News from the Front

[wolf]

You were growing up during those years that we now base inflation rates against, though, weren't you? The halcion days in which a single income could sustain a family of four?

The game has changed.

And lookout is right about the cars and stereos, etc.

Friend of mine's brother can't afford to feed himself, but he does have one motherfucking sweet $20K sportscar with $10K worth of installed audio accessories ...

Originally Posted by wolf

You were growing up during those years that we now base inflation rates against, though, weren't you? The halcion days in which a single income could sustain a family of four?

The game has changed.

And lookout is right about the cars and stereos, etc.

Friend of mine's brother can't afford to feed himself, but he does have one motherfucking sweet $20K sportscar with $10K worth of installed audio accessories ...

Yes, I did grow up in that halcyon era, and you're right things have changed. America is a lot meaner and leaner these days. Sure, some military guys blow all their money on stereos and cars. Some guys in civilian life do the same thing. I didn't notice very many sporty cars in the parking lots of those apartments, however; and the interior furnishings were adequate but I didn't see a lot of high tech stereo equipment in them. They were pretty much the modest dwellings you find among any group of working class people with a couple of small kids.

Highlights of today's neighborhood canvassing in Colorado Springs (by the way, we carry clipboards and take detailed notes). A senior NCO who got back from Iraq last Feb and saw action in which members of his unit were killed. He never wants to go back there because he feels that he was lied to about WMD. "If they are going to ask me to put my life on the line, at least they could be honest about their reasons for doing so," he said. "Its all about oil, if you ask me."

A hispanic man in a run down part of town. "I don't know why Bush keeps saying he gave us tax cuts. MY taxes have gone up!"

A volunteer at the local democratic headquarters. "I'm a retired military officer. My wife and I were Republicans up to the Bush election. I feel so betrayed by Bush's actions that I will never again return to the Republican party."

As I drive across the conservative, Republican stronghold that is Colorado Springs, more and more signs for Kerry and local Democratic candidates seem to be cropping up. In the neighborhoods I've been driving through, they far outnumber the ones for the Republicans. This is astonishing. Frankly, I think even the military are becoming disgusted with Bush. Although few of them will say this publicly, in private conversations they are quite open about voicing their anger with their commander in chief. IMO, if Bush wins this election, it will be due to some dirty trick with the voting machines.