Looking Toward the Election

Looking Toward the Elections

As the nation moves inexorably toward election day, billions of dollars are amassing like so many soldiers to face off in the battle for the hearts and minds of the people.

Included among the many lies and distortions being readied for the airwaves, are the purported ‘values’ of the respective parties, those guiding principles that underpin their respective belief systems and direct their noble actions.

It’s interesting to note how different the two sides are, and how similar. They differ on social causes, i.e. human rights (the rights of women to make their own decisions; the rights of humans to select their partners, to marry, to parent, the rights of people to vote).

The sides are clearly separated on economic issues, i.e., the rights to keep all the money they earn, even if they have to get it from bailouts vs. the rights of people for social support networks during difficult economic times, even though they paid for them through payroll deductions during their working years. Or, the rights of corporate criminals to avoid prosecution even following Senate and other investigations delivering damning proof of illegal actions that led to the financial collapse of a nation.

Interestingly, both sides are willing to ally themselves with the moneyed class to the detriment of their nation, be it in finance, insurance, healthcare, the military or elsewhere.

Most are willing to tolerate the military budget, fully ten times more than their closest perceived ‘enemy’, China, and more than the major industrial nations combined. No one, save Vermont’s Senator Bernie Sanders, seems willing to point out that the concerns about entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid) were ‘paid-in’ accounts, in which every worker’s pay was ‘taxed’ for these future benefits.

No one, save Bernie, seems willing to point out that the military generals have themselves said that much of the equipment yet to be built is no longer necessary because the nature of war has made them irrelevant, and that the monies not yet spent could be used for better, non-defense things. Nor has it been pointed out that those insisting on the equipment being built are the congressmen in whose districts they are built. Seems like no one remembers beating swords into plowshares.

Pay close attention to this election cycle, lest you find yourselves poorer to benefit of a few, especially including those whom we sent to represent us.