Over fifty years ago

I welcome their hatred

FDR's Economic Bill of Rights 1944

Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union:[2]

“ It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.
We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.”[3] People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.
Among these are:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.
For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.

Space Oddity

Unbelievable!

Beach Sand and Sawdust

Thats what kills five cheap flip phones a year

First Day of Summer

Green Fade

These Winter days

The end of an era

Calm Light

Eugene Atget

Always loved his photographs, going back to photo school....

YOU WANT IT!

The Reality of Wealth Distribution in the USA

Blankfein Say Americans Should Work Longer

Goldman Sachs CEO Blankfein Says Americans Should Work Longer and Receive Fewer Benefits

I watched an excerpt from an interview (can't embed) with Scott Pelli on CBS last week and I've got to tell you:

The absolute cheek, the disconnection from reality, the smarmy, lispy, olefin laden speech pattern, he must have one excellent skill set, because it surely isn't a convincing delivery....Until we raise the tax rate on these blood-sucking squid, we will continue to bleed the common wealth and lard these amoral, treasonous pockets. Unregulated, untaxed capitalism is a pox on the common good. And the corporate controlled MSM as their handmaiden should be held accountable for letting him get away with this drivel without even challenging his assertions. We gave those licenses to the PUBLIC airwaves in trade for ONE HOUR a day of news that would promote the understanding of issues that affect the REPUBLIC!” 

According to Blankfein Solving the long-term solvency problem of Social Security will mean Americans retiring later in life and receiving fewer benefits, according to one Wall Street tycoon who received $16 million in compensation in 2011.

Lloyd Blankfein, the enormously wealthy CEO of Goldman Sachs, recently told CBS News that “the retirement age has to be changed.” He also remarked that “maybe some of the benefits have to be affected; maybe some of the inflation adjustments have to be revised. But in general, entitlements have to be slowed down and contained.”

Blankfein, who owns $210 million worth of Goldman Sachs stock, defended his suggestions by claiming that “Social Security wasn’t devised to be a system that supported you for a 30-year retirement after a 25-year career.”