After reading “Pols Ignore Working Class Voters At Their Own Risk” by Roger Bybee in the 5/15/16 TPP, and “‘John Doe’ defends Panama Papers” by Alan Gomez in the 5/7/16, USA Today I came to some disturbing conclusions.
“John Doe” states that we have “a novel system we still call Capitalism, but is tantamount to economic slavery” and “the slaves are unaware both of their status and of their masters who exist in a world apart.”
Roger Bybee cites Kevin Williamson of the National Review speaking of the unemployed with Mr. Williamson’s statements: “They failed themselves” and “The truth about these dysfunctional, downscale communities is that they deserve to die.”
All of these statements tell me that in many cases the masters are done with their slaves and now wish that the slaves would just die so the masters’ expenses in the matter of taking care of slaves will decrease. Yet, the abandoned slaves continue to be the best customers of unneeded products produced on the master’s plantation.
If you are unemployed and obese you will not solve your problem with the purchase of a Fitbit, but by cutting your expenses on junk food and taking care of yourself. Let’s face it, “the fight for $15” will only result in turning fast food outlets into giant vending machines that employ less people and where the consumers still show up paying with apps on smartphones.
The automobile industry with its use of offshoring and robot manufacturing has only seen increasing amounts of consumers willing to enslave themselves with longer payment terms. Yet, the same people often grow weary of these vehicles and let them fall into disrepair long before the vehicle is paid for.
The slaves who have not been set free, but “cut loose” have to start thinking for themselves and not be looking for master to open a new plantation in their community, because when master does, these slaves will have to endure repression greater than any they have known. The “cut loose” have to start thinking for, and taking care of themselves and quit being consumed by Capitalism.
While the downsized cannot blame themselves, they cannot blame each other such as the teachers and public service workers who manage to hang on. Since to do so will only further erode economies by creating more poor from some of the most vital workers.
The time is now overdue for American workers to treat Corporate big business like it has treated them, with starvation.
Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of each other and not to the people who have treated them so poorly, and hold them in such low regard.
While Bernie Sander’s “political revolution” is a great idea, there are other ways to skin the cat. A revolution by consumers who should think of themselves as customers to be made happy may send a message as well. While the rich see the workers as only wanting handouts, workers have to realize that all the wealth obtained by the rich has all come from profits made on the labor of workers. We workers need to lead simpler lives, doing more for ourselves, and not be sold the same old goods with higher prices in fancier packages repeatedly.
James J. Bosek
Essex Junction, Vt.
When House Speaker Paul Ryan ran as Mitt Romney’s VP running mate and spewed the demeaning and vilifying rhetoric regarding 47% of our population as “lesser beings” due to their societal circumstances; is reflective of the same misogynistic mindset regarding the establishment of “superiority” that was and continues to be what was utilized in the Bible’s first biblical precept of the Old Testament within Genesis. Women were made to be dependent and “created from the rib of man,” not equal.
The origin of creating “a lesser being” mindset throughout the annals of history, along with our Founders and beyond to today’s (initiated, instituted, propagated and perpetuated) twenty-first century (2016) inclusive the “buffoonery” of Presidential candidate Donald Trump in his spewing hateful and denigrating rhetoric towards multiple unjustified targets and reasons.
His basic strategy is also about the establishment of the “superior/lesser being” scenario to be able to subjugate and oppress as well as the aforementioned examples ergo divide and conquer. Nothing short of the replication of the Era of Enlightenment coupled with a revolution of Voices and Votes, finalized with complete unequivocal “gender parity” (50% male/50% female) in the governance of our entire nation’s governance shall suffice in order to rid the corrupt plutocracy we’ve become and attain that Egalitarian Society promised by our Founders but yet to be achieved.
Frank C. Rohrig
Milford, Conn.
Upon reading Gene Lyon’s recent “Bernie’s Time in the Light” [5/15/16 TPP] did I get mad. Grabbed a pen, started to write. Had all the facts. Then I looked at my work. Just “what the world needs now” — another political screed!
On second thought, I’m glad Mr. Lyons shows up in TPP. He’s a good writer and he’s entitled to his opinion. Thank God we’re not all reading from the same scorecard.
And what is Lyon’s opinion? Mrs. Clinton yes — she’s politically seasoned. Bernie Sanders no, never — he’s a neophyte, and a bit of an odd duck.
