How can we continue to do this? I turned on my computer today and was like what planet am I living on? The headlines were one disappointment after another Supreme Court Sides with Ex-Enron CEO, Judge Denies Obama Admin Stay in Deepwater Oil Drilling, US Healthcare Expensive and Last In the World, Jobless Benefits Unlikely, Strong Wall Street Reform In Question, etc..etc...etc..
I could go on and on and on regarding how the Corporations have taken over this country. To Kossacks and individuals like me this is nothing new to us. Today, it was just...well....overwhelming.
I do not understand why ALL Americans be they Dems, Republicans, or Independents alike are not coming together and realizing the fight is not between US or to put it another way liberals and conservatives. It is between the big monied interests who make up the top 5% and the rest of those who fall into the other 95%.
I just don't understand how anyone can justify nation building in Iraq (they have a national healthcare system by the way) and Afghanistan but not investing at home in our local schools, infrastructure, police & firemen, and namely the American people. Yet, most of these folks are the same ones who put 2 wars, 2 tax breaks, and a prescription drug benefit on the good old USA credit card that totals oh..about 9 TRILLION dollars!!! On the books unemployment is still around 9.7% (we all know it's really much higher than that) and Congress can pass bills for war but can't help people who've lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Those losses of jobs are mainly due to the fact that it is just plain cheaper to use overseas labor. Some people on Capital Hill (mainly republicans with a large number of ConservaDems voting against the interest of the people) have even said that if you give people unemployment it will prevent them from wanting to get a job. Are you kidding me??? Of course, there are those who would take advantage of the system but I cannot believe that is most of the American people who want to work but cannot find jobs. Funny, how no-one rarely mentions the waste, fraud, and abuse in the Pentagon budget. Most of us are hard working and proud people. Rand Paul (R) seems to think we should just get over the loss of a job and concentrate on helping America get back on her feet. Should we be surprised when he said the following?
"As bad as it sounds, ultimately we do have to sometimes accept a wage that's less than we had at our previous job in order to get back to work and allow the economy to get started again," Paul said. "Nobody likes that, but it may be one of the tough love things that has to happen."
But again, this is the same man who thinks businesses should be able to do whatever they want including keeping "undesirables i.e. blacks, gays, handicapped folks, etc." out and the consumer be damned. He's also leading in the polls in Kentucky. SMH.
Then there's BP. This disaster did not have to happen. 11 people (2 more if you include the two that died yesterday) didn't have to die. We don't need an independent commission to tell us that corners were cut and no real regulation caused this problem. We're losing the fight in the alternative energy race to China and pretty soon when we finally do turn the corner....we'll be importing it from them too. In the face of the largest ecological disaster in our nation's history big business still seems to be winning the energy reform battle. There are some members of congress that are so bold that they have no shame is announcing to the world who they represent. Folks like Joe Barton and really the entire Republican Party because they are still defending them!! I shouldn't be surprised it's been the Republican Party platform for as long as I can remember. Now, they just don't hide it.
Massey Energy Co. the company that owned the mine in West Virginia where 29 people lost their lives is SUING the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administrations Massey Units Sue Mine Regulators and get this....for saying the agency rejected ventilation methods that would have benefited underground workers. Are you kidding me?? This is the same company that had over 500 major violations in the past years!!! Guess what..with today's conservative Supreme Court that seems to favor big business over people I don't doubt they are going to win this one either.
It's just one crap sandwich after another. No cost controls on healthcare, no real regulation for wall street, a conservative Supreme Court that gives Corporations the same rights as you and me (i.e. Citizen's United ruling) of course without the same punishments as you or I would get, no real energy regulation...yet, out of control trade agreements...who is really fighting for US the American people??? Sure, there are some great people in congress (shout out to Nancy Pelosi) but it seems their voices are being drowned out. I wish all senators felt and voted like Senator Sheldon White's speech. His speech on the Senate floor about America being on her knees to Corporate power was so spot on Ministry of Truth h/t to Ministry of Truth for that powerful diary on 6/19.
There seems to be one school of thought practiced by both parties: What's good for big business is good for America. Well...I don't think that has ever really been true but certainly not since the so called "trickle down economics theory" was introduced by Ronald Reagan. I know I am NOT better off today that I was 12 years ago.
The bottom line is this...we can no longer ignore those who have a different opinion than we do and think government is the problem. Too many people are hurting. I personally think Corporate greed is equally culpable. So, I beg of us (for those of you who have been on the front lines and doing it EVERYDAY...thanks) for those who are getting discouraged please continue to engage everyone in thoughtful conversation when possible and make them realize we all have the best interest of this country at heart. We need good jobs, good schools, and the right to live our lives with dignity and respect. So, no matter how disgusted and unmotivated I become I have children that will one day inherit this mess. I've got to fight for them. I am hopeful we will all continue to put on our battle gear and keep pushing on. The mid-terms are not that far away.