Thoughts and Opinions
photo by Daniel Mingook Kim - Pexels
Well, we've done it. We've started a historical change in America and perhaps the entire World. I dunno about other countries cause I only live in America and will only speak to that during this post. But OMG it's just crazy interesting to know that I'm witnessing history in the making! This is a HUGE turning point in our society and it is still my hope that good things will continue to come of it, because a lot of good things have already come of it.
So what is it? What are the 'things'? Well let's chat. :)
Let me say right up front that I've always ... read that, ALWAYS liked "The Donald" as we called him back in the day. He's the poster child for Capitalism; he's not a run of the mill, status quo, career politician; and he's a game changer. I like that. I like anyone who will come in and upset the apple cart and upset he has! It's been just amazing to watch and it has revealed many short comings in our government that have NEVER been addressed by the run of the mill, career politicians.
Since the Covid-19 Pandemic has been an unprecedented event I seriously doubt anyone in the office of President would do much better in responding to this event. I've always known that we are a very selfish society (species). Yes, some are team players and givers with good hearts. But I believe that most just want what they want and the Hell with anyone else. This becomes very clear with the request to wear a face mask. OMG, you'd think someone was asking people to cut off a limb! But they; selfish. So I have to walk on from this topic. People will do what they want and we've had such lax policing of rules for the privileged in our society that really, now it's out of control.
I think it's really clear now that 90% of us have 'no money' to speak of. We might have stuff; but we have no savings and we have been put -- let me repeat that so you think about it -- we have been PUT in this situation to produce but have nothing. Where the wealthy 10% have been elected into government offices; run big business (including banks) and been funded by the same. Inequality at it's best.
When I say we've been put in this situation I mean this: I love typing; always have so I worked a lot as a Data Entry person part time along with a full time job because I wasn't brought up to think that working two jobs was bad. Well; I know better now but that's another topic. No, data entry jobs ... back in the 80's paid around $12 - $15 an hour. Do you know that today, 20+ years later that data entry jobs STILL pay the same or less? Now rent has sky rocketed; expenses are much more and yet wages for the working class (at least in this one area) have not increased in 20+ years even though the career politicians cry that they have to give Big Business a tax break for jobs. WHAT IN THE THE HELL? What good are jobs when they only ... ONLY PAY slave wages? Do the math and you'll find that the average wage in most cities should be about $30 a hour for 40 hours for anyone to afford rent; bills; and, God Forgive, savings. Yep. The working class has systematically (much like systemic racism) been oppressed much like feeder cattle. We all produce but have nothing to really show for it and if we actually hold our government accountable, they cry and try to make us feel like we're asking for a handout. Asking? Handout? How about Equality? How about a good life for ALL and then a good Economy for All? How about that.
And I have been reading The Deficit Myth by Stephanie Kelton and it has gotten me thinking about savings account interest rates. Back in the early 80's the rates were super good! If you had a savings account, you could depend on interest rates in the 15% range +/-. Now, you can cry inflation but simply put, I believe that, knowing the Fed moves society via money in certain directions (a tax on sodas cause they are bad for you) I fully believe that we have no interest rates on our savings because they didn't want that money to just sit. The Hell with our safety net; the Hell with our retirement; go spend SPEND SPEND! It's great for the economy. Well, it is but at what cost to us?
So with the pandemic the cracks of EVERYONE'S SAFETY NET and lack of has been exposed.
Then there is Racism. I can't fix slavery; and as a privileged white person I couldn't relate. Then NPR Marketplace did a piece on how blacks in this country have been treated and I found out about Red Lining to keep them basically in poverty in poor/bad neighborhood housing. And THAT was relatable to me. THAT is a crime and inexcusable. And then the incident of George Floyd happened and the Reveal; the Revolution; the Lifting of the Veil was ON! And with that the reality of Slavery; the people who owned and abused other people; the fact that our nation was founded by those types of people was just intolerable. So I am fully in favor of changing all our currency that reflects leaders who owned human beings to something or someone of better character. I am fully in favor of taking down monuments that immortalize leaders who owned human beings with one exception. If that person (say, Sam Houston) did start out as a slave owner but then found a way to being a better person and not owning other people, then that should be reflected and those people should stand as an example of the good that came come of enlightenment. But if you owned slaves and continued to own slaves then you deserve to have your recognition removed. And, btw, there are no monuments to Hitler. None. And we all know who he is so stop crying that we'll forget Thomas Jefferson. We won't. Trust me on that.
Then there is the pandemic itself and the complexity of Covid-19 and it's spread. I was taking to a friend the other day and I was saying that, yes, in rural areas there isn't really much of an issue with the virus. People are pretty much out in the open; not piled up on top of each other and usually don't work domestic (slave wage) jobs. But once you get into a city environment that all changes. Imagine if you will that you work as a house keeper and your boss has taken a trip to Asia (cause they are wealthy and off doing business). They (he/she) comes home with the virus and give it to working staff. That person takes it home. Now, home is probably 5-7 people living in a small space so there is no way to isolate the victim (we'll use that term). Now the entire group is inflected. Someone has to go get groceries; they aren't wealthy; they can't just order off instacart; they have no savings to even be able to stay home so they all have to go to work and thus the spread ... well, spreads. Welcome to the world of the working poor. Now, if we all had space; decent homes and living conditions; a year or two of savings; they this would be very different but the cracks of our country have now been laid bare and it's time to fix a grossly broken system.
And I'm still not saying 'eat the rich' but since the federal government has the power to make money and there are a ton of ways they can and should supplement the 90% of us who need to be leveled up in this society.
With Modern Monetary Theory we learn that the federal government does not have to function like us with a household budget. We have to make money in order to function but the government decides what it wants and has the ability to create money upon demand. It doesn't have to work for it. If it wants a new aircraft carrier it just gets it. But if we want a new car, we have to figure out a way to earn that money. This is the problem with government; our reps think like consumers instead of counterfeitters. I thought about this during the George W era when he spent money like it was water and there was no backlash. And now we see the same thing with J Powell and the Cares Act but this is a good thing. The government having a deficit means it's put money into 'us' but over the last 50 years it's hasn't been 'us' but into the 'wealthy' so now we need to change that.
So I know that if Hillary had become president, we would have had no change. She's wealthy and a career politician. Bernie would have changed that but the 'good old boys club' wasn't going to let that happen and thus Hillary. I believe the good ol' boys club hates The Donald because he's not in their club either and their tidy, money grubbing, elitist life styles are in peril (at least they think so in their heads, cause really, if you have millions of dollars how bad off are you?)
And yes, The Donald has also padded the wealthy (just like EVERY PRESIDENT AND ADMINISTRATION TO DATE) but there have been glimmers of support to the working class as well. I'm sure ALL of YOU cashed your $1200 checks; right? And the additional $600 added to unemployment and the fact that self employed and gig workers even get unemployment is a feather in this administration's cap because we'd all be dead now if not. And while the change in the tax system wasn't all that great; it was change and I'm all about change! I still believe good is coming and this country will truly be great again and it will have been President Donald Trump who ushered that in. You all cry about capitalism .. well, he's the poster child so really, you got what you want. Now let's make it good for all of us.
Until next time ... Join The Revolution and, as always
#StopFundingTheWealthy