After due consideration, Mr. Lyons, I ain’t buying! In fact, I’m doubling down. Go, Bernie, go, go, go.
Thanks for listening.
Jim Martel
Lynn, Mass.
I offer the following addendum to Dean Baker’s article, “Patently Absurd Logic on Budget Deficits and Debt” [5/15/16 TPP].
Some conservatives argue for a balanced national budget by urging conformity to what is described as the practice of a typical household that meets around the kitchen table to hammer out a household budget in which spending (of necessity) does not exceed revenue.
However, the lead article in the 4/25/126 issue of Time magazine (“Make America Solvent Again”) shows total household debt in this country to be $14.22 trillion. This compares with total federal government indebtedness of $13.9 trillion.
In other words, households are more indebted than the national government. The puzzle is why this is never cited when arguing about the national deficit.
James Van Vliet
Aurora, Ill.
While our friends, trading partners and fellow NATO allies are all part of the family of western industrial nations, they have nevertheless maintained their own identity, flag, language, customs and obviously history and heritage, but do have one overarching principle in common, which is government-provided universal, one-payer health care for all of its citizens, from birth to death bar none, that encompasses all possible aspects, from doctors, to dentists, hospitals and prescription drugs, regardless of income or place of work and without co-payments, rationing or denial of treatment.
It is curious and comes as quite a surprise that citizens of the richest country in the world are actually denied these basic human rights, the symptoms of which are devastating and often result in lack of adequate coverage, sky-high premiums, medical bills that linger for years, thousands of preventable deaths and a whole litany of other devastating consequences.
The fact that 60% of US bankruptcies are health-care related points to the fact that human misery, sickness and suffering has become a commodity which is used by vulture capitalists as a cash cow and convenient source of profit.
The following list of insurance company CEOs — .which the European model excludes — and their larcenous per day salaries and contribution to health care costs should speak for itself. To wit: Cigna, $104,479; Centene, $ 107.796; Humana, $50.319; United Healthcare, $254.328; Aetna, $57.745; Anthem, $31,016. Add to that the (again) DAILY take of Pharma CEOs, whose companies practice price gouging at its worst: Johnson & Johnson, $ 30.336; Abbview, $ 45.640; Pfizer, $87.572; Amgen, $ 41.786; Merck, $53.350.00; and … drumroll … the greatest rip-off: Gilead, $741.403.
Obviously, these conditions have become the norm and wield control over all other phases of the US health care industry (an odious term) as well.
Meanwhile, millions of our citizens are relegated to toiling in the corporate field at a minimum wage of $58 PER DAY, frequently even less as part time and without benefits (elsewhere called entitlements) and no hope for change, once Obama’s campaign slogan, is evident on the horizon, because both wings of our Republicrat party are totally beholden to their corporate masters which, needless to say, includes those mentioned above.
It seems to be high time for this country to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century and thus obliged to finally live up to its promises.
Joe Bahlke
Red Bluff, Calif.
“Neither Clinton for Sanders nor any Dem with a pulse is likely to lose to Trump” — Robert Borosage, 5/15/16 TPP.
My vote for Bernie in November as a write in is therefor guilt free! Which won’t matter the day after the election and Trump has won.
Unless the Dem delegates pick Bernie, not Hillary, Trump WILL win and it will be my fault they (voters) will say
To which I will respond THAT’S JUST TOO BAD.
I will not vote for Hillary. Ever. I’m a woman 63 years old and my vote for Sanders may let Trump have it all.Tell the delegates and the superdelegates if they want to win in November then they ought to pay attention and nominate the populist democratic socialist to lead the party. They should pick Bernie.
I will not “take one for the team” this time. No Hillary for Prez vote. Count me in for the revolution.
And delegates do you WANT to see a split vote and Trump win? Whoever you all are, you will lose to Trump this way in the general election. And deserve no less!!! for not nominating the winner of the primaries … Sanders.
But there is time to consider and change the pick … to Sanders. And after, then you can relax and bask in the credit you receive for avoiding the trainwreck that a Trump win is going to mean for America.
Delegates; Don’t lose to Trump. Nominate Bernie Sanders.
Ginny Chichester
Covelo, Calif.
Being a woman or a black person does not a president make. Presidential candidates of any color or sex that, without apology, champion drone warfare killing hundreds of thousands should be anathema to the voting public.
Denise D’Anne
San Francisco, Calif.
From The Progressive Populist, June 15, 2016
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