It is true that the United States Treasury has trillions of dollars. It is true that there are many wealthy people in this country. But Americans should accept the indisputable fact that as individuals, they are poor. Recent data released by the Social Security Administration revealed that 51% of all American workers earn less than $30,000 per year.
Even in those regions with a low cost of living, a single adult is struggling to live on only $30,000 per year. It is a poverty level income and if half of all workers fall below it they should be called poor. This nation has more poor children than any other country in the group that is referred to as “developed.” According to UNICEF the overall level of child well being in the United States ranks near the bottom alongside Lithuania, Latvia and Romania.
[...]
People living in poverty are thought of as lazy or stupid or the victims of their own bad decision making. It is easy for these stereotypes to persist because of a lack of class consciousness and racism.
[...]
Worship of the middle class ideal is a huge obstacle to class consciousness and political action. This meaningless term is embraced as if it actually prevents people from living in poverty.[...] It all boils down to separating oneself from the dreaded and lambasted poor instead of thinking of oneself as a worker. The result of these mental gymnastics is that millions of the poor never dare to speak up for themselves. Doing so would shatter the fantasy world where they reside.
[...]
When they [had] the opportunity, as they did in 2009 and 2010, neither the Democratic president Barack Obama nor the Democratically controlled House or Senate introduced minimum wage legislation. Instead, they wait to be out of power and then pretend that they would fight for working people.
[...]
Bernie Sanders says he wants Americans to live like the Scandinavians who rank at the top of personal well being in the world. He has had a chance to act on that belief as a member of the United States Senate but he has so far refrained from doing so. He did introduce legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, but not until July of this year. He had to first declare himself a presidential candidate and needed to look like the genuine article. Yet even this is sleight of hand. Under the Sanders plan the increase would be incremental and not reach $15 until 2020.
[...]
The Democrats warn against voting for a third, fourth or fifth party because doing so makes one a spoiler who helps the Republicans. But why is it bad to spoil the chances of a party that lies to its constituents year after year?
[...]
In 2016 the word spoiler should be a badge of honor. Spoilers shouldn’t be ashamed and neither should poor people.
Black Agenda Report: Margaret Kimberley
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment