#OWS Hooverville, the (1st) Depression, and Woodie Guthrie

Summary:  I propose that Occupy Wall Street (AKA:Hooverville) is NOT an anomaly, but is a continuation of the PROOF we are NOW in the SECOND DEPRESSION.

A) "This Land is My Land"
The ORIGINAL Lyrics to the Great song, "This land is My Land",
According (to of course... Wikipedia),

It was written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 based (...) in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent.

But the version you and I likely learned as kids was NOT complete, but was CENSORED.


Try these three verses on for size!

As I went walking I saw a sign there

And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."

But on the other side it didn't say nothing,

That side was made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me,

As I go walking that freedom highway;

Nobody living can ever make me turn back

This land was made for you and me.

In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;

By the relief office, I'd seen my people.

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,

Is this land made for you and me?

(For those too young to know, the  "relief office" would today be called the welfare or unemployment office.)

Complete Lyrics to the great tune are HERE


B) Hoover
See a Previous Article I wrote in August 2011 (almost TWO months ago?!), discussing HERBERT Hoover's failures as a president, and especially his CUTTING THE BUDGET to try and fix the economy.
FAILED. (original article written 8/30 here)

C) Hooverville
We're about to face VIOLENCE.  It's great that the people cleaned the park, so that the EXCUSE of  cleaning the park could not be used to EMPTY the park.

We ARE going to take back this country.  It might lead to a second civil war of "The Haves vs. The People", and the idea of that sucks a great deal.


D) The Enemy
THE NUMBER one ENEMY is NOT Wall Street, but "K" Street, the CORPORATE lobbyists.
Corporate campaign laws (as dictated by the Supremes)   now allows ENDLESS cash into political campaigns.   I say we need total transparancy, NO more BUNDLING of contributions, and ONLY $250 per candidate VIA an ONLINE site to help remove the political sway of these parasites.

Hoover and the "Great" depression of 1929 (re-hash)

Interesting.  I found this buried in the bottom of another article I wrote.  I managed to discuss two different issues, and this got LOST.

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Summary:  Hoover's actions and lack of BALLS during the first depression caused our county to SUFFER Even MORE then we needed to.  Today's Republican (read TEAPARTY) wants to take us back to the glory days of 1929 to 1932 ONCE MORE, despite the dangers we faced there.
 
I Just can't believe the ABSOLUTE intense similarities between the period AFTER the Great (First) Stock Market Crash of 1929, and TODAY.... INCLUDING Hoover's response to the depression.  Right out of the "TEA-Bagger's Party" I refuse to call them the Tea-Party... (Calling them that insults our American Patriots of 200 years ago!)

The circumstances of 1929 included:                                      TODAY we have:

• One in four workers was jobless.                               *  TODAY one in NINE* workers jobless.
• One in five Americans survived on meager relief
  payments.                                                                    * Unknown today
• The stock market was down 75 percent from 1929.     * Stock market is ready to crash again
• Exports were at their lowest level since 1904.               * Needs research!
• In just four years, the suicide rate had tripled.                * Unknown Today

* Official statistics say 9.5% unemployment (equals about 10.57 per 100 out of work), a realistic number including those (like me) who are UNDER-employed or unable to find FULL TIME work would be 11% unemployment, which gives ONE IN NINE (11%) unemployment.
For certain sectors, like unemployed black youth, current unemployment is around 30%!  or WORSE then the FIRST depression!

Hoover's reaction to the "Depression" (which was not called the great DEPRESSION then, of course, but MAYBE called "A RECESSION!)  FDR's presidential Library (see HERE) says

"As the nation suffered, its government seemed paralyzed. President Hoover had tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

 Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy. By 1933, he was reviled and exhausted.

 Let's do an "INSTANT replay" on that again!


President Hoover tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy.

Gee.... Sounds like today's REPUBLICAN Campaign Platform ALL over again.  Especially for those like MICHELLE Bachman and the OTHER TEA-Baggers out there.

And guess what will happen.

