As I write this column it is Good Friday, the most somber day in the Christian religion. This is the day that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. It is a time for reflection and understanding. One need not be devout to recognize that Jesus, according to many various scriptures, was a man who 'Spoke truth to power' throughout his 33 years of earthly life. Regardless of whether one believes that he was God or the son of God, many can ascertain that the many quotes of his were meant to teach and instruct. Writing as a political activist, I will not go into my feelings and beliefs about my own spiritual path at this time. For hundreds of millions on this planet Jesus was a special soul who was as true a role model as one could ever imagine... period!
Among the myriad of great and insightful quotes from his teachings, one sticks out to me, especially during this Easter season, in relation to just how deeply our nation has regressed:
For what shall it profit a man , if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
We have a culture that actually celebrates great wealth, so much so that so many working stiffs continue to elect the super rich to rule us. What better indication than the fact that a billionaire real estate mogul and reality television star is our president? Trump is only the tip of this dangerous iceberg too. Look at who he and his predecessors chose to help run their governments: Mostly super rich insiders who care not for what that man on the cross was all about! Do you think this one fraction of 1% of our populace understands about the economic dilemmas facing we who work for a living? Worse than that, how about the millions of us who either cannot find viable work or cannot even get up each day to go to work? The cherished safety net has been and will continue to be cut each and every day by these scoundrels. Power and greed are what runs this nation, not empathy and cooperation!
One recalls when we faced that infamous subprime mortgage crisis in 2008-09, caused of course by the greed and selfishness of the banking industry. The Bush/Cheney cabal had recruited Henry Paulson, the just retired CEO of that bankster investment house Goldman Sachs to become Treasury Secretary for we 300 million drones. Henry, in his last year with Goldman, left with a compensation package of .. ready for this... $ 500 million!! Can you imagine how much money that is? If you earn let us say $ 50k a year, it would take you one thousand years to earn that much! Remember how he stood there, in front of the cameras, with Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid from the loyal Democratic Party and Paulson's fellow sharks from the Republican Party, giving him comfort. He had this look of such despair on his face as he let all of us know how the deal would be made to 'Save our Economy' by bailing out the banksters... with our tax money of course.
Jesus is probably smirking right now up in the heaven that many of us believe in. He knows that those down here who failed to heed his words won't be able to see him for a long time after they leave this existence. At best the Fat Cats and phony pols will have to spend a great deal of time in Purgatory before they can reach those Pearly Gates! For Mr. Trump: Location, Location, Location!
