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THE POLITICS OF POP CULTURESolving Unemployment With Sexism, Racism
Posted September 29th, 2008 in Activism, All, Healthcare, Legal, News You Cannot Use and PoliticsIt’s not the first time such an outstandingly bassackwards resolution has been proposed in a state senate meeting, and I strongly suspect it will not be the last. But there is a little extra sting to Representative John LaBruzzo’s most recent brainchild, which could be generously described as dumbfuckery gone south. LaBruzzo, who represents a Metairie district in the Louisiana state legislature, has officially proposed that the state spend its residents’ hard-earned tax dollars by “voluntarily” sterilizing women who don’t meet his financial standards - while simultaneously “encouraging” wealthy women to have more children - as a means to improve the state’s economy. Seriously.
Now, the asininity (it’s a word, I looked it up) of this proposal should be shockingly obvious to our fair readers, but I’ve got insomnia so just for shits and giggles I’m gonna go ahead and point it all out anyway. Let’s start with the fact that LaBruzzo touts this proposal as a way of “addressing the problem of intergenerational welfare,” which one can only assume means that he thinks “welfare” is the economic quandary at fault for low wages and joblessness in Louisiana (those pesky hurricanes and Wall Street aside). First, there’s no such thing as “welfare” any more, so one can only hope LaBruzzo is using the inadequate term to refer to the replacement program TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), which provides - read my lips here - TEMPORARY financial assistance to some families (children are a requirement, adults without children do not qualify ) whose income falls below the poverty level. In other words, the majority of people who benefit from the TANF system are children whose parents DO work (another requirement) but whose wages are too low to raise the family above poverty. And they can only receive benefits for a maximum of five (that’s 5, or V if you’re an ancient Roman) years total. They can thank Bill Clinton, who I firmly support as our best Republican president ever, for that time limit. So that pretty much shatters the myth of “intergenerational welfare,” because this country will be goddamned if more than one percent (that’s 1%) of the entire federal budget is spent on assistance to these families. Truth.
But why stop there? Last we heard it takes two to tango, so you might ask why LaBruzzo only wants to offer the $1000 bribe to sterilize women? Ah HAH! He has you right where he wants you now! LaBruzzo would be happy to cauterize a few low-class vas deference tubes. Why, he’ll even offer you broke blokes $500 for the pleasure. Apparently your tubes are only worth half as much as fallopian tubes. See? He’s not sexist at all. Why, women’s reproductive rights are twice as expensive as men’s!
Of course, LaBruzzo’s ingenious eugenic plan would only be fair if he offered some form of incentive to upper class, college-educated (read White) families to have more children. After all, parity is an American value, right? So how ’bout some more tax breaks? Because if we’ve learned one thing from the gigantic clusterfuck that has become Wall Street, it’s that the winners of the Birthright Of Family Wealth lottery need more tax breaks. Knock a few more dollars off their itemized lists, that’s sure to get the bedroom rockin.’
In short, Rep. John LaBruzzo thinks he can magically succeed at what smarter and better men (and women) cannot; he can cure the financial disparities of an entire society’s classism by applying the simple tenets of sexism and racism to the whole lot of ‘em. By the way, LaBruzzo is a White upper-class post-grad with a kid, which clarifies where he would personally fall in the mix, though of course that’s beside his point, which I’m thinking resides on the top of his head.
On the other hand, this is from the same district that sent KKK leader David Duke to the legislation in 1989. So maybe LaBruzzo’s making progress after all.
The Eye Of The Beholder - McCain and the Greenberg Photos
Posted September 16th, 2008 in Activism, All, Arts, Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Entertainment News, Expanding the concept of "Art", Legal, Politics and Take a look...
The field of politics has been referred to as “the art of the possible,” but what place does art truly hold in politics (or vice versa)? While many artists would say that art should transcend - or at least be divorced from - politics, photographer Jill Greenberg seems to think otherwise. Greenberg, who exhibits her work on her webpage manipulator.com, made a very strong and very public statement about her latest subject, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, through her photography. Greenberg’s work has come under fire since one of her photos served as the cover for the latest issue of The Atlantic magazine. Greenberg was contracted to photograph McCain for the publication, but her website displays further photographs of McCain which are edited to literally look like something out of a horror movie. Perhaps even more provocative than the visual editing are the photograph captions, which read, consecutively:
Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.*
*mccain voted against mlk day
It was really fun to cheat on my car-injury-disabled first wife.
and
I called my wife a cunt in front of reporters.
