Certain Conclusions Should Portend a Certain Agenda
As far as my youthful mind can tell, we stand at a time in history where something radically different could be created in our name. The systems in this country have spiraled downward and are now utterly dysfunctional---they are plunging this nation into definite ruin.
Two central themes emerge from all this discussion witnessed on the web: one, the people must take grassroots action to rebuild, revitalize, and re-imagine this country and two, rational thinking which leads to prescriptions for the future must result in the support of leaders who advance those prescriptions, which are the products of in-depth analyses.
I’m not one for economics. But, if anybody could help me understand this system (not what the system should do or could be), it’s Ron Paul. And, I have been watching his remarks on the proposed bailout of gangsters of capitalism closely.
The Internet writing out there suggests that we should be seeing some public outcry, that we should be seeing some upheaval in response to the proposed bailout.
William Greider writes:
If Wall Street gets away with this, it will represent an historic swindle of the American public--all sugar for the villains, lasting pain and damage for the victims. My advice to Washington politicians: Stop, take a deep breath and examine what you are being told to do by so-called "responsible opinion." If this deal succeeds, I predict it will become a transforming event in American politics--exposing the deep deformities in our democracy and launching a tidal wave of righteous anger and popular rebellion. As I have been saying for several months, this crisis has the potential to bring down one or both political parties, take your choice.
Greider’s conclusion is that a lame duck president and two candidates trapped by events and hoping to avoid having take responsibility for the situation mean the people must be sharing their outrage and opinions with Washington.
My conclusion is that the two candidates are trapped in these events, and that is why we the people must have the foresight to act differently than we have in the past. McCain is trying to get the bailout through as quickly as possible since the economic turmoil has nearly shattered his campaign. Obama doesn’t have to get the bailout through---this turmoil is beneficial for his campaign, which thrives on the populist rhetoric he is using to describe the “dire” situation America is in. Both have histories in Congress and campaign contribution records to show that both have befriended Wall Street at the expense of the people at some point and would likely befriend them now.
Corporate crooks, capitalist cronies, and greedy gamblers need no assistance. Why are we letting them gain exception to a core tenet in America---“Pull your self up by your boot straps”? Why are we allowing them to betray the very philosophy they wish us to follow? What happened to personal responsibility?
Isn’t there a phrase, “You broke it, you bought it”? Wall Street asked for Washington to break our economic system. The economy is lashing back at Wall Street, and Wall Street should not be given a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.
While Greider’s writing gives a stunning indictment of American policy, American government, and the American people, it stops short of indicating the reality of the situation---neither party, Republican or Democrat, is going to stand up to Wall Street, attempt to reform economic policy, and defend Main Street against the speculators on Wall Street intent on robbing all classes of Americans blind.
Jim Hightower, a well-known progressive writer, has this to say in his most recent column:
For me, however, two other fundamental flaws in the bailout are the most damning. First is Bush and Co.'s assertion that these financial corporations are "too big to fail," so taxpayers simply have no choice but to pay billions of dollars to preserve them. Hello. Instead, shouldn't we be breaking them up, so America is not at the mercy of such behemoths and so we can instill a bit of competition in the system?
