Monday, September 19

Damn Right There's Class Warfare!!

Class warfare? Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell would have us believe there's not class warfare in this nation? Are you f'ing kidding me?
These are people we allow to be in Congress. People who think we are so stupid that we don't realize there's been class warfare going on from the first day this country became one nation, under God, indivisible.....blah, blah, blah.
And today there is so much blatant class warfare we've come to accept it, allow it and ignore it. But let's look at the ledger for just a few examples of the class warfare that's happening.
First, the average worker makes 300 plus times less than the average CEO of a multinational corporation based in the U.S.
The gap between the richest 1% who hold over 50% of the wealth has continued to grow even wider with record profits for their corporations while the average worker hasn't had enough in raises to even keep up with the yearly cost of living increases. Wealth gap has blatantly widened in the last 20 years.
If there is no class warfare, why is it the middle class, lower middle class and poor who predominately fight the blood for oil wars of the rich bastards making all the profits from the wars? Why has that been the case in every war this nation has ever been involved in? Why has war been so very profitable to the rich and so disastrous for all other classes of humans? That is class warfare at its very penultimate.
Then let us look at the communities of color in our nation to determine how they're doing. Why are a greater percentage of blacks, Latinos and ethnic groups of color imprisoned than the communities of European descent? Why do people of color have a jobless rate two to three times higher than any other group?
Why have American corporations been allowed to pay little or no taxes consistently while more and more good paying jobs are allowed to be shipped overseas to nations free of collective bargaining and under control of slave masters posing as businessmen. Why does Wal-Mart, the great "American" company, have its biggest distribution center in China, a nation run by a communist dictatorship? Why has the American garment industry died because China's government (and other off-shore nations) allows its industry to pay far less than any other competitor?  The corporations utilizing the slave labor camps aren't Chinese or some other nation's. They're American corporations getting tax breaks while they destroy the American workforce.
Why do women in the American workforce still make less than 80 cents on the dollar compared to men when they are capable of doing and doing the same work as men?
Why does the typical American town or city have to fire teachers, firemen and cops when the wealthy are able to send their children to private schools, hire private cops and have priority on fire-fighting for their properties?
Why are parks closing? Why are bridges crumbling? Why are streets in disrepair?
Why do rich Americans get the finest medical care in the world with special suites in hospitals while 45 million or more Americans have no medical care or benefits? Why does the American Congress, President and Judicial branch of government all have great health benefits but all American do not have the same? Why does the family farm get squeezed out while the corporate farm takes over the food supply?
The disparities of the haves and have-nots are so obvious they've been taken for granted but, please, don't take us for stupid that we don't intuitively and objectively know there are not only gaps but huge chasms of disparities in this nation based on class. Don't take us for stupid that we don't know the rich are paying less and less of their fair share to keep this nation's basic services going while they reap bigger and bigger benefits of wealth from this nation. Don't think we're stupid that we don't know the banks and Wall Street have come out of the financial crisis even stronger and wealthier while working people keep falling further behind, keep losing jobs and keep losing health benefits.
Class warfare isn't about the rich finally having to pay a greater share to maintain this nation's daily functioning and support the future, Mr. Ryan and McConnell. Class warfare is letting lobbyists from the nation's biggest corporations determine the governance of the country instead of the people. Class warfare isn't about the poor on welfare draining the wealth from this nation in so-called entitlements. Class warfare is about the entitled rich draining the wealth of this nation through "corporate welfare" which allows the rich to pay little or nothing in taxes. And don't try the lame excuse that taxing the corporations and the rich will be harmful to those who provide jobs. If that were the case, where are the jobs in this nation when corporations and the rich have had the highest growth of income in history?
Class warfare? You're damn right there's class warfare. Class warfare is the attack on the postal carriers union and all other unions that might elevate the wages of all workers. Class warfare is attacks by right wing governors on teachers unions and unions for police and fire-fighters. Class warfare is sabotage and threats from companies like Wal-Mart and others against any employees attempting to bring collective bargaining to the workplace. Class warfare is lowering safety standards on oil derricks near New Orleans resulting in the desecration of the wetlands and wildlife of the area and the destruction of the fishing and shrimping industries. Class warfare is weakening safety standards for coal miners in West Virginia and having miners die underground and above ground from the toxic fumes and substances they must endure.
We are not stupid, Mr.Ryan and Mr. McConnell. At least not all of us. Not all of us will do your bidding like those who are stuck on the talking points created by the Karl Roves of the world. Not all of us are sheep like the members of a group claiming to be about the constitution but failing to include ALL the constitution in their thinking. Yes, we are in class warfare. One which was started by the ideologues of the most rich and powerful to destroy the middle class and make all Americans subservient to the company logo.
How dare you try to come across as the victims of class warfare!

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