A film for our times: The Civilian Conservation Corps

Are you an environmentalist? You should watch this film. Are you a minority? Watch this film. Are you concerned about our economy and joblessness? This film is for you. Does your family enjoy parks and hiking trails around the nation? Don’t miss this film. Do you think government interference is no damn good? This film might change your mind.

The parallels between the 1930’s - outlined as a foundation of the CCC story - and now are striking to say the least. The fathers and grandfathers of today’s anti-tax, anti-government crowd - laying awake nights worrying about a certain descent into Socialism - hated Roosevelt for creating the CCC.

This film- and several other things I’ve read and watched lately - have convinced me that Roosevelt saved the country in more ways than one. Had it not been for FDR, we would have very likely had another revolution, and real socialism would have been the result. Roosevelt - through the New Deal, Social Security, the WPA, CCC amd more - saved America’s wealthy from the fate they feared the most by giving people a safety net, dignity and a hand up.

This film is available on Netflix - we watched it as an instant download - or from PBS.

Krugman on recovery economics

This is the guy I’ve been listening to, and haven’t yet heard him say anything that has been seriously disproven. Picked at and disagreed with by the ‘true believers’, perhaps, but not disproven.

New York Times columnist and Nobel economist Paul Krugman comes to the Hudson Union Society to talk about the aftermath of the global economic crisis.

He discusses what it will take to make a full recovery, and explores how issues ranging from cap and trade legislation to healthcare reform will affect America’s economy.

Photo essay of the Great Depression

Actually, I needn’t have gone to the internet for this … I’ve got an album of my mother’s family in Parsons, Kansas during the 1930’s that would do almost as well. It’s no wonder none of them ever had a sense of humor.

The only thing these people had going for them was a greater self-sufficiency …

Click to read more ...

It's not about you: The problems and Recovery Act are bigger than that

Updated on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 17:20 by mavenandmeddler

In this mornings’ Reno Gazette-Journal the headline reads “Some homeowners decry bailout plan” and the pictured homeowner, Jon Mikelonis,is in high dudgeon over the fact that he was really, reallysmart and shouldn’t have to pay for those who made bad decisions. Bully for you, chief. Unfortunately, this is all bigger than your opinion of yourself.

Click to read more ...