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A greater threat to our democracy than that of the terrorists is the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor in our country.
Barbara Ehrenreich, noted author of “Bait and Switch” and “Nickel and Dimed,” reported last week on Bill Moyers Journal that while the percentage of the national income going to the top five percent has been rapidly increasing the percentage going to the bottom twenty-five percent has decreasing at the same rate. She also reported that the middle class has been suffering and declining in influence as well due to high interest rates, bankruptcies and corporate reorganizations.
How does all this threaten our democracy?
First, the news we get from the media: the newspapers, the magazines, the radio and the television, is influenced greatly by those who own the paper or the station and by those who have supported them with their advertising. News that favors and supports business get reported. Political action and news that does not support the present administration gets very little coverage.
Second, as things exist today, a politician needs huge sums of money to run a campaign and get elected. Most politicians don’t want to do anything to offend those who gave them contributions. Paid lobbyists are very successful in determining the direction political decisions go. Money, more than the desires and needs of the people, runs politics.
Third, an increasing percentage of the poor whose primary concern is having enough to eat and getting medical care, as reported by Barbara Ehrenreich, do not vote or participate in political decisions. From my own personal experience with starvation, I know that if a person is hungry or starving, food rather than politics is all one can think about.
What can be done to reverse the direction things have been going?
I’m not sure what all needs doing, but here are a few things worthy of consideration.
1. Raise the minimum wage.
2. Limit what anyone could contribute to a political candidate and what politicians
could spend on a campaign.
3. Limit the rate of interest that anyone could charge.
4. Organize the illegal workers already here and try to meet their needs.
5. Control prices to eliminate excessive profits.
6. Place a ceiling on the amount any person could receive in a year, stopping the
huge salaries paid to the CEOs of corporations and others. No one really earns all
that money or has the right to exploit everyone else.
Do we really believe the idealism implied by the Declaration of Independence that
true democracy is based on the desires, needs and rights of all the people and not
just the wealthy?
ooo
Harold Blickenstaff lives in Nevada City.
Barbara Ehrenreich, noted author of “Bait and Switch” and “Nickel and Dimed,” reported last week on Bill Moyers Journal that while the percentage of the national income going to the top five percent has been rapidly increasing the percentage going to the bottom twenty-five percent has decreasing at the same rate. She also reported that the middle class has been suffering and declining in influence as well due to high interest rates, bankruptcies and corporate reorganizations.
How does all this threaten our democracy?
First, the news we get from the media: the newspapers, the magazines, the radio and the television, is influenced greatly by those who own the paper or the station and by those who have supported them with their advertising. News that favors and supports business get reported. Political action and news that does not support the present administration gets very little coverage.
Second, as things exist today, a politician needs huge sums of money to run a campaign and get elected. Most politicians don’t want to do anything to offend those who gave them contributions. Paid lobbyists are very successful in determining the direction political decisions go. Money, more than the desires and needs of the people, runs politics.
Third, an increasing percentage of the poor whose primary concern is having enough to eat and getting medical care, as reported by Barbara Ehrenreich, do not vote or participate in political decisions. From my own personal experience with starvation, I know that if a person is hungry or starving, food rather than politics is all one can think about.
What can be done to reverse the direction things have been going?
I’m not sure what all needs doing, but here are a few things worthy of consideration.
1. Raise the minimum wage.
2. Limit what anyone could contribute to a political candidate and what politicians
could spend on a campaign.
3. Limit the rate of interest that anyone could charge.
4. Organize the illegal workers already here and try to meet their needs.
5. Control prices to eliminate excessive profits.
6. Place a ceiling on the amount any person could receive in a year, stopping the
huge salaries paid to the CEOs of corporations and others. No one really earns all
that money or has the right to exploit everyone else.
Do we really believe the idealism implied by the Declaration of Independence that
true democracy is based on the desires, needs and rights of all the people and not
just the wealthy?
ooo
Harold Blickenstaff lives in Nevada City.
