Tuesday, August 07, 2012
What's going on II
As our friend and political analyst Storey Clayton noted in these pages last month, "[our] society is manufacturing anger and despair at an incredible rate."
The pervading sense of helplessness among American youth, having been jaded by four years of more of the same pre-packaged as "change," is as great as it has ever been.
The centralization of power and the consolidation of wealth are going faster in America than they ever have previously. American youth can feel that lack of control.
Perhaps a few visual aids...
More on the illusion of choice and reality of the centralization of power and the consolidation of wealth...
That's nine companies controlling every brand shown in the diagram.
More on the illusion of choice and reality of the centralization of power and the consolidation of wealth...
"The four most complex U.S. financial holding companies -- JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America -- each contain more than 2,000 subsidiaries, with two of those controlling more than 3,000 subsidiaries, according to a research paper published this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Citigroup has 1,645. In 1991, just one firm exceeded 500 subsidiaries..."---source: Bloomberg News
The pervading sense of helplessness among American youth, having been jaded by four years of more of the same pre-packaged as "change," is as great as it has ever been.
The centralization of power and the consolidation of wealth are going faster in America than they ever have previously. American youth can feel that lack of control.
Perhaps a few visual aids...
More on the illusion of choice and reality of the centralization of power and the consolidation of wealth...
That's nine companies controlling every brand shown in the diagram.
More on the illusion of choice and reality of the centralization of power and the consolidation of wealth...
"The four most complex U.S. financial holding companies -- JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America -- each contain more than 2,000 subsidiaries, with two of those controlling more than 3,000 subsidiaries, according to a research paper published this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Citigroup has 1,645. In 1991, just one firm exceeded 500 subsidiaries..."---source: Bloomberg News
Labels: 2012 presidential election, Economy, George Carlin, Politics, public protest, thought, war
Monday, June 23, 2008
Carlin
One of the Clarion's original inspirations passed away yesterday.
George Carlin, you will be dearly missed.
A couple of Carlin beauties, from a life that was an American tapestry.
"If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?"
Unfortunately, the answer was all too self-evident.
Accused of being dark and bitter, Carlin held a mirror up to the American self, the parts we didn't want to face, were afraid to admit, our own letdowns and failures.
But as he also said, "Scratch any cynic, and you'll find a disappointed idealist."
Carlin believed in people, he was an American idealist at heart.
People we can do better.
George, we at the Clarion wil always be grateful for you calling us on it.
George Carlin, you will be dearly missed.
A couple of Carlin beauties, from a life that was an American tapestry.
"If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?"
Unfortunately, the answer was all too self-evident.
Accused of being dark and bitter, Carlin held a mirror up to the American self, the parts we didn't want to face, were afraid to admit, our own letdowns and failures.
But as he also said, "Scratch any cynic, and you'll find a disappointed idealist."
Carlin believed in people, he was an American idealist at heart.
People we can do better.
George, we at the Clarion wil always be grateful for you calling us on it.
Labels: George Carlin, Language, Pop Culture
Carlin
One of the Clarion's original inspirations passed away yesterday.
George Carlin, you will be dearly missed.
A couple of Carlin beauties, from a life that was an American tapestry.
"If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?"
Unfortunately, the answer was all too self-evident.
Accused of being dark and bitter, Carlin held a mirror up to the American self, the parts we didn't want to face, were afraid to admit, our own letdowns and failures.
But as he also said, "Scratch any cynic, and you'll find a disappointed idealist."
Carlin believed in people, he was an American idealist at heart.
People we can do better.
George, we at the Clarion wil always be grateful for you calling us on it.
George Carlin, you will be dearly missed.
A couple of Carlin beauties, from a life that was an American tapestry.
"If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?"
Unfortunately, the answer was all too self-evident.
Accused of being dark and bitter, Carlin held a mirror up to the American self, the parts we didn't want to face, were afraid to admit, our own letdowns and failures.
But as he also said, "Scratch any cynic, and you'll find a disappointed idealist."
Carlin believed in people, he was an American idealist at heart.
People we can do better.
George, we at the Clarion wil always be grateful for you calling us on it.
Labels: George Carlin, political quips-n-quotes, Pop Culture, thought