While the shock value of the photos is obvious, their place in contemporary American politics, not to mention the art world, is unclear. While politically motivated blue-state activists might consider the photographs to be visionary, one cannot help but wonder what Greenberg hopes to accomplish by displaying them. At the same time, although media-minded red-state activists have decried the photographs as “sarcastic” at best, Greenberg certainly cannot be accused of dishonesty when it comes to her political assessments. The Canadian born artist makes no bones about her liberal political tendencies, nor is this the first time her professionalism has been questioned. Slate notes that her series of photographs entitled “End Times,” which showed toddlers in the midst of tantrums, gained international notoriety as her methods were questioned and labeled abusive by some critics. Greenberg did not hesitate to answer the criticism with contextual remarks which, in retrospect, may have provided a preview of the current controversy:
They’re not meant to be read as mere baby pictures; they’re meant to be a statement. As Greenberg herself explains in the gallery’s press release, “The first little boy I shot, Liam, suddenly became hysterically upset. It reminded me of helplessness and anger I feel about our current political and social situation.” “As a parent,” she continues, “I have to reckon with the knowledge that our children will suffer for the mistakes our government is making. Their pain is a precursor of what is to come.”
The controversy over the McCain photographs will likely spin further out of control before it settles; Greenberg has already been dropped by her agent in retribution for the series, and re-signed with a previous agency. This is despite the fact that her photographs have graced the covers of national periodicals such as Time Magazine, Newsweek, and TV Guide. And since controversy is hardly a detractor when it comes to media coverage, it seems likely that her career will not suffer from the series in the long run. But it remains to be seen whether Greenberg’s honesty is really her best policy; the Atlantic has stated publicly that it may file charges against her despite using one of the photographs from the series on its cover. Her journalistic integrity, if she had any, is likely now permanently kaput. On the other hand enthusiasts note that art is not journalism, and as super-activist and singer Bono says, “It is the artist’s job to define the problem.” Clearly Greenberg feels that right-wing politics are the problem; but her work may ultimately backfire on her. It engenders a certain amount of sympathy for McCain and illustrates nothing so well as the divisiveness and single-mindedness of the blue state/red state controversy… and in the end we may decide that’s the real enemy.
The Wheel Of Justice Spins For New Orleans
Posted July 21st, 2008 in Activism, All, Commentary, Inside New Orleans, Legal and TV Moment of the WeakFolks in New Orleans seem to be getting a little fed up with this whole crime thing, and probably not a moment too soon for local law-abiding residents (we do have a few). It’s no secret that the city’s crime rate increased sharply after Katrina; with over half the police force AWOL and gangs from the lower Ninth Ward moving to more fertile grounds, opportunity knocked loudly for anyone willing to break a few laws. As a result crime fighting has become something of a local obsession; crime cameras, once considered far too Orwellian for a city which thumbed its nose at trivialities such as opened-container and gambling laws, are now an accepted part of the city skyline.
But the real story is local ABC affiliate WGNO’s approach to crime-fighting…the Wheel Of Justice. Since the city sports far more criminals than cops, the station features some of the city’s most wanted on a large wheel, which local residents are invited to spin Wheel-of-Fortune-style. Once the wheel lands on a criminal, WGNO and other local media outlets slather the unfortunate do-badder’s face and profile all over the news, billboards, etc. until the offender is found and jailed. The gimmick has been so successful that criminals who find themselves targeted by the Wheel have begun to simply turn themselves in, rather than try to run from an entire city (or “buddies” hoping to cash in on a reward).
It’s just another example of the Big Easy’s outside-of-the-keg brand of problem solving, and a community’s dedication to rebirth after the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. We’re referring of course to Mayor Nagin’s re-election.
Louisiana Voters Threaten Recall Over Legislative Pay Raise
Posted June 30th, 2008 in Activism, All, Inside New Orleans, Legal, Politics and Take a look...
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal vetoes legislature’s self-approved pay raise.
Less than a week after assuring the Louisiana state legislature that he would stay out of their affairs, Governor Bobby Jindal announced that he will veto a bill which would have doubled the legislature’s salary. The legislation, which was passed only two weeks ago, has for some reason lit the spark under voters in a way that massive national scandal previously failed to do. At least two recall petitions have been filed against the governor, as well as several notable legislators including the state’s Speaker of House. Rallies and protests targeting the controversial bill been called off in response to today’s announcement.
