Today's quote:
"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."
— Abraham Lincoln
He would have been excoriated in the modern day media as an elitist and racist bastard.
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Here's some interesting info I received in an email today from a reader. It SEEMS the facts are in order... if anyone disputes them please comment accordingly...
Interesting Info:
City, State, with % of People Below the Poverty Level
1. Detroit , MI 32.5%
2. Buffalo , NY 29.9%
3. Cincinnati , OH 27.8%
4. Cleveland , OH 27.0%
5. Miami , FL 26.9%
6. St.. Louis , MO 26.8%
7. El Paso , TX 26.4%
8. Milwaukee , WI 26.2%
9. Philadelphia , PA 25.1%
10. Newark , NJ 24.2%
U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, August 2007 What do the top ten cities (over 250,000) with the highest poverty rate all have in common?
Detroit , MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;
Buffalo , NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;
Cincinnati , OH - (3rd)...since 1984;
Cleveland , OH - (4th).....since 1989;
Miami , FL - (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;
St. Louis , MO - (6th)....since 1949;
El Paso , TX - (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;
Milwaukee , WI - (8th)....since 1908;
Philadelphia , PA - (9th)...since 1952;
Newark , NJ - (10th).....since 1907.
The sad fact is that there is not shred of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats any more regarding their fiscal rectitude. Cheap energy showed up in earnest in the American economy in the second decade of the 20th Century, and our political sensibilities were destroyed (with a great deal of help from Haber-Bosch). This was no particular entity/political party's fault or genius any more than Plague showing up in a city's port during the dark ages was G-d expressing his displeasure with church attendance - its just phenomena.
Still, doing the same thing over and over and over again....