No wonder they killed him: MLK was working for economic justice for ALL the poor.

Racial equality wasn’t all that big a deal to the plutocracy (AKA the 1%), because they weren’t going to lose any money from it. But when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. started the Poor People’s Campaign, that’s when s*** got real. A multi-racial, cross-class movement for economic justice? That was gonna cost some change.

And if you think about it, the leaders of every movement that tried to empower the many and free them from the oppression of the few have been so treated. Jesus, and Gandhi, to name a few. Others survived (like Mandela) but suffered horribly as they were made an example of by the 1% of their day.

Because ultimately the color wars, the culture wars, the party wars, all are of relatively little import to those who would use the world as their own private slush fund. They matter to US, we who are not of the Plutocratic Elite, but all they care about is cash and control. When wealth and power are put on the table, that is when people start getting killed, to protect the fortunes and privileges of the few. If they can mute the voices of freedom and justice, they will do so: but kill they will, if they deem it expedient and to their own benefit.

The leaders of Occupy managed to avoid King’s fate, because they refused (wisely) to have one single person as their capital-L Leader. Their message was marginalized by less drastic means. But marginalized it was, because when it comes to wealth, any and all means will be used to maintain the positions of the Plutocrats.

Remember, Gentle Reader, as you honor Dr. King on this day: he did not only die because he wanted people of color to be free: he died because he wanted all of us to share in the fruits of our labor. That is why he was murdered, as were other warriors before him. And we can best honor him by carrying on that fight.

Mister Blunt and Cranky

PS: This is not intended as slight on those who have bravely fought for justice based on color, creed, class and culture. Those are serious struggles and are very important to the vast majority of us. This post is about the economic aspect of Dr. King’s legacy, which is ofttimes overlooked.

The Many Lessons of Nov 22. (And how Conservatives learned the wrong lesson.)

This flyer was put on doorsteps all over Dallas just before President Kennedy arrived there, fifty years ago. It was part of an organized and deliberate “conservative” hate-speech campaign that ended with the death of a President.

After Kennedy’s assasination, many groups of people learned many lessons: The city of Dallas learned that being the “City of Hate” was NOT a good thing, and has been trying to change ever since that terrible day.
The radical Left thought the lesson was “violence works”, and tried it themselves. They quickly realized that they learned the wrong lesson, and stopped doing that stupid s***.
The civil rights movement learned that “conservatives” were even crazier and more violent than they thought, and changed tactics as a result.
Liberals learned that when “conservatives” used hateful and violent rhetoric, they really mean it, and started using the courts to try to make their own assassinations less likely.

And the “Conservatives” that caused the Kennedy killing? Why, they’re doing the same thing to Obama that they did to Kennedy: hate speech, violent rhetoric, ad nauseum – nay, ad infinitum. They still think that the lesson of 11/22 is “violence works”.

Which once again shows that those stupid f***s couldn’t poor pee out of a boot without a thirty-page instruction manual: in fact, they probably wouldn’t even read the thing at all, and just wind up making a terrible, stinking mess. No, what happened as a result of the assassination of Kennedy (and Kennedy, and King) was the beatification of them as individuals and the advancement of their agendas. So, the Raging Righties in their Tightie Whities pretty clearly haven’t got a f***ing clue as to what they did in 1963, or what they’re doing now, or the consequences of either.

They helped to kill a sitting President with their words and actions fifty years ago today. They are trying to do it again, because they were never held to account for their despicable actions back then. So maybe the lesson that “Republicans” learned from 11/22/63 was this: “We got away with it. Let’s do it again”. It certainly looks that way, doesn’t it?

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Taking Their Sacrifices for Granted – It’s Why We Still Have to Fight for Our Rights

Martin Luther King died so that others could live free. Today, idiots like Clarence Thomas like to pretend that Dr. King’s sacrifice was no biggie, so let’s get rid of all the laws that helped people of color to make progress towards equality in America. Even worse, lots of young black folk have no clue about the Civil Rights movement and what sacrifices they made: so they take their recently-won rights for granted. Small wonder those rights are being taken away by courts and Red State governments even as we commemorate the March on Washington.

And it’s not just African-Americans: dolts like Marissa Meyer diss feminism because hey, she was able to become a big-shot CEO, so the struggle for women’s rights must have been no biggie. Those feminists that millions of idiots make jokes about made it possible for women to vote, to have jobs, to have their own credit cards and many other rights. And because so many women take the sacrifices of feminists for granted, their newly-won rights are also are being taken away by courts and Red State governments.

Lots of “Republicans”  like to pretend that we no longer need the rights of free speech, assembly, and privacy (among others) because hey, they can do anything they damned well please, so clearly, the Bill of Rights is no longer necessary. These idiots forget the Founding Fathers and their efforts to secure those rights for us. And because so many Americans take the sacrifices of Washington, Jefferson et.al.  for granted, our newly-won rights are also are being taken away by courts and Red State governments.

We must take a  moment to remember, on historic days like these, that it wasn’t just flowery speeches and signatures on documents that won those rights for us. No, it was blood and sweat, tears and torture, endurance and indomitable courage pitted against seemingly omnipotent and impregnable opponents that won those rights. And if we take our recently-won rights for granted, all of us will have to fight those fights all over again.

By remembering the sacrifices of those warriors who won our rights for us, we honor them; we also safeguard ourselves, and the country we love.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Barack Obama Has Been Sworn in Again. Friggin’ Deal With The Reality.

Yes, Barack H. Obama has once again become President of these here United States of America. Like him or loathe him, he has accomplished something a lot of Prexies have not: he won re-election. Lots of people on the Right cannot wrap their heads around this reality, so Mr. Blunt and Cranky is here with his trusty Fungo Bat of Fact to ever-so-gently beat the truth into their heads.

Obama accomplished this feat by beating the ever-lovin’ crap out of Captain Forehead in the General Election, just as he did unto Senator McCain a few years back. The math says he won, and no matter the screeches and conspiracy theories, math wins in the end. Obama won the election. Cope, people.

Another uncomfortable fact that you all must accept: Obama won both his terms with higher percentages of the popular vote than Bubba or Bush The Dumber. Yes, I know, the FoxIverse and its echo-chamber brethren would have you believe that Obama is less popular than pond scum, but the fact remains that he got one whole helluva lot of votes. Simple logic says that most people either like the guy, trust the guy, or both. Regardless of what Limbaugh and his fellow shriekers say.

Four more years of a Black Prexy, folks. Oh, and by the way, the U.S. Census defines race as whatever the citizen chooses. Mr. B & C identifies as White, for instance. Obama calls himself Black, the U.S. Government concurs, ergo the President is Black. And he’s having the public ceremony on MLK Day. Yep, another influential Black man. That’s the breaks, Honkies.

One final whack of the Fact Bat: the United States operates under a Constitution, and all of our laws must, repeat MUST, be in compliance with said document, no matter how popular an idea may be at a given moment. So if you want some bright, shiny object enacted into law (like outlawing guns or abortion), fuhgeddaboutit.Not only are the Supremes experts on the Constitution, so too is President Obama. So calm down and adjust your expectations to fit what the law will actually allow.

Reality. Learn to love it, folks: because reality ain’t going anywhere.

Mr. B & C