An East Texas farmer pointed out to me years ago: “Money is like manure. You can’t just pile it up. It only works if you spread it across the grassroots.”
One hundred and thirty years ago, when he was campaigning to be president of the United States, William Jennings Bryan found himself at an impromptu event at a small whistlestop in the midwest. Someone pulled up a manure spreader for him to stand on, which he did, announcing: "This is the first time I ever spoke from a Republican platform."
I wish Bryan's ghost could haunt the White House, daily going into the Oval Office which now with all that tacky aureate decor looks like a Louis the 15th brothel, and repeat his "cross of gold speech."
Save the Endangered Species Act paperwork from being twisted into an order to exterminate all forms of wildlife. My mother told me that the best way to wipe out a living species is to destroy it's life supporting habitat. Gone is gone, comment now! The National Parks and Federal Lands are the present reality of our National Monument, not a bunch of statues of dead warriors or Jim Crowe politics. The current administration is twisting the purpose of our agencies and going in for the kill. Nature is the art of God, life is THE Miracle on Earth. Good Lord, speak up now and make the noise now!
Those boys are so good at piling up the manure, they keep doing it. They do not produce much else of value. Doubtful if they will ever spread it on the grassroots - they really seem to like the stench. As for the jackass behavior: they may all share a gene that scientists have not discovered yet. Trump, the puppet, has it for sure. Just listen to him whine and play the victim, all while he is busy playing golf and, for fun, planning to destroy a 3000-year-old civilization in one night. Is he the greatest, or what??
Protect and preserve our National Parks and Federal Lands. Not for sale or lease! Look at what that guy from Idaho is doing to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. They're putting our old growth and mature forests up for sale to overseas corporation, a billion board feet from life supporting, oxygen producing natural forests. Also need to support the U. S. Senator from Oregon and the Roadless Area designatin. This administration has been so twisted by corporate dollars and is threatening the cradle of life itself. And the wolves in Colorado, deare God corporate lobbies and machines have no respect for life, the true miracle on Earth! Nature is the art of God,good Lord help US through this paperwork purgatory and help us to transcend this money misery that the international corporate structure is pulling on US. Hardship on the people, jobs cut, programs slashed , billions of tax dollars for wars which have not been declared by Congress, we need to get a grip and make a lot of noise now ! Let your voice be heard, the herald angels sing, hark!
He is or what???. He was clearly insane when when he spent labor day attacking Canada in his first term. Spending Easter threatening to wipe out millions of people is a new low for the orange limbo artist. There was also a "good "video of him telling children at the white house Easter egg hunt about Joe Biden using auto pen. Is that or what or demented insanity???
Amen ,or what sure seems like a good description, I never thought of "or what "as anything but sarcasm until I read your question and he isn't the greatest!!! Happy after Easter, I hope no one else has died because of the or what
The "or what " in your question seemed more like a noun than an enigmatic question. Or what, noun def. Something so bad you have run out of ways to describe how truly scrumped up it is. Have a pleasant night
A perfect post for today. I never knew that about the Pillsbury family. I’d love to see a list of wealthy folks who are doing good so I can support their businesses. I’m disgusted with the whiners who flaunt their wealth but refuse to pay their fair share of taxes. Such pathetic humanoids.
Agreed. And for a start, whenever you watch PBS, the names of all the individuials and family foundations that support programs like Nature, Nova, Masterpiece etc make a pretty good list of the other kind of billionaires. No wonder Trump & Co. would love to defund PBS - he is scared shitless (pardon our French) of people who are informed and think for themselves.
Unfortunately Charles and David Koch were frequent contributors to pbs. There was a lowdown issue about how they tried to use pbs. To muffle climate change.
Montessori suggested showing children the lives of people who were shining examples of good, loving, caring stories and Bible stories having been raised Catholic. I have a great collection of educational DVD's
I would like to see more of Maria Montessori's discoveries about movement in the development of kindergarten programs. Care of the environment and understanding how to preserve our life supporting habitat, be it in a house or a cave, is the basis of the 3-6 year old program. Dr. Montessori's discoveries about human development came at around the time that the radio was invented.
You always make me smile and be sad at the same time. Your humor and Accent are much appreciated and keep me going during these nightmarish times. Glad to know the names of "billionaires" who have chosen humanity over profit.
