It hasn’t been government for the people for a long, long time. It’s governance OF the people. As Carlin said, it’s a big fucking club and we ain’t in it.
Timely post! I was just reading about how many cities are simply dumping trash and 'recyclables' together into one truck -- presumably because 'staffing shortage because covid'. Yet they're still charging residents for 'recycling services'...........
A similar phenomena here in Australia. We used to be able to rock up to a campground in any NSW national park for free. Then during Covid you had to ‘notify’ national parks of your arrival via a website to ensure campgrounds could accomodate social distancing?? They charged a $7 administration fee that still exists today. I’m still in the foetal position trying to understand the need to socially distance in the Australian bush on 3 million square miles of island!
A century ago the San Gabriel mountains were a mecca for people not only from America's four corners, but also globally. 1.5+ million annual visitors ... And contrary to what well-intentioned "rangers" (aka lazy-ass, government, entitled-for-life employees) would like us to believe, back then -- when Thaddeus Lowe's Railway was still ferrying folks up to the Alpine Tavern and Lodge -- the Angeles Crest Forest THRIVED. Wildlife was abundant and forest fires were less lethal to to the area because forest management wasn't an obscure concept taught at hippy-dippy colleges where "forest use" is branded into young minds to be "abuse". 100+ years ago, forest management was actually a trade--not a radical ideology... It was profession-with skilled people who knew HOW to be environmental stewards, caretakers and goodwill ambassadors. And the people came and came and came... because back then, they'd heard first-hand stories about the beauty of the San Gabriels, instead of the GLARING message of today that NO ONE IS WELCOME -- unless... of course, you're a mountain yellow-legged frog. <https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/angeles/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD585136>
The campgrounds you describe were maintained by a government that existed to serve the public. The government today believes that it exists to rule the public. The bureaucrats who run the government are not going to give up their power. They need to be defunded and replaced with the public servants that you remember.
Terrific observations. The same is true of campsites in Colorado, many closed during COVID and just never re-opened. They did find the time to put up no-parking signs. We have more Mall Cops, and fewer public servants.
You know, in this mad rush to automate everything ("Ve need less people in der future"), to "improve productivity", to introduce wretched AI, the *essential* thing, human presence and companionship, gets thrown out of the window. I remember, in England, in the 60s, civic amenities like parks had their own park keeper. Buses had a driver and a conductor. Trains had a driver, a guard, and several conductors. There was a human presence everywhere, from policemen on the beat, men sweeping the street (always men) to the friendly shop assistant in the corner shop. Some people were happy with these so-called lowly occupations, and they were appreciated by the people they served: people like people. Money was short, but not so important as now.
In France, where I live now, there's still a semblance of civic pride. The parks and streets are well maintained, there are people employed by the local mairie to do this, and this is appreciated by the townspeople.
We are, mostly, people who like people, and if we could somehow get back to valuing presence and companionship in the workplace and the community, the world would be a better place.
I also grew up in Pasadena, and my family moved even closer to Henninger Flats (Altadena) right after graduation from High School. Spent a lot of time there as a teen, but less so after moving out of the area. Some of my siblings still live close; my sister would hike up there often until covid stopped the world from functioning....yeah, I know...makes all the sense in the world. Very sad state of affairs.
this old farmer says: Sorry there Chris, - - you are braying again. There is the beast coast and the left coast, where a bunch of folks, or bots, keep whining about the various atrocities they endure, while the 'fly over' country folks are trying to make a few changes. If you didn't notice,- - there was an election a short while ago. How many changes were made to the 'tyrants' that have been writing your viscous laws. Those same 'tyrants' are writing laws for we 'fly over' folks too. So we changed a few. Just imagine how many we would have changed if they went back to the system where a person had to walk into a voting booth and the counters, of all parties, had to count the votes in that evening and night. I will feel some empathy towards all of you sheeple when you quit following the Judas Goats you keep putting in control. You MUST be CRAZY. You keep doing the same thing but expect a different result. The nice thing about Russian Roulette is that only the fool who pulls the trigger gets hurt. If you don't like the scenery or the smell or the rules where you are, and you don't change the shepherds, you better move the flock to a different meadow. You take care now .......
Where I live, people flocked en masse to the mountains to escape house arrest. The government said it had to introduce new user fees to control the numbers, and so it did. But it gives me hope that the desire to "be in nature" still exists in most people -- hope that we haven't completely lost our societal compass.
When the getting of power; feeling of power;keeping of power; grabbing of more power...when this obscene and malevolent feeling first occurred to someone, so,too,concepts that we were raised with and loved and honored,like honor itself,began to die.
It hasn’t been government for the people for a long, long time. It’s governance OF the people. As Carlin said, it’s a big fucking club and we ain’t in it.
