#erica

Two centuries ago, a former European colony decided to catch up with Europe. It succeeded so well that the United States of America became a monster, in which the taints, the sickness and the inhumanity of Europe have grown to appalling dimensions ↗

— Frantz Fanon

#decadent #u-s #united-states

When the first of us failed at growing or herding or plowing the fields, we were told that we could sign a piece of paper and get money for the land, without anyone taking it. Mortgage, this was called, a piece of banker’s cleverness that sounded good to many. I spoke against this trick, but who listened to Nanapush? People signed the paper, got money, came home night after night full of whiskey and food. Suddenly the foreclosure notices were handed out and the land was barred. It belonged to someone else. ↗

— Louise Erdrich

#food

I believe much trouble and blood would be saved if we opened our hearts more. ↗

— Chief Joseph

#native-american-wisdom #non-violence #wisdom #love

Does it matter how long they were together that night? To lovers, an hour can last a century. But even for lovers, every hour ends. ↗

— Scott Snyder

#century #hour #love #vampire #love

Cry if you must. Scream. Get it all out of your system, and then we'll have fun. It won't last forever, but it will keep you busy for tonight. ↗

— Jamie McGuire

#encouragement #friendship #support #travis #beauty

Our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice. The result is that we are a people on the verge of amusing ourselves to death. ↗

— Neil Postman

#social-commentary #sociology #business

For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up. We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace--business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. ↗

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

#banking #business #class-warfare #elections #finance

Your uniqueness is your greatest strength, not how well you emulate others. ↗

— Simon S. Tam

#api #asian #asian-american #branding #business

Buffett's uncommon urge to chronicle made him a unique character in American life, not only a great capitalist but the Great Explainer of American capitalism. He taught a generation how to think about business, and he showed that securities were not just tokens like the Monopoly flatiron, and that investing need not be a game of chance. It was also a logical, commonsensical enterprise, like the tangible businesses beneath. He stripped Wall Street of its mystery and rejoined it to Main Street -- a mythical or disappearing place, perhaps, but one that is comprehensible to the ordinary American. ↗

— Roger Lowenstein

#business #capitalism #capitalist #character #warren-buffett

cross-national studies show that the U.S. poverty rate, which stands persistently above 12 percent, is not only the highest poverty rate of any advanced industrial nation, but is more than twice the average for that group. Pursuing the American Dream, 9, 276 ↗

— Cal Jillson

#poverty #dreams