We may actually be STUPID enough to VOTE them in again, and have ANOTHER 4 years of MASS damage to our economy.

It's Jobs, Green Technology, and Rebuilding the Infrastructure, stupid!

It's jobs again... OK. Leonard Lopate had a guest on the other day, (8-31-11) discussing the 19th century's construction of the US railroad system, and how the shadows of the corporate greed we see today were echoed 100 yrs ago. My solution is simple... A jobs program; a green energy program; a national rebuilding program; a jobs program; a new works program administration; a canal; (whoops-- no canal). Everything we need to fix the economy; fix the nations' infrastructure, fix our under employment program, and more in one easy plan.. link to the discussion HERE...

And also to Ira Flatow (Science Friday) on 9/2/11.. Same thing. regarding your guest talking about the interstate highway system.

A reminder:

HERE: is my "Top TEN" list of what we need to fix the country.

These 10 items taken together will ENTIRELY fix our country

1. A Massive Reconstruction (infrastructure) rebuilding project to repair the "Eisenhower Highway" system (and also make it TRANSIT and FREIGHT Friendly). See Green transit here.
2. A Massive Job Training Program to ensure full employment and the ability for workers to work for an honest dollar, and learn a trade that will keep them employed.
3. A new, "Living Wage", not to be confused with today's minimum wage (which may be renamed as an "introductory" or "entry level" wage.
4. A new federally paid system of day care starting at six months, to make our nation more competitive by enhancing education as well as making our society more competitive.
   
5. Ensure EVERY American has Health Insurance that is NOT tied to an employer. Phase in over X years (to over-ride opposition from the insurance lobby). Eventually becomes a 2-3 plan duopoly, overseen by the government.
6. Just like the "Manhattan Project" that built the Atomic bomb, we need a new, massive ENERGY project (as our New president) stated that will eliminate our country's dependence on OIL within 10 years.
7. Tax reform. Start Here: I call this the Millionaire's Minimum Tax. Make over 1 million in GROSS income last year (individuals OR corporations!) You pay a MINIMUM of 1%.
   
8. Mandatory Job Training/Conscription/Community Service (whatever we call it EVERYONE will do it, either in Military or NON-Military options!
9. Lobbying Reform. Need to eliminate pay to play.
10. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission to uncover fraud, lies, and dishonesty in our society.

 BY THE WAY....

I Just can't believe the ABSOLUTE intense similarities between the period AFTER the Great (First) Stock Market Crash of 1929, and TODAY.... INCLUDING Hoover's response to the depression.  Right out of the "TEA-Bagger's Party" (I refuse to call them the Tea-Party... That insults our American Patriots of 200 years ago!)
The circumstances included:

• One in four workers was jobless.
• One in five Americans survived on meager relief payments. 
• The stock market was down 75 percent from 1929.
• Exports were at their lowest level since 1904.
• In just four years, the suicide rate had tripled.

Hoover's reaction to the "Depression" (not called the great DEPRESSION then, of course, but MAYBE called "A RECESSION!)  FDR's presidential Library (see HERE) says

"As the nation suffered, its government seemed paralyzed. President Hoover had tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity. Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy. By 1933, he was reviled and exhausted.

 Let's do an "INSTANT replay" on that again!

President Hoover tried to combat the Depression, but he believed in limited government and relief through private charity.

Though he eventually approved credit assistance for businesses and some public construction spending, Hoover was reluctant to fund massive public works projects, provide federal relief money to the unemployed, or increase government regulation of the economy.

Gee.... Sounds like the REPUBLICAN Campaign Platform ALL over again.  Especially for those like MICHELLE Bachman and the OTHER TEA-Baggers out there.

And guess what will happen.

We may actually be STUPID enough to VOTE them in again, and have ANOTHER 4 years of MASS damage to our economy.

Time to Look at Depression History (Budget Cuts/Archie)

despite what Archie Bunker said, (Man, we need a man like Herbert Hoover Again...)

