pandering, like the middle-class tax cut that President Clinton abruptly stopped dangling out to the masses, the minute he won his second term in 1996.

I'll just simply note where prices stand in my neck of the woods, namely, eggs and gasoline, two commodities that people seem to have seized on, as symbols of their struggles. First, the pump. Self-serve gas prices started at $2.93 per gallon last week, and finished at $3.09 per gallon, for a jump of 16 cents. It took $15 to keep the tank roughly half-full. All in all, not the worst outcome I've seen, but a definite upswing over the week before, with prices averaging $2.83 per gallon.

And now, to the eggs. Matthew's, our area grocery store chain, began imposing a limit on how many you can buy, as many other stores have done nationwide. No surprises there, right? As of 2/18, egg purchases are limited to one carton per customer (12 or 18 eggs, makes no difference).

Last night, the Squawker asked me to buy some eggs, to keep those breakfasts humming. Luckily for me, I snagged an 18-egg carton of Eggland's Best, for $5.56 -- good thing, too, because there was just one other carton, containing a couple of smashed eggs, leaking a fair amount of yolk. Ick! Think I'll give that one a miss, then.

Had I tarried a moment or two longer, though, I'd have surely been out of luck, because the cheapest cartons now start at $6.95, and rapidly escalate to $8.29, and $9.85, depending on how fancy you wish to get (brown? caged? free range? organic?). What does next week's price frontier hold? Time will tell, but it's not looking good, now that Trump's made good on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports.

There's just one slight problem, though, for those who aren't paying attention. Here's a few relevant facts that I found, using the magic of Google searching, in answer to this question: "What percent of our food, overall, comes from Canada and Mexico?" Here's what my screen spat back at me:

  • In 2020, Mexico accounted for 77% of fresh vegetable imports to the US, while accounted for 11%. Mexico's share dipped in slightly in 2023, to 63%, which still gives them a pretty healthy market share, by any measure.
  • Mexico is the largest source of US horticultural imports, including fruit, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages.
  • Mexico accounted for 47% of US fruit and imports in 2023.
  • Between 2017 and 2021, Canada and Mexico ranked as the first and third largest suppliers, respectively, of US agricultural products.
  • Canada accounted for 16.3% of total US agricultural exports, ringing up $174.8 billion in sales.
  • More than 30% of meat and meat products consumed in the US hail from Canada. 
Two takeaways stand out here, to any reasonable observer. First, Canada's chances of ever becoming the 51st state look rather remote. (Besides, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico should get first dibs on that privilege, snark, snark, snark. They've been waiting a bit longer for it.) Second, all things being equal, we'd miss our Canadian and Mexican brethren at the dinner table a hell of a lot more, than the other way around.

My own sense is that a targeted middle ground approach works best. Unrestricted free trade is bad, because it often leads to job losses, and the hollowing out of local industries -- who typically make way for corporate chains, with all the imperial dog-eat-dogism that such a tectonic shift implies -- one that opens the door to other hobgoblins, like loss of intellectual property, weaker environment regulations, and worker exploitation.

Yet rampant trade wars also yield mixed results (see link below) -- since it's consumers, not importers, who pay for those hefty tax hikes on their products. The notorious Smoot-Hawley Tariff, imposed in 1930 over President Herbert Hoover's objections -- which slapped punitive tariffs on over 1,000 products -- is considered the textbook example of blunt instrument protectionism that backfired, for its role in kick-starting the Great Depression internationally.

By and large, trade wars aren't something that any rational politician would do, though it's not hard to see why they periodically resort to them. Trade wars offer an easy way to push buttons, and play to emotions, without ever having to do anything about the problem that's causing so much economic queasiness.

This is the essence of populism, as alternative political satirist Jonathan Pie has observed -- promising the Moon, then handing you a copy of the Apollo 13 DVD. Not that this inconsistency slows Trump down -- as he zigzags between blaming his predecessor ("Inflation is back -- I had nothing to do with it"), and vague promises of fighting "every level of inflation," whatever that means. It's what he does; when confronted, double, triple, quadruple down, if necessary. Facts be damned, and public opinion, too.

