Saturday, July 07, 2012

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Here's another slightly edited commentary I wrote recently at BlogHer in an effort to reach readers outside my regular reader's frame of reference.  Perhaps, some of you may be doing the same there or other places.  I would be interested in knowing about your experience in doing so.  

Well, we  have the beginnings of some effort to provide health care to all Americans in this nation.  Let's hope we can constructively build on that rather than having Congress waste time and energy trying to dismantle the program. 

Since this is a Presidential election year, is it too much to expect our Congresspersons to concentrate on creating meaningful legislation instead of all these phony political posturings I'm seeing them take?  If many of them received job performance reviews they'd be quickly judged to be engaging in "busy work" that offers no value to the recovery of this nation from one of the worse financial situations our country has endured.

But then, many of them are millionaires in their own right or will be, so have an increasing disconnect with the majority of Americans like you and me.  Some do still identify with us and are capable of fully appreciating  our work situation, health care needs and living choices.  Others don't have the faintest notion of what ordinary survival living entails, including one Presidential candidate who never experienced such a life in his privileged childhood, much less as an adult.  Unfortunately, by his own repeated words and actions, he seems unable to empathize or even imagine what a regular American's life is really like, since he had been busy investing the monies of already wealthy individuals to make them even richer.  No matter if a few companies and workers jobs were lost in the process -- just the price of doing business to earn investors more money. 

The country's problems can be attributed to those in both major political parties, our government and even some of our ordinary citizens seeking to fulfill the American Dream.  Yes, and us, too, because we didn't carefully monitor and make certain those we entrusted were functioning in their positions as they should.  As the popular Pogo comic strip of years ago said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Contrary to what we would all like to believe, or is being promised by various candidates, there is no quick fix.   There is much that can be done to aid in the recovery but not if ideologs fail to refocus their attention from self-interest.  We each need to closely scrutinize what activities and actions engage each of our Representatives and Senators.   We need to directly contact them to express our expectations to these individuals who are our employees and hold them accountable in this Nov. election and those elections to come.

We need to pay attention to sources that reveal where our Congressperson derives his/her financial campaign support -- "Follow the money!"   How do those $$$ correlate with his/her legislative positions?   Take SuperPac ads content as a grain of salt, if you're unable to avoid seeing or hearing them,  since they are suspiciously secretive about revealing their contributors.  You can be confident they have an agenda for what is in their funding sources best interests -- but not likely in the best interests of the average American.  

If you limit the intake of your news sources to a select few whose views mostly coincide with your own, or who promote emotional rants and rhetoric  as a way to distract from the facts, do yourself the service of listening to calmer more rational reports so you can discern what is really happening.  There are neutral non-partisan  fact-check sites you can easily access on the Internet to verify truth from fiction.  There's a lot of fiction being spread.  We must do our homework -- men and women have died protecting our right to have these  freedoms we enjoy. 

Some of you live in critical States said to be the ones to determine how this 2012 election will conclude.  I don't happen to live in one of those States, but it's vitally important to me that you take your responsibilities seriously, know the facts for what and whom you vote since your actions, or lack thereof, will affect me and my family.  I know my Congresspersons and their stance on issues, how to contact them to provide support and/or express my wishes (not that they're always followed,) but the point is the action is vital for this Republic to survive.

I do not want to live in a plutocracy (a nation run by the extremely wealthy,) or a theocracy (a nation dictated to by any religious group,) or any such combination thereof, much less a faux republic/democracy.

Let's move forward toward the gradual rejuvenation of this nation in a manner dedicated to re-building our middle class.....

...creating jobs that are not limited to just the service industry as being good enough,

... insisting our government take action to rebuild our nation's infrastructure,

... re-assessing the allocation of government funds that do not penalize the least among us,

...expecting all, including the most wealthy among us.  to pay their fair percentage of taxes,

...determine government budget cuts in many unnecessary subsidized areas,

... institute budget cuts the military/Pentagon has even specified as being appropriate,

... reassess the allocation of all foreign aid within the context of today's world government alignments, 

....revolutionize drug purchasing practices with pharmaceutical companies for Medicare/Medicaid/insurers, 

...demand accountability for the financial industries giants and corporations through the regulation with which they do not self-police and our officials have been negligent in enforcing.

