Bread and Circuses Redux

Bread and Circuses Redux

Coast Watcher

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions—everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses. ~ Juvenal

The companies that bought time in the recent Superbowl commercial blocks are the same ones that were given trillions of dollars in bailout money by the same people who won’t give us a measly two thousand dollars Covid relief. Like the Roman arenas and circuses of long ago, many modern stadiums are built using public money. The American government obviously thinks that distracting the public by promoting spectacles like the Superbowl is worth more than providing actual payments of cash to help us all through the pandemic.

We’re now told that the next payment due April will be $1400, not $2000, because of the $600 paid out last year by the Trump administration. This is in blatant disregard of the numerous political statements made before the Georgia special election by Biden, Harris, Ossoff and Warnock specifically stating $2000 would be paid out in the event of a Democratic party victory.   

Having got what they wanted, why would the so-called Democrats bother to pay out now? 

We’re also told that the relief payments will be means tested, that anyone earning over $50K as an individual/$100K as a couple won’t get the money. This in spite of the fact that $50k/$100K isn’t a whole heck of a lot of money on which to live in some parts of the US.

Most other first world countries continue to pay their citizens relief money on a steady basis, and will probably do so for the foreseeable future. Not in the US, where capitalism declares everybody must go back to work to make more money for the rich and to hell with your kids and elderly getting exposed to Covid-19. 

Capitalists would prefer you didn’t think of such things, that you must agitate for schools, bars and restaurants to be reopened so you can go back to your "normal" grind. As a thank-you for your slavish cooperation, they’ll throw a few crumbs your way.

Instead of demanding our elected representatives do their duty to the people, we humbly petition them to do so and anxiously hope for bread and circuses. And that's what we get--overpriced distractions and food banks.

God help America. 

From Twitter:

If $50,000 or $70,000 is too much to get a survival check then $174,000 is too much to pay a corrupt politician.

— ✋🏼Daniel (@jai_lies) February 9, 2021

Related article:

 "Unbelievable": Bernie Sanders Slams Democrats Who Want to Narrow Income Eligibility for Stimulus Payments

https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/67707-unbelievable-bernie-sanders-slams-democrats-who-want-to-narrow-income-eligibility-for-stimulus-payments

BIO: Coast Watcher isn't much into football or circuses of any kind. How long will the American public allow itself to be distracted? If the "$2K check" isn't forthcoming, will that awaken their ire and birth a political revolution? Coastie certainly hopes so!

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Last week, under the cover of darkness, ICE hurriedly rounded up a group of chained and horrified Black immigrants from Alexandria, Louisiana on a deportation flight to Jamaica.

It came 8 days *after* the Biden administration issued a moratorium on deportations, but ICE took advantage of a temporary block on Biden’s deportation moratorium.

Let’s be clear: nothing in the judge’s order requires ICE to deport people right now--DHS has the power to grant stays of removal or use their prosecutorial discretion to stop it.

We need to ramp up the pressure fast -- Families Belong Together is joining with our partners at UndocuBlack Network and the Black Immigrant Collective to demand ICE stop deporting community members and return all our deported community members on iAero Airways Flight 3562. Will you add your name?

aCT NOW →

The Biden administration made a critical first step towards addressing our broken immigration system this week. The moratorium represented a previously-unimaginable collective exhale from thousands of Black and brown people -- both those in detention and their communities of support.

But instead of following this lead, ICE is barreling ahead using the same misguided and cruel removal policies that dominated the Trump era.

ICE might technically be allowed to continue with deportations, but it flies in the face of the crystal clear direction from the Biden administration -- and we can’t let them get away with it.

We need you to help put pressure on DHS to stop deporting our community members and return our deported community members on iAero Airways Flight 3562 -- add your name now.

Thanks for all you do,

Paola Luisi, Director
Families Belong Together

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Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, is increasingly linked to cancer. Yet, major stores still sell this toxic herbicide. Join us in this week of action to tell Home Depot and Lowe's to Reject Roundup. Take any of these 3 easy actions:

Take a picture of yourself with a message telling Home Depot and/or Lowe’s to Reject Roundup.  Create your own sign on a piece of paper OR download and print this sign. Then email us your photo and we'll post on our social media. OR Mail or deliver these letters to Home Depot and/or Lowe’s.

And let us know if you do. OR

Post on social media. Post the photo you took above or post one of these suggested messages on Lowe’s Facebook wall, Home Depot’s Facebook wall, and Twitter with these graphics. Show bees and butterflies some love this Valentine's Day, @HomeDepot @Lowes. It’s time to #RejectRoundup! Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup® weedkiller is decimating monarch butterflies by wiping out milkweed, the only food source for their young. Monarchs have declined by 90% in the past 20 years alone. Don’t let them disappear in our lifetime.  Hey, @HomeDepot @Lowes, show us some love this Valentine’s day and #RejectRoundup! This toxic weedkiller is linked to cancer and reproductive harm. We want it off your shelves and out of our bodies!  When are you taking Roundup off your shelves @Lowes and @HomeDepot? This Valentine’s Day, show some love for {insert what is important to you: our kids health, pollinators, groundskeeper health, our waterways, etc.} #RejectRoundup   Post anytime throughout this week and you can even post multiple times. Thank you for joining our Valentine's Week of Action to Reject Roundup. For the health of pollinators, humans, and the planet,

Jes Walton Food Campaigns Director Green America

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From Friends of the Earth:

Take action to protect ocean habitats from floating factory farms. Sign Now Wild fish, sea birds, and dolphins are at risk -- along with the health of our oceans and coastal communities. Take action now. The federal government is trying to permit industrial ocean fish farms in federal ocean waters without Congressional authorization. These floating factory farms pollute our coastal waters with pesticides and chemicals -- putting our ocean habitats in danger. Our ocean ecosystem is too fragile to put in the hands of agribusiness, and we need your help to stop it. Tell your members of Congress to support the Keep FinFish Free Act to protect our coastal waters. Sign now to demand our oceans are protected from floating factory farms! Sign Now Our oceans are fragile. It takes strategic planning and policies to protect marine environments. Industrial fish farms routinely cause massive spills, spreading diseases, pets, and threatening wild fish stocks. Seabirds get entangled in the pens and cages. Whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions experience food shortages. Giant agribusiness is just another Big Polluter looking to exploit our public lands and water for the sake of profit. Sadly, aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector, while fish receive the least protections. Hold your members of Congress accountable for protecting our waters and wildlife. Take action: Demand the health of our oceans and marine line be protected from aquaculture facilities. Sign Now Factory fish farms depend on toxic pesticides, pharmaceutical drugs, and genetically engineered crops -- such as soy -- a disturbing cocktail of toxins that greatly impact human health. Pharmaceutical drugs used to control pests and disease in overcrowded pens can increase the risk of harmful bacteria becoming antibiotic resistant in human illness. Dyes used to make factory farmed salmon pink have links to retinal damage and hyperactivity in children. Chemical compounds used can increase the risk of cancer, reproductive problems, and disrupt the endocrine system. We need your help to hold officials accountable for protecting us from toxic aquaculture facilities. Demand your members of Congress put our health ahead of corporate profit. Demand they support the Keep FinFish Free Act. Sign Now Standing with you, Hallie Templeton, Senior oceans campaigner, Friends of the Earth ***