I believe that for many years now many Americans, myself included, have been taking for granted all the middle class benefits that our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents fought for and achieved following the “Great Depression.”  I still remember the stories I heard when I was a child (in the 50’s) about how my grandfather opened up a vacant lot he owned to his neighbors in Mount Gilead Ohio so they could grow a “community garden,” therefore producing much needed food for people who were “scraping by” every day of their lives.  Both my grandfather and grandmother were school teachers who graduated from Slippery Rock College (I know it exists because the University of Washington used to announce scores of their football games during halftime of the Husky games during football season) but who didn’t teach because the pay for teaching was so low at the time.  My grandfather took a job as a policeman and he was one of the fortunate few who had a job.  However, in those days, instead of beating up on those who were working, their community banded together and tried to lift up those who weren’t fortunate enough to be working.  Oh, for the good ole days.

However, as I continue my quest to read as many books as I can regarding the history of this great nation and the workings of our government (which is – or should be – “we the people”) it becomes painfully clear that the “forces” that created the terrible climate in America that was the “Great Depression” still exist today.  And, they’re REARING their UGLY head with a vengence.  These forces are mostly “invisible,” but we get glimpses of who and what they are as situations such as the UNION BASHING that has evolved to the public sector stage in places like Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Idaho, and – if these “invisible forces” have their way – every other place in America, gain more public notoriety and, with that, public scrutiny.  For example, the Koch brothers were not even close to “household names” prior to the revelation of their financing the ruthless Scott Walker into the governorship of Wisconsin – despite the MILLIONS of dollars they’ve put into the right wing political movement in America over the past 40 – 50 years.  As I stated in my previous post, I honestly believe the Koch’s will someday go down in American history (unless they succeed in rewriting American history to their liking) in the same category as Benedict Arnold.  These people are out for themselves and they have NO INTEREST in what is the common good in this nation.

A quick “Google” search for the Koch’s gives us all we need to know.  Let’s start by saying that Fred Koch, the “Koch brothers” father founded the John Birch Society.  If you don’t know what that is, well….. look it up.  It gives a clear picture as to why they are so ADAMANT that President Obama FAIL.  The brothers David and Charles funded the CATO institute and the Heritage foundation, two “think tanks” right in the middle of the right wing PROPAGANA scheme the republicans have been drowning the airwaves with since the days of Ronald Reagan (and, yes, given a tremendous boost the day Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 into law).  In 2004 they funded “Americans for Prosperity” – which should be Americans for the Koch’s prosperity, but I digress – which funneled over $40 MILLION into the just completed MID TERM elections to lead the way in bamboozling the American public that if the Koch’s pay lower taxes, and if America is purged of unions and workers making a living wage, then our economy will be revitalized.  One of the “pledges” the politicians they BUY OFF  make is to oppose the regulation of greenhouse gasses.  Well, Koch Industries creates a lot of “greenhouse gasses,” so I guess this should surprise NO one.  What SURPRISES me, is the general lack of knowledge by “we the people” – the ones who SHOULD be making the decisions in our republic – about people like the Koch’s and their willingness to destroy the foundation of America for their  GREEDY self-interest. 

It is estimated that the Koch’s generate $100 BILLION per year in revenue from Koch Industries.  This is why I’ve been RAILING against the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision of a couple years ago which has given people like the Kochs unlimited access to the manipulation of our political process – we’re seeing the results as I type – with the authoritarian POWER GRAB in Wisconsin being at the forefront of the ASSAULT on workers.  I don’t see many comments on my “blog” because it’s just my own journal thrown into cyberspace as I try to help myself cope with and understand the unraveling of this great nation that I love – right before my eyes.  However, at one point Lars Larson dropped by and gave my site a “right wing” perspective with a couple comments.  If you don’t know, Lars is one of the “right wing talkers” who willingly participate in this great Goebbels like propaganda scheme the republicans have been cramming down our throats since Rush Limbaugh hit the scene in the early eighties.  I always say, these are the people who will do ANYTHING for money – even destroy the “fabric” of this nation.  One of the points of contention Lars had with me was my reference to “low information voters.”  Of course, he implied that I must be putting myself in some kind of elitist category.  Well, the more I read, the more I realize that creating “low information voters” is a MAJOR part of their plan.  (who is “their?” you ask – I’m referencing that “invisible” right wing CABAL that is orchestrating the corporate takeover of America’s government BEHIND THE SCENES)

