“American Dream”

Mitt Romney’s Concept Of Taxes And Speaking Fees: A Major Minus For His Campaign For President

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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has stirred up a new controversy with his comments about taxes (that he pays only 15% on his income, mostly investment, not work in the past ten years), and his statement that his one higher taxed income on lecture fees ($376,000) is “not that much money”.

This causes outrage among hard working Americans, who do not get a 15% tax rate, because they face the challenge of going to work every day, and dealing with the stresses of life, not sitting back and watching their money make money!

If Romney is worth $250 million, the estimated amount of his fortune, that means even a one percent return is $2.5 million!

And to call $376,000 in lecture fees not much money is an outrage, as that is EIGHT times the average income of a typical American!

Just as a comparison, this author and blogger NEVER made $100.000 a year while working; has a retirement income of about half of that amount; earns about $5-7,000 a year on lecture fees, at about $200 to $250 per lecture, despite his credentials to be an expert being far greater than Romney as a propagandizing politician; and only wishes that his assets were just $1 million to lean back on, instead of being a fraction of that amount!

How can Romney appeal to anyone who knows what it is to earn a living, and does not have a silver spoon in his mouth when he is born, and will never have the “American Dream” fulfilled as Mitt Romney was fortunate enough to be born to?

What should make him entitled to such a low tax rate while everyone else has to struggle on a much lower income and make tough decisions every day? And this is referring to the middle class, not even to the poor who get vilified constantly for their status in society, even with most of them being children and single women!

The Republican Motivation For Power: Take Away Human Rights Already Granted!

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America has developed over the past two centuries into a republic promoting democratic values and the advancement of human rights.

The Republican Party of 2011-2012, however, is making clear its desire to TAKE AWAY human rights already won over the past two centuries, with blood, sweat and tears!

We have seen the acquisition of voting rights in the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th Amendments, as well as with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and yet now, the Republican Party in many states is working very hard to LIMIT the right to vote by unreasonable limitations that particularly affect African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, college students, the elderly and the poor of all races!

Women have gained the right to control their own privacy, including control of their own bodies, through a Supreme Court decision in Roe V. Wade in 1973 and other Supreme Court decisions and legislative actions, and yet now in many of our states, the attempt to take away women’s rights, including the right of abortion, is being fiercely waged, including encouragement of violence against abortion providers and closing down of locations where a woman can pursue her reproductive rights.

Gay men and lesbians have gained the right to serve in the military openly, be married in several states, adopt children in most states, and have other basic human rights, but now the move is on to take away these rights so hard fought for!

Working people, both immigrants and those born in the US, have fought for labor protection and representation through formation of labor unions, which have now been undermined for decades, and the attempt to impoverish workers by corporations and their Republican allies is in full development!

This has been a land of immigrants, and yet the Republican Party of today believes in polarizing Americans against undocumented immigrants who they would support deporting in the millions, even with the fact that 98 percent of them have committed no crime beyond entering the nation in an illegal manner, and just want the opportunity to work toward eventual citizenship through learning English, paying fees, and waiting patiently in line for the “American Dream”, and yet now work at low wage jobs that no Americans wish to fill, particularly in agriculture, retail, and home and hotel services.

Americans in general have been able to see improved educational opportunities, better health care, and opportunities for better housing and safer environment and consumer protection due to past Democrats and moderate Republicans working to better conditions for the middle class and the poor, but now the goal of the GOP is to take away these advancements and simply promote the interests of the top one percent and the corporations that sit on money, refuse to hire, and instead use government money that saved them to give bonuses to overpaid, under worked executives, and to lobby corrupt politicians who do their bidding!

Will the nation at large continue to accept an opposition party that works to DENY all of the progress on voting rights, women’s rights, gay rights, labor rights, immigrant rights, and the advancements for the middle class and poor gained over two centuries?

Only if the people are appealed to based upon ignorance, emotion, prejudice, and manipulation! For the future of America, this cannot be allowed to happen, as it will undermine the social fabric of America for the long haul!

The Sober Reality: Half Of America Is Poor, Or “Near Poor”!

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The US Census Bureau has revealed that the economic conditions of the American people are far worse than ever recognized before now.

