Have you heard the old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same?”  Well, I keep thinking of that saying as I’m reading through a second book on the Roosevelt administration, this one depicting the years of World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  What is becoming more certain to me, as I continue my obsessive reading, is that the wave of corporate GREED which is permeating America at present is nothing new.  My formative years were in the 50’s and 60’s when the blue collar working man/woman (mostly men) had a much stronger standing in American society.  And, at the time, it seemed as if the “system” was geared to make it so.  I have to say that the more I read about Roosevelt and the New Deal – it WAS how it seemed.  Shortly after graduating from high school I went to work in the local Boise Cascade paper mill making $3.19 per hour.  In those days that was a good living wage.  While I don’t have evidence in front of me to back it up, it was claimed at the time that the CEO of the company made about 40 times what the workers were making (which would have been around $100 Grand per year).  As I look back maybe that was the salary of the Plant manager – but, over time I think I’ve learned to think in 21st century mode where we’ve universally accepted the “right”of executives to make in the multiples of MILLIONS and, in some instances, more than a BILLION – PER YEAR! (hundreds if not thousands more than the “workers”) Just as they were prior to Roosevelt moving into the White House, things are terribly “out of whack” in today’s America and I’m hoping the years from WW II until Ronald Reagan won the White House won’t end up being America’s “golden years.”

I’ve been writing for MANY months about how, in my view, the most significant WAR America is “fighting” right now is the internal war at home for the very soul of this nation.  (Do you find it strange that we’ve got to analyze the importance of the DIFFERENT wars our country is engaged in?  Have you ever asked, “how many wars can we fight at once?)  Almost every person I work with in my workplace has a Master’s Degree from some university – so, I think it would be safe to call them “educated.”  However, they’re educated to be educators and they are terribly committed to what they’re doing and very busy doing it – but, many not paying close attention to politics – hence, when I ask them to explain to me what “Citizen’s United” is, one by one they have no idea what I’m talking about.  That is exactly what the corporatists who are in the process of taking over this great nation want (that’s precisely why I’ve previously used the term “creeping fascism” to describe what I’m seeing on our political front).  They’ve been working hard to create just this situation for years.  I thought the election of President Obama would stem the tide – which is why I so vocally supported him – but Obama has, in my view, committed BLUNDER after BLUNDER since the day he won the election as he is seemingly failing to see the problem – or, the other explanation would be he’s in the “camp” of the corporatists” (yes, I did see this coming prior to his inauguration -but, unfortunately AFTER the election).

Most of the people I work with (I’m a middle school teacher) don’t even want to talk about politics.  On the rare occasion I can get someone to strike up a conversation, I often can’t believe what comes out of their lips.  While we’re busy teaching students to cross check their resources as they research topics, evidently we ourselves are too busy to do so.  Too many of my associates are watching the cable news networks and believing the sound bites aimed at brainwashing them into thinking all is well (some, unbelievably to me, still believe Limbaugh and Beck are telling the truth).  And, I fully understand that due to all the books I’ve been consuming I’m personally getting very strong opinions about several topics which should (in my view) be of interest to all American adults who vote – but, I believe that we have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to educate ourselves as to what is REALLY going on with our government and the corporations who are attempting to abscond with it – and create the atmosphere for a dialogue designed to preserve our nation.  A dialogue based on reality and not on lies.

One of the ironies I’m feeling these days is, despite my significant disagreement with many of their positions, I believe the so-called “tea party” is thinking along the same lines I am.  I believe their disgust is “rooted” in similar frustrations to my own – the “backroom” dealing in Washington, the wasteful spending, the lack of integrity of our government officials, the antiquated rules protecting special interests, etc.  The reason I was so turned off by this “tea party” was because of all the racist signs carried at their events AND the FACT that people like Dick Armey and Glenn Beck are the “catalyst” of their movement while mostly hiding in the background.  That is, they are being “pushed” and funded by the very corporatist elite that I am opposed to.  It would be interesting to have a dialogue with some of them – but, I don’t think they even realize who the very people are behind the funding of their movement.  (There’s no getting around, for example, that I am diametrically opposed – fundamentally – to people like Rand Paul.  Just the same, it would be interesting to dialogue with him and others)

