My day with the Left Wing mob in LA.

Our phones were completely shut down, our lights were mostly off, so I spent the morning in a coffee soaked “meeting” that turned out to be a political “discussion” by our sales staff including our co-owner who was finally persuaded to put out his cigarette. It is hard to believe that reasonably intelligent people can believe:

1. There is no terrorist threat at all. 9/11 cannot happen again. No way.
2. Valentine’s Day is for Republicans and those fucking women.
3. Terrorism is an invention by the Republicans
3. Bush and Cheney planned the 9-11 attack (well OK not planned exactly, but they knew about it. The purpose? So Cheney and Bush’s father could steal Iraqi oil—the president is too stupid to think that one up)
4. Chris Rock is right about the Academy Awards being for a bunch of white faggots and women.
5. Flat out “fuck Iraq”
6. All the money spent on the war should go to their favorite social programs (all different)
7. The election was stolen in Ohio
8. Valentine’s Day is for Republicans and those fucking women.
9. The Grammy’s were total shit
10. The Republicans have already built a fascist state and there is no way to kick them out.

The guys were loud, they were obnoxious, and I retired to an adjoining room and used my cell phone. Keep in mind that these guys (no women) are all voters, all have friends outside the workplace that agree with them, and they probably reflect 47% of the population. There is no reasoning with people like this, their facts are fallacious but they believe them completely, and they really do hate Republicans. Hate. This really is a part of this country. I don’t know. Has it always been this way? Maybe. Guys who are really old, like 95 and stuff, will tell you about the Great Depression when guys would literally fight to the death over an apple, how they hated banks and anybody with money, and how business had destroyed their lives. Nazis roamed the streets. Communists ditto. People had no big hopes. Only small dreams. A quarter of a million teenagers rode the rails with nothing to do and no work. A girl recalled

What sticks mostly in my mind was losing my money in the bank. I didn't quite understand why that bank had to close and take my money, which probably was only a few dollars. When they started paying off a few years later, my check was eleven cents. It helped when my brother gave me his, which was eighteen cents, and my older sister's, which was twenty-three cents. I was really in the money then.

And democracy barely survived. I remember that an uncle once read a poem to me that was written by his wife that died that was kind of funny. It went:

I would not gladly die for you
Nor to kill a dragon fly for you;
Nor love the ground on which you trod
Nor to be true, "So help me God"
For you I would not brave defeat,
Nor strew your path with roses sweet.
I would not, for you brave a fire
Nor do anything so rash and dire.
But if it fits in with your wishes
I'll very gladly wash the dishes.

So democracy survived the Depression. I guess it will survive this too.