Although I personally agree that the legislature’s base salary of $16,000 is too low, I’m also aware that every single one of those legislators asked for the job. Louisiana voters who - let’s face it - will take a lot of crap from their elected officials, apparently draw the line at voting to double one’s own salary at taxpayers’ expense. Too greedy to even allow the salary change to take effect after the next election, it seems legislators have finally found ground upon which even their flocks will not be fleeced. Naturally the voters feel that, while there are plenty of worthy causes since the storm which deserve to have the legislatiors’ full attention, their own salary is not one of them. Why these people couldn’t just take bribes like any other local politician is entirely beyond us.
New Orleans Law Firm Denies Allegations Of Corruption; Everyone Shocked
Posted June 4th, 2008 in Activism, All, Books, Commentary, Entertainment, Inside New Orleans, Legal, News You Cannot Use and Politics
Fact or Fiction?
Welcome to Round Two of our very own local clash of the titan greedmongering hosebags, also known as Adams and Reese, L.L.P., and the illustrious political leaders of New Orleans. If you missed Round One, it was a doozy, so be sure to check it out.
Yes, here in the Crescent City, we like our lawyers corrupt and our leaders corrupt-er. Hell with it, we like ‘em corrupt-est. But we save the best of the worst for times like these, when the haves host a good old fashioned showdown with the the have-even-mores. In fact these “haves” have so much they just can’t stop themselves, they have to take your house, your health insurance, and a few hundred million dollars in “refinancing” or whatever they call it, just to show they can.
But the haves (Adams and Reese, L.L.P.) made a minor miscalculation this time; they kicked Mr. James G. Perdigao out of their good ole’ boys club, and Mr. James G. Perdigao is having none of it. Hence his lawsuit accusing the firm of - try to keep up with us now - bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, obstruction of criminal investigations, tampering with a witness/victim/informant, retaliation against a witness/victim/informant, extortion, and of course, plain old racketeering. Unfortunately for the haves, Mr. Perdigao is no stranger to being a witness for the government, as his suit explains:
Plaintiff [Perdigao] had…developed various relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s office based on his previous testimony on behalf of the government in an earlier, unrelated video poker case. At the request of the U.S. Attorney’s office, plaintiff had provided general background information regarding the licensing and regulation of riverboat gaming in connection with their investigation. Plaintiff also agreed to provide testimony to the grand jury and if an indictment was returned, at trial if requested by the government. Plaintiff advised [firm partner Robert] Vosbein that he had agreed to assist the government through the provision of information and testimony regarding the regulation of riverboat gaming activities. Vosbein became furious at the plaintiff, advising him that he worked for Vosbein, not the federal government and that he and the firm would decide if, when, and how plaintiff could testify.
You see, Vosbein is a part owner of the Treasure Chest Casino, along with Robert Guidry - one of the firm’s most prominent clients. Vosbein’s (and the firm’s) financial interests are not served by aiding the prosecution of the gaming industry’s misdeeds. Unfortunately for Vosbein, when the house of cards that is Adams and Reese, L.L.P., began to fall, the firm decided to kick Perdigao out of their club. Therein lies what is likely to be their greatest miscalculation of all; because Perdigao, who realized he was about to become public enemy #1, knew who to go to for advice. And surprise, surprise, Perdigao offered to turn state’s evidence and filed his own suit against the still-haves. And here we are.
Now Adams and Reese, L.L.P., has decided to return fire via a surprisingly brief blurb released to the local media.
Statement by Adams and Reese Managing Partner Charles P. Adams, Jr. Regarding Perdigao Lawsuit
(New Orleans, LA) – The lawsuit filed Tuesday represents the latest episode in Perdigao’s continuing fantasy of blaming the government and our firm for his wrongdoing and lashing out at those who are holding him accountable for his actions. Adams and Reese denies Perdigao’s allegations of wrongdoing. We look forward to his upcoming criminal trial and we will continue to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney and the FBI to ensure that justice is done.
That’s it. They’re staying as cool as the other side of the pillow. They say the guy’s a criminal, the only snake in a nest full of lambs, end of story. Mind you, they say this not as part of any legal proceeding. The firm has yet to file an answer for the suit one imagines they must have seen coming from light years away (er, wasn’t that suit filed on Wednesday, boys?). But then if you were them, wouldn’t you rather try this case in the media than in the courtroom? Yet interestingly, this article about the case from the New Orleans Times-Picayune was removed from the site’s main page in a mere matter of hours. Curious…
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