The Roswell Chicken Man

[debilorrah]

Because I am horribly inept at searching for topics in this new forum, I am starting a new thread. This article pretty much sums up what Andrew went through before he killed himself. Honestly, put in his shoes, I am not sure WHAT I would do. When the option to run is simply taken away what CAN a person do?

http://lfb.org/today/death-by-regulation/

Please read. It is important to know what we could all come up against.

 

[thaiturkey]

What a coincidence that I should come to my computer to see this thread after having just watched 'Capitalism - A Love Story' on the TV. You can watch the documentary free on the internet:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/capitalism-love-story/

Before I continue writing, let's be clear that I don't see this subject as a party political one. In fact, Moore's documentary and what happened to Andrew Wordes both demonstrate clearly how politicians are used by commercial interests to get what they want.

Moore shows the human side of eviction in stark contrast to the greed of banks in particular. He also showed a speech by the ailing FDR in which the latter announced a Second Bill of Rights for the US, something I hadn't known about before. Here's a video clip of the speech:

FDR died just over a year later and the Bill never became law. Ironic, isn't it, that the US with loans and other help, enabled Germany, Italy and Japan after the war to create just those social principles that FDR proposed for his own country. In fact, all Western European countries now have similar citizens' rights. That hasn't stopped the financial institutions in those countries from from stealing property and savings from people just as they have done in the US so don't think that I'm suggesting that Socialism or any other political system is the answer. Most systems can be fair if they represent all people rather than a few.

You can apply logic to both the personal and commercial sides of this issue but it's really about morals, fairness and whether respect for the rights of all individuals are more important than the vast wealth of the very few.

I know that I rattle on on BYC about life in Thailand for expats. and the locals and some members here might find that of little interest to them. However, there is a reason for it. I'm retired and free now from the issues that surround someone who has to keep his job in order to finance loans and a pension fund and keep a roof over our heads. It may not have been like that for me if I'd stayed in Britain. I have time to think and consider how our lives should really be. There's a sentence in the OP's link that sums up the difference between life for people here, poor though many are, and how it is for people like Mr. Wordes:

He loved the birds, sold and gave away eggs to people and enjoyed showing kids the animals.

I know that, taking the broader view, chickens and eggs are just an example but shouldn't everyone have those simple freedoms?

I feel desperately sorry for Mr. Wordes and people like him but his death may not be in vain. Those who aren't wealthy but are being exploited make up 99% of the total. Doesn't that give them a voice if they want to use it?

 

[Mahonri]

FDR died just over a year later and the Bill never became law.

THANK GOD!

 

[EweSheep]

Then why FDR was re elected four times, he must be doing something good!

I don't understand everything he mentioned in the Second bill of rights but with him being sick, he must not have thought of it more clearly. If he was healthy, he would not have prosposed this....after all, war was over but if that bill was passed, it would have been distasterious.

 

[Mahonri]

You are right, had it passed, we would already have gone bankrupt.

With what has been passed in the past 3 years we will be completely bankrupt before 2014 unless the BIG mistake is repealed.

It's simple budgeting. Something that has not happened since the Dems in the Senate took over in 2007.

 

[EweSheep]

We are already bankrupt or bleeding America dry...here and abroad. No big enough bandaid is going to help.

 

[Mahonri]

We are already bankrupt or bleeding America dry...here and abroad. No big enough bandaid is going to help.

Yeah, you are right... sorry I hijacked the thread Deb.!

I truly feel badly about our chicken friend in Roswell.

 

[thaiturkey]

What reasons do you have for rejecting even the idea of a fair social system? Why would it bankrupt the US economy? I don't know of any country that he been bankrupted by its social programme.

Take Germany as an example. It has a full set of benefits and protections and is doing well even through the world recession. Britain has not done so well through the recession but still everyone has full health care, including preventative care for women and people over 60 years, unemployment and disability benefits, a good State pension scheme and a good education system. Social housing and other benefits are available for those forced from their homes and even before that happens the State helps the unemployed with rents and mortgage payments.

I know many people from countries that have such benefits and none would wish to see them go.

It's all paid for through taxes, of course, with employers contributing a substantial share of the cost. However, most in regular employment live reasonably comfortably with their own transport and homes and no shortage of food despite their tax obligations.

I maintain that strong social programmes are beneficial not only to citizens but also to the economy. I have lived with such a programme since I was two years old and don't regret any of the taxes that I have paid for it.

I suppose that the well healed who can pay for all of their own needs, whether employed, healthy or not, may be tempted to resent paying taxes that benefit others, but that's a mistaken attitude. Firstly, taxpayers already fund social benefits such as roads and government agencies. Secondly, we are considering here moral obligations in societies where some of its members fall upon hard times. If one believes in 'me, me, me and blow everyone else' fair enough, but I thought that most of us here live by a creed or set of personal beliefs that are better than that. I won't start quoting the New Testament because that's not my thing but I hope my meaning is clear.

At least, if you have never experienced State schemes such as those I have described, consider the possible benefits for individuals and society in general before rejecting the idea.

 

[newfoundland]

100% agree thaiturkey.

 

[Lothiriel]

I'm not sure why a thread about a fellow chicken raiser who was driven to suicide is now a debate on socialism. Doesn't make sense.