Not only did Lars Larson tell me that I must be considering myself an elitist because I’ve chosen to find out what him and the people funding him are up to, now I’m being accused of being part of the “privileged elite” by republicans because I’m a school teacher.  I read the other day, I believe it was in the New York Times, where school teachers were referred to as “glorified babysitters.”  While I believe this movement to destroy the middle class in America is vile, I have to admit the people behind it are good at what they’re doing.  And, now I’m talking about people like the Kochs – the Lars Larsons of this world are just the paid schills.  (granted, the shills like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and maybe others are very highly paid shills)  Think about it; the Koch’s have $100 BILLION annually in revenue – it doesn’t make much of a dent in that to find the “price” of these shills and the politicians they are in concert with (I honestly shudder when I think of politicians making a pledge to oppose regulation of ANYTHING before taking office, let alone a subject as important to the future of this nation as greenhouse gasses – any politician who’ll make that pledge, well – what pledge would they not make for the right price?  You’re right, this is depressing)  The reality here, when the politicians have been so corrupted that they’re representing TEACHERS as being the problem of our economic demise, we are in a BAD WAY!  And, despite Lars Larson’s opposing view, I continue to say that the only way the Koch’s, Larson himself, and the politicians like Scott Walker can “pull this off” is to be preaching to “low information voters.”  People who do what I used to do and that is NOT fact check their dishonest words.

What logic is there in the argument that people who are BILLIONAIRES need tax breaks, we can send our military into unlimited war zones around the world, Corporations should pay NO TAXES, and teachers and other public sector workers are the reason for our budget deficits.  What kind of person would believe that argument on its face?  Well, the first thought that comes to my mind would be the person who watches Fox “news” and doesn’t vet the information they’re allowing into their heads.  In the past few weeks I’ve been doing a personal “experiment.”  I’ve asked a number of adults – mostly adults with college level educations – two questions: the first; What is “Citizens United?” and the second; “Who is Roger Ailes?”  Maybe you can guess the results, but just in case, let me give them to you.  NOT ONE person I talked to knew the answer to either question.  So, if they don’t know, for example, that the “president” of Fox “news” is a Republican operative who’s been involved in more than his share of “dirty tricks” over the years, I guess it’s more understandable that they are being “hoodwinked” by Ailes and his cohorts at Fox.  Maybe some of these people wouldn’t be bothered by having a known PARTISAN political operative leading a “news” outlet – but, just the same, none of them had to worry about that point because they don’t know who he is.  And, despite most of them expressing dismay at how our political system has been corrupted by politicians being “bought off,” none of them understood the gravity of what the “Citizens United” decision means to future elections.  Therefore, if my experiment is anywhere close to a national reality, it looks to me as if the political corruption is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.  (and, the “low information voter” claim is a real problem in America right now)

In fact, managing to change the system is at the “fox guarding the henhouse” stage, it appears to me.  Our sitting president chose not to “rock the boat” upon assuming office, and every day he fails to take up the charge to implement “the change we can all believe in” the more difficult the situation gets.  The reality as I see it does not look good.  Yes President Obama has implemented a few pieces of legislation that fall into the “better than it was” category (or, at least on the surface that is what it appears) – but, on closer examination our replacement of President Bush gives me, at least, pause.  Let’s just look at a few issues that I expected Obama to “turn around.”  We can start with Guantanimo (GITMO).  I remember on his first day in office announcing that GITMO would be closed within ONE YEAR.  That was over two years ago and it’s still going “STRONG.”  (today, it was announced that the trials of Shiek Mohammed and the others which were scheduled for New York would instead proceed as the “military tribunals” originally scheduled by the Bush/Cheney administration) OK, let’s give him that one – there’s some problems he must not have anticipated (including, many people feeling that the use of TORTURE would possibly cause so much evidence to be thrown out in a “fair trial” that the accused terrorists would be declared “innocent”).  Well then, what about Iraq?  He did say he would have ALL the troops home withing 16 months, didn’t he (of course, after a few months in office we heard Obama making the distinction between “combat troops” and presumably “non-combat troops” as the justification for keeping half of the “pre-surge” numbers there)?  Well, it’s been 27 months and there’s still over 50,000 troops in Iraq and probably approaching 100,000 “contractors.”  We’re (the country that can’t afford to help our long term unemployed) dumping 2+ BILLION dollars per WEEK into this quagmire.  And, honestly, I don’t have my hopes up that the troops (and contractors) will be home by July (the latest “promise”).  What Obama said in the campaign, regarding Afghanistan, was that he was going to “finish the job” of “getting bin Laden.”  What we’ve ended up with is “surge” #2 and a fool’s attempt at nation building in the “graveyard of empires,” the nickname Afghanistan has earned over thousands of years.  The last I heard, Vice President Biden was “assuring” someone that we would be getting out of Afghanistan in 2014!  Are you kidding me? (and, unfortunately, I don’t believe even that)

