Whittling and Whistling on My Day Off

A re-post of a non-political musing.

It’s a hot and humid night and I’m sitting behind my desk, bored, reading the words on the door.  The door is open to let in air, and the lights are off to conserve cash.  A deck of Luckies is on the desk next to my feet and a lit fag is hanging from my lips.

I’m leaning back with my hands clasped behind my head thinking about closing up when the light from the bare bulb in the hallway gets real dim.  She’s a tall drink of water and the bulb’s light glowing through her hair makes her look like an angel with a halo.  She’s standing there staring at me, her head cocked to one side, her hip up against the jamb; she doesn’t look like she belongs in this part of town.

D. Sallee--Private Detective, the words say.  Yeah, that’s a big jump from last year when I was doing a nickel up the river, my name was a number and I certainly wasn’t no Private Dick.  I was sent up for busting that old man’s kneecaps because he wouldn’t pay the vig on the money he owed Blackie.  But that’s all behind me; I’m legit now.  I’m even allowed to pack heat.

I’m curious about what the looker wants, so I say: “What can I do for you babe?”  “I want to hire you” she says,  “I’m in trouble and need help”.  “C’mon in, sit down and take a load off” I tell her. After she sits down I pass her the deck of Luckies and ask her name.  “Joey Schwarz” she says with an accent that screams Bed-Stuy and tenements even though she’s dressed to the nines.  Then it hits me, like a ton of bricks: Schwarz is kraut for Black.  She’s Blackie’s moll.  Blackie sent her to see if I’m gonna turn fink for him lettin’ me take the rap.  Wouldn’t put it past him.  Wouldn’t put it past the rat bastard. Va fungoul Blackie, I say to my self, va fungoul!

She taps a fag from the deck, sticks it between her lips and leans toward me.  It takes a sec, but I get it, I strike a match and hold it out.  She takes a deep drag and holds it a while before blowing the smoke across my desk.  Classy broad, I think, real classy broad.  Her knees are peeking out from under the hem of her skirt; she crosses her legs, gives me a crooked smile, and starts telling her story.

I’m half listening, half giving her the once over and half thinking---Why does Blackie want to worry about me?  I ain’t a made man but I ain’t a fink either.  Blackie knows that.

She’s wearing high heels, the kind they call Stilettos.  Her skirt is some shiny material, dark green, and her blouse is white and tight.  She’s wearing a jacket that matches her skirt, her hair is dark auburn, and mascara is running down her cheeks, like she’s been crying.  She’s definitely no kraut from the looks of her.  She reeks of old Palermo and I’m glad we are on the third floor and I’m facing the door.  My gat’s in my pocket just in case I need it.

Then, something she says grabs my attention.  “Repeat that” I say tapping the ashes from my fag onto the floor.  “C’mon Dave” she whines “I just need a ride home, it’s late, I’m tired, and my car’s broke down.”  “Okay, okay” I say “it‘s past eleven, I’ve been here since seven and I’m tired too”.  I flip the sign from Open to Closed, turn the key, and walk my sister to the car.

Socialism, Is It Good or Bad?

Oy vey, so why do Conservatives want to demonize the term ‘Socialism’ anyway?

We all know that pure anything isn’t necessarily good (unless it’s Maple Syrup), so why pure Capitalism? Let’s face it, unfettered Capitalism is just a legalized pyramid scheme that makes it possible, nay, even desirable, for one person to end up with all the marbles. Socialism on the other hand simply means that everyone gets a chance to share in the wealth based on merit or the amount of labor he or she contributes to society. Similar to Communism, to be sure, but with a democratic form of governance that is not classless. In the best of all possible worlds a democratic society will end up being a mix of fettered Capitalism and beneficial Socialism. Some of us just need to accept that fact and move on.

You could deduce from their actions and words that today’s Conservatives aren’t democratic at all but are actually leaning toward Totalitarianism. At the risk of using the ‘R’ word when ideologues get too hell bent and scripted when promoting their political stance it starts to sound a lot like a religion, not a form of governance, and definitely not the ‘We the People…” kind of governance.

Does Socialism exist in our country? You bet it does, and you can also bet that most folks don’t really want it to go away. Here are a few examples of social programs instituted by our democratic form of governance:

Bike Paths                                    Electric Coops
Fire Departments                          Food stamps
HOA’s                                          Interstate Highways

Mandated Automobile Insurance     Medicaid
Medicare                                      NASA
Port Authorities                            Police Departments

Public Libraries                             Public Parks
Public Transit                               Seat Belt Laws
Social Security                             The Armed Forces

The National Guard                      The Peace Corps
Welfare

(If the military is twice or three times larger than needed, those jobs are not real jobs, but government funded make work projects, and furthermore, the healthcare system enjoyed by all members of the military is a single payer plan run by the government---i.e. socialized medicine.)

Even unnecessary wars are socialistic because they create government funded jobs in both the public and private sectors that are not needed during peacetime.

So, some socialism is good, some is bad. Which would you eliminate? Whose grandmother would you deny Social Security or Medicare, whose town would you deny fire protection, which National Park would you give over to big business, whose children would you deny an education because their parents couldn’t afford private schools? Think about it.

Sure we like the idea of the rugged American individualist, but for much of our history people had to come together forming co-ops to get things done: Raising barns, buying farm equipment, affording a town doctor, a teacher or a sheriff, water and sewage treatment systems. And, we've conveniently forgotten that McCarthy terrorized the country with Communism so much so that every government idea that's not ruggedly individualistic is met with suspicion and fear. We’ve also forgotten that mortality rates from starvation, accidents and childbirth were astronomically high before social plans were put in place. In a pure Capitalistic society you would still be on your own, even when it doesn’t make sense.

So, the next time you hear a Conservative denigrating the ‘S’ word, think twice before you agree. You may be hurting yourself, your country, and your children, and you may be contributing to the dumbing down of a Conservative.