Monday, October 31, 2011

James with us from Charlotte

Working from home, I can leave the radio on in the background, and not disturb my co-workers.  Last week Thursday, I heard one of the least enlightened, dumbest, most clueless, speaking against-his-own-self-interests US citizens than I think I've ever heard in my life.   The radio show as "Talk of the Nation" on NPR and they were discussing reactions to the various "Occupy" movements.  So that you can see the comments, I've copied an excerpt of the interview (link) here: (I added BOLD emphasis)

"CONAN:  Let's see if we could go next to - this is James. James with us from Charlotte.
JAMES: Hi. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we have had for about three weeks now a bunch of people camping out at the federal court house, doing this, you know, all these protests. And you know, granted, these protests aren't nearly as mass quantity in numbers as the people in like, you know, Pennsylvania or New York or California, but my whole thing is, is that these people are so aggravated that the police are stepping in and arresting them and breaking this up. Well, all these people are doing is creating civil disobedience and disorder.
I mean, you've got people chanting, ranting and raving over megaphones for hours of the night. You've got people beating on drums. And what does this create? It creates nothing but disorder. If these people want to make a change, join Congress. Or take all these people and pull your money out of these banks and keep them stored in a fireproof safe at your house. I mean, I just don't understand why all these people think that gathering mass numbers is going to create change for America.
ADLER: I'm interested in one thing that you just said. They're actually using megaphones? That's very rare. The entire Occupy movement has been basically doing this human microphone idea, and they have not been using loudspeakers. I'm very intrigued that you actually have sound systems being used in these.
JAMES: Well, that's, I mean, okay, maybe that was - maybe wasn't the correct term that I should have used. But my point is, is that by having hundreds of people ranting and raving, you know, a phrase over and over and over, how does that create order in this world? I mean, and it's very unfortunate that veteran got injured the way that he did. But the point is, is that nobody put a gun to his head and said you have to come to this protest. He did it voluntarily.
And I'm sorry to say, and I'm very thankful for all people who serve our country, but if you choose to go overseas to fight in a war and you choose to bleed in a foreign land, then you come over to America and you choose to go on a protest like this, I'm sorry to say that you can bleed on American soil for all I care. I'm well below the poverty level. In fact, I've been denied help from the government for feeding myself through EBT. I make maybe 11 thousand, 12 thousand dollars a year, and I'm a cook. And I've been denied EBT assistance, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to complain about not being able to eat some days. I find a way to eat. And in fact, I....
CONAN: James?
JAMES: Yes.
CONAN: James, I think we're going to give somebody else a chance, OK?
JAMES: OK. My last point is this. I have multiple pending felony charges that I'm battling in a court right now. I can still find a job, and all these other people can find jobs. Go deliver papers. Go split firewood. It's the winter. Deliver mail. There's thousands and thousands of options that these people have. They've got to get out there and find it. Living in a park is not the way to do it.
ADLER: Thank you very much for calling, James.
CONAN: James, good luck - and good luck with the felony charges. We're talking about the Occupy Wall Street movement and whether they've worn out their welcome in some places. Our guest is Margot Adler. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News."

Okay, so felony-charges-pending-James wants everyone in America to quietly shut up, make less than minimum wage (remember, Republicans running for President want to abolish the minimum wage and let the market decide), work temporary jobs, without health care, without any hope of ever getting out of debt, living with a continually declining standard of living... so we can be like you James?  $11K to $12K a year, you don't "get by" James, unless you are living with your parents rent-free.  Maybe $11K or $12K a year + a 'life of crime' and you can 'get by'.

And James, "EBT" in North Carolina (AKA "Food Stamps") has been cut back tremendously to serve primarily single mothers with dependent children who are living below the Federal poverty line.  Since you're male James, and apparently old enough to not be someone's dependent, you just need to work harder, and get those boot straps in order James.  Why are you wasting time calling into an NPR program?  Is your AM radio not working, and you couldn't tune into your daily does of Rush Dimbulb? 

I told Dr Desert Flower about this "James" character, and she was convinced it must have been a PRANK caller.   I am skeptical of her assessment that this was a prankster.  I am 99% sure that he was authentically indignant that anyone was creating any disturbances and upsetting his simple view of the world.  He sounded quite happy that Scott Olsen bled "on American soil".  Unbelievable.  Yes, it was terrible that veteran Scott Olsen stood peacefully, holding a flag that said "Iraq Veterans For Peace". He was just begging to have a gas canister shot at his head! 

And all those protesters, yes James, they just haven't tried hard enough yet.  They're all just lazy SOBs, looking for a hand-out.  None of them have sent out a single resume (those are the summaries of your work experience James, similar to what your "wrap sheet' or 'arrest record' is, but in a positive sense).  None of them have taken out a mortgage that is underwater now (mortgages, James, that's what the people whose homes you live in or visit have).  None of them have friends or relatives without health care who are now bankrupt from trying to pay their medical bills.  None of them have honorably served their nation in an all volunteer military in an unjustified and un-funded war launched by Republican plutocrats.  Yes James, their all just lacking motivation.  Thank you for elucidating that. 

It is ignorant, uninformed, not-self-aware, semi-sentient sheep like James who are the Vast Majority of the poor who vote Republican against their own self interest or who think they are somehow "libertarian", or who will quietly do whatever 'the man' tells them to do without thinking, without protest, with only an occasional felony charge against them.  James, you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.  You're entitled to your own opinions James, but when you call into an NPR program, and voice your ignorance, expect to be called out on it and held up as an example of why so many Americans just "don't get it".

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