Revolution was a frequent topic in the 1960s, but the threat is far greater today.
Average people are much more desperate and disgusted than our detached leaders comprehend – even during quiet moments between ongoing feedings of white wine and quiche with healthcare lobbyists. From Duluth to Tonawanda, highly educated, experienced people can’t find employment; retirees are struggling to survive as their 401(k) balances vaporize; college kids, burdened by massive tuition debt, have little chance of getting their heads above water before midlife. Widespread discontent is beginning to fester.
After caving in for decades to excessive union demands, cities, counties and states suddenly find themselves broke and gasping for bundles of cash to fund expensive benefits that are beyond reach to non-government workers. Programs that serve the poor are in danger of being severely trimmed or discontinued, while common taxpayers must be extra fees to receive services that should be covered by their existing levy. Mainstream workers have grown tired of picking up the pieces.
Still, the Washington banter remains partisan and deconstructive. During the Bush administration, Congress hastily advanced an ill-thought economic rescue plan that already has failed. Despite a staggering price that will choke future generations, it merely helped big banks grow bigger while continuing to perk underachieving executives. Even worse, the massive handout featured the same lack of oversight that originally dragged America into recession.
President Obama’s new plan thrusts the country far deeper into debt but smells heavily of a liberal feeding frenzy. Despite quick passage, virtually everyone anticipates failure.
And for good reason. Just take at look at Duluth’s “stimulus” proposal. Here’s a quick way to spend a quarter-billion of your dollars: Get the feds to fund the school district’s ill-thought and overpriced Long Range Facilities Plan; build a new airport terminal (as if the existing one isn’t big enough to serve one airline); improve airport runways and roads; construct a joint public safety facility and enhance public transportation infrastructure.
The outcome? Create 2,300 jobs – all in construction-related trades. According to 2007 Census estimates, that would provide employment for every Duluth construction worker, plus a few more. Interestingly, 92.6 percent of them are men; apparently women don’t need jobs.
Not all of the local requests are included in our list, but the remainder lean heavily toward more of the same. Basically, it’s the city’s list of state legislative bonding requests.
In essence, it’s a hastily assembled wish list that, coincidently, would create jobs for unions that contribute heavily to whichever party is in power. It’s not a thoughtfully created list of projects that would assist a broad spectrum of unemployed workers in a vast array of professions.
Thus far, Americans have remained passive about Washington’s failure to lead – so much so that most people don’t understand the long-term apathy; hopefully, that behavior won’t become passive-aggressive. But given the widespread pain and discontent, people may begin to act out their frustrations for a variety of reasons:
- • The beltway stench grows worse and worse. Recent national elections demonstrate people want to throw the bastards out – the Republicans one year, Democrats the next. Each time, the incoming party is a mere clone of its predecessor. People are coming to realize that everyone in Congress is owned by special interests. Power means everything, constituents mean nothing.
• Politicians and economists alike believe Obama’s latest plan won’t be the last. Another massive bailout will be proposed before 2009 ends, raising skepticism even faster than domestic debt.
• Deficit spending eventually will devalue the dollar, fueling inflation faster than federal presses can print greenbacks. Inflation will outpace wage growth, further decreasing the quality of life for average people.
• Medicare and Medicaid costs will continue to grow, and lawmakers won’t work together to repair the ailing plans.
• Bought and controlled by the medical industry, Congress won’t address health care reform, even as constituents fall through the cracks and silently grow livid.
• Taxes inevitably will have to rise as the country struggles on multiple fronts to solve problems politically rather than intellectually. Eventually, everyone will be forced to repay the cost of Washington’s political ineptitude.
Lawlessness could be an early sign that American life is running amok. Theft already is on the rise as poor people struggle to survive with less and less. It will increase if the middle class loses its footing, its homes and its future.
As national debt grows in tandem with illegal immigration, more and more citizens could refuse to pay their taxes, either in protest or for lack of money. Tax collection or property confiscation efforts would only fuel middle class angst.
If this scenario proves true, well-heeled Americans could pack up the car and move abroad – creating massive out-migration of financial resources. Well-educated young people might follow, taking their skills to more-stable countries while abandoning their college loans. That would dump America’s troubles on those who are stuck behind – the abandoned middle class and growing numbers of poorly educated impoverished people.
Could it really happen? Only time will tell, but we’re off to a great start.
The promise of an Obama presidency brought hope to many, but early evidence suggests he’s just another party hack bent on serving his closest supporters while common citizens pay for the party.
Author Ron Brochu is mad as hell and won’t take it anymore. He archives his rants at www.ronbrochublog.com, where your comment is always welcome.
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