Woody Guthrie’s prescription for inequality in America was straightforward: “Rich folks got your money with politics. You can get it back with politics.” For Guthrie, “politics” meant more than voting, since both parties routinely cough-up candidates who meekly accept the business-as-usual system of letting bosses and bankers control America’s wealth and power. It’s useless, he said, to expect change to come from a “choice” between Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. Instead, common folks must organize into a progressive movement with their own bold change agenda, become their own candidates, and create a politics worth voting for.
Most of us really are 'mad as hell', to paraphrase. Somewhere along the line there has to be a place where voters can make a difference. We can see how well demonstrating works when we watch the news in the evening. It gets us nowhere. We must unite somewhere where our voice can actually be heard. Damn. I wish I knew where that was.
We all wish. The one thing we can't afford to do is to be silent and compliant. That is when we lose. Real change can take longer than we would like - but we can never back down!! (Another paraphrase.) Agree?
Gordon, that's the question of the decade. We sure can't go to the press, not since the Fourth Estate Sale to corporate raiders. Once I could write a letter to my local daily, as well as talk to its editorial writers. No more, it's owned now by a Japanese corporation. No letters column. Worse yet, no local new staff or editors. Same for local radio. TV never was an option. Now, of course, neither is protesting -- there are no meeting rooms in the jailhouse.
Woody Guthrie had the true democratic instinct - from the heart as well as the mind. History is made by people like that, no matter how much noise the "other side " is making. It is good to remember that democracy goes back to ancient Greece, and all our Western ideas of politics come more or less from Plato's "Republic". Inequality was always part of it, including the acceptance of slavery as perfectly normal. Seems liked we are still dealing with the same issues, but America is a work in progress, which should give us hope. As always, it is great to hear from Jim , and to have the chance to express and exchange ideas with complete freedom. Onward!
Where is Woodie when we need him? I think that the growing unionism movement is the key to a lot of our problems. The second thing is the tax code. Billionaires are going to have to cough it up, but such a radical change would more likely cause cardiac arrest. There aren't even any good songs coming out of the current malaise.
One of the most genuinely democratic and erudite people I ever met on the internet, David Collin, RIP, had this to say on Woody's 100th birthday:
"There is one element of the story that will be lost on those without a familiarity with the history of labor - a reference to the courageous role of the Women's Auxiliaries within the labor movement. That role began very early on, with the wives of the hard rock miners of the fledgling Western Mine Workers which evolved into the Industrial Workers of the World, arguably the segment of the movement that was responsible for the most critical advances in workers right in the pre WWII era. Woody recognized that role of the Women's (Lady's) Auxiliary in this short ditty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvnxdLptWZA."
Thanks for sharing. We are on the edge of a similar change as Congress this past year has been the least productive in history. Watch the ASU Model Constitution Convention May 23-26 where 5 draft Amendments will be argued by 100 delegates and, if this was a real convention, the final 5 or less Amendments would have to be approved by three-fourths of all state legislatures.
And Now - What? Without Progressive Leadership and little Progressive Input. And today Kent State ringing in my ears... Genocide and the Economy... Global Warming... A Work in Progress... I'm just not seeing very much. Oh... unhappy to say these things. Hopefully Truth Tellers will help make a difference.
I hear you Carol! I'm learning about PFAS, and so many more poisons in our environment. Crazy people running government programs, and increasing religious control that seems only to want control. Jim's message sounds great, but how can we ever get a consensus, for the common good, and live without fear - I just can't imagine it happening this time around. I hope I'm wrong!
Well said, Mr. Hightower. Amazing how easy-going and tolerant human beings can be. All too often it takes a barn fire to get em up and going. Thanks for the reminder - and the push in that direction.
Most of us really are 'mad as hell', to paraphrase. Somewhere along the line there has to be a place where voters can make a difference. We can see how well demonstrating works when we watch the news in the evening. It gets us nowhere. We must unite somewhere where our voice can actually be heard. Damn. I wish I knew where that was.
We all wish. The one thing we can't afford to do is to be silent and compliant. That is when we lose. Real change can take longer than we would like - but we can never back down!! (Another paraphrase.) Agree?
Gordon, that's the question of the decade. We sure can't go to the press, not since the Fourth Estate Sale to corporate raiders. Once I could write a letter to my local daily, as well as talk to its editorial writers. No more, it's owned now by a Japanese corporation. No letters column. Worse yet, no local new staff or editors. Same for local radio. TV never was an option. Now, of course, neither is protesting -- there are no meeting rooms in the jailhouse.
Woody Guthrie had the true democratic instinct - from the heart as well as the mind. History is made by people like that, no matter how much noise the "other side " is making. It is good to remember that democracy goes back to ancient Greece, and all our Western ideas of politics come more or less from Plato's "Republic". Inequality was always part of it, including the acceptance of slavery as perfectly normal. Seems liked we are still dealing with the same issues, but America is a work in progress, which should give us hope. As always, it is great to hear from Jim , and to have the chance to express and exchange ideas with complete freedom. Onward!
Where is Woodie when we need him? I think that the growing unionism movement is the key to a lot of our problems. The second thing is the tax code. Billionaires are going to have to cough it up, but such a radical change would more likely cause cardiac arrest. There aren't even any good songs coming out of the current malaise.
One of the most genuinely democratic and erudite people I ever met on the internet, David Collin, RIP, had this to say on Woody's 100th birthday:
"There is one element of the story that will be lost on those without a familiarity with the history of labor - a reference to the courageous role of the Women's Auxiliaries within the labor movement. That role began very early on, with the wives of the hard rock miners of the fledgling Western Mine Workers which evolved into the Industrial Workers of the World, arguably the segment of the movement that was responsible for the most critical advances in workers right in the pre WWII era. Woody recognized that role of the Women's (Lady's) Auxiliary in this short ditty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvnxdLptWZA."
Thanks for sharing. We are on the edge of a similar change as Congress this past year has been the least productive in history. Watch the ASU Model Constitution Convention May 23-26 where 5 draft Amendments will be argued by 100 delegates and, if this was a real convention, the final 5 or less Amendments would have to be approved by three-fourths of all state legislatures.
https://constitutionaldesign.asu.edu/2024-model-constitutional-convention/
And Now - What? Without Progressive Leadership and little Progressive Input. And today Kent State ringing in my ears... Genocide and the Economy... Global Warming... A Work in Progress... I'm just not seeing very much. Oh... unhappy to say these things. Hopefully Truth Tellers will help make a difference.
I hear you Carol! I'm learning about PFAS, and so many more poisons in our environment. Crazy people running government programs, and increasing religious control that seems only to want control. Jim's message sounds great, but how can we ever get a consensus, for the common good, and live without fear - I just can't imagine it happening this time around. I hope I'm wrong!
I don't use APPs because of security/scam probabilities. Could 'browser' be used instead?
Well said, Mr. Hightower. Amazing how easy-going and tolerant human beings can be. All too often it takes a barn fire to get em up and going. Thanks for the reminder - and the push in that direction.