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After the ABC debate tonight, face book polls revealed that the question most on the minds of voters is the economy. But of course they did not break that down.
The wealthy often quote rise in GNP or stock prices or the amount of money that was funnelled up to the top.
The average person talking about the economy means do they have a decent job. One that provides a quality of life with a decent standard of living.
When we speak about "the economy", the average person is talking about "quality of life" issues. Affordability of essentials and quality of life. Quality time spent with family (we work more than any other industrialized nation with less time off), affordability of housing (the sub-prime debacle has thrown many of the new homeowners into homelessness and 2008 promises to be far worse).
Hillary Clinton mentioned that new unemployment results revealed that US unemployment has reached 5%. [In Michigan, unemployment rates have exceeded 10%]. Edwards nailed it when he said that that it is projected that 32 million College educated jobs are now being outsourced overseas. Corporations are able to fill jobs with people overseas for far less then they could here in the states. The results, it does not matter how much education you have, if someone overseas is willing to do the job for less. We are being sold out, now that manufacturing jobs have been given away corporations are moving up the ladder to the next level - college jobs. Accountants, engineers, architects, designers.
In the US 46 million people are without health insurance. Another, 50 million people are underinsured. Barack Obama said that if he were starting with a blank slate, he would design a single payer health care system. If that is the "Best Practice" system, one that could save US taxpayers and the citizens the most money while covering everyone, why not set up a transition plan to just that kind of system?
So it's not just the economy, it's also how the economy is measured. Quality of life for the average American is declining. The falling dollar and the largest debt in world history promises to make this recession feel more like a depression.
Often the middle class is discounted. The "economy" can be measured in many ways that hide the pain of the middle class and the working poor.
Increases in stock price, corporate earnings, CEO pay and the dramatic increase in wealth in the 1% should be contrasted with the earnings of the majority.
How did the bottom 25% fair in the "new economy"? Their standard of living has declined from that of their parents.
Are we living in a fair and just society? Not if you're sick and unable to obtain insurance or one of the people forced into medical related bankruptcy [medical related bankruptcies in the US is the highest in the Industrialized world].
Does everyone have health care, heat, food and a level of human dignity? [Not in the US]
Can everyone earn a living wage? Nope, ask a Walmart employee that needs public assistance to survive in addition to working a full time job. A national disgrace.
If not, how can we create a society where everyone shares in their labor? None of the leading front runners is addressing these issues, no matter how smooth their "technical debating".
Stomp your feet America - they still can't hear you.