Yet Biden is long gone, so whatever's happening under Trump's watch is his nut to crack, his problem to solve -- fair or unfair, like it not -- and he should be held accountable, obviously. But so should the party -- and the voters -- that  enabled him, and this particular brand of madness. Because "concepts of a plan," at least, as this incumbent defines them, offer cold comfort at the cash register. --The Reckoner


Links To Go (Hurry, Hurry, 
Before Those Eggs Cost 15 Bucks A Carton):
CNN: Trump Is One Month In, And Already,

CNN: Trump Says DOGE Could Return

History.com: Seven Contentious Trade Wars In US History:
https://www.history.com/news/7-trade-wars-boston-tea-party-smoot-hawley

The Fifth Dimension: Up, Up, And Away (Official Audio):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKkNlwpajNk

The Fifth Dimension: Which Way To Nowhere:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfGHZzumXJ4
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Saturday, September 28, 2024

The Faces Of Hunger (Take Eight): Return To The Blessings Box

 

<"Mismatched Expectations"/The Reckoner>

<i.>
This week's been a tough one. Thanks to two hefty utility bills that we just had to pay -- $115 for the phone here (Ka-ching!), $225 for the electric there (Ka-ching!), the Squawker and I wound up with barely $65 in our so-called bank account. Subtract $15 for gas (Ka-ching!), and $20 for miscellaneous food items (Ka-ching, ka-ching!), and you're looking at a pretty lean weekend,, till your next pittance arrives on Monday.

Wait, I take that back. I'll need most, if not nearly all of that, for the insurance (Ka-ching!), which now hovers around $145 a month. It's funny, I can remember the days when $95 per month seemed like a lot, about five or so years ago. Guess those were the good old days, even if we didn't realize it at the time.

But this is the marked deck that's been handed to us. Well, not all of us -- one major irritation lately is watching all the over-endowed gatecrashing the dollar stores that Squawker and I often must visit, out of necessity. I can't tell you how often I'm stuck in line behind them, as they painstakingly empty the carts they've stacked to the rafters, peeling off children's clothes, kitschy decorative trinkets (like wind chimes), cleaning supplies, and God knows what else, as they drop $200, $300, even $600 at a time, I kid you not.

Every time I watch this ritual, the same thought runs through my mind: "Just where the f#ck are all these people getting so much money?" Because, clearly, anyone who can drop 200 or 300 bucks at a time on their bargain shopping runs isn't bothered about their electric or phone bill, I'll tell you that much.

So, amid all that pressure, a return to the Blessings Box seemed in order today. For those who aren't regular readers, I'm referring to a box that the local Methodist church has set up, where anyone can donate unwanted or surplus items, which all comers can take, no questions asked. (For further reference, see Take Seven in this series.) 

Last week had been pretty barren, but we were nearing the end of our mindless domestic errands, so it seemed logical to drop by. Guess what? Our gut feelings paid off with a paper towel roll, plus six mini-boxes of Kellogg's cornflakes; a can of soup (bean of bacon, always welcome); a 28-ounce can of tomato paste; and some hand wipes. Not bad, all things considered.

I mean, whatever you don't have to shell out from your own pocket is welcome, right? Reminds me of the Richard Pryor line from Car Wash, when his Daddy Rich character declaims, about ready cash:

"It is better to have it, 
and not need it -- 
than to need it, 
and not have it!"


<"What's In A Word?
More Than You Realize.."
Take I/The Reckoner>

<ii.>
Amen, brother, and all that, right? Something like that. Still, today's experience wouldn't have been necessary, it seems to me, if we actually had wages that didn't evaporate as soon as you received them Remember, inflation has actually decreased, from its peak of 9.1% (June 2022), to its current level of 2.5%. OK, so why aren't prices dropping, as well?

Check out the links below, and decide which one suits you best. I personally find TIME's explanation -- basically, it's the standard blather, "logistic disruptions, blah-blah-blah, supply chain problems, blah-blah-blah, Ukraine, blah-blah-blah" -- totally unconvincing. But I'm including their story out of journalistic duty (fairness and balance, and all that), whereas, the Reich links (especially his video) make way more sense.

Why? Because, as Reich notes, corporate power is the elephant in the room, one that both major parties -- by and large, except for progressive voices like AOC, Bernie Sanders, or Ron Wyden -- studiously avoid touching, at any cost. And until we the people force them to do it, things won't get any better, at least in the short run.

One interesting sub-theme in Reich's video (see below) is the use of algorithms to screw us over -- whether it's Agri-Stat, in the case of beef prices, or RealPage, with rents -- so companies can further consolidate their power through predatory pricing, stock buybacks (AKA slush funds for wealthy shareholders), and collusion among themselves, to continue squeezing the consumer.