Even during the second World War, the “progressives” in America had to “fight” the corporate “heads” who were attempting to overly PROFIT off of the “War to end all Wars.”  (or was that the first World War?)  It took FOUR years of catastrophe in America plus a world war to pave the way for the “New Deal” and evidently, we’re going to have to experience “deja vu all over again” to swing the “pendulum” back in the New Deal’s direction.  I guess I waver back and forth between anger at the voting public for allowing itself to be brainwashed by the so-called “liberal media” and disgust with the republicans who are CRAMMING the corporatist agenda of the Wall Street Elites down our throats.  The truth is that as I’m gaining a concrete understanding of what is really happening (now that’s dangerous – to even think one is beginning to understand anything that is going on in today’s world) I have to admit that the republicans are very good at what they’re doing.  They’re taking their propaganda lessons right out of the “playbook” of Joseph Goebbels – none other than the propaganda “head” of Hitler’s Third Reich.  This certainly gets my “attention,” but, evidently, it’s not enough to get the attention of any “liberal media” outlets – because we’re still getting an increase in the pro Sarah Palin media blitz. (can you even imagine that?)

So, what’s the “same” you might ask?  Relating to my original observation.  Well, if you do a little research as to the America in the early 1930’s you would find the same divided nation with the representatives of America’s corporate culture grounded in the republican party and the “liberals” in the democratic party.  Unfortunately, as I see it, for us today the true “liberals” are all but gone.  Despite how he is portrayed in the Fox run media, Barack Obama is far from a liberal.  The best I can come up with is he’s a “pragmatist,” although – as I’ve said on this site several times – the term that comes to mind is “republican lite.”  The combative nature of FDR – yes, he was a master politician as well – but, he was more than willing to FIGHT the corporate interests who were bludgeoning America’s treasury then  – just as the same interests are doing so now.  With all the history for our “leaders” to “bone up on” it’s hard for me to understand how we can allow this to happen again.  And, this time it’s more frightening because, I believe, the republicans are bound and determined to get a “hold” on the government which will be much more difficult to remove this time.  Remember, in 1932 Roosevelt didn’t have to overcome “Citizen’s United” and the enormous amount of power the unlimited corporate wealth could unleash on the unsuspecting public.  I mean, just in the first “installment” of the ruling’s effect the republicans were able to convince the electorate that President Obama was the “culprit” responsible for the huge budget deficit.  They were also able to convince the public Obama was the reason for the high unemployment figures (they were even successful in “pinning” the TARP bailout orchestrated by Hank Paulsen, George W Bush, and THEMSELVES on Obama).  This simply shows the power of the television in concert with unlimited access to corporate funds.

Are we going to have to go through another full blown depression for the general public to figure this out?  Are the democrats going to be able to come up with an alternative to Obama if he doesn’t get his act together?  Did he “blow it” in his first two years by allowing the republicans to get back up and “running” by failing to provide ANY accountability for their past misdeeds?  (Do you really think they’re going to return the favor in the next two years?  Does anyone besides me remember what the republican congress was doing during the Clinton years?)  I continually wonder how far the republicans are willing to go in their seemingly unending quest to provide corporate welfare for their “customers,” and how timid the democrats are going to be going forward based on the FACT that they are going to have to FIGHT for what they believe in at some point in time.  I’m sure what is making many democrats nervous is the effectiveness the republicans have shown in going after the REAL liberals in congress.  Alan Grayson was defeated by Citizen’s United money, Russ Feingold – in my view one of the few GOOD senators – was inexplicably defeated (again, the only reasonable explanation would be Citizen’s United money), and republicans will try to remove Dennis Kuchinich – certainly one of the most principled democrats in America – through redistricting.  Believe me, these republicans have a game plan, and up to this point the democrats are no match.

