Anent an earlier topic. It's all been said before, and said better. From Pygmalion, of course:
Doolittle. What am I, Governors both? I ask you, what am I? I'm one of the undeserving poor: that's what I am.Think of what that means to me as a man. It means that he's up agen middle class morality all the time. If there's anything going, and I put in for a bit of it, it's always the same story: "You're undeserving; so you can't have it."
But my needs is as great as the most deserving widow's... I don't need less than a deserving man: I need more. I don't eat less hearty than him; and I drink a lot more. I want a bit of amusement, 'cause I'm a thinking man....
Well, they charge me just the same for everything as they charge the deserving.
What is middle class morality? Just an excuse for never giving me anything.
Therefore, I ask you, as two gentlemen, not to play that game on me. I'm playing straight with you. I ain't pretending to be deserving. I'm undeserving; and I mean to go on being undeserving. I like it; and that's the truth. Will you take advantage of man's nature to do him out of the price of his own daughter what he's brought up and fed and clothed by the sweat of his brow until she's growed big enough to be interesting to you two gentleman? Is five pounds unreasonable? I put it to you; and I leave it to you.
Higgins [rising, and going over to Pickering] Pickering: if we were to take this man in hand for three months, he could choose between a seat in the Cabinet and a popular pulpit in Wales.
Pickering. What do you say to that, Doolittle?
Doolittle. Not me, Governor, thank you kindly. I've heard all the preachers and all the prime ministers - for I'm a thinking man and game for politics or religion or social reform same as all other amusements - and I tell you it's a dog's life any way you look at it. Undeserving poverty is my line. Taking one station in society with another, it's - it's - well, it's the only one that has any ginger in it, to my taste.
Higgins. I suppose we must give him a fiver.
Comments (10)
perhaps the site is morphing
new banner
stop me before i strive again
Posted by op | May 27, 2010 11:39 PM
Posted on May 27, 2010 23:39
Posted by Lajany Otum | May 28, 2010 3:50 AM
Posted on May 28, 2010 03:50
great posts. this is something that has been bothering me for years. since i learned that hunter-gatherers only needed to work, what, 2-4 hours a day to survive, while i often find myself working between 60 and 80 hours a week, (though it's more like 45-50 in this economy.) i'm willing to work a few extra hours for internet access, but come on, what are we doing here?
Posted by Montag | May 28, 2010 11:32 AM
Posted on May 28, 2010 11:32
http://www.peoplesworld.org/single-payer-health-care-in-health-care-overhaul-law/
if i was posting i'd post about this
bernie the bottle fly
got a tidbit into the cargo cult
" reform of the health coverage system" bill
in 2017 states could elect to go single payer
however in 2014 they need to build an exchange
bernie wants to modify his tid bit to go into effect on 2014
a fight worth joining ???
Posted by op | May 28, 2010 1:14 PM
Posted on May 28, 2010 13:14
"The idea is that if a state puts together a health care plan - and it could be any type of a plan, including single-payer - as long as they could demonstrate that it would cover as many people, that the coverage would be at least as good, and that it would be at least as affordable, they'd get the waiver from operating the exchange," Sanders' top legislative aide told Press Associates Union News Service.
"Then all the tax subsidies" for health care in the overhaul bill "would go to single-payer instead - as long as individuals wouldn't have to pay more," he added
Posted by op | May 28, 2010 1:16 PM
Posted on May 28, 2010 13:16
health care reform
the new hostage to the two party
buns or huns kaper ??
"Ellen Shaffer, a former congressional staffer specializing in health care who now co-heads the Center for Policy Analysis, warns progressives not to sit on their hands this fall, lest the GOP win back Congress - and undo prior progress"
Posted by op | May 28, 2010 1:20 PM
Posted on May 28, 2010 13:20
Somebody should write a post about it. I'm too un-industrious.
Posted by MJS | May 28, 2010 2:15 PM
Posted on May 28, 2010 14:15
what's it like being jobless this past year??
read this http://heldrich.rutgers.edu/uploadedFiles/Publications/Work_Trends_21_Press_Release.pdf
gbs can play victorian diderot all he wants
tommorow and yesterday
but today
lady humor evacuates swiftly
when rock bottom types
come before her
to flit thru their bit parts
in the Great Recession's follies
taking her younger sisters
mirth and irony right along with her
Posted by op | May 29, 2010 12:09 PM
Posted on May 29, 2010 12:09
OP: It's a fight worth fighting. How do we find out about it? California's in a rebellious mood and it might get traction here.
"19th century Diderot". . . love it!
Posted by senecal | May 29, 2010 3:00 PM
Posted on May 29, 2010 15:00
Few men can demonstrate similar skills in articles like this, and even less can assure its quality. Your writing help is a profound one. I swear it cost a major brain work.
Posted by Vell Simors | March 30, 2012 7:11 AM
Posted on March 30, 2012 07:11