And this, I'm guessing, is the real reason why we're not seeing any major movement on prices. OK, the fudge Graham crackers I get periodically from Dollar General have gone down a whopping 25 cents, from $2.50 to $2.25 per pack. And sure, gas has dropped from a high of $3.59 to $3.19 per gallon locally, though who knows how long that'll last, since bad actors like bin Salman and Putin can use oil as a lever to restore their preferred patsy (Trump) on his throne? 

So long as this unhealthy and unholy status quo prevails, it's safe to say that Squawker and I won't always be able to dodge a visit to the Blessing Box. Or your friendly neighborhood food pantry. And I doubt that any of us will be able start building the boat of a lifetime, any time soon. --The Reckoner

PS I should have mentioned this earlier, but I forgot -- there's a sign posted inside both sides of the box, which reads, "PLEASE DO NOT DROP OFF ANY DRY BEANS, AS NO ONE IS TAKING THEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE GIFT YOU'VE GIVEN ME, AND DONATED IT ELSEWHERE. THANK YOU!"

What's scarier? That somebody out there still thinks that poor people can't wait to eat dry beans, which end up like pebbles, if you don't know the magic trick to cook them properly? Or that folks have endless cans of them to give away? Either they haven't figured out the magic trick, or don't want to eat something like that, either. You decide.


Links To Go (AKA: It's Flag Day In Thailand
...We Have To Raise Prices...Yet Again...Today):
Robert Reich: Here's Why Food Prices Are Rising Even More:
https://robertreich.org/post/692311230329880576

Robert Reich (Video): Here's Why Prices Are Still High:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L6bjQNOZ0E

TIME: Yes, Inflation Is Going Down.
But Here's Why Prices Aren't:
https://time.com/7005553/inflation-grocery-prices-rates/


<"What's In A Word?
More Than You Realize.."
Take II/The Reckoner>

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Sunday, April 14, 2024

The Faces Of Hunger (Take Seven): The Blessings Box Lives Up To Its Name

<"Timely Reminder"/Take I:
The Reckoner>
 

Life rarely follows a straight line. There's always room for ambiguity, in good times and in bad, as The Squawker and myself found out a couple weeks ago, when we stopped off at the Blessings Box. It's a project that one of our local Methodist churches started doing a couple years ago, or so.

Like all the best ideas, it's breathtakingly simple. Take some food, leave some food, whatever you need, no questions asked. You can't bring any perishable items, since the church has no place to store them. But otherwise, anything goes. 

It reminds me of what a local hunger expert once said, when I covered a presentation about food insecurity: "I don't understand people who demand proof that you're hungry. If they come through the door, that should be proof enough."

That someone in any social service capacity should feel the need to say such things speaks volumes, I suppose, of how much suspicion the poor are often held. In any event, no cross-examination awaits you at the Blessings Box offers no judgments, and makes no promises.

Whenever our food budget bends to the breaking point, we stop by the Blessing Box, looking for items to help stretch it out: a box of macaroni here, a can of green beans there, and that's just a start. People often leave surprisingly high quality items there -- like bags of quinoa, for instance -- which makes the trip worthwhile. 

This particular Sunday came with a twist, however. Just as I was hauling some items to the van, a sixtysomething woman glides her SUV to a stop. She reaches into her pocket, and hands me a $20 bill.

Before I can say anything, she smiles, and tells me, "I haven't donated yet this week. But I see people getting what you're getting, and I figure... Somebody else can use this." 

"Thanks a lot," I say.

"Happy Easter," she smiles, and with that, she drives off.

I slide into the van, and show Squawker the twenty. "Well, guess what? Your efforts got a slight boost this week."

"Sure looks like it. Well, every little bit helps, as they say."

I put the van in gear, and head out. Faith in  humanity, however transitory it feels, however temporarily it's restored, is a beautiful thing. At some point, once those moments wash over you, they fade away, leaving some more ambiguous or disagreeable to take their place.

But until that happens, you're bound and determined to wring every drop of meaning out of that particular moment. That's how I'm feeling this Easter weekend, anyway. I hope you've gotten the same chance to experience it lately. The way are things going, we all can use a break now and then. --The Reckoner


<"Timely Reminder," Take II:
The Reckoner>

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