Time for an American History Lesson

Not directly cycling related - other than related to our ability to buy more recumbet gear and enjoy life.

I present to you a video that I believe is just about the most history lesson you need to understand the dire state of the economy today. Truly eye opening, yet not at all surprising. Required viewing for anyone who wants to understand what the Hell is going on.

The Economy Flippin’ Blows

Well, if you didn’t already believe it, the economy and the spew coming from the talking old white men in Washington just gets more retarded by the day. Once again Tim (I’ll call him “timmy - with a little “t”) Geithner testified that giving unheard of sums of money to huge institutions like AIG that already hand out billions in “bonus” money was necessary as their “failure directly threatened the savings of millions of Americans.” Later he says, “Many life insurance products are effectively a form of long-term savings.”

Hey, thanks asshole. Message to Geithner - you are an ass-hat. It’s great to have savings for when you are dead, I guess. Oh wait - likely you all will pillage those eventually as well. In the meantime we have given up everything else in the form of bailouts for people who already have gold-dipped testicles and enough money and large homes and yachts to house an entire third world country of starving fellow human beings and feed them several times over. Oh, forgive me... people like Geithner and his fellow banking ilk are not human... my bad. 

In the meantime AIG seems to have taken their “gold parachutes” and simply handed that cash around to their top Conscious Exempt Organisms (CEO’s ) and then buried the documentation for what happened to the taxpayers money. Wow - are WE smart for giving it to them!

“Hey man, “you say. “Why the rant? What does this have to do with cycling?” Well, it has everything to do with cycling. All these things are connected in The End. I am not sure about you, but when I go out for a ride I like to encounter folks who are in good moods and are happy to lend a wave to their fellow brethren. In the midst of a society and world that is slowly (or rapidly) crumbling at its very foundation economically - this will become more difficult. Especially as peoples feelings towards the situation go from “man its bad” to “fuck it” to “I’ve lost everything and now I am going to go insane on someone’s ass.” I just really don’t feel like having my future rides on the local bike trails with my family resembling a scene from “The Road” - where the bikes could be taken by those-about-to-run-out-of-gas-yet-cannot-afford-bikes-of-their-own.

"Hey, boy - those sure be some fancy bikes you got there..."

Lately, the “Emotional Health Index, (or EHI - har har har - humans sure do love their fancy acronyms) is at an all time LOW. A recent Gallup Poll shows 21% of Americans struggling to pay medical and pharmaceutical bills. This is not a “U.S. only” problem either, as moods tighten across the globe over the possibilities of a grim future. When people cannot afford their next cancer treatment, food, gas, and crayons for the kids yet they see white collar criminals - responsible for the collapse of the wold economy - get rewarded with millions MORE in bonus money - they get cranky and are more likely to take anger out (sadly) on others. That includes taking it out on cyclists who already get enough flak as it is.

So keep on spewing rhetoric nonsense all you CEO’s, government stooges, and well-to-do windbags, things are not good and likely to get worse. I wonder who they will rape when they are done with all of us “regular” people.  In the meantime we can hope that the Richard Freeman guy who threatens to run over cyclists with his Hummer (maybe because he can no longer afford gas for said Hummer?) will just take a deep breath - and maybe just get on a bike himself rather than running them down.

Congratulations Americans - WE are the LOSERS!

I love the Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I will take the info from these guys over the likes of CNN, FOX (stupid) or whatever other mass media "news" source there is. This is all that needs to be said. PATHETIC!!!! I really do hope that all of us "Regular Joes" out here are happy. Soon (if they are not already) these CEO's and bankers will be so bold as to wipe their poopy asses with our FACES.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Clusterf#@k to the Poor House - Wall Street Bonuses
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Stephen Colbert has it right on the money. These bankers and CEO's are CROOKS.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Honor Bound
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy