These Troubled Times

When McCain chides Obama for promoting "class warfare" he's essentially telling us middle class folks that we have no right to be resentful and angry at the super rich who've painted our economy into a dark dark corner. Apparently, taxing people who make plenty of money or expecting companies to offer health insurance to their employees is class warfare. But, it's not class warfare to lay off tens of thousands of people when companies are making record profits simply to increase shareholder margins? It's not class warfare to pay working people a living wage? It's not class warfare to drop people from health insurance once they have serious diseases when those people cannot afford out-of-pocket medical bills? It's not class warfare to send our manufacturing jobs overseas and leave ghost towns in their place? It's not class warfare for oil companies to make record profits when people can't afford to drive or heat their homes? It's not class warfare to use our tax dollars, that we actually pay, to bail out billionaires who've been doin' it up for the past 5-10-20 years on our dime? I used to have great respect for John McCain. And, even though I'm sick of hearing about it like it's the only qualification for the White House, I still have great respect for his military service and sacrifice. But, his politics have turned dirty and straight-up wrong, in my mind. He pretends to be out there for all these "Joes", six-pack, plumber and otherwise. But, what the hell? It's been a freaking all you can eat buffet for rich people for way too long. And, now the Republicans are crying socialism when it comes time to look after the little guy for once. People should have the right to a roof over their head, a wage or salary they can support their family on if they're working full-time, a right to health care that doesn't drop 'em like they're hot when they actually need it, a right to time spent with their family and time away from work. In return, we should give something back to our community, be it through military service, community service, churches, etc... But, even prisoners have the right to shelter, food, health care and free time. I'm so sick of this garbage the Republicans are spouting. I try hard to see the humanity behind each person's platform but it's getting harder and harder to not see horns sprouting out of some of their d-bags heads when they talk about the power of the free market. P.S. it's not a free market when these companies have been getting tax cuts that don't apply to the rest of us and government subsidies left and right. And it's definitely not a free market when it's getting paid $700 BILLION DOLLARS to simply stay afloat. It makes me want to puke that we're paying these assholes for all these ridiculous choices they've been profiting on for years now. I understand the necessity but you can only let a market go unregulated when the public sphere is not affected when that risk comes a-knockin'. If the private market is intertwined with the public sphere than it's within the governments jurisdiction to give it some boundaries. And, the first regulation that should pop up is the immediate firing and public stoning of each CEO of whatever these hedge fund/mortgage lenders/whatever other voodoo. Or, we could forgo the stoning (not the firing) if they agree to donate their personal profits to paying back that 700Bil.

One last thing, when everyone sings the praises of the free market, let them just remember this... when your car is jacked or your house is broken into, it's a public servent that comes to your aid. And that's paid for from taxes, for everyone, equally. When your house catches on fire and someone shows up to put it out, that person is a public servant and is paid for with our tax dollars. When you check a book out at a library, or get your first driver's license, or show up to vote for president, or have a day in court, or have the right to spend an afternoon in a public park, these are your tax dollars at work. These people are paid to serve the public. Privatize any of it and these sectors can all follow this same tailspin as the housing market or Wall Street. The military is already massively more privatized than it was eight years ago and that's a terrifying concept.

I am so proud to vote for Barak Obama on Tuesday. And, I'm glad he's on our side in this Class War because, it definitely exists, and has existed for a long time. Now it's starting to go both ways.