Along with 49 million below the poverty line, there are now 97 million Americans who have low income, defined as a family of four earning under $45,000 , due to loss of a job or a pay cut.

So that means HALF of the country is poor, or “near poor”!

This is serious business, a crisis of massive proportions, and the top one percent sit by and do not give a damn, and the corporations keep on holding onto money, enriching themselves and their stockholders, and claim they cannot hire people after they have been balled out by the government, or have lobbied for preferential treatment!

The country is becoming more plutocratic by the day, and it is dangerous for capitalism that this is going on, as it can turn average Americans against the whole concept of capitalism, as long as only a small percentage can benefit from it!

Under the circumstances, it is quite amazing that there are not more people out in the streets, involved in the “Occupy Wall Street’ movement!

It is also worrisome that as time goes on, and conditions become worse, that we might see mass violence on the part of desperate Americans, who will see no alternative.

The idea of mass demonstrations and demands for change is not being felt only in the Arab world, in Greece and Italy, and in the Russian Federation. It is becoming an issue of fairness and equity being felt in a country that considers itself democratic in nature, and yet allows the uninhibited acquisition of wealth on the back of millions of Americans who just want an equal opportunity for the “American Dream”!

The Ultimate Reason Why The Republican Party Will NOT Win The White House In 2012: Their Promotion Of Nativism, Prejudice, Bias, Fear, And The Interests Of The Super Wealthy!

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When all is said and done, the Republican Party will NOT win the White House in 2012, no matter what the economic situation is next year, because of their promotion of nativism, prejudice, bias, fear, and the interests of the Super Wealthy!

The Republican Party promotes nativism against Hispanic and Latino immigrants with their advocacy of deporting 12 million undocumented immigrants, almost all law abiding, tax paying, and living here for many years, who just want the “American Dream”, and are willing to work hard.

The Republican Party advocates prejudice against gay people by advocating against gay rights, gay marriage, and gay parenting, due to their slavish connection to religious influence in government.

The Republican Party supports bias against women by denying them their human rights, including the decision when and how they can have children.

The Republican Party promotes fear of all people of Islamic heritage by their depiction of all people from that religious heritage as being potential terrorists.

The Republican Party supports the interests of the super wealthy by refusal to consider any tax increases on the top two percent, who have seen their wealth multiply in recent years, while everyone else saw their income stagnate or decline. They will do anything to support the rich and the corporations.

Has a political party ever won the White House with promotion of nativism, prejudice, bias, fear, and the interests of the wealthy? The answer is NO, with the borderline closest cases being Richard Nixon in 1968 and George W. Bush in 2004, but even they did not advocate these ugly concepts on the level of Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in the campaign now being waged!

Notice that the only GOP candidate who has NOT promoted the above ideas is Jon Huntsman, by far the best and ONLY decent choice they offer the voters in 2012. Again, IF Huntsman were the nominee, it would be the most legitimate and closest race for the Presidency, but apparently, very unlikely to happen, as the author writes.

The “Near Poor”: A New Category Of Poverty

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In the past, we have known that poverty existed, and the fact that about 49 million people, one out of six in this country, are in that sad state, a large percentage of them being children.

But now the Census Bureau, through gathering of new data, has come up with a new category, the “near poor”.

This category is approximately 51 million people, making for a total of about 100 million people, one out of THREE, who are either in poverty or in “near poverty”!

Of course, the “near poor” are better off than those defined as “poor”, in the sense that they work and own a car, but they own a car with a lot of mileage, do not make enough to have a sense of “getting ahead”, and often do not have health care coverage, which means if they get sick or have an accident, it sets them back with heavy bills that can push them over the line into poverty.

There is no room for error among this group, as they teeter on the verge of bankruptcy from unexpected bills that may crop up, and they are unable to have much hope about the future.

One third of the “near poor” are elderly, and 39 percent are children. The “American Dream” is not coming through for these people at both ends of the age spectrum! The group of 51 million people is just “scraping by”, and there is a sense of hopelessness.

