Cal Thomas’ article published in Wednesday’s Citizen is a very well articulated argument that people should be educated (by Republicans once they are back in power) to fend for themselves in a world dominated by wealthy corporate interests who relentlessly endeavor to mold government into something ineffectual that can be manipulated by them.
It is just another well argued bad idea in a seemingly endless stream of propaganda generated by the conservative right that seeks to improve the circumstances of the wealthy at the expense of the majority.
Mr. Thomas deftly argues self-sufficiency. He would do away with Social Security and Medicare. He would eliminate or at least deregulate every other government program designed to help the needy. He champions privatization and believes that if it doesn’t make a profit it isn’t worth doing. He believes that the wealthy should pay less taxes because they are the “movers and shakers” in this country and that the wealth they create will “trickle down to the masses.”
Just look at the state of the nation now. Republicans have governed for most of the past 40 years. Is America better off? I don’t think so!
I have been alive long enough to remember every government since Dwight Eisenhower and have witnessed the systematic redistribution of wealth so that the rich have gotten richer as the poor have gotten poorer.
Right wing philosophers like Cal Thomas (who works for Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News) have sold the American people Gordon Gekko-like ideas so they will stand by idly or even support public policies designed to impoverish them. These ideas are cleverly packaged as “traditional American values.” Give me a break!
I really don’t expect to see much improvement. As long as the American people continue to be fooled by duplicitous right wing propaganda, nothing will change.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not advocating socialism or communism. They won’t work. But unbridled capitalism will not work either.
I am, however, advocating responsible government that does not get the country into bogus wars and does not let wealthy corporate interests rule the roost.
Perhaps we should begin by renouncing war as public policy. Perhaps we should bow out of the affairs of other nations.
Perhaps we should demand that government balance the budget and pay off the deficit. Perhaps we should amend the Constitution to that effect.
Perhaps we should end corporate tax breaks for sending jobs overseas. Perhaps we should end corporate welfare.
Perhaps we should outlaw lobbying and the buying of public officials. Perhaps we should demand that public policy benefit all Americans for a change.
Perhaps we should make energy self-sufficiency public policy. Perhaps we should prosecute corporations that hire illegal aliens if we are worried about that.
How bad do things have to get? I am mad as hell! I think the American people are, too. When are we going to take our government back? I’ll tell you when. When we wake up and demand significant change that will benefit the country as a whole. I sure hope that doesn’t mean returning to the bankrupt policies of the “party of no,” however.
David Browning
Peachtree City, Ga.
