But wealth in this country is being redistributed now. Taking advantage of the relative ignorance of many Americans concerning politics and economy, those who would reserve the nation's wealth for themselves have promoted the misconception that the term refers to the creation of a socialist system in which the government takes the money of hard-working citizens to provide handouts to lazy parasites.
Reality, however, is very different. Through most of our history, the majority of Americans were mired in poverty, toiling long hours for a meager existence with simple housing and basic nourishment barely attainable. Even during boom periods like the Roaring ’20s, the average American lived below the poverty level. But, despite being beaten down by business and government, there were those who carried on the crusade to better conditions for working people, looking to the day when they too could attain a small piece of the pie. With the New Deal's recognition of organized labor and institution of entitlements such as social security, the vision was within reach and after World War II the growth of the middle class meant the American Dream could be achieved by a greater percentage of the population than ever imagined. Thus, the redistribution of wealth by only a few percentage points had served to create a comfortable life for most Americans.
The American Age peaked, however, in the late 1960s. The middle class was thriving, the legal battle for equal rights was won, a war on poverty had been declared and Americans walked on the moon. Shortly after the last New Deal president, Lyndon Johnson, though, the portion of the nation's wealth in the hands of the people began to turn back to the moneyed interests. This redistribution has been accelerating at an ever increasing rate and now the American people are in trouble. The rich are taxed far less than their share and services are being cut for the rest. Whenever a fare or toll goes up; whenever services are cut; whenever prices go up; whenever another piece of technology becomes a vital part of life; if it is not accompanied by a commensurate increase in income, wealth is being redistributed upward. Thus, our dollar buys less and less as corporate leaders take home more and more. Yes, this is the redistribution of wealth we should truly fear.
In today's America it is a sin to ask the rich to pay their fair share.
In today's America it is a sin to regulate business and protect the public against unfair practices.
Our American society has deserted the ideals, slipping backwards into an abyss of ignorance and greed.
...and speaking of an abyss of ignorance and greed, enter the Tea Party
Part of American society, long mired in ignorance to the workings of government and economy has for many years been manipulated by those who would profiteer by eliminating regulation and entitlements. The latest manifestation of this is the Tea Party, today's personification of greed leading the ignorant.
Extremely frustrated with government as their piece of the pie continues to diminish, Tea Party rank and file are angry...and understandably so. They were indoctrinated to believe that "liberal" was a dirty word and liberal policies [that would actually work for them] not to be trusted. Then their hero, George Bush, ran the economy into the ground, creating their present hardships. So where do they direct their anger now?
And this is a perfect role for Sarah Palin, playing her character to the hilt as cheerleader for the ignorant! Never addressing an issue head on, she simply resorts to name calling, urging on the faithful to lash out, which they do eagerly and sometimes violently. And ironically, what their actions translate to is, "Don't give us anything. Let the rich take it all."
Someone said several years ago that we are barbarians with color TV's. Today, as a society, we have become even more barbaric in our attitudes...and we now have computers!
...and in the pursuit of ignorance, it's called the Texas Textbook Massacre
We condemn closed societies that lie to their people and distort history to further their own agendas. Although America has also been guilty, primarily by omission, we have striven lately to include contributions by minorities and many of the blemishes in our own history. That is all being undermined however in Texas where they want to rewrite textbooks to reflect their own religious and political beliefs even if it means distorting, burying or out rightly lying about the facts. And considering that Texas purchases such a large number of textbooks, this could have repercussions nationwide when some of the smaller states make their purchases.
A few of the revisions include downplaying the role of Thomas Jefferson, a product of the 18th century enlightenment and the philosophical light behind our fundamental principles. His teachings will be replaced in books by those of John Calvin, a 16th century totalitarian religious leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland. Students need not learn that the Constitution prevents the government from promoting one religion over all others. The actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy, whose lies and fascist practices destroyed the lives of many American citizens in the 1950s, will now be legitimized. Conservative groups will be elevated; liberals and minorities buried.
This is beyond an outrage but not totally unprecedented. Closed societies often create their own histories and of course, there are Holocaust deniers. In this country's past, much was simply omitted, especially concerning minorities; something that has been primarily corrected until Texas. And let's not forget Newt Gingrich's revisions to history in 1994. Gingrich, an historian by profession, hosted a TV show, teaching his own version of history, rife with distortions and outright lies. Intended to further his political agenda, his false history helped the Republicans take over Congress. Although forced to discontinue the practice, the damage was done and he faced no real repercussions.
The truth may not be to everyone's liking but it serves better than falsehoods. In Texas, they'd apparently rather lie to their children.
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A Few Tidbits
Is this a surprise?
A New York Times-CBS News poll found that 63 percent of self-described Tea Party supporters gain most of their television news from Fox, compared with 23 percent of all adult Americans.
Government for the people...or for corporations?
On the same day recently, a couple of news stories appeared. One dealt with pharmaceutical companies being fined for promoting their drugs for purposes not approved by the FDA; sometimes with fatal results. Since their profits were much greater than the amounts of the fines, the practice continues.
The other story concerned a New Jersey man suffering from multiple sclerosis who couldn't afford health insurance. In order to relieve his pain, he smoked marijuana which he grew in his backyard. He received a sentence of five years in prison. Needless to say, there was no additional profit to make up for his punishment.
Courts favor Comcast over FCC
In another travesty of justice, a federal court recently decided that the FCC couldn't regulate internet provider Comcast's ability to censor what you see over the internet...a big blow to internet neutrality and to our freedom.
Mayor Bloomberg, another crane goes down?
"Mayor Bloomberg, when you promote development and save money by cutting inspectors, you are potentially sacrificing lives. Your show of outrage doesn't mean very much when incidents continue to occur."
