Lessons about Change for Mr. President from Isaac Newton

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Are the times a changin? Chilling is the idea that if Mr. Obama had no active resistance and was able to shift things at will we in America and world wide would still be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.  Until we common folk see the game for what it is and decide to exercise our will and grasp the power we have, morally, economically and politically; grasp the empowerment at our fingertips things will not significantly change. 

For example, economically why anyone who is not rich would side with "trickle-down" economics is beyond me maybe someone can school me here. It doesn't trickle down and do what it theoretically is supposed to folks.  The Reagan success wasn't necessarily a success.  I would even venture to question why many of the rich would think this is a good long range idea.  I guess the cynical answer to the question how much is enough is the reason.

According to Kimberly Amadeo

 If trickle-down economics worked [during the Reagan Administration], then lower tax rates during the Reagan Revolution should have increased the lowest income levels. In fact, the exact opposite has occurred. Income inequality has worsened. Between 1979 and 2005, after-tax household income rose 6% for the bottom fifth of income earners. That sounds great, until you see what happened for the top fifth -- an 80% increase in income. The top 1% saw their income triple. Instead trickling down, it appears that prosperity trickled up! (Source: Steven Greenhouse, The Big Squeeze, pp.6-9)

Much of our public and economic policy is driven by two things.  Firstly is the idea that you too can be rich and in the upper echelon, the top 5 to 1 percent and secondly is the idea that we don't want anyone getting anything handed to them.  "Why should I work my fingers to the bone and the "Blank" family get paid sitting at home watching All In The Family reruns?
They both lead to misguided public policy based on myth perpetrated by our American roots individualistic personality."
Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters Around you have grown
And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you Is worth savin' Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'

In which direction do we see change going?

"The researchers at Pew Social & Demographic Trends aren't holding back in their new report on the middle class. It calls the last 11 years, "the lost decade" for the country's middle class.
The highlight from the report issued today is that the middle class is poorer, earning less and shrinking."-The Two-Way, NPR news blog, Sept. 5th 2012

Many people who voted for Mr. Obama have voiced disappointment in the amount of change his administration hasn't enacted.  Perhaps many of these folks are single issue voters, perhaps they are unaware of the significant changes he has attempted to enact.  Many of us know his changes aren't new but what is new is that he has brought the power of the presidency to bear on issues many have been trying to change since before Mr. Obama was born.  Some may be unaware of what change he managed to enact and perhaps they were absent the day guest lecturer Isaac Newton taught PoliSci 101.  Attention class!

Newton's Laws of Socio-political MOTION 

First Law:

·       A Situation, Policy, Object, Dilemma, Train Of Thought, or Malaise, (SPODTOTOM)

             [Which is] at rest remains at rest until acted upon by a force.

·       A SPODTOTOM [which is] in motion continues moving in a straight line at constant velocity until acted upon by a force.

Also called "Law of Inertia"

Accelerated motion

Newton's Second Law:

F = ma

Acceleration of a SPODTOTOM is directly proportional to the net force acting on the SPODTOTOM and inversely proportional to its mass.  Translation: the more force you apply to a, SPODTOTOM over time the quicker the SPODTOTOM will move or change direction.  The denser the SPODTOTOM the slower the change.

Newton's Third Law:

Whenever  New Ideas, Situations, Policies, Objects, Trains Of Thought, etc., exerts a force on a  SPODTOTOM, the  SPODTOTOM  attempts to exert at least an equal and opposite force on the first in an attempt to eliminate it and continue the status quo.

 The Times They Are A Changin- Bruce Sringsteen:

 Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Roseanne Barr on the Lack of Change in the TV Industry -- New York Magazine

Nothing real or truthful makes its way to TV unless you are smart and know how
to sneak it in, and I would tell you how I did it, but then I would have to kill you.
Based on Two and a Half Men’s success,
it seems viewers now prefer their comedy dumb and sexist.

Roseanne Barr on the Lack of Change in the TV Industry -- New York Magazine

Burger King Sponge Bob and Sir Mix A Lot Roll the Dice

and figure they can stand the heat of those opposed to Burger King's latest commercial starring Sponge Bob Square Pants and Sir Mix-a-Lot.
Recently those cutting edge heart attack cats at Burger King rolled out a new commercial aimed at children. The commercial revamps Anthony Ray's, a.k.a Sir Mix-a-Lot Grammy award winning single "Baby Got Back," from the Album Mack Daddy recorded on American Recordings.
This commercial which has aired as early as 6:00pm in many areas of the country is fun until you pay attention. The original "Baby Got Back" lyrics say "Tell 'em to shake it! (Shake it!) Shake it! (Shake it!) Shake that healthy butt!" apparently "Mix-a-Lot's in trouble Beggin' for a piece of that bubble," and he reports "My anaconda don't want none Unless you've got buns, hun." Hmmm. This reptile butt thing sounds a bit kinky. Oh it's a metaphor! Got it.
Well in the Burger King version the ladies certainly shake it and true to Rap video values they get it measured and shake it some more. Burger King reports that they intend this commercial for adults who take their families to Burger King and that it is not being aired during children's shows. Thank goodness for small favors but what makes them think adults want a healthy dose of he-man female objectification without prior notice?! Whatever makes them think that seems to be correct because few adult moms and dads I've talked to are shocked at anything other than my raised eyebrow and many don't mind if their kids see it.
Well I think I'm about to yank my TV basic cable out and go rent CSI and whatever else I occasionally watch for my sake and my daughter's sake. I make sure she stays to Disney, Nickelodeon, Animal Planet and the like which are sometimes questionable unless she's watching sports with me which is where we were first introduced to the BK Sponge Bob Sir Mix-a-Lot alliance. I had no warning this commercial was queued up. I was so shocked it was one of the few times I missed a discussion of content op with my kid. I mean come on isn't that BK guy just a little creepy?
Is the content just playful fun? I think Mix-a-Lots rap promo and commentary at the end of the commercial says it best, "...a square butt with sharp angles underwater we keep it grungy cuz everybody know he spongey
now spongebob i want to get with cha cuz you makin me richa
burger king wants me to seal the the deal 99 cents get a toy and a kids meal,"and then his commentary,"Booty is Booty."

Well said Sir well said. Here are the entire lyrics from the commercial (the full video can be found on youtube so put your kids in check)and the commercial.

Lyrics

I like square butts and I cannot lie,
Squid and Sea Star can’t deny.
When a sponge walks in, four corners in his pants,
like he got phone book implants,
the crowd shouts, all the ladies stare.
Man those pants are square!
Swinging through the seaweed tangles
is a butt with sharp right angles.
Now, SpongeBob,
I wanna get with ya,
‘cause you’re making me richer.
Burger King wants me to seal the deal:
99 cents get a toy and a kids meal.