I thought I'd branch out from haiku and attempt a more challenging format: the sonnet. Of course, it will not be the best example of a sonnet. For that you have to go read Shakespeare. But I did follow the required abab, cdcd, efef, gg rhyming theme and the 14 line requirement.
I was watching Rachel Maddow and she pointed out that the amount of money the Fed has already committed to the bailouts of the various financial giants in this crisis is greater than the money spent on the Marshall Plan, the Louisiana Purchase, the race to the Moon, the Savings & Loan Crisis, the Korean War, the entire New Deal, the invasion of Iraq, the Vietnam War, and NASA's entire budget to date - COMBINED. Oh, and yes - that is in inflation-adjusted dollars.
In the meantime, the CEOs of Detroit's carmakers came to Congress asking for a mere pittance in comparison to the rest of this. Admittedly, the car companies have been shortsighted in their planning and were caught in a bind when the gas prices suddenly skyrocketed. But they are not alone when it comes to blame. The government aided and abetted their dependence on trucks and SUVs through their favorable regulatory policies; and consumers bought them. So why don't the Detroit automakers, who employ so many hardworking Americans, who actually MAKE things (unlike the financial wizards who got into such a big mess) get a bailout from Washington?
I'll address this with my sonnet:
When in a panic Citigroup came calling
The Feds ponied up and gave them some cash
When the stock market kept on a-falling
Paulson decreed, "We must do something rash!"
But when it’s the car companies
Who are in dire straits,
Paulson's not in the mood to please;
Instead of doling out the dough, he waits...and waits.
Surely even he doesn’t believe
That the car companies are full of shirkers.
Could it be that it’s his pet peeve
That Detroit cars are built by union workers?
To white collar workers he gives much esteem
While blue collar workers lose the American Dream.
11 comments:
Damn! You are good sister!
Wow, I am truly impressed with what you can do with words!
I bow to your creative genius, oh poet extraordinaire!
A great message set to poetry.
you're a poet and you don't even know it...i couldn't resist!
baffling the bailout, but the big 3 came back after already having $25 billion not so long ago.
Fair for them to ask what will you be doing differently... and they should be asking that same for any bailout recipients. Eh?
The bailout figures represent roughly 60% of the total monies swept into the U.S. Treasury in the form of income tax receipts.
We're spending far more than we have in the bank. In fact, approximately 50% of the coin in the Treasury goes to two things: the military and paying the interest on the debt.
Now, I'm all for spending money here at home -- isn't it time the American people get a piece of the pie, but where is this bailout money coming from?
The economy of China is slowing and the Beijing money boys have instructed the banks to stop lending to the USA. The EU is in recession, as is Japan. So, where is the money coming from?
If it's funny money, money printed by the Treasury that is worthless then, we're in for even bigger problems down the line. Funny money is what helped topple the economy of Argentina in the early 1970's.
At some point, we need to start paying our bills and eliminating the deficit. We can start by ending U.S. adventurism in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Colombia.
Oh, nicely done, Maui! The sonnet suits you!
Sounds like you might be on to something. I am curious why they differentiate between them like that. Bankers seem golden somehow. Good poetry!
He said, "The Economy Needs Us!!!"
But all the money he spent
Never made it past the country club
Indeed.. you are good with sonnets. Nicely done.
Oh, this sonnet is excellent, an instant classic!
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