If one has an income under $50,000 in major metropolitan areas, he or she fits into this group if part of a family of four, and they have suffered from a decade of flat wages, as well as the economic collapse of the Great Recession. The fact that many live in the suburbs is misleading, as we are witnessing the growing poverty of many suburban communities, and the foreclosures on many homes, decimating what were once middle class neighborhoods.

As the saying goes, there is no “wiggle room” for this category of “near poor”, as they struggle every day to stay “above water”, with the danger of “drowning”, falling into poverty.

Long Term Unemployment: Its Toll Much More Than Many Realize!

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It is very simple for someone who has NEVER been unemployed, except maybe briefly, to dismiss the issue of LONG TERM unemployment!

It is easy to blame the long term unemployed for being in that position, particularly when one has had good fortune, and never had to face the same situation!

It is easy to claim that it is, somehow, a character flaw in the person, and to choose to ignore what that means for him or her, and for society as a whole!

But when one realizes that now there are more than TWO million people who have been unemployed for more than TWO years, and 700,000 for more than THREE years, it is something that should be seen as a structural problem in America, which cannot be ignored!

Many of these long term unemployed have been people with long term careers, suddenly laid off when they are reaching the high 40s to the early 60s, with little possibility of ever regaining positions anywhere near what they had formerly earned, and this affects their wives, husbands, and children.

The long term unemployed also includes young workers coming out of undergraduate degrees, graduate schools, law schools, business schools, etc, who are facing the worst employment market in the last half century, and have looming student debt they cannot pay. This will delay or prevent plans to marry, have children, buy homes and cars, and plans for a lifetime of goals that all young people have.

This is not a laughing matter, as the “American Dream” is being destroyed, and so many have no hope for a better future, and yet the Republican Party in Congress and its Presidential candidates refuse to address these issues, and it is something that could boil over into more than just disillusionment!

The numbers of long term unemployed will grow rapidly, and there is little interest in extending unemployment compensation further, even by those who are unemployed, who strangely think extension will promote less desire to look for work, which is, sadly, a hallucinatory belief!

And when so many employers are now demanding that all job applicants be employed before applying for a job, that forecasts over time that we will see millions of people on the streets, in what used to be called Hoovervilles and Reaganvilles, going to churches and charities for minimal food supplies, and having serious medical issues that go undiagnosed!

Divorce and suicide and physical violence are also the manifestations when people have no hope and fall into depression!

And, of course, if people are not earning income, they only add to the long term dire economic outlook!

It is immoral and unethical for the opposition party, which wants to win power, to have no concern for the downtrodden, the deprived, and think all they have to do is appeal to the elite wealthy!

This is social dynamite, which cannot be ignored, as it is a threat to civil society long term! We cannot move to the future by creating a lost class of people!

Student Loan Forgiveness As Method To Revive The American Economy!

Ronald 3 Comments

A proposal by Moveon.org to have the federal government pass legislation promoting student loan forgiveness as a method to revive the American economy is a great idea that needs to be strongly considered and acted upon!

We have millions of American students who have been saddled with thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands in debt, in the pursuit of their education to acquire a bachelors degree, a masters degree, a doctoral degree, a medical, law or dental or other professional degree.

The advancement of these young people toward their educational accomplishments is not just good for them as individuals, but for the entire nation, as we NEED more educated people, and more professionals in all fields!

But by burdening them with onerous debt that many cannot pay, or cause them to struggle to survive economically, we undermine the growth of the economy, as this makes it difficult for these students to buy homes and cars, spend money on consumer goods, and generally to add to the economy because of the heavy debt payments, which only enrich greedy financial institutions who have no concern about the “slavery” they are imposing on the future generations!

There is no better cause than to liberate the future generations, and allow them to contribute positively to the economy of the future!

So instead of having millionaires and billionaires continue to acquire wealth and not give a damn about their country, let’s invest in the young, the future, and do what other countries do–fund education beyond high schools, see education as the most important job of government along with health care, and in so doing, revive the American Dream that we hear so much about, but do not do anything to advance!

Important To Remember: Elections Are About The FUTURE, Not The Past!

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In the midst of all the heated debate about who is best to be our President in the future, one point is often forgotten.

That is the reality that elections are about the FUTURE, not the past!

