Thursday, March 30, 2006
Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll
Since I won't be posting much more until Monday, I'd best weigh in tonight with a few thoughts on today's immigration debate in the House of Representatives. "Debate" isn't actually the word, I suppose. "Foaming, rabid nonsense," maybe. But not really "debate."
The illogic on display by the Repugs quoted in the AP's story on the debate is classic. Iowa's Steve King went into a rap about how "this new ruling class of America" (translation: "Democrats, and Republicans who don't agree with me") is "expanding the servant class in America." The part I don't get, however, is the bit about the expansion of the servant class coming "at the expense of the middle class of America, the blue collar of America that used to be able to punch a time clock, buy a modest house and raise their families. . . . Those young people are cut out of this process."
So, Congressman--are you saying that guest workers from other countries are keeping young Americans from getting high-paying jobs as domestics, gardeners, and valets? And if not--what the hell are you talking about?
It's curious, too, to hear a Republican invoking class conflict in America. Usually such language gives them the fantods, especially if spoken by Democrats. Republicans are the ones who always say this is a classless society, where even the most humble domestic, gardener, or valet can rise to become . . . a domestic, gardener, or valet who owns his own house.
Word Association: OK, so that title really doesn't have much to do with this post. It's just that there's a DJ in Chicago--now a talk-show host--who, during his Top 40 days 30 years ago, used to start his shows with a snippet of Long John Baldry's song "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll." The DJ's name--Steve King.
Since I won't be posting much more until Monday, I'd best weigh in tonight with a few thoughts on today's immigration debate in the House of Representatives. "Debate" isn't actually the word, I suppose. "Foaming, rabid nonsense," maybe. But not really "debate."
The illogic on display by the Repugs quoted in the AP's story on the debate is classic. Iowa's Steve King went into a rap about how "this new ruling class of America" (translation: "Democrats, and Republicans who don't agree with me") is "expanding the servant class in America." The part I don't get, however, is the bit about the expansion of the servant class coming "at the expense of the middle class of America, the blue collar of America that used to be able to punch a time clock, buy a modest house and raise their families. . . . Those young people are cut out of this process."
So, Congressman--are you saying that guest workers from other countries are keeping young Americans from getting high-paying jobs as domestics, gardeners, and valets? And if not--what the hell are you talking about?
It's curious, too, to hear a Republican invoking class conflict in America. Usually such language gives them the fantods, especially if spoken by Democrats. Republicans are the ones who always say this is a classless society, where even the most humble domestic, gardener, or valet can rise to become . . . a domestic, gardener, or valet who owns his own house.
Word Association: OK, so that title really doesn't have much to do with this post. It's just that there's a DJ in Chicago--now a talk-show host--who, during his Top 40 days 30 years ago, used to start his shows with a snippet of Long John Baldry's song "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll." The DJ's name--Steve King.
