
With Detroit being screwed, and more specifically, Detroit’s public employees, it seems appropriate to start the day with Gil Scott Heron’s “We Almost Lost Detroit.” The song is about the first commercial breeder reactor in the United States. But it applies well enough to what’s going on there now. There are long term, systematic problems that have hurt Detroit, but the real crisis has happened because the Republican controlled state legislature has forced it. How long will the people of America think, “We ought to give the Republicans another chance.” It is always a bad idea.
Today, I don’t see it as “almost” anymore. But as it is, Rick Snyder is still quite popular in Michigan. His numbers against his most likely challenger Mark Schauer have been falling, but he’s still ahead. Regardless, how does a man who leads a state with an unemployment rate that is almost two percentage points higher than the nation’s maintain the approval of roughly half the population? I understand that as far as Republican governors go, Snyder is nowhere near the worse. But he has been terrible to Detroit.
What is wrong with our great “Christian” nation? Does it take a weirdo Taoist atheist like me to remind our nation of Matthew 25:
[34] “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35] For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; [36] naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’ [37] Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? [38] And when did we see you a stranger, and invite you in, or naked, and clothe you? [39] When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ [40] The king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.’
[41] “Then he will also say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink; [43] I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.’ [44] Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ [45] Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ [46] These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Meanwhile, we lose Detroit.