The Riots in Greece

I do understand some of the frustration and rage - I'm also enraged.

Enraged that when this country joined the euro zone they totally lied about the relative value of the drachma to the euro, pegging it at 340 drachmas to the euro. This caused immediate inflation from which the country has never recovered.

I'm also enraged that everyone seems to think that only they have rights and privileges. Seeing the kiosks burned because someone was burning banks angers me.

I'm enraged that the police are not allowed to do their jobs properly, even if they were so inclined. The fact that the Junta was forced out of power over 30 years ago means nothing if the country isn't willing to accept that change. The Junta is the reason why the police have to be invited onto college/university campuses. But if the police could arrest those who commit criminal acts and they would be punished by the judicial system, maybe change would occur.

But Greece is nothing if not egalitarian. The police are not punished, the politicians are not punished, nor or the ordinary citizens punished for committing crimes. We're just punished economically and through the lack of advancement.

How do you make change in such a small country that doesn't really want to change - people say they do, but then push back at every opportunity so that no one is brave enough to keep on.

Poor Greece.

The Clinton Good Years

First off, the Clinton years were good for my family. But then we're highly educated professionals. But if you weren't in either of those categories, it took a long time for you to see any of the benefits of Clinton's policies financially. And if you were Black as well as poor, you only saw those benefits for a short period of time before the 2000 recession.

But this is another piece of the racial puzzle that isn't acknowledged. If you aren't Black, you wouldn't know this, unless you are a wonk or especially interested in economics or racial politics.

It will be interesting to see how this primary stuff plays out. Thank God it can't go on much longer.