In response to Allie Gross' March 24 blog post, "Update: Senate passes DPS rescue plan," Ed posted this general but insightful comment:
I'm just wondering exactly how much evidence is needed for the conservative, evangelical, pro-business, and Trump-lovin 'Muricans need to see that the program that they support is hurting them too. This is a crowd that needs to be personally affected in a negative way to see how cutting social programs hurts them, how racism and sexism attacks them and their loved ones. They need to feel how the perpetuation of poverty affects them personally. That's the only way that they seem to get it.
For now, they go to their churches and pray to God that "He" gives them a personal break. They throw a few bucks in the basket. That's their good thing. They volunteer their time to charitable causes, failing to see that in a different, more caring world, this poverty can be eradicated. They're fine as it is, putting Band-Aids on terminally ill cancer patients. They see the causes of the problems in this world coming from abortion clinics, Islam, gays, feminists, poor people, blacks, and Mexicans. Just like their favorite demagogue told them. They hold onto the false belief that they'll someday get rich, so they want those low tax rates in place when they get there. At the very least, they hold out hope that they won't get screwed and end up where millions are, living on the edge of solvency.
They scoff at "free" college education, as if it's undeserved for the masses. They don't see the value in knowledge, beyond the technical data they have, because the almighty marketplace will tell them how they are valued. Free health care? How absurd! That's for crazy tree-hugging societies! They're happy with their bizarre "freedoms."
We have the monetary and human capital to change all of this around. The rich can pay their fair share. We don't need to spend the absurd amounts we do on making war. We have the money to clean our environment, and keep it clean. We can afford to stop poisoning ourselves with crap food and shit water.
So I'm wondering how much pain they need to feel, before they need to start changing attitudes. The proof is getting stronger, with states providing the lab environments for neoliberal corporate fuckery: Kansas, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and the great state of Michigan. The system that they built, and that the majority of us allowed them to build, is starting to crap out. Because it's not sustainable. Money and power grabs never are.
In reply to Michael Jackman's March 23 blog post, "Michigan prisoners still protesting foul food," Avatar commented:
My fiance is in a Michigan state prison and he's disgusted by the food lately. He said it's gotten so bad that people wouldn't even consider it suitable for their pets. No one is eating it. Guys are trying to buy chips and snacks instead. He's lost 15 pounds in the last few months. Commenters can say all they want about what prisoners deserve, but this is just cruel. Michigan taxpayers will be feeling it when prison health care costs sharply rise due to sickness, malnutrition, and disease. Prisoners aren't protesting because they want gourmet food — they're protesting because they want something palatable and nutritious. My guy said it's been a long time since he's seen any fresh vegetables or real meat. It's really bad. Something needs to be done. If the state thinks it's saving money, it's going to backfire badly!
Michael Jackman's blog post about a new development in Ferndale ("How new development can fit in with Ferndale's small-town character," March 22) started up a surprisingly strong discussion of architecture. Dave Gifford posted:
They are producing the popular architecture of the day: earth tones, brick, glass, and stacked stone veneer. Cheap and easy. It is better than Greek revival but is no deco for sure. It almost reminds me of when they built a Meijer that is supposed to look like a town.
Joey Detroit posted:
Or a building that looks like a giant crate shipping container.
By the way, that is: fake brick, fake stone veneer, fake earth tones, fake architecture.
I'll take the art deco or Greek revival any day. Postmodernism is uninspired, now and for the future. The present and future looks cheap and bleak. I'd rather have the kissing sailor.
Errata: In our standalone Annual Manual and last week's Feedback column, we incorrectly identified the name of the writer who wrote "Detroit's historic neighborhood bars make their last stand." The writer's name is Mike Larson. Also, a March 23 restaurant review of Galindo's in Southgate should have said the restaurant was founded solely by chef Erik Galindo.
