Statistical Reality USA!
To quote the late prolific writer William Blum, “ For over 65 years, the United States war machine has been on auto pilot.” America, a nation priding itself on freedom, has been at war for 93% of the time of its existence as a nation. Presently, we — that’s right, you and me! — provide military assistance to 73% of the world’s dictators.
Renown for election meddling and overthrowing resource-rich African and Latino governments, the US has tortured people in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen where millions of people have died, been injured and displaced from their homes. Threats of military intervention are continuously aimed at Ukraine, North Korea, and Iran. The US is currently promoting a coup d’etat at Venezuela. The US has over 900 military bases throughout the world.
I desperately plead for America’s citizenry to elect a “Peace President” in 2020!
America’s sadistic foreign policy has served only to enrich already-wealthy oligarchs. Oxfam reported that 2018 saw the 26 richest people on earth horde as much wealth as 3.8 billion people — that’s half the planet! This is more insane than the Trump, Bolton, Christi depictions shown in this article’s photo memes.
America’s domestic policy is equally sadistic. The 400 richest people in America own as much wealth as 150 million Americans. Since Reagan-Bush, CEO pay increased 937% compared to worker pay rising only 11%, and this with greater productivity. Most ordinary Americans can’t even afford an emergency within their family. Pew studies have shown that home ownership is out of reach for most and nearly 40% of renters are rent-burdened, meaning they pay over 30% of their income in rent. Forty-six percent of African-Americans households and 34 percent of white households are rent-burdened. I don’t think there is any reliable statistic-keeping company capable of keeping track how many families are doubled or tripled up in households, or how many have children in their late-20’s and 30’s living in basements.
Lots of folks are living within an underground economy fed by illicit opiate sales. You can observe some of them scratching multiple lottery tickets attempting to win their way out of hell, sort of like the American in-house immigrant! Meanwhile the drug war rages on and just about every family in America has a relative who has become victimized one way or another.
Poor folks, who do not own a car, or have lost their license due to indebtedness to the court, end up paying 40% mark-up costs for less-healthy food products bought in convenience stores. Unable to afford dining in a fine restaurant, McDonald’s or Burger King becomes the family treat. Hello obesity! Worse, 40 million Americans have no health care and those who do can’t afford it. College graduates face nothing but a future of debt, many unable to pay off their loans.
Conclusion?
We’ve had nothing but right-wing politics prevailing as domestic and foreign policy ever since JFK was shot. The last good Democrat for workers and for peace was George McGovern, but Clinton-Obama Inside Beltway politics abandoned his principles and we’ve seen nothing but more war, fewer unions and an enormous growth in poverty with our labor unions decimated.
Are we in environmental decline? Look around. Count bumble bees, search for monarch butterflies and check regularly species extinction listings. It’s a pity we can’t all — like Israelis who picnic on hillsides watching bombs drop in the Golan or on Gaza— camp out in the polesides to marvel over sea-melting and calving glaciers.
Can we save the planet by chipping in our viewpoints on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube? I doubt it. But the main media could surely help. But it won’t. It has become the lead front line for America’s Oligarch Enrichment Project. Five corporations now own 90% of all media in the US. The last time our media opposed a war was when active-duty soldiers and veterans rose in very strong numbers to stop fighting Vietnam— the media then had to take notice! Right now, it’s all gung-ho and dosing us daily with propaganda on Venezuela, much like it’s done in The Stan Region, the Middle East and North Africa.
Can we save the planet with Democrats? Doubtful. Very doubtful. Today’s Democrats are pitifully like centrist Republicans. Democrats who once got their lead, since FDR, from progressives now condemn progressive politicians — look what it did to Bernie Sanders in 2016 and how it’s now smearing Tulsi Gabbard. The Democratic leadership in Congress and the DNC are no help at all. They are hung up on attracting suburban Republicans!
Me? I’m growing old. Always hoped I’d leave my world, what with its technological potential, full of hope and progress. That I’d wave goodbye to peace, love and understanding. But it looks like all I’ll be leaving is worsening despair. The young child taught to share grows up to keep. This shows we aren’t teaching our children well.
All in all? It’s the same old song! Note the below Bob Dylan song that I performed begins with a moment of silence.
Peace out!
Last Words?
Read this again!