In the 1920’s and early 1930’s America was teetering on the edge of becoming a fuedalistic society.  That is, a society that is divided between the “rich” and the “poor.”  I realize that is an oversimplification, but my point is that the republicans are pushing us toward a society that is totally controlled by the “haves.”  Evidently, they believe in fuedalism.  The problem with this approach, of course, is that there are too many “have nots” in such a “plan” and the only possible outcome of that approach, ultimately, is discord and violence.  So, you think I’m nuts?  Well, just take a quick “peek” at the reality of America’s political spectrum of 2011.  We just finished an election cycle where the large (unexposed) corporate interests spent upwards of a BILLION dollars to influence the voters in a MID TERM election (can you imagine the onslaught in 2012?).  There were candidates all over the country who were willing to spend MILLIONS (hundreds of millions in Meg Whitman’s case) in order to gain “jobs” that pay in the hundreds of thousands/year – that they were TOTALLY unqualified for.  Honestly, that’s hard to explain rationally to me.  In the case of Rick Scott, Florida’s new governor, (I’m not sure how many millions of his own money he spent to gain office, but it was obscene) he was able to convince a state LOADED with Medicare recipients to vote for the CEO of the corporation which committed the GREATEST Medicare FRAUD in the history of the United States – almost $2 BILLION worth of FRAUD – to run their state.  Now, if that doesn’t give you a clear idea of the power of Citizen’s United I don’t know what will – evidently, his opponent was either inept at politics or simply didn’t have the funds to compete – Scott should be behind bars instead of running the state of Florida!  Do you remember the role Florida’s governor played in the election of George W Bush?  Believe me, the republicans are getting their “ducks in a row.”  (they are much more proactive than democrats – despite the fact they are so devious)

In the early 1930’s 15+ MILLION Americans were out of work (the population of America at the time was 130 million), unions were under attack, and the republicans were espousing the “free market.”  Well, I’m sure you “get” where I’m going with this – today OVER 15 MILLION are out of work (we don’t know how many because so many are no longer “statistics” – for example, it is known there are between 3 and 4 MILLION “99ers” – if you don’t know what that means, Google it) and something like 19 MILLION Americans are “underemployed” – meaning part time, working at a job they are overqualified for, two or more jobs, etc. (a few weeks ago my wife and I went to a local “Shari’s” for dinner and the guy bussing the tables was a person who had previously owned his own business which had failed due to the bad economy)  And, to be certain, I’ve been in many “transitional” periods in my own life – it happens, but the question is – who’s side is the government on when times are tough? (actually, at all times)  I honestly believe the republican party believes giving money to corporations is not welfare – but, giving assistance to people in need is.

In the 1930’s republicans fought programs like Social Security, unemployment insurance, food aid, worker’s rights, civil rights for minorities, women’s rights, farm subsidies, child work laws, and anything that was part of the “New Deal” tooth and nail.  Well, they’re still fighting these battles, long after the middle class of America have accepted the New Deal as the “real deal” in America.  The republicans are carrying the bidding of Wall Street today just as they did in the 30’s – and, unfortunately, the democrats have swung so far to the right that their opposition to these republican obominations are diminishing – seemingly as my keyboard types out this rant.  Today, the republicans are much more sophisticated in their attacks on, for example, Social Security.  In President Obama’s recent capitualtion on the “Bush Tax Cuts” – ughhh! – he set himself up for the “real” battle which will happen in the next couple of months.  Evidently, President Obama in his obsession with being bipartisan, is going to “negotiate” with these republicans for the next couple of years.  I really wish (and, actually still hope) he would have taken a cue from Roosevelt and realized he was going to have to defeat them instead of negotiate with them.  Think about this – what do you think they are going to want (besides a “pound of flesh”) when it comes time for them to “shut down the government” over the debt ceiling in the next month or two?  And, is Obama going to say he gave in on privatizing Social Security in order to keep the government from being shut down?  Who’s going to blink?