There are over a thousand billionaires in America now, and counting. I figure that only a small percentage of them are miserable rotten human beings... Like society in general. It's just that a few who are whiners that flaunt their wealth, refuse to pay their fair share of taxes, and cause crazy and deadly damage to America and the rest of the world get so much attention... It's tempting to paint with a broad brush and say that all billionaires are greedy, selfish, no-good hoarders. I suppose I've been guilty of billionaire-bashing myself. It's kind of hard not to when even billionaire philanthropists that are doing good on the one hand are doing a lot of harm on the other.
"When we all do better, we all do better" isn't a flat truth. It's a truth that's like a cut gemstone. You see all kinds of different, beautiful things in each of the facets.
Once again......if you want to see up close and Personal the far reaching damage being done by Billionaires, since Eisenhower are doing to ALL of us read "Burned By Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet" by Chuck Collins! If we do not rein them in they will continue to exert more and more dominance over our lives and we will be even further enslaved to them! Why do you think ALL these Billionaires are supporting Trump?????? TO SCREW THE REST OF US AND CONTROL OUR LIVES!!!!
For a scary, but fair profile of some of these spoiled man-children - I call them the four horsemen of arrested development - check out: The End of Reality by Jonathan Taplin.
I was wondering why haven't we heard more about the good Democratic Millionaires. Thank you for naming a few. It helps to know that there ar people who are able to fill in the gaps tor seniors on a fixed limited income who might not be able to make donations to the Democrats running for office asking for donations. I sometimes am able to send $1.00 if the request comes with an SASE
My father used to do that and then make scrap paper pads from the mailings. I fill out the forms and put a stamp on to support the post office as my donation.
Thanks for another way of managing the "gross" amounts of requests received requesting campaign donations. I have been receiving requests from some of the R's so lacking an SASE I will return all of the trashy literature and make my donation to the USPS
"Money is like manure . . ." is a fine old quote. I have seen an addendum to that about spreading it around or standing in a stinking pile up to your armpits.
What we give is a pittance compared to the Forbes list but, considered as a percentage of resources, may at least deserve a place toward the bottom.
Thanks, Jim! My favorite quote is from author Ross Macdonald..."Cream and bastards rise to the top". That applies to Musk & most of the other tech bros
Most human beings on becoming billionaires would be grateful and gladly pay their share of taxes because they would still be uncommonly wealthy and able to acquire every consumer good.If they are blinded by their insatiable greed ,let them go and be another state or country's problem.
When the children in our lives cause harm, and even threaten it, what do we as mature caring parents, grandparents, teachers and coaches, and police and judges do? The initial reaction is to immediately stop them and punish them. The same is true for the children functioning in our adult economic and political lives.
It appears that there are no such mature adults working with such adult children. Even if they did try to stop them, to punish them, will it work? For how long? Will these adult children have learned anything? Have their empathy abilities been re-stimulated sufficiently so they can and will stop themselves? Will the stopped and/or punished turn around to be helpful to others in the future?
Jail is insufficient. Death is immoral and inhumane (though many of us do think it). So what is most likely powerful enough to control and to help develop these adult children? One suggestion is to stop providing them with our monies as customers, clients, and federal taxpayers. (Do pay your state and local taxes - they usually work for our benefit.)
End their financial power over us. Make them pay their fair share of taxes. Stop reporting whatever they are doing - we really don't care. A several-years-long "time-out" is a very powerful step one to gain control over their unempathic immature arrogance. The vital step two is to model and guide their new desired behaviors, and support them for all their humane behaviors toward others - and their constructive uses of their monies for all Americans.
Let's start by putting the old felon in the Oval Office on house arrest for treason, a life sentence and dissolving his assets to pay his debt to society.
Jim,
Great article and thanks for the memory --
One hundred and thirty years ago, when he was campaigning to be president of the United States, William Jennings Bryan found himself at an impromptu event at a small whistlestop in the midwest. Someone pulled up a manure spreader for him to stand on, which he did, announcing: "This is the first time I ever spoke from a Republican platform."
What a wonderful quote🙏
I wish Bryan's ghost could haunt the White House, daily going into the Oval Office which now with all that tacky aureate decor looks like a Louis the 15th brothel, and repeat his "cross of gold speech."
Har! Har! I think I'll frame it! No less true today.
😆
Good one!
Allow everybody to pay their fair share by passing the Social Security Expansion Act! Brian 612-554-9733
Yes!
