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Ginsberg’s "Howl" plus some of the other recent postings on this list have made me wonder where our world really is going. The dominant mood seems to be one of anger. Though nobody seems sure of why the anger, being angry makes people look for someone to kick around. Locally, angry voters are about to kick a politician around because he didn’t show up for City Council meetings. However, he had an excuse. He wanted to sleep in. Among Canadian provinces, following measures introduced in the US, neo-con politicians are kicking welfare recipients around. Following earlier leads from other provinces, notably Ontario, British Columbia is limiting the welfare recipients can receive to just 24 months in any cumulative 60 month period, prompting the Minister in charge to say "Ending welfare as an entitlement is one of the most profound aspects of BC’s reforms. It returns the program to its original purpose of helping individuals and families through short periods of difficulty as opposed to its current state of continuing income support." One feels prompted to kick the Minister around by asking him what, other than feeling self-righteous, he his doing for his pay. Is he really helping people, or just kicking? Whatever. He’ll soon get help. Our next Prime Minister is as neo-con as he is. In the US, the churches, the courts and Congress seem to be kicking each other around over issues affecting gays. In Russia, the government is kicking the oligarches around (poor things). In the Middle East Bush is still kicking Saddam around while Israel and the Palestinians are kicking away at each other (Sharon does seem to have the heftier kick!). Perhaps the only people that are not being kicked around are Sub-Saharan Africans. It seems that they are not worth it. Please people of the world, take a deep breath and stop kicking, or if you want somebody to kick, give yourselves a try. You may find that kicking really hurts, like it hurts the welfare recipient trying to raise kids, the Palestinian kid caught in a bombing, or the Iraqis or Afghanis who breath air filled with feces dust because the sewers don’t work. Or kick the oligarches of the world. They have plenty of padding and can take it. Or try Sub-Saharan Africas. At least that way they'll be noticed. Ed |
