reality-based educator

Courtesy of bink on the Daily Kos:

First, they came for the pensions.
They raised executive salaries so high
That companies could not afford
To pay into their pension funds.
Then, they bankrupted the companies
And took the rest of our pension savings
And dissolved whatever was left of them.
I did not speak out
Because I thought my 401(k)
Would take care of me.

Then, they came for the 401(k) accounts.
The 401(k) was supposed to be better than pensions
But contribution rules, corporate corruption
And stock market manipulation
Drained the money out of my account.
Somehow, the rich got richer and I got stiffed.

I did not speak out
Because I thought Social Security
Would take care of me.

Then, they came for Social Security.
Tax breaks for the wealthy
Meant that there was not enough money
For the program
And so they took it away.

I did not speak out
Because I am an able-bodied person
And I thought that I could always work
Even just to support myself day-to-day.
But they moved all of the jobs overseas
Where it is more profitable.

Without work, I was desperate
And I did not know what to do.
So I tried to file for bankruptcy
So I could get my bills in order.
But they took that away too ...

Then they came for the minimum wage, tax-funded public education, government susbsidized college loans...

bink may be no Whitman, but he sure does capture the plan behind Bush's ownership society: "to dismantle every single public or private policy tool that stands between the middle class and economic desperation."