Civic Boosterism – a critical observation
In the area of civic boosterism there are emerging categories with population:
-the blind booster.
-the cheerleading booster.
– the “if it sounds like the title of a Michael Jackson song it may well be” booster.
– the “because he told me to say it and I want to be/sound like him” booster.
– the “I wanna belong and there is nothing to belong to right now except this” booster.
There are however few applicants for following more uncomfortable and original categories:
– the street level “jouster” on horseback booster.
– the picking up rubbish and clearing the blocked drains booster.
– the parrot on my shoulder who is digging his claws into my neck has been taught to say the name of the place in three languages booster.
Conquest of Poverty by Gerry Mc.
A classic! From the man who Read the Riot Act!
The Conquest of Poverty or money, humanity and christianity. Gerald Grattan McGeer.
“If we are to make the Golden Rule the “ism” of Democracy we must drive the money changers out of the temples of government and put the spirit of Christ in charge.”
Last year in July precisely I was informed by a professional antagonist and (sometimes) friend “Your feminism is eighties wrought and boring.”
Part of my response included the assertion that my feminism “doesn’t take the position of contempt for and isolation from other women. Nor is it shaped by the judgements of men.”
This morning reading Lemonhound’s blog I am proud of my feminism and ever more committed to it, given the current climate and recent mind blowing experiences redolent of 1852. The derailings continue from time to time it has to be said, last week one, this week another. But feck it the wheels go back on the track and I maintain the track is moving in a compelling and engaging direction whether the gatekeepers believe so or not. So thanks very much antagonist but I trust my own weather forecast on these matters not yours. (Go tell your granny how to suck eggs, comme maman dirait)
Here, a medley, that reads like a B side Backwards,
“A common example of a free rider problem is defense spending: not one person can be excluded from being defended by a state‘s military forces, and thus free riders may refuse or avoid paying for being defended, even though they are still as well guarded as those who contribute to the state’s efforts. Therefore, it is usual for governments to avoid relying on volunteer donations, using taxes and, in some countries, conscription instead.”
(Source: wikipedia)
Next Post
This latest “bandy them up backwards” term that appears to cover legitimizing any and all public spending cuts, military budget increases and corporate tax scams is file folded under “create job growth”. (In a global world there’s barely any need to state your geography anymore. Pick a country. Or a State.
Plans that promise to “create job growth” make no mention of the kinds and volume of jobs they plan to eliminate in order to create growth. Is the growth going to be in the letters that will be sent to people informing them of the fact they no longer have a job? Or is the growth factor in the industry created around researching ways and never read reports and consultants to tell various govts how to reduce people’s jobs and benefits?
What’s a job? What is a service? And what is being in the service of? What is being served by?
This is an interesting class distinction that’s being created with this private sector poor vs the public sector poor. So private sector poor tells public sector poor you must be poorer the way they’ve managed to make me poorer by eroding any chance of joining a union. Meanwhile Private Sector wealth tells private sector poor he’s out to save him because it’s public sector poor who is robbing him blind. Add buzz words like fiscal and reality for dizziness and proceed one arm swinging…
Reading some of this thinking … it’s like the 1930’s never happened.
Responsible response responds
Another snip from a CBC news story that tickled my eyebrow on reading: this one is about the cut price sale of Olympic Village condos
“Rennie {Bob} says taxpayers of Vancouver, who are currently financially responsible for the project, should be pleased with the response.”
I scanned the story for taxpayers response and found in the next few paras the following “response”
“…Organizer Nathan Crompton says a tent village will be erected at the site on Saturday.
‘I hope that Vancouver sees this as a city-wide issue and that thousands of people come down and to say that we are going to disrupt this marketing effort every day until we get the housing legacy that was promised,’ said Crompton…”
(The response refers to the slashing of the number of units that were allocated for Social Housing from 250 to 125 )
The presumption of how people should be feeling by Mr Rennie is an interesting one and the equation that they should be pleased with the slashing of the market price and the concurrent number of allocated social housing units is curious. That we should actually feel something about Real Estate as an entity, the way we would say about Aunty Margo getting her hip replaced and be clattering each other about the kidneys for the response to our responsibility intrigues me. Real Estate being our presumed collective blood group. We are nothing without it. Apparently we nothing with it either. And because of it we’ll likely become nothing also. Real Estate having the power to raise us up and lower us down. What a befuddling concept. Bob directs us as the bobbing city lights chorus from his balcony. (step back, ball change, and one and two and three ball change).
Was reading this quote today from 2 Vancouver Sun, May 27, 1935, it came from the mouth of Mayor McGeer who was prepared “to mobilize 10,000 men to keep the port open and rid this city of the red menace.”
It made me think somewhat of the present situation in Libya and what one man is prepared to do and mobilize others to do and what he’ll do, if you don’t do what he tells you to.