This “right wing CABAL” which I believe is taking over the United States’ government – covertly – will be perfectly happy with a PERPETUAL war in Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere else they can justify spending TRILLIONS on our military industrial complex.  Obviously, President Obama is not up to taking on this established force.  Considering the evidence (again, I’m reading a lot of books, the latest being “Family of Secrets” about the Bush clan) that the CIA was involved in the outing of JFK, the undermining of Richard Nixon’s presidency, the defeat of Jimmy Carter, and the assasination of several foreign leaders who weren’t acceptable to our corporate “CABAL” that is fiercely commited to the military and to oil – it wouldn’t be too far fetched to me to believe that President Obama decided not to take that battle on – DESPITE the reality that SOMEONE has to take it on to save this nation as it existed in the eyes of the founding fathers!  I’m still wondering; has anyone asked Barack Obama if he’s cancelled the warrantless wiretapping of the Bush administration?  He promised to “fix” the FISA bill which he curiously voted FOR when he was running for president – as I’ve said several times on this site, that was the first “red flag” I had on Obama – but, as of this writing, I’ve heard nothing to tell me that anything was done to correct the overreach allowed by that bill.  I would remind anyone reading this blog – it’s much easier to give up rights than to get them back once they’ve been given away.  The idea that it’s OK for our government to be “data mining” our emails and phone conversations without warrants is an abominable idea to me.  I really don’t understand why there hasn’t been more of an outcry.

But, there’s more.  If you were as unhappy as I was that President Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder chose to “look the other way” from the crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration (Obama called it “looking forward and not back”) there is mounting evidence suggesting that the reason for this was that Obama himself was comfortable with Cheney’s idea of the “imperial” presidency and didn’t want to give up the POWER.  EVERYONE knows that both Cheney and Bush authorized TORTURE, along with Donald Rumsfeld and with the blessing of their legal staff who chose to make ludicrous legal claims designed to justify what was clearly unacceptable behavior in the eyes of our laws and the “eyes” of the rest of the world.  Here’s another sad reality, the extraordinary rendition program of the Bush/Cheney reign of terror continues under Obama.  What happens here is that the CIA and the American military leave it for our “allies” to do the torturing of the suspected “enemy combatants.”  And, the actual torturing continues right on our own soil, as the Marines continue to hold Bradley Manning under inhumane circumstances in Quantico Virginia.  He virtually hasn’t seen the light of day for almost a year and reports now are that he’s stripped naked for seven hours a day (what would normally be sleeping time – but, when you’re in a 6 x 12 cell for 23 hours per day – when is “sleeping time?”)  President Obama is clearly aware of Manning’s treatment, that he’s been denied his habeas corpus rights, and, apparently, the US government with Obama’s blessing is going to let him “rot” in this cell until he’s broken down mentally – as they did to Jose Padilla who was accused of aiding terrorists during the peak of the Bush/Cheney fear mongering post 9/11.  I can picture the conversation I’ll be having with my grandchildren when they’re old enough for an adult discussion where I’ll be explaining to them that “we USED to be a nation of laws and not men!”