Save the Endangered Species Act paperwork from being twisted into an order to exterminate all forms of wildlife. My mother told me that the best way to wipe out a living species is to destroy it's life supporting habitat. Gone is gone, comment now! The National Parks and Federal Lands are the present reality of our National Monument, not a bunch of statues of dead warriors or Jim Crowe politics. The current administration is twisting the purpose of our agencies and going in for the kill. Nature is the art of God, life is THE Miracle on Earth. Good Lord, speak up now and make the noise now!
Those boys are so good at piling up the manure, they keep doing it. They do not produce much else of value. Doubtful if they will ever spread it on the grassroots - they really seem to like the stench. As for the jackass behavior: they may all share a gene that scientists have not discovered yet. Trump, the puppet, has it for sure. Just listen to him whine and play the victim, all while he is busy playing golf and, for fun, planning to destroy a 3000-year-old civilization in one night. Is he the greatest, or what??
The whole bunch of self-serving bandits make me sick.
Protect and preserve our National Parks and Federal Lands. Not for sale or lease! Look at what that guy from Idaho is doing to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. They're putting our old growth and mature forests up for sale to overseas corporation, a billion board feet from life supporting, oxygen producing natural forests. Also need to support the U. S. Senator from Oregon and the Roadless Area designatin. This administration has been so twisted by corporate dollars and is threatening the cradle of life itself. And the wolves in Colorado, deare God corporate lobbies and machines have no respect for life, the true miracle on Earth! Nature is the art of God,good Lord help US through this paperwork purgatory and help us to transcend this money misery that the international corporate structure is pulling on US. Hardship on the people, jobs cut, programs slashed , billions of tax dollars for wars which have not been declared by Congress, we need to get a grip and make a lot of noise now ! Let your voice be heard, the herald angels sing, hark!
He is or what???. He was clearly insane when when he spent labor day attacking Canada in his first term. Spending Easter threatening to wipe out millions of people is a new low for the orange limbo artist. There was also a "good "video of him telling children at the white house Easter egg hunt about Joe Biden using auto pen. Is that or what or demented insanity???
That was meant to be sarcastic. He is not just insane, but the worst of the worst.
Amen ,or what sure seems like a good description, I never thought of "or what "as anything but sarcasm until I read your question and he isn't the greatest!!! Happy after Easter, I hope no one else has died because of the or what
Amen to that, Paul. and thanks for a fun exchange and the after Easter wish. Same to you!
The "or what " in your question seemed more like a noun than an enigmatic question. Or what, noun def. Something so bad you have run out of ways to describe how truly scrumped up it is. Have a pleasant night
A perfect post for today. I never knew that about the Pillsbury family. I’d love to see a list of wealthy folks who are doing good so I can support their businesses. I’m disgusted with the whiners who flaunt their wealth but refuse to pay their fair share of taxes. Such pathetic humanoids.
Agreed. And for a start, whenever you watch PBS, the names of all the individuials and family foundations that support programs like Nature, Nova, Masterpiece etc make a pretty good list of the other kind of billionaires. No wonder Trump & Co. would love to defund PBS - he is scared shitless (pardon our French) of people who are informed and think for themselves.
Unfortunately Charles and David Koch were frequent contributors to pbs. There was a lowdown issue about how they tried to use pbs. To muffle climate change.
This is true. They supported Nova and other science programs bigly. But now, their names are gone from the credits!
When Italy joined Hitler in WWII Dr. Montessori was exiled to India because she refused to change her curriculum to the fascist liking.
I didn’t know that. She was an amazing and brave woman🙏
Montessori suggested showing children the lives of people who were shining examples of good, loving, caring stories and Bible stories having been raised Catholic. I have a great collection of educational DVD's
"most of us commoners would gladly trade that whole pack of pompous plutocrats for a dozen good kindergarten teachers" I know I would.
I would like to see more of Maria Montessori's discoveries about movement in the development of kindergarten programs. Care of the environment and understanding how to preserve our life supporting habitat, be it in a house or a cave, is the basis of the 3-6 year old program. Dr. Montessori's discoveries about human development came at around the time that the radio was invented.
My son went to a Montessori preschool, in 1986, as I recall it was a great experience.
Bravo, Jim Hightower! Wish the richy’s would listen!
