Zuni Bird
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world
--The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats
I used to look down on the world for being corrupt,
but now I adore it for the utter magnificence of that corruption
--Richard J. Needham
It's easy to understand why the cat
has eclipsed the dog as America's favorite pet.
People like pets to possess the same qualities they do.
Cats are irresponsible and recognize no authority,
yet are completely dependent on others for their material needs.
Cats cannot be made to do anything useful.
Cats are mean for the fun of it.
--P.J. O'Rourke
Ranger is confounded as to why Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac are restructuring mortgages for those unable to maintain their payments (Fannie Mae Refinancing Volume Jumps to $41 Billion in February.)
It is regrettable that people lose their homes, but they have been losing homes since day one and nobody cared. It is called Social Darwinism, and sometimes, capitalism. If people take out mortgages that they cannot pay, that is not the taxpayer's concern.
At most, the government should a one-time 6-month grace period for specific emergency situations. No big deal -- cut a homeowner slack if he comes up against unforseen circumstances to allow time to regroup. If they cannot regroup, then allow the mortgage to lapse.
Ranger is a feeling, thinking entity and was raised in a company house in a mining town. He is no fortunate son, and does not remember anyone's concern about coal miners not having homes. One cuts it, or one doesn't.
There are more things at stake here than mortgages. This is really about the soul of America. Are we to be responsible for our individual actions? If the answer is "no," then can we take the next step and expect our government to be responsible for actions taken in our behalf?
The problems of America are being caused by overreach, excessive frivolous consumption, elective wars funded by emergency bills, and a gimme attitude, top-to-bottom.
Ranger is reminded of the Zuni bird described in the old Army. This mythological bird flies in ever-decreasing circles until it disappears up its own asshole.
Our circles are getting disastrously smaller and smaller.
Labels: fannie mae, fiscal irresponsibility, freddie mac, zuni bird
posted by rangeragainstwar at 9:58 PM
3 Comments:
This whole disaster makes me think of the end of the other great empires of the past; the Athenian, the Roman, the Macedonian, the Sassanid Persian...
It's always easier to destroy than to build. That's why being a soldier is more fun than being an architect or builder, other than the whole "getting your ass shot" thing. But tearing down is always easier than building up.
The average American mook has been told for the past thirty years that citizenship and patriotism and civic duty consists of buying crap and voting. No one has asked him or her to step beyond themselves, no one has demanded them to think out the answers to their and their country's problems. Far from it! Joe and Mary Lunchpail have been told to sit down and wave patriotically when some jackhole in a uniform or with a flag pin in his lapel struts by.
No wonder we're idiots.
But here's the thing: the U.S. had perhaps history's only middle-class Revolution. A solid, well-paid, secure working- and middle-class is America's bulwark against demigogery and hysterical fanaticism. The less secure the bulk of the people in the country are, the easier it is to con them into supporting their own enslavement and terrorization.
A lot of people who speculated in real estate, or who mortgaged their house to buy a trip to fucking Disneyland deserve to get thrown out on their ass. But throw enough people out on their ass and you get a mob ready and willing to vote in a Mussolini, a Hitler, a Cheney, who will be able to do anything if he promises them jobs, homes, land, and bread...
So, as loathesome as many of these mortgage deals are, if they help keep people falling into the desperate classes, they may be worth it.
I worry more about the unchecked oligarchy, the rule of malefactors of great wealth, the broadening elitism and corruption among our "leaders" than I do about a handful of dumbasses keeping their houses.
While I agree we are a nation in trouble. I would say that this program is more of a symptom than a cause.
FDChief,
Yes this is a symptom and not the disease. I have follow on articles in the shute discussing this.
The mortgage bailouts are really about bailing out corporate America. The CEO's don't care if we own homes, their only care is that we keep paying.
Voting is a great topic- more on that soon.
jim
Chief,
Just an after thought. After 2004 the fannie and freddy did in fact utilyze subprime mortgages to meet government low cost home purchases, so predatory lending was a govt approved method of selling homes to unemployed , unqualified buyers.
This is probably why Bush made a big push on the ownership society concept. His corporate buddies were getting richer. Now we're paying the piper.
Theres more middle class rage than there is lower class rage in todays America.Interestingly this is the class of society that usually adopt terrorism as a means of expression. Most of the Euro terror active members came from the middle class workers background.
jim
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