BAIL OUT OR NO BAIL OUT: THAT IS THE QUESTION
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistDespite all the reshuffling of our belongings to storage–as we are going to become homeless by next Tuesday–I’ve been keeping up on the developments surrounding the firestorm with bailing out Wall Street to the tune of $1 trillion dollars or more. (Because $700B is too low a number.)
What I find disturbing is how John McCain thinks that this can be his “shining moment” where he comes in to save the day–in classic John Wayne style.
First he makes contradictory statements that the bailout plan will be approved and that Congress is making progress, but apparently things have gotten so bogged down with resistance from conservative Republicans and some Democrats; that the realistic chances of this passing any time soon–even by next Monday (at the White House’s insistence) is almost next to nothing.
But then McCain does a curious flip-flop by first suspending his campaign–and then claims he needs to hurry to Washington to get things going. (Even though he has already stated that he knows next to nothing about the economy.)
However–he has time to do some media interviews and then pisses off David Letterman all at the same instant; by claiming he “can’t make it”?
(I don’t blame Dave for being upset. I would be too!)
When McCain
finally gets to Washington, his role in the bailout becomes even more
clear: He’s just a minor functionary at best. His place in the crisis is nothing more than a small footnote and an unimportant one at that.
Not a real player at all.
Because what it boils down to is whether or not Congress has the stomach to swallow this massive bailout plan–which is mostly the GOP’s cause in the first place. (With their love affair for a deregulated market.)
Democrats on the other hand face little backlash from this appropriation measure–because in classic Democrat style–they are always the ones to come in and clean up the Republicans’ mess–long after they leave office.
But it still leaves the American people with two choices: Do something
now and delay an even more painful recession down the road.
Or do nothing at all, watch everything collapse, then pick up the pieces afterwards.
If I were a betting man, I would go for the latter.
Because we may need that $700B later to rebuilding our shattered financial system–not use it to bail out the fat cats of Wall Street.
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: bailout, Congress, Democrats, financial crisis, John McCain, Republicans, Wall Street
TWO ISSUES THAT NEITHER PARTY ADDRESSES
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistOver the last three decades, I’ve noticed a curious thing about our society.
We often bitch and complain about our material needs, the national deficit, high energy prices, food prices, wars, conflicts, the Cold War, social injustices, AIDS, women’s rights, abortion, gun rights, government corruption, infringement of personal rights, the environment, global warming, gay marriage, cronyism, corruption within our own government, the draft, military readiness, the war on terrorism, global warming, government incompetence, negative attack ads, our patriotism, values, a lack of morals, religion, God, the Bible, our stance in the world community, science, technology, warrantless spying, lack of affordable healthcare, universal healthcare, pensions, living wages, minimum wages, education, a lack of good education, college tuition, national security, borders, illegal immigration, school shootings, the right to live, the right to die, assisted suicide, free speech, dissenting opinion, the Constitution, racial intolerance, racial bigotry, xenophobia, terrorists, Muslims, Roe v. Wade, and so on.
Literally, the list is
endless on how much we focus our attention on everything but
two outstanding problems which has been a mainstay in this country of ours:
Poverty and homelessness.
Why hasn’t our nation devoted more of its attention and resources to these two problems than just go about acting like the above list is more
important while constantly
condemning millions of Americans to a life of both?
Whatever happened to compassion and caring in this great nation of ours?
Certainly, there could be
more done to address these glaring issues by ourselves. But neither the government, nor the two-party system has shown that much
willingness to buckle down and really start addressing and
fixing the problems which cause both poverty and homelessness.
If we are the richest nation in the world, why
do we still have these problems? Why do millions of Americans constantly live in the throes of abject poverty and in the grips of being homeless every day?
Why does the majority of Americans spend their waking moments living from paycheck to paycheck, while others spend yet another year out on the streets of the United States?
Can anyone answer me these questions?
Our two-party system cannot. None of our candidates won't. They are too busy beating each other over the head--then addressing the real core problems our country has endured for a generation or more.
