Dear Editor,
It seems like our scheme of government and economics swings back and forth like a barn door in a tornado.
Before the first World War our economy was relatively unregulated and wild until President Teddy Roosevelt put an end to the most egregious practices. Then came the 20’s, and the wheeler-dealers went goofy wild again, and the stock market crashed again— perhaps not directly related, but that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.
Adding to that misery was a Midwest drought of epic proportions. It seemed endless and hopeless. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt instituted a number of social programs that ameliorated some of the economic misery. The advent of World War II changed everything, and ended The Great Depression.
We could have and should have learned something from those lessons.
But no, we have embarked on yet another wild goose chase. Much to our dismay, the money-grubbing politicians and their business cohorts continue to conspire against the people of the United States, steal their money and foment hate and discontent.
From time to time someone complains that one, some or all of our social programs are an undeserved give-away to lazy lay-abouts. They are not, but we wonder what the naysayer’s assessment of other government programs might be. For instance, our knights in shining armor use or burn up about 20 percent of what the government spends. That’s in peacetime— a considerable amount!
That’s what it costs us to allegedly “police” the rest of the world. Are we sure that’s needed, or our sole responsibility? Or, is it a convenient way for our politicians to access some easy graft? We should think about this before we castigate the least among us for accepting help. Easy graft is the most likely thorn that needs to be uncovered.
The annual income of the top one percent tripled from a half-million dollars in 1979 up to a staggering $1.5 million in 1999— and probably $2 million by ‘09!
The rest of us pretty much flatlined in that same period. At other times, in other places, this much disparity resulted in extreme civil unrest. We may not be immune.
We have a front row seat in the results of serious disparity right here at home in Chicago, Baltimore, Oakland, Ferguson and others. If we can’t, or won’t, fix these humanity problems right here at home, what would lead us to believe that we can fix the security of all the rest of the world?
It seems that being a democracy requires more work and serious thought than we have been willing or able to give to it.
Now what, coach?
—Jerry Baird