I was going to be writing for Associated Content tonight, but I don't think that site will want what I'm about to write. It needs to be said, though, so with Movie Star Junkies blaring in the background, I will do my best. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Eureka, California today. He came to glance at the damage caused by Saturday's 6.5 earthquake. He spoke in Old Town. Pontificated about helping those in need, coming to the aid of those in emergency situations, referenced Haiti (which is only an emergency situation when something like a 7.0 quake happens -- which is all part of the problem). He smiled. Promised that monetary concerns come second.
I hope the irony wasn't totally lost.
Why is it that longterm, perpetual economic policies that hurt the disenfranchised, poor, elderly and disabled are budget cuts, but acts of nature are emergencies -- as if the two don't sometimes go hand in hand?
I guarantee that Schwarzenegger's economic policies, which have resulted in 200,000 state workers losing 14% of their pay, massive cuts to social programs and little else, have done more damage than Saturday's earthquake. Yet, somehow, this was not brought up. Not even part of the discussion, and most likely not part of the thought process.
And then there's Haiti, a country were poverty is the national status quo. Had the nation had more real economic support (and far less corruption), perhaps the buildings wouldn't be in such a state of disrepair that the dead line the streets and crowd carports while children sleep amongst the rotting bodies.
Yeah, our earthquake caused problems. A hip was broken. Lots of property damaged. To have this governor come drop in for a visit, though, and claim he's going to make everything all right is akin to getting reassurance from John Wayne Gacy that the teen boy's home he's going to oversee is in good hands. Actions speak louder than words, and past actions often dictate future results.
Fortunately for Arnie, people suffer from short term memory loss.
Why, after all our experiences with the last actor we elected, would Californians elect a man who openly supported and admired Hitler, of all leaders to run one of the biggest economies in the world? "I admire Hitler," he said in the past. "... because he came from being a little man with almost no formal education, up to power. I admire him for being such a good public speaker and for what he did with it."
Mirror and I went to lunch today. I was driving. We passed near where Arnie was speaking. I beeped. It was that or drive my car through the crowd to run his ass over. I have a child, though, whom I love dearly and jail just isn't in my future. (They'll never take me alive!)
It was a good thought, though. Payback, if you will. Yeah, I support politically motivated assassinations as acts of self-defense because the average citizen in the face of what amounts to economic terrorism at the hands of a man with all kinds of uncomfortable ties to National Socialism have little recourse but to use violence. The average Joe can't hurt Arnie and the other politicos pulling the strings economically, but violence is a great equalizer ... just ask the U.S. government.
(As an aside, at least one person jokingly asked if I had plans today, in reference to Arnie. I had found out about his speaking far too late, or I would've taken the day off to protest and call him out on his shit. I wouldn't have really tried to run him over for the reasons stated, but if someone would've taken a shot, I would have only clapped.)
Our "leaders," the people we "elect" have done nothing to benefit the average citizen since I can remember. Even the great hope that is Obama has been nothing but a talking head failure whose policies follow far too closely in the previous administration's footsteps. This is Arnie's last year. Once gone he will hopefully, like the Hitler mustache his father used to sport, go out of style. I just fear the legacy he leaves will cripple California even worse than it is now. I hope he leaves with his tail between his legs instead of kicking us in the balls one more time.
Seeing his smug face on the news reminded me of how much people are afraid to actually say something like, "Good thing you're here. Nice to be noticed, and thanks for helping. But what about the 364 days out of the year where you are doing your absolute best to piss in the face of people confined to wheelchairs and families who can't afford medical care? Where's the emergency help there? Just because a building isn't falling doesn't mean lives aren't damaged and turning to shit. Open your fucking eyes and see through that cloud of cigar smoke. You are directly ruining people's lives, and yet you throw around words like 'help' and 'aid' as if you mean it."
Nobody. Not a soul. Not a word. At least not that I heard.
Leaders, those people in power who are there in an unjustified position, need to be grilled, need to be confronted, need to be made to feel uncomfortable. Instead, they feel sacrosanct. Untouchable. Sublime.
The day Reagan died was a day of great joy in my house.
I'm having a glass of wine the day Arnie dies. I'm going to watch Total Recall and sip away as I think of all the people he harmed through his wanton acts of budgeting. And then I'll lament the day I could've hit the gas and plowed forward. I wouldn't want to harm innocents, and luckily I'm not a Nazi sympathizer like California's governor with the belief that the end justifies the means.
I guess he can be thankful that not everyone is as big a prick as he is ... and that some of us don't forget.
It's been four days since the quake hit Eureka, California. Buildings are still closed. Damage estimates rollecoaster (the most I've heard is $28 million, but has since gone down). People are still rattled, as is to be expected. A huge quake hit Haiti yesterday, and the citizens there are in far worse shape than us potheads.