One of the things that the foreclosure and credit card meltdown had created was a
glut of people seeking a place to live until this hellish mess that the current administration had created blows over.
But in the process, it started jacking rents up so obscenely that not many people have been able to escape the nightmare that was once considered the American Dream:
Living in your own place.
What was once considered
reasonable rent has now left millions of Americans
struggling to make the monthly rent on such stagnant incomes.
And every year for the past 4 years now, rents have skyrocketed to levels not seen in recent memory.
What is our government’s response to this problem?
Nothing.The Bush administration and Congress had no plan for renters getting caught up in this catastrophic mess. But they
did have an answer to mortgage lenders and roughly 400,000 struggling homeowners though:
By bailing them out to the tune of $25 billion dollars or more.What about a renter’s rescue package–hmm? How about diverting some money to the rental industry so that some financial pressure can be taken
off people like myself; whom is facing the all too real nightmare of being
homeless in the next six weeks?
Why do we constantly keep diverting
billions of our own dollars to rescue financial institutions whom create these fucking messes in the first place? All it’s doing is giving these big business conglomerates more
incentive to do more of the same damned thing over again–years down the road!
But not surprisingly enough, neither party really
cares about the little guy. People like myself–whom is in the process of packing and wondering where the hell my wife and I are going to go next:
Into a smaller bedroom unit or will we be spending the next several years out on the streets because we lack
the money and resources to find affordable housing?
No…
Both the Democrats and the Republicans have both shown considerable indifference towards the poor, the homeless, and the impoverished by continuing to bail out Corporate America at the expense of the taxpayer–and leaving us all to fend for ourselves the best we can.
Because this is America, right?
This is what it means to aspire for our own American Dream? To live in constant poverty or be homeless–because our system of government favors the rich and wealthy than it does the concerned welfare of its lower-caste citizens?
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: Democrats, government, homelessness, issues, poor, poverty, Republicans, resources, society
THOSE WHO ARE IN MOST NEED LEFT HIGH AND DRY
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistI’m pissed at my government for allowing them to walk all over us.
I’m pissed at Congress for caving in and not giving those whom need help the most.
Yes, I am talking about the tax rebate legislation–which axed financial aide for those whom need energy assistance, extra food stamp money, and those whom are currently unemployed–and would
all enjoy the tax bate relief.
I know I would. I just spent three-quarters of my food stamps on food within the last 24 hours. Most of it on meat, bread, cheese, and soy milk.
I saved a little bit on the side so my wife and I can get our monthly chocolate fix. The rest I’ve set aside for later–when I need it.
To the outside observer, what I’ve done may not be such a big deal. But trying living on nearly $300 in food stamps a month–for 2 people–with the current high food prices; and you would begin to see
why people like myself were rooting for Congress to pass that extra legislation for those like myself whom have been financially hurting all this time.
And came away gravely disappointed.Why did the Republicans block the legislation that would’ve given us an extra boost? According to some insiders, they said it was too much money.
Too much money!?
Let me guess: We can blow hundreds of billions of dollars on an ill-gotten war, but we can’t blow the same amount on the home front–making sure that those whom need help…
get it?
What does the Republican Party have against people like me? What did we ever do to piss them off so much??? Why must we be made to suffer so they can waste our tax-paying money on corporate ventures and oil interests? (Not to mention all those tax-cuts for the rich?)
I didn’t ask to be born into this world under the dogging weight of extreme poverty. But I certainly made many efforts to dig myself out of it--and failing each time. But it seems that the mechanisms which tells us that we can
aspire to better ourselves in the long run–are the same entities which controls the purse strings of Congress.
These are the same machinations which tells me that not only can I
not better myself, but I must be permanently slaved to a system that won’t allow me to do the same.
In essence, I am an unwilling prisoner in a corrupt system of democracy.To make matters even worse, Bush’s latest budget proposal has gone ahead and cut
funding from the very programs which help people like me.
Those whom need energy assistance, housing, Medicare, and food stamps.
