“If you don’t think this is a problem, go back and take a look at the Roman Empire — right before the fall.” – Robert Reich
Reich really nails a key problem in this article:
Here are some statistics and facts to consider:
The game is rigged. (If you doubt that, just read this: “THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE POLICY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF”:
https://clearblueskyoutwest.com/2017/09/15/the-most-destructive-policy-youve-never-heard-of/ ).
The results of this game rigging are staggering:
* 20 individuals now have as much wealth as the poorest 150 million Americans (half the country) per The Nation magazine.
https://www.thenation.com/article/20-people-now-own-as-much-wealth-as-half-of-all-americans/
* 50% of children in the U.S. live below or near the poverty line. (Columbia University School of Public Health study) https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/nearly-half-american-children-living-near-poverty-line
* A study by the Atlantic found that 47% of Americans were economically insecure and couldn’t come up with $400 in an emergency (Article in the Atlantic: “The Secret Shame of Middle Class America.”) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/05/my-secret-shame/476415/
* According to a study published recently by CBS News, 78% of workers in America are now living paycheck to paycheck. And each year that percentage is increasing. Article here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-living-paycheck-to-paycheck/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a
* Over a million good jobs have been shipped overseas so highly profitable corporations could get even richer. Click here for more info: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lori-wallach/nafta-at-20-one-million-u_b_4550207.html
* The environment is clearly being damaged at a rapid pace. In addition to climate change and pollution of our air, water and land, there is also alarming news like this: THE GUARDIAN: “Natural World Faces Collapse as Wildlife Population Plummets”: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/27/natural-world-collapse-wildlife-population-plummet-briefing
* Princeton University proves that our members of Congress are only representing the interests of a few. This short video showing exactly how the game is rigged is definitely worth checking out some time: https://clearblueskyoutwest.com/2017/09/09/www-represent-us/
* The enormous economic distress described above creates a climate that is historically conducive to the rise of fascism and racism. (Think about 1930’s Germany and how a strong man swooped in to take advantage of the economic conditions to exploit race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity to create divisions). This 2 minute clip lays out pretty clearly how fascism rises. It’s from a 1947 US War Dept. anti-fascist film and is surprisingly timely: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=YPscKn3-9MI
Clear Blue Sky 