We need to AVOID what the Tea-Bagger's Party wants us to do RIGHT now, which is to CUT public works and cutting SPENDING.  That is what they did during Hoover's presidency.  And he screwed up the cleanup of the Stock Market crash, and really made things MUCH MUCH WORSE...

Actually Archie is (as was the comment in this clip, saying Ross Perot saying, "I TOLD YOU SO..(3X)" was right.  (the ENTIRE clip is SO amusing, but skip to 1min 47 seconds to see what I am talking about)...-(UPDATE 11-14-11)

But as Hurricane Irene this past weekend has showed us, WE NEED to fix the infrastructure in this country.\

And We need to EMPLOY As MANY people as we can for A LONG LONG TIME.

THUS, MY PLAN :

Update the transportation system created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower (the Eisenhower Highway system).

In one (VERY LONG?) paragraph:

Expand the existing Eisenhower Highway system by adding (a minimum) of 4 NEW rail tracks (2 for passenger, and two for freight, cars and trucks).  This expansion will be separate from the existing national rail network, and will be run by the state or local authority that runs the existing roads.  The long term goals of this expansion are:

1. Allowing a tractor trailer or car (or any other vehicle) to get on the system on the East Coast and travel automatically to any point in the country.  
2. Reducing energy consumption, gas consumption and imported energy. 
3. A massive employment program that will work (as did the Eisenhower program) to employ workers for at least 20-30 years (long enough to have a Career, doing this). 
4. Getting our country to be more productive, reduce costs of transportation  and to introduce a smart system to allow modern technology to supplement the 20th century version of "the car as the medium".  This particular goal will allow a driver-less method for increasing productivity (no 10 hr behind the wheel, because the train will do the work), as well as automatically planning your routing.

Economy: It's Jobs, NOT the deficit (Depression 2.0 and HOOVER)

Are we that stupid? It's NOT the deficit, but the JOBs, growth, and the fact that LARGE banks (and multi-national corporations) are HOARDING their money, and NOT spending/lending their money.

I am amazed that NOT ONE single media outlet (I am an NPR-Head) has started to question whether this is a "double-dip" recession, or really a sign that we are in DEPRESSION 2.0.

Think about it.  In the "great depression", Herbert Hoover started to react to the 1929 stock crash by CUTTING the federal DEFICIT.

It took FDR (in 1932) almost 4 years, and some say till World War II, to fully get out of DEPRESSION 1.0.

I am sick.   This is absurd.   We need to EMULATE what FDR did to get us out of the first depression.

I am also tired of "pissin' into the wind", and getting wet...  Doesn't ANYONE else out there agree with the take that our economy is more important then getting rid of the deficits?

I can't believe that yesterday, the Iowa Republican Debate actually continued to bash the president.

If The Federal Reserve tells us that the country in going to be in the toilet at least until 2013, then we should realize that we need to make SOME changes.


WE NEED the upper 1% of this country to pay TAXES.   Not the 'nominal tax rate'.
We need a NEW "Minimum Millionaires Tax"

Make over 1million dollars GROSS (both businesses and individuals)?

You will pay a MINIMUM tax of 1% of your gross as a new MINIMUM  tax  Period.

NOT of your NET, but your GROSS income (and this would include income and dividends, so NO LOOPHOLES...)

That's a start to fix this.

PS: Look HERE: http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2009/04/proposal-milionaire-problem-easy.html
for more on the tax and look HERE:
for more info on my top 10 list to FIX the economy and our society! (hence the name of my blog: sos-newdeal.blogspot.com)
:
http://sos-newdeal.blogspot.com/2009/02/top-ten-list-what-i-believe-and-want.html

Oh, and the real start to get us out of this is the massive jobs project I say, expanding the Eisenhower thruway system... (see the top ten list...)

AND my answer for next week's MARKETPLACE contest...

I've predicted since 2006, that this is the SECOND Depression (and in a mock tribute to the tech economy, I labeled it DEPRESSION 2.0).

ps: this was written during the friday 8-12-11 'on the road' marketplace show...