And if you have noticed something peculiar about his allocated funds?
The majority of it goes to the military and defense industries.So they can have their precious wars.
But why not the people whom need help the most?
Because they were never a priority with the Republican Party.
The poor and the downtrodden have been made to suffer since Reagan was President. His slanted fiscal budgets heavily favored the wealthy and the rich–while giving those who needed help the
least amount of money.
Thus setting into motion, a series of events which has made it harder for people like me
, to get ahead a little bit in life.
We’ve never asked for the world, all we are asking for is a boost in the right direction.
Unfortunately…? Both Bush and Congress doesn’t seem to be listening.
Which means?People like me are left high and dry.
Again.Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: assistance, budgets, Bush, Democrats, food stamps, needy, poor, Reagan, Republican Party, tax cuts, tax rebate, unemployed
SUPPORT FOR THE FAILED TROOP SURGE CONTINUES UNABATED
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistIt’s a bit puzzling: Seeing the GOP continue to support a clearly failed Iraq policy.
But that’s what they are apparently content in doing. And the question is
why?
What possible political gain could the GOP hope to achieve by supporting a failed troop surge?
The original premise of the surge was to tamp down violence in Baghdad long enough to give the Malaki government enough reconciliation time and get its act together.
But 8 months later--zero political progress has been made by the clearly
dysfunctional Malaki government.
Does this stop the GOP support?
Nope.
These misguided fools (and their supporters) still hinge on the idea that “it takes awhile for progress to be made”.
Okay…um…8 months have passed and
no progress has been made in political reform, unity, or reconciliation within the Malaki government.
The year before that…?
Nothing. The year before that?
Nothing.So what are the GOP and its war supporters waiting for?
A sign from God?
With limited progress on the ground, the Malaki government clearly has shown that it cannot govern. But does this persuade the Republicans that nothing they do or say is going to change the facts on the ground?
That this surge is a monumental failure?
Sadly, no.
The GOP is inherently blind to reality. They still believe that through some unforeseen miracle–Iraq will somehow
right itself and fly right.
But both war-weary Americans and Democrats are
tired of waiting. And seeing our military abused for clearly selfish purposes.
But take heart. All of this will end sooner than we all thought.
Someone recently said: "When we make a mistake, it is the obligation of the people—through their representatives—to correct the mistake, not continue the mistake. We have dug a hole for ourselves and we have dug a hole for our party. We are losing elections, and we are going down next year if we don't change it."
And that person was none other than Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul
himself.
Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: American people, Democrats, GOP, Iraq, Iraq war, Ron Paul, troop surge failure
THE WHITE HOUSE’S NEW SPOILED BRAT
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistSimply put:
Bush has
no political capital to spend or a united Republican Party to stand behind anymore–when dictating America’s course in Iraq.
The once staunch President is now a lame duck, people. And though he may make enough noise to sound like he’s still got some
bite left, the Democrats recent moves on the war funding bills undercuts just how
vulnerable Bush is now–compared to 2004.
Bush no longer has the momentum he once had which spelled out his stubborn resoluteness in the face of the reality.
The reality now–for him–is that Congress isn’t going to give him what he wants with no strings attached. That was with the GOP-controlled Congress.
This one’s Democrat
.
(And like Pelosi recently said: “There is a new Congress in town, Mr. President.”)
However, Bush’s attempts to lay blame at the feet of the Democrats–if the new funding doesn’t get to the troops in time (when they have until July at the latest–is even more
shameful than what the Democrats did to make sure that this latest round of funding came with strings attached.
Crying foul because both the people
and Congress wants a marked change in failed war strategies, isn’t the hallmark of a wise and seasoned President of the United States.
It is the sign of a
spoiled brat who isn’t getting his way anymore.
And Bush’s latest temper tantrum illustrates just how far out of touch with mainstream America he really is.
Maybe Daddy should spank?Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1@yahoo.comLabels: Bush, Democrats, GOP, mainstream America, people, President Bush, spoiled brat, vulnerable, war funding, White House
