I truthfully don't understand why that JFK quote is so popular. It's the fucking job of the government to perform services for its people. What the fuck else could the purpose of taxes be, if we aren't fooling ourselves about it going right into the pockets of tyrants?
the reason it mades sense at the time is because the post-war boom and the "commie threat" meant that government policy was redistributive to buy off working class opposition. "ask not what your country can do for you because we have already brought you all this prosperity so you need to give back"
the fact that it was all built on exploitation of foreigners was not mentioned of course
Even from that lense, though, the response to JFK and to the government should have been, "What, you think you and the government can just take a break from serving its people? Fuck no."
People want to work for a greater purpose, to sacrifice themselves for a worthy cause. Pizza and TV or whatnot can make the grind of life sweeter, but it'll remain a grind. If a leader can convince the people that the grind is worth it, that they're not just animals pushing buttons in exchange for food pellets, they can achieve great things.
George Orwell explained fascism this way, but it applies generally to the way the human mind works:
I truthfully don't understand why that JFK quote is so popular. It's the fucking job of the government to perform services for its people. What the fuck else could the purpose of taxes be, if we aren't fooling ourselves about it going right into the pockets of tyrants?
the reason it mades sense at the time is because the post-war boom and the "commie threat" meant that government policy was redistributive to buy off working class opposition. "ask not what your country can do for you because we have already brought you all this prosperity so you need to give back"
the fact that it was all built on exploitation of foreigners was not mentioned of course
Actually sounds like a super fascist quote now that you mention.
Never understood why this asinine quote was ever so popular.
er ah... i think that it -er uh.. had something to do with the accent!
Like why Christopher Walken's "more cowbell" was so funny and quoted for years, despite the skit involving Jimmy Fallon.
Even from that lense, though, the response to JFK and to the government should have been, "What, you think you and the government can just take a break from serving its people? Fuck no."
yeah it only works within the bourgeois liberal frame, just trying to explain the thinking
Well stop it, I don't like thinking bourgeois thoughts :'C
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It's also fundamentally based in separating the government as an entity from something you as a member of society can participate in.
People want to work for a greater purpose, to sacrifice themselves for a worthy cause. Pizza and TV or whatnot can make the grind of life sweeter, but it'll remain a grind. If a leader can convince the people that the grind is worth it, that they're not just animals pushing buttons in exchange for food pellets, they can achieve great things.
George Orwell explained fascism this way, but it applies generally to the way the human mind works: