August 31

1964 - President Lyndon Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act, greatly expanding the role of the federal government by giving food coupons to needy families.

This sounds like a nice program, but it has been abused to the point of it being a disgrace...Plus, there is the little known fact about the program being founded to help the agricultural industry much more than its public pronouncement of helping the poor.

Just another step in the U.S. following the Roman policy using 'Bread and Circuses' to placate and subdue the masses, make the aristocrats richer, and most importantly, to keep those who are giving away the 'free shit' in power over the masses.

1535 - Pope Paul II deposed and excommunicated England's King Henry VIII.

I’m sure Hank was really broken up by this...Hardly.

1919 - John Reed formed the American Communist Labor Party.

I’ve always wondered why the Democrat Party celebrates on August 31...Allegedly.

1935 - President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act prohibiting the export of U.S. arms to belligerents.

You’d think businesses would follow this line of reasoning on their own - at least when it comes to 'belligerents' who are belligerent to the U.S...But business is amoral, and has no problem doing deals with the Devil as long as the Devil shows up with cash. Which is all the more evident, because this law has been more or less ignored since the day it was enacted.

1980 - After two months of strikes, the Polish government agreed to reforms including recognition of the Solidarity trade union.

The Poles were way ahead of the game when it came to breaking the chains of Communism...Lucky for them, the Ruskies were much weaker than they were in the 1960’s, or 1980 Poland may have looked like 1968 Czechoslovakia.

1994 - Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East German and Baltic states after half a century of dominance.

Unfortunately, that half-century of being occupied by the Dogs of Hell can’t be erased, or its importance minimized.

And, it's foolish to think the Ruskies will ever end their 'presence' in any of these regions.

1996 - Seven people drowned when their vehicle rolled into John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina.  They had gone to see a monument to the sons of Susan Smith, who had drowned the two boys in October 1994.

This isn’t a big event at all, but it is sad...It is important, however, because it shows why there are so many yearly candidates for the Darwin Awards.

1998 - North Korea launched a missile over Japan without permission.

Dr. Ill was getting loose with his new toys...Yippeeeeeeeeeee!

The NorKs are playing with fire.  And, I don't think it will be the Americans who solve this problem...It will be the very neighbors who are having missiles launched near them who will.

1999 - Detroit's teachers went on strike, wiping out the first day of class for 172,000 students in one of the largest teachers' strikes in years. The walkout lasted nine days.

Gotta love a bunch of adults using children as pawns...They should have all been replaced.