President Obama has already, in my view, set himself up to be working from a position of weakness when he agreed to the 2% cut in Social Security withholdings from “155 Million Workers” paychecks.  He’s spouting the republican mantra – tax cuts create jobs.  This is more than disturbing.  It’s as if we don’t have a politician in America who’s willing to tell the people it’s time for sacrifice.  We’ve got two wars going on at the same time (which are bankrupting the nation by themselves), both of which are major BLUNDERS, and still our politicians want us to keep on keeping on – without any sense of accepting the responsibility of what our leaders are doing.  What are they afraid of?  I guess, the answer to that is the response of all the Limbaugh’s, Beck’s, and Fox “news” types out there and the money behind Citizen’s United.

No, I don’t have all the answers, but what I do know is that “trickle down” economics don’t work and have turned the “leader of the free world” into a laughing stock – I suppose America’s “empire” had to crack at some point.  In the 1930’s the “free market” nonsense was overcome by the New Deal and America became prosperous when she pulled together during the war and put aside all the “partisan bickering” which still existed up until then.  From the end of WW II until Reagan took office, America enjoyed the greatest middle class boom in the history of the world.  Since the “free market” came back into vogue, that middle class has been steadily dwindling.  Before the New Deal there was no “work week,” there were no safety nets for the unemployed and poor, there was no help for the elderly, there were no child labor laws, and Jim Crow was the rule of the land.  Democrats have fought for all these things and need to continue doing so.  Another irony:  republicans are constantly claiming “God is on our side,” while pushing policies for the “rich.”  Just tonight I was reading in in Galatians where Paul in reference to his ministry to the Gentiles, supported by “the pillars” (Peter, John, and James – verse 10) said, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor.”  Jesus said, “What you do for the least of these, you do for me” – these republican who claim to be following Jesus are hypocrites!

I will end this by reminding anyone interested that many states in America still hold elections using electronic voting machines that have proven to be easily hacked with no means of accurately checking the results.  This was the case in Ohio in 2004, Florida in 2000, and in the primary of South Carolina’s senate race in 2010 – just to mention a few examples.  All of the companies which produce these machines are affiliated with republicans.  This is a disgrace which is, just like Iraq and Afganistan, no longer “front page news.”  I see it as part of the republican plan.  Just a couple of key states where they can assure themselves victory in 2012 will fulfill their dream of the “permanent republican majority.”  The more we allow them to be entrenched the more difficult it will be to get them out – I really think most people still are not using their imaginations as to the power of Citizens United and the FACT republicans have a stranglehold on our media and the courts (not just the Supreme Court, but the lower courts as well).  I still remember marching in the streets against Viet Nam.  It appears it’s going to come to that again.  I believe it is the responsibility of the “baby boomers” to stand up and put a halt to this corporate takeover of our nation.  Until we reverse this mentality that providing welfare for corporations is “free market economics,” the United States is headed for second class status.

Note:  I didn’t mention the impending (well, actually it’s been going on for decades – but, the intensity is going to increase dramatically) republican assault on unions – I’ll save that for another time.  But, while I’m thinking about it – here’s some republican logic.  The other day I heard a republican operative (I don’t know his name) saying that public employees unions should be broken because teachers, police officers, and firemen are making too much money and have too many benefits compared to the rest of America.  Not to give any credence to the claim – the thing that really got to me was the inference that they’ve reduced millions of people’s incomes already – but, they’re having trouble with unions – so break the unions so that we can continue to the “race to the bottom” for America’s workforce.  When I hear people like this (he was on Fox – a day when I was able to force myself to watch a few minutes) who are affiliated with the republican party I wonder when is the America public going to wake up.  Just two years after Bush/Cheney virtually had ruined the economy of this nation – not to mention our standing in the world – and American voters put these republican thugs back in charge of the tax writing House of Representatives – how STUPID are we going to get?