Current politics

[magenta]

Is the reason Bush is pushing the change in the overtime rules is so that we can gradually become competitive with the 3rd world? You know, the place where all our jobs are going? (Why is it still "Third World", when the so-called "Second World" – the Communist world, is now reduced to our major trading partner, China? And North Korea and Cuba, who the administration is trying hard to ignore.) Wages have been dropping in terms of real spending power, for a long time. This sort of move will send it spiraling down. It's a bleak picture.

Does this make sense or have I been reading too much of Al Franken's new book, paired with MoveOn alerts?

Comments

Politics vs. Fandom for My Time

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

I don't like it, but I think my outrage circuit has burnt out. I mean if I was getting upset about everything this administration is doing wrong then I'd be angry all the time. I'm even thinking about skipping NPR entirely in favor of listening to books to and from work. Maybe I'm shallow, but I think I can do much more good by working for and paying attention to fandom than getting worked up over things happening over a thousand miles away.

first, second, third worlds

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

At some point, the definitions -- First World the freedom-loving anticommunist countries, Second World the godless atheistic Communist countries, Third World the neutrals -- changed.

First World now means the technologically and economically advanced countries. (Sometimes called "The West" -- but including Japan.) Second World is those a rung or two lower. Third World is definitely
underdeveloped. And there's now Fourth World
countries.

At least the terms have _some_ meaning. I gave up on "East Coast" when the Congressman from Fort Worth was called an East Coast politician.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

It sounds like the basis for a good dystopian fantasy novel - I don't know how it will impact our actual future, given the zillions of unpredictable factors there are.