FDR said: “The test of our progress is not
whether we add more to the
abundance of those who have much;
it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
Think about that just a bit. It is
not a statement of socialism. It is a commitment to make life sound for those
with very little. There is a balance to be maintained in this process. Now,
compare this sentiment and FDR’s statement to this found on the Internet –
anonymous of course!
“The Democratic Party created
Social Security with the help of a few public service minded Republicans and
independents. It has always been considered one of Franklin Roosevelt’s greatest
achievements and was instrumental in
creating the American Middle Class.
The Republican Party has always
hated everything about Social Security and Medicare, and have been trying to plunder it, eviscerate it and legislate it out
of existence ever since it was put into effect.
Now in 2012 whom do you really
believe will protect Social Security and Medicare?”
This is serious business. A society
cannot just jettison programs that protect people under duress and think of
itself as caring and nurturing those less fortunate. There are people’s faces
and bodies attached to the term ‘less fortunate’. If the middle class is so
underrated, where are the consumers coming from in the future? The poor; no.
The rich; hardly. No, consumers come from those people who are decently
employed and paid who can afford the products and services for sale by wealthy
individuals and corporations. Support a healthy middle class and we support our
nation; and its return to financial health!
Another bit of political wit on the
Internet provides this observation:
“When Democrats nominated a
Christian with an African name, Republicans bore false witness and said he was
a radical Muslim.
When Republicans nominated a
Mormon who believes a horse-thief read golden tablets out of a top-hat with
magical glasses, that black people are cursed, wears holy underwear, that Satan
is Jesus’ brother and God lives on a planet called ‘Kolob’ with his many wives…suddenly
religion shouldn’t matter.
Which
is it???”
Interesting when the argument is on
the other foot. And as petty as this all is, countless hours are devoted to it
by pundits, political panel programs on TV, and news programs. And that doesn’t
even count the political conventions which are all window dressing and no
substance.
Former President Bill Clinton has
advised President Obama of these golden words:
“They will lie, cheat and
outright steal to win this election. That’s what Republicans do. They will use
the politics of resentment, causing folks to work against their own best
interests. They will change the rules to suppress the vote. However, if you continue
to stand up for the American People, at the end of the day the American People
will stand with you. And so will I, Mr. President.”
Bill Clinton knows what he is
talking about. He worked tirelessly to compromise with his political enemies.
He found ways to sweet talk them into agreements they otherwise would not
support. That’s how he was able to generate consistent budget surpluses and
actually begin to reduce the nation’s debt. But once the Republicans were in
control of the White House and Congress, guess what? They cut taxes for their
wealthy supporters, eased regulatory controls on favored industries, and
reduced public programs that guaranteed some health and financial stability for
the middle and poorer classes. That produced an endless string of annual public
budget deficits which ballooned the nation’s debt from $5 or 6 trillion to the
current $15 trillion. Two wars, unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy, failed
policies that caused the need for a stimulus bill and TARP Act to bail out the
financial services industry. And yet the mortgage debacle continues to suck the
life out of our economy.
All these negatives blamed on the
wrong person and party. These were the results of failed leadership by George
W. Bush and the republican leadership. Plain and simple.
And now that President Obama works
to fix these problems, the republicans pose only obstacles not cooperation.
Result? Continued recessed economy that could easily and quickly be repaired
with bipartisan cooperation. But this is an election year so the republicans,
panting after political power and wealth, say the damnedest things – mostly
false, to win the election.
Who loses? All of us. Each and
every one of us. Even the wealthy lose because they are destroying the very
system that made them rich in the first place.
Pity.
And if this doesn’t sway your
thinking, here’s more; this quote is from Facebook.com/beingliberal.org:
If you’re out there trying to
argue that Ronald Reagan couldn’t win in today’s Republican Party, here’s a
kit: Reagan gave amnesty to undocumented immigrants, expanded the size of the
federal government, tripled the deficit and added trillions to the debt, backed
bailouts of domestic industries, and called for a world without nuclear
weapons.
Reagan also routinely compromised
with Democrats, met with our most hated enemy without preconditions, criticized
Israel, and illegally funneled arms to Iran
And then there’s his
gubernatorial record: in California
Now that the convention is over and
we have added some clarity to the issues, one can only hope that America returns
to a period of calm, honesty and transparency in our public life.
Please vote. Please help others get
to the polls. And please support Obama.
August 31, 2012
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