There is not a question in my mind as to how intelligent President Obama is and I can only guess as to what the CIA and the military “advised” him as he took office regarding what “might” happen if he “bucked” the status quo.  I also believe he is WAY more intertwined with the corporate elite and Wall Street than I had anticipated.  Of all the things he “caved” on I really thought he’d NEVER cave on the “Bush taxcuts,” so, obviously, I miscalculated my allegiance profoundly.  The lobbyists continue to flourish in Washington DC, the military industrial complex continues to grow while programs like Head Start, SChip, and Medicaid are cut (supposedly – and disengenously – to “balance the budget”).  The democrats and our president continue to “compromise” with their compromises leading to the republicans getting most of what they want while giving up very little.  That is, it’s like the democrats are in retreat.  Except in places like Wisconsin!

Today is the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving his life while standing in solidarity with the garbage workers in Memphis, Tennessee.  People are gathered all around the nation to show solidarity for the workers of this nation and the movement which took hold in Wisconsin when governor Scott Walker deviously repealed the bargaining rights of public sector workers in his state – the state, ironically, where the first public worker unions were formed over 50 years ago!  This movement is what I would have pictured President Obama leading when I voted for him – but, alas, he apparently wants nothing to do with it.  It’s just another way he’s showed us he’s more of a politician than a national leader of a reform movement.  America has slid dangerously close to the conditions which fostered the “Great Depression” and apparently, our leaders need another disaster like that to happen before they realize that (as I once heard Obama say) “change comes from the bottom up.”  Well, maybe if enough everyday Americans show solidarity toward labor and laborers, our democratic leaders will “jump on the bandwagon.”  Regardless, my renewed hope is that the true middle class of America will rise up and reestablish our government as one that is focused on the general welfare of its people (not its corporations).  I’m hopeful that the worker will again become more important than the shareholder, that corporations would again pay their fare share of the tax burden needed to keep this nation strong and vibrant, and that GREED would no longer be rewarded by America’s political leaders.  It’s time to break up the too big to fail corporations, it’s time to hold those who’ve moved their operations overseas to save on taxes to account for “taking” more than they “give,” and it’s time to reverse this terrible trend toward the United States of America being a militaristic conglomerate!  The only way this will happen will be if the protests in Wisconsin continue to grow all acrooss America and “we the people” take action at the ballot box to cleanse EVERY member of congress who’s sold out to the large corporate enterprizes – republican and democrat – from office.  We need congressional leaders who are committed to reversing, repealling, whatever it takes – overturning the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision and we need to make sure we elect Presidents who will NEVER nominate justices such as John Roberts and Samuel Alito who are shills for big business (I hope you’re as uncomfortable as I am with foreign money determining who wins our elections).

Finally, we need to be working harder at creating an electorate of well informed voters – instead of “low information voters.”  That means spending more money on education and not less.  That means teaching students to think for themselves, how to find and “vet” information so that they can make informed decisions (that don’t have to agree with mine), and that means – in my view – it’s time to stop this insane test, test, test of America’s students – even in 6th grade (which I teach – 11-12 year old kids mind you) – and broaden the subjects they are exposed to.  In my school district students no longer have courses such as wood shop, metal shop, home economics, etc. because it’s so “important” that they pass the state mandated tests.  I “get” that students who are planning on going to college need to be able to pass tests, and they need to be in college prep classes – especially in high school – but, the idea that every student is going to college remains absurd to me (I always tell my students – and, this is the truth – the smartest guy I know is the man who fixes my car).  If we’re teaching students to think for themselves, how to find information and check it for its validity, and how to work hard every day I believe the rest takes care of itself – for each individual student.  If we want to have required testing let’s make it real.  How about high school students (who have to pass tests in my state to graduate) needing to pass tests related to civics and the constitution.  Require our students, at a minimum, to pass the same test immigrants need to pass to gain citizenship in America.  That would make more sense to me and might lead to less “low information voters.”  Unfortunately, at this point in time, I believe both of America’s political parties would fear a nation of well informed voters!  I’ll end this by saying that unless “we the people” stop taking all the benefits our forefathers fought to gain – for granted – we will certainly lose them.  There is a concerted effort in the U.S. which is reaching its “full steam ahead” stage, aiming to usurp the basic rights of “we the people” if middle class Americans aren’t willing to do what’s necessary to stop it.