Let's do more than just yell out the window... "we're .mad as hell and not going to take it any more!"

What are you doing or what all do you think we need to do?  

9 comments:

  1. Vote for Democrats this year. We need to have critical legislation passed by a Democratic Senate and House with leadership from President Obama.

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  2. An excellent post. It would be wonderful if all Americans would rise above the mud-slinging and back candidates who endorse the goals you present.

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  3. You already know hat I agree with all you said. It is a great post and a call to arms. I hope everyone who reads it will follow your good advice. If we, the people, don't care enough to do our part then we will get the government we deserve.

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  4. I particularly appreciate your recognition of the need for one to seek out a variety of input, rather than input from those who agree with one. Too frequently, we (of any point of view) discuss issues only with those with whom we agree. How can we expect our legislators and leaders to engage in reasonable debate and discussion if we, the citizenry cannot?
    Cop Car

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  5. Thanks for providing a forum for this discussion. I have said it before and will say it again regarding the ACA. Mend it don't end it. There are serious issues with the law and the 4,000 pages of regulations associated with it don't help. Several law suits are making their way through the courts regarding the ACA. The body of jusrisprudence that will attend the law and regulations will drive many of us round the bend I fear.

    As for wealthy members of Congress, the millionaire tag is true for most of the Senators. The House has a few less well off individuals. Perhaps these folks will become wealthy over time, like Charlie Rangel and others who managed to become millionaires. All the reason for term limits.

    I am pretty disgusted with the whole damn bunch by now. They are the most unproductive crew I have ever seen. Both parties are to blame. Driving out the guys and gals who would compromise is the reason. A good example is the Republican Senator from ME who dared to vote to confirm Alito for the Supremes and was attacked by liberal groups including Planned Parenthood who had always had her support. Now she is resigning and it is their loss. The next Senator will not be so tolerant of PP I think.

    Good topic. Always gets my juices flowing. Dianne

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  6. PS and with regard to the foreign stuff. Time to get out of the UN and form a League of Democracies I think. I for one am tired of the US propping up dictators and countries that wish the US evil. Dianne

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  7. Do away with the fraud in public spending.!

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  8. A very good post. Unfortunately I live in a state, Georgia, where the majority has become very conservative. My county, Newt Gingrich county, is 95% Republican so I think Democrats don’t even bother to come here – it is a great shame. I think that as long as something is introduced by a Democrat here they will not vote for it, without even finding out about it. It is supremely depressing. Bush did come and visit our county back when he was campaigning. Several democrats came and the police took them away. One lady stood with her little children near the high school that day holding a sign against the Iraq War. Later people thrashed her yard. It’s not easy to talk to people when their mind is totally shut.

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    1. I'm greatly distressed by the intolerance of others views that has come to dominate political discussion. Even more frightening are those who resort to destructive behaviors against those with whom they don't agree such as you describe. Often it seems those on the most extreme fringes resort to exploiting the very beliefs which they claim to support -- including individual rights, free speech. The danger is when those extremists infiltrate a group -- the group of even reasonably minded people can become a mob which takes on a crazed life of its own.

      I think the challenges I face when discussing issues with individuals of opposite (often irrational, illogical) persuasion is calmly listening to them -- acknowledging any of their positive points -- then figuring out the best question to ask in an equally calm manner that forces them to think in quite a different manner than they may ever have before about what they have said.

      One fact is certain -- that railing, name-calling, escalating vocal volume, belittling, snide and sarcastic remarks will serve no useful purpose in persuading anyone to give serious thought to what such a speaker is saying. Likewise, I don't think they'll bother to read what such a writer, with whom they violently disagree, is writing. Civility is key.

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