You always make me smile and be sad at the same time. Your humor and Accent are much appreciated and keep me going during these nightmarish times. Glad to know the names of "billionaires" who have chosen humanity over profit.
You said that beautifully. These columns also make me smile and cry at the same time.
There are over a thousand billionaires in America now, and counting. I figure that only a small percentage of them are miserable rotten human beings... Like society in general. It's just that a few who are whiners that flaunt their wealth, refuse to pay their fair share of taxes, and cause crazy and deadly damage to America and the rest of the world get so much attention... It's tempting to paint with a broad brush and say that all billionaires are greedy, selfish, no-good hoarders. I suppose I've been guilty of billionaire-bashing myself. It's kind of hard not to when even billionaire philanthropists that are doing good on the one hand are doing a lot of harm on the other.
"When we all do better, we all do better" isn't a flat truth. It's a truth that's like a cut gemstone. You see all kinds of different, beautiful things in each of the facets.
Once again......if you want to see up close and Personal the far reaching damage being done by Billionaires, since Eisenhower are doing to ALL of us read "Burned By Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet" by Chuck Collins! If we do not rein them in they will continue to exert more and more dominance over our lives and we will be even further enslaved to them! Why do you think ALL these Billionaires are supporting Trump?????? TO SCREW THE REST OF US AND CONTROL OUR LIVES!!!!
You can never be rich enough...
What about oxygen rich? Got Oxygen?
For a scary, but fair profile of some of these spoiled man-children - I call them the four horsemen of arrested development - check out: The End of Reality by Jonathan Taplin.
I was wondering why haven't we heard more about the good Democratic Millionaires. Thank you for naming a few. It helps to know that there ar people who are able to fill in the gaps tor seniors on a fixed limited income who might not be able to make donations to the Democrats running for office asking for donations. I sometimes am able to send $1.00 if the request comes with an SASE
My father used to do that and then make scrap paper pads from the mailings. I fill out the forms and put a stamp on to support the post office as my donation.
Thanks for another way of managing the "gross" amounts of requests received requesting campaign donations. I have been receiving requests from some of the R's so lacking an SASE I will return all of the trashy literature and make my donation to the USPS
Jim - I like the fact that you listed some of the wealthy who spread their wealth around. I'm sure that you are aware of many more. Forbes has an accessible list here https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeswealthteam/2025/02/03/americas-most-generous-philanthropists-2025/
"Money is like manure . . ." is a fine old quote. I have seen an addendum to that about spreading it around or standing in a stinking pile up to your armpits.
What we give is a pittance compared to the Forbes list but, considered as a percentage of resources, may at least deserve a place toward the bottom.
I love that Texas wisdom! Unfortunately the plutocrats spread only bullshit.
Thanks, Jim! My favorite quote is from author Ross Macdonald..."Cream and bastards rise to the top". That applies to Musk & most of the other tech bros
Most human beings on becoming billionaires would be grateful and gladly pay their share of taxes because they would still be uncommonly wealthy and able to acquire every consumer good.If they are blinded by their insatiable greed ,let them go and be another state or country's problem.
They know that the number speak is infinite but don't want US to know that our Earth's natural resources have limits
When the children in our lives cause harm, and even threaten it, what do we as mature caring parents, grandparents, teachers and coaches, and police and judges do? The initial reaction is to immediately stop them and punish them. The same is true for the children functioning in our adult economic and political lives.
It appears that there are no such mature adults working with such adult children. Even if they did try to stop them, to punish them, will it work? For how long? Will these adult children have learned anything? Have their empathy abilities been re-stimulated sufficiently so they can and will stop themselves? Will the stopped and/or punished turn around to be helpful to others in the future?
Jail is insufficient. Death is immoral and inhumane (though many of us do think it). So what is most likely powerful enough to control and to help develop these adult children? One suggestion is to stop providing them with our monies as customers, clients, and federal taxpayers. (Do pay your state and local taxes - they usually work for our benefit.)
End their financial power over us. Make them pay their fair share of taxes. Stop reporting whatever they are doing - we really don't care. A several-years-long "time-out" is a very powerful step one to gain control over their unempathic immature arrogance. The vital step two is to model and guide their new desired behaviors, and support them for all their humane behaviors toward others - and their constructive uses of their monies for all Americans.
Let's start by putting the old felon in the Oval Office on house arrest for treason, a life sentence and dissolving his assets to pay his debt to society.