Timely post! I was just reading about how many cities are simply dumping trash and 'recyclables' together into one truck -- presumably because 'staffing shortage because covid'. Yet they're still charging residents for 'recycling services'...........
A similar phenomena here in Australia. We used to be able to rock up to a campground in any NSW national park for free. Then during Covid you had to ‘notify’ national parks of your arrival via a website to ensure campgrounds could accomodate social distancing?? They charged a $7 administration fee that still exists today. I’m still in the foetal position trying to understand the need to socially distance in the Australian bush on 3 million square miles of island!
A century ago the San Gabriel mountains were a mecca for people not only from America's four corners, but also globally. 1.5+ million annual visitors ... And contrary to what well-intentioned "rangers" (aka lazy-ass, government, entitled-for-life employees) would like us to believe, back then -- when Thaddeus Lowe's Railway was still ferrying folks up to the Alpine Tavern and Lodge -- the Angeles Crest Forest THRIVED. Wildlife was abundant and forest fires were less lethal to to the area because forest management wasn't an obscure concept taught at hippy-dippy colleges where "forest use" is branded into young minds to be "abuse". 100+ years ago, forest management was actually a trade--not a radical ideology... It was profession-with skilled people who knew HOW to be environmental stewards, caretakers and goodwill ambassadors. And the people came and came and came... because back then, they'd heard first-hand stories about the beauty of the San Gabriels, instead of the GLARING message of today that NO ONE IS WELCOME -- unless... of course, you're a mountain yellow-legged frog. <https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/angeles/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD585136>
And now you know how the lights went out in Rome.
The end.
The campgrounds you describe were maintained by a government that existed to serve the public. The government today believes that it exists to rule the public. The bureaucrats who run the government are not going to give up their power. They need to be defunded and replaced with the public servants that you remember.
The government doesn’t have enough money to keep Henninger Flats open so you can surveil Los Angeles at night, it’s all being used to surveil you.
Terrific observations. The same is true of campsites in Colorado, many closed during COVID and just never re-opened. They did find the time to put up no-parking signs. We have more Mall Cops, and fewer public servants.
You know, in this mad rush to automate everything ("Ve need less people in der future"), to "improve productivity", to introduce wretched AI, the *essential* thing, human presence and companionship, gets thrown out of the window. I remember, in England, in the 60s, civic amenities like parks had their own park keeper. Buses had a driver and a conductor. Trains had a driver, a guard, and several conductors. There was a human presence everywhere, from policemen on the beat, men sweeping the street (always men) to the friendly shop assistant in the corner shop. Some people were happy with these so-called lowly occupations, and they were appreciated by the people they served: people like people. Money was short, but not so important as now.
In France, where I live now, there's still a semblance of civic pride. The parks and streets are well maintained, there are people employed by the local mairie to do this, and this is appreciated by the townspeople.
We are, mostly, people who like people, and if we could somehow get back to valuing presence and companionship in the workplace and the community, the world would be a better place.
I also grew up in Pasadena, and my family moved even closer to Henninger Flats (Altadena) right after graduation from High School. Spent a lot of time there as a teen, but less so after moving out of the area. Some of my siblings still live close; my sister would hike up there often until covid stopped the world from functioning....yeah, I know...makes all the sense in the world. Very sad state of affairs.
this old farmer says: Sorry there Chris, - - you are braying again. There is the beast coast and the left coast, where a bunch of folks, or bots, keep whining about the various atrocities they endure, while the 'fly over' country folks are trying to make a few changes. If you didn't notice,- - there was an election a short while ago. How many changes were made to the 'tyrants' that have been writing your viscous laws. Those same 'tyrants' are writing laws for we 'fly over' folks too. So we changed a few. Just imagine how many we would have changed if they went back to the system where a person had to walk into a voting booth and the counters, of all parties, had to count the votes in that evening and night. I will feel some empathy towards all of you sheeple when you quit following the Judas Goats you keep putting in control. You MUST be CRAZY. You keep doing the same thing but expect a different result. The nice thing about Russian Roulette is that only the fool who pulls the trigger gets hurt. If you don't like the scenery or the smell or the rules where you are, and you don't change the shepherds, you better move the flock to a different meadow. You take care now .......
Where I live, people flocked en masse to the mountains to escape house arrest. The government said it had to introduce new user fees to control the numbers, and so it did. But it gives me hope that the desire to "be in nature" still exists in most people -- hope that we haven't completely lost our societal compass.
It’s theirs, dammit! What don’t you understand??
Also, "lone," not "loan." But you knew that. ;)
When the getting of power; feeling of power;keeping of power; grabbing of more power...when this obscene and malevolent feeling first occurred to someone, so,too,concepts that we were raised with and loved and honored,like honor itself,began to die.
Well hell Ukraine needs more money to cycle back to politicians. Got to cover for SBF pipeline shutting down.