BY SHARON MARTIN
Trickle down or tinkle on, the idea that rich people getting richer is good for all of us has been debunked. It was an outright lie when Reagan told it, and it’s a lie now.
What’s good for all of us is shared resources and common good. That doesn’t mean socialism. Neither socialism nor pure capitalism works. What does work is cooperation.
We are the economy, each of us both giver and taker.
Lincoln’s “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” may be in danger of vanishing if we don’t get a handle on the role of money in governance.
Our current system has created a ruling class, a moneyed elite. What would the patriots who fought in the Revolution and the War of 1812 think of what we’ve done to their hard-fought victory?
No doubt a few would agree with the low wages, the lack of benefits and opportunities, the gap between the haves and have-nots. What God has ordained, you know …
Those with a conscience, however, must see the need to save this country. Here’s how we can make some changes:
Anyone who believes $8.25 an hour is a fair wage needs to have to live on it for a while … without their savings, their paid-off mortgages, and their safety net.
Those who believe charter schools, expensive testing, and packaged curriculum is good for students and their future should spend a year teaching in a real classroom.
Those who believe that ObamaCare is not at least a step in the right direction should spend some time without access to any healthcare but free clinics and the emergency room. Then they need to figure out how to pay their emergency room bill on a minimum wage income.
And those who believe that a few old white men, most of whom inherited their fortunes and their corporations, have the right to write legislation for the rest of us need to visit whatever psychiatrist their health insurance will cover.
Money and power in the hands of a few and denied to the many is not why the Revolution and all subsequent wars were fought. And those who quote the Constitution in defense of that system are either misguided or lying.
We need to think of politics as a life or death struggle, because it is. Every one of us must do our homework and vote into office those men and women who look to the common good – fair taxation, properly-funded public services, and publicly-funded elections.
The economy and the law are for all of us. It’s time to reclaim them, for citizens to rise up and demand the changes that are needed to take this country back.
– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
Who is the economy for? Your article could not have been better stated. I too believe for those that think $8.25/hr. is a fair wage, should indeed live in it for a while. Maybe they should revisit the fundementals of math and start over, or atleast revise what they are considering to be fair wages.
One must ask themselves, why. Why would we trust an organization that tells fallacies and keeps secrets? Takes me back to chilhood basics, secrets cause strife and untruths cause war.
One thing that was not mentioned in your article was our hungry, homeless veterans. What about them? They fought for our country and our freedom, so we thank them by allowing them to be hungry and homeless? Its apparent that we are nearing a point that our country is no longer one nation, it’s now every man for himself. Think about that the next time you pass a homeless individual. While we are all warm, cozy and well fed, they were fighting for their lives and our freedom and this is our thank you? Terribly saddened by what society sees as thank you.
I understand what you try to say in your article. But some people just dont want try and help themselves. They like the attention they can get from others by been homeless. Some of them even make more in on day begging on the corner then a business man working hard can. There is no justice in that.
I work hard every day and I am a single mom trying to go back to school. The government gets 1/3 of my pay check in taxes. I have to pay $750.00 a month for daycare because I make to much money. So thank of the people making $8.75 an hour there is no way they can survie one job. That is were people feel the rich get rich because things seem so easy for them.
In conculsion I guess what I am tring to say is at the en of the we thank of the other people that might be worse off than us or do we only thank of ourselves. We need to unity as one and quit worrying so much about other people and be glad we have a job, house,and food. so many people dont have anything even people that fought for our freedom. so lets make sure and pray for others this holiday season.
It is ridiculous that someone that makes six figures can decide that $8.25/hr is a fair wage. I completely agrre that if they are going to suggest that it is a fair wage they should have to live at least two months with that amount and not recieve any kind of savings or anything they have. As a single mother fighting to get help from my ex husband, I struggle from pay check to pay check. It is not easy, but God has blessed me with a loving family that supports me in every way possible. I know that He is on my side and has a plan for my life. He gives me strength and faith.
As for our veterans being homeless and hungry, I think they should be given more. They have fought for us to have the life that we are blessed to have and they deserve to have a roof over their head and food on thier table.
As for healthcare, I am blessed yet again. I have the option to go to the Indian Hospitals and my son as well. I am very thankful for that, but I also carry insurance through my work. I am not sure what will happen with that once Obamacare takes affect through our insurance providers, but for now I am covered in both ways.