Thursday, September 20, 2012

Social Commentary & Prediction: My Rant About America's Economic and Politcial Dysfunctional Climate

Hello All,

The recent U.S. Census report on poverty in America states around 46.2 million American's in 2011 are in poverty. Not including the other 47 million or so near poverty itself one paycheck away from a household misfortune. America's population is around 320 million citizens not counting immigrants be they legal or otherwise. So 1 out of 3 American's are facing similar difficulties that only the generation of the "The Great Depression" could understand. Our "Great Recession" or our "Lost Decade" is nurturing ironically America's "Greatest Generation 2.0". Historically America's first "Greatest Generation" were the children of the great depression that served in either the "New Deal" ushered forth by President Franklin Roosevelt. Be it through the "WCC" (Workforce Conservation Corp) or the "CCC" (Civilian Conservation Corp). These hard working children later grew up and served as volunteer or drafted soldiers in "WWII".

So I repeat again we are raising the "Greatest Generation 2.0" from our "Great Recession" and/or "Lost Decade". These children of today's America be they homeless in poverty, struggling with education needs, etc... Will eventually become tomorrow's corporate and political leaders knowing full well for what passes as governmental policy today isn't passing the sniff test. That either due to dysfunctional systems, lack of vision or social / political will in governance, incompetence, or plain dirty corruption. We're giving today's youngster a hard lesson in life of what not to do for societies benefit. They'll hopefully not commit the "Sins of the Father" by repeating our woeful stupidity. Instead this "Greatest Generation 2.0" may fight in another war as soldiers. If not they'll pass in law and culture a solid plan for their tomorrow that may usher in the next American Golden Age. Not unlike our own in the 1950's -1960's that fostered the "baby boom generation".

Aside from my societal prediction in America we have learned that "Trickle Down Economics" is a Bold Faced Lie. Corporate America is holding over $2 trillion dollars in assets courtesy of the bail out most received. Yes, Corporate America is spooked about tax reform or additional business reforms from the Federal government. That tends to happen when a bubble bursts in our collective faces. Still the lack of vision from a collective of our trans-national American based companies is deafening. So any heavy lifting again rests on the shoulders of "Big Government", since "Big Capitalism" is sucking its thumb.

Here's a small caveat for why the American Republican political elite want as small a tax base for Big business and the wealthy. It ushers in their methodology of creating a shrinking government by suffocating it of capital resources aka a formidable tax base. Where government dies from a thousand tax cuts, slaughtering the fatted calf for their collective benefit. Those without economic power or influence be damned since in their eyes your just another commodity to be manipulated to fit their so-called just ends. I suppose this is just history repeating itself as we're in America's "2nd Gilded Age". The 1st Gilded Age was just before the start of the "Great Depression" in America.

(Disclosure: I'm an Independent Moderate that upholds a democratic capitalistic economy that is both Free and Fair. Meaning today's "Banana Republic" power brokers is a National Security disaster in the making.)

What I'm not stating is that the Republican party is all wrong. Many of the conservative values be they family, religious, societal are a stabilizing force. Nor does the Democratic party always bode well on matters of commerce and military needs. America's future hopes of a 3rd political majority party died in a still birth long ago. Every major social movement in America has been cannibalized by either the Republican or Democratic parties. In many ways the "Tea Party Movement" gave way by example for the "Occupy Movement" to stand up for their own ideals. Where the "Tea Party Movement" merged into the Republican Party, it is yet to be found if the "Occupy Movement" will follow a similar route and merge into the Democratic Party.

In my opinion America is Top Heavy in Wealth in jeopardy of facing the fairy tale of a "Humpty Dumpty" incident. We are already titter tottering leaning towards a double dip recession. The "Great Recession" spared the corporate entities from getting their clocks cleaned by the Federal & State Governments. Unlike their ancestral brethren of the "Great Depression" era where hefty policy shifts spelled a clear and present danger that the 1st Gilded Age was a national security threat. Today our collective Humpty Dumpty didn't fall down all the way on the ladder. It's leg's got tangled somewhere in the middle saving our arse's from shattering into a million bits. A double dip recession may halt our climb out of this quagmire we're in to the point our humpty dumpty shatters for good.

Then expect American societal civic participation to mirror what we saw last in the 1960's. Riots, Marches, and Rallies where I hope to God that "Martin Lurther King Jr's." Beloved Community Philosophy of Non-Violence is pursued. Otherwise the consequences of what the NRA (National Rifle Association) has been espousing in citizen gun rights will come back to haunt us all. Desperate citizens with gun permits will enter those political civic marches of tomorrow. (carrying concealed or openly their side arms) When the police begin to crack down on such peaceful marches turned ugly. Expect a minority of gun fights between citizens marchers and law enforcement to break out. Stampedes will be the least of everyone's concern, when the police can't locate a shooter they may open fire on innocent's in the fog of confusion. Not unlike those 1960's University riots where the State National Guard opened fire on students killing a few and wounding many.

We need each other as American's beyond our ideological differences. These differences aren't meant to be despised since they lead often to a well rounded compromise for the betterment of all.  When political compromise in Washington D.C. becomes a dirty word I fear for us and our children. We need our democratic experiment in the world not only to survive, but to thrive. Otherwise we can inadvertently truly become an "American Empire" morphing into what we've been falsely accused of for generations by the rest of the world. 

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