The past is always full of negative, as well as positive, developments, with, of course, the negative somehow easier to recall, since most human beings remember negative over positive.

So the issue of 2012 is not the high unemployment rate, which the opposition Republicans have no solutions for.

The issue is which party and which candidate is best equipped to make a better future, and in that, it is clear that the Republicans see the future as one without all of the social safety net programs of the New Deal and Great Society, which despite criticisms, have worked very well, made for a stronger middle class, alleviated poverty, and given the masses, who are not born to or inherit wealth, to have a belief in the “American Dream” and a faith and hope in a better future.

If such faith and hope is dashed by wiping out the virtues of the New Deal and Great Society, then what is to prevent violence, bloodshed, and revolution against the ruling economic class? By softening the worse aspects of unbridled capitalism and giving people dignity and consideration, whether young, old, poor, or disabled, we have a safety valve that allows all of us to coexist in society, with the elite rich still holding on to most of what they have!

The price of higher taxation actually protects the elite rich from troubles they would not wish to see occur!

So the better, more dignified future is definitely with Barack Obama, and this is not even considering his many accomplishments, which are often forgotten, but will be emphasized as the campaign of 2012 continues, so that voters do not go to vote with the thought that nothing good has been accomplished in the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression!

And do not forget that foreign and national security policy only adds to the credentials of Barack Obama, as compared to all his potential opponents, with the one exception of Jon Huntsman! But the Republican Party seems suicidal in nature, not smart enough to give Barack Obama a really competent opponent as his rival. So this is another of the many positives about Barack Obama that will be emphasized as the campaign develops!

Extreme Poverty In America: 19 Million, According To Census Bureau Figures!

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Poverty is spreading, with 46 million Americans using food stamps, the highest number ever!

One out of four children go to bed hungry each night, and more than ever, they are homeless due to the inability of their parents to provide a roof over their head.

But even worse than that, according to the Census Bureau, there are 19 million Americans, many of them children, who are living in EXTREME poverty, about six percent of the population, while another 12 percent are also in poverty, but not as extreme.

How can a country which believes in opportunity and the “American Dream”, and has many claiming to have Christian values and are “good Christians” stand by and do nothing about it, and in many cases actually condemn the poor for being poor, blaming them for their own degradation.

If we as a country stand by and allow poverty worse than at the time of the War on Poverty under Lyndon B. Johnson, then we have failed as a country that has compassion and cares about the future of children in particular!

So while we must promote the survival of the middle class in tough times, we cannot ignore the most vulnerable among us, and stop blaming them for their sad state of affairs!

Shocking Maldistribution Of Wealth Due To Great Recession Of 2008: Pew Research Center Report

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A new Pew Research Center report demonstrates the alarming fact of the shocking maldistribution of wealth among the major racial groups in America, due to the Great Recession’s effect, and the findings should ring alarm bells among all Americans in regard to the likelihood of social turmoil and disarray that could, sadly, lead to violence, if nothing is done about the reality of the failure of the “American Dream”!

The study shows that white households are TWENTY times wealthier than African Americans, and EIGHTEEN times better off than Hispanic families.

These statistics are staggering and unprecedented, and show the stratification of American society is the worst it has ever been, and far surpasses any democratic nation in Western Europe or Japan.

The median white household in 2009 had a net worth of $113,000 as compared to an average of about $5,700 for black families and $6,300 for Hispanic households.

At the same time, poor families with zero or negative worth were found in one third of black and Hispanic families, but only 15 percent of white families.

The average median wealth of black families fell by 66 percent between 2006-2009, 53 percent for Hispanic households, and only 16 percent for white families.

The housing and unemployment crises and declining income during the Great Recession also harmed black and Hispanic families much more than white households.

The real danger is that even lower income whites have been identifying with the Republican Party, while minority voters continue to connect to the Democratic Party, so the racial conflict that seems to be developing is endangering the country, and seems similar to the old North-South split on slavery in the 19th century and the civil rights movement in the 20th century, but now based on race nationally, instead of in geographical regions.

It has to make one fear for the future civil peace of the nation, if this manifestation is allowed to continue unabated!