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THIS ARTICLE, http://www.truthout.org/030409O GOT ME STARTED IN THIS, MY NEWEST RAMPAGE. THE RANT FOLLOWS. PLEASE, NO CORRECTIONS ON THE USE OF CAPS; IF YOU OBJECT---DON'T READ!!WHAT ABNORMAL GENE IN SOME (30%) MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS WOULD PUSH FOR A VOTE AGAINST THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS? WHY DO THEY FIERCELY PROTECT THE GOOD FORTUNES OF THE ULTRA WEALTHY BY ALLOWING THE RICH TO PAY TAXES AT A RATE HALF THAT OF THE REST OF US OR AVOIDING TAXES ALTOGETHER?
THEY PROTECT THE RICH BY CONTINUING THE TRANSFER OF WEALTH FROM THE MIDDLE CLASS TO THE RICH AND ALLOW THE MISERY OF THE POOR TO INCREASE BY DENYING MINIMAL HEALTH CARE, PROTESTING WELFARE AND FOOD STAMPS AND HOUSING HELP. THEY GENERATE STORIES (PROPAGANDA) DESCRIBING UNTOLD WEALTH OF LAZY PEOPLE DRIVING FANCY CARS ON WELFARE AND GENERATING THIS WEALTH BY HAVING KIDS. HAS THIS 30% ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND THE DESTITUTE? MEDICINE SOMETIMES DOES ALLOW ONE TO SEE HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES. REPUBLICANS ARE NOW COMPLAINING THAT REMOVAL OF THE TAX BREAK FOR THE WEALTHY IS A TRANSFER OF WEALTH TO THE MIDDLE CLASS WITHOUT DISCUSSION OF EIGHT YEARS OF WEALTH TRANSFER FROM THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS TO THE RICH FOR EIGHT OF THE LONGEST AND MOST FRIGHTENING YEARS OF MY LIFE.
A TRILLION DOLLARS IN PAYMENT TO THE WEALTHY FOR STEALING FROM THE REST OF US AND PAYING THEMSELVES FIFTY MILLION OR MORE DOLLAR SALARIES FOR THIS CARNAGE RAISES NARY A QUESTION FROM THAT SAME 30%. BILLION DOLLAR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS TO COMPANIES WHO HAVE ALREADY STOLEN COUNTLESS BILLIONS IS WELL KNOWN AND ARROGANTLY CONTINUES.
WHY IS CAPITALISM, WHICH IS BASED ON SELF INTEREST, GREED AND LACK OF CONCERN FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE, THE BUSINESS MODEL IN THE US; THE SAME US THAT CLAIMS TO BE CHRISTIAN AND LOUDLY BLASTS ANY OTHER RELIGION AS BEING MISGUIDED AND BASICALLY WRONG? CAPITALISM REQUIRES GROWTH AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING THIS PLANET CANNOT TAKE IT IS MORE GROWTH.
WE STILL DEBATE SOME FORM OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE AS IF HEALTH IS A LUXURY TO BE GRANTED TO THE AFFLUENT. WHILE THIS MELEE CONTINUES MORE AND MORE FALL INTO THE POOR GROUP AND NOW GET A CHANCE TO WALK THAT MILE IN SOME ONE ELSE'S SHOES. I SUSPECT THINGS LOOK FAR DIFFERENT TO THESE CHANGELINGS NOW.
THE WORD, "SOCIALISM", IS A METAPHOR FOR "EVIL." WHERE DID MOST OF US GO TO PRIMARY SCHOOL? IF A BURGLAR BREAKS IN WHO DO YOU CALL? YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE; WHO VISITS? WHO PROVIDES MY CITY'S ELECTRIC SERVICE? WATER? SEWER? STREETS? AIRPORTS? MILITARY? PUBLIC HEALTH? AND ON AND ON. ONLY THE MOST COMATOSE WILL NOT KNOW THAT OUR CIVILIZATION RUNS ON "COLLECTIVE" SERVICES, WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT (UNLESS WE GIVE IT AWAY) AND THAT IS SOCIALISM! THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CIVILIZATIONS IN THE WORLD ARE A MIX OF CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM IN VARYING DEGREES, SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ARE MORE SOCIALISTIC THAN WE ARE IN THE US, BUT ONLY A FOOL WILL THINK THAT THE US DOES NOT USE SOCIALISM TO A DEGREE AND WE GENERALLY PLACE BETWEEN TWENTIETH AND FIFTIETH IN THE CIVILIZED WORLD, HECK, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE FIFTY COUNTRIES BETTER THAN THE US ARE, PROBABLY BECAUSE THE US RATES SO LOW IN EDUCATION COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
WHY DO WE STILL WONDER HOW TO FIX THE HEALTH CARE PROBLEM WHEN JUST MINUTES TO HOURS AWAY OTHER COUNTRIES MANAGING THIS PROBLEM SUCCESSFULLY ARE AVAILABLE TO STUDY SO PERHAPS WE COULD AVOID THE INEVITABLE START UP PROBLEMS. NO, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO START FROM THE BEGINNING AND MAKE ALL THE MISTAKES AND WASTE ALL THE LIVES AND MONEY WE CAN. AVOIDING THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS IS CALLED EDUCATION. THE FUNDAMENTAL WORDS ON THIS BY SIR ISSAC NEWTON, "IF I HAVE SEEN FURTHER IT IS BECAUSE I STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS." SOMETIMES I THINK THAT THE AVERAGE HUMAN BRAIN FUNCTIONS ON A LEVEL BELOW THAT OF A WORM.
THE LACK OF EMPATHY, SYMPATHY, BROTHERLY LOVE, CONCERN FOR OTHERS AND DENIAL OF THE "GOLDEN RULE" THAT IS THE US TODAY IS CAUSING THE INEXORABLE SLIDE INTO CHAOS AND FAILURE JUST AS MANY CIVILIZATIONS HAVE DONE BEFORE. THE AMAZING LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR THE INDIFFERENCE TO THE STORY OF HISTORY MAY EXPLAIN WHY THIS HAPPENS TO CIVILIZATION AFTER CIVILIZATION WITH ROME AS THE COMMONLY MENTIONED EXAMPLE AND ONE WE SEEM TO BE FOLLOWING IN LOCKSTEP.
AM I MAD? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!
