Millions of Americans feast this holiday season but not the tens of millions who will have their safety net cut to pay for new tax cuts benefiting mostly corporations and the very rich. Republicans say they want to cut Medicare and Social Security next year so the middle class will have their share of worry.
No one is safe now. Our own Congressman Billy Long, the reliable if low achieving seat warmer of the well-fed Party of Scrooges, will support the next gutting of Americans. He will because he and his colleagues do not work for their constituents.
Congress obeyed donors who threatened to cut off campaign contributions. Unburdened by patriotism, they heaved us and democracy under the bus, and donors got their money’s worth.
Are you fed up yet? The next step is obvious. We have a choice to make. We’ll make history by choosing to look after each other. This decision alone will transform America. We begin by protecting ourselves from Congress. It must be purged in 2018.
Before we do, let’s have an honest look at our predicament, especially since denial and misinformation are so fashionable these days. The Republican vision of America puts corporations ahead of real people. It wraps itself in a flag and hijacks the English language to sell snake oil that kills. This ideology must die, and it must die hard, for the sake of our children.
Republicans say the freedom to exploit our neighbors is good. They work tirelessly to slay our watchdogs so irresponsible corporations may prey on us for profit. We’re told the resulting wealth will trickle down to us. Everyone knows this is a lie. We also know these policies are dangerous to our health, to our democracy, to our environment, to our families, to our communities, and to our national security. We know because we have decades of evidence to contradict partisan propaganda. We know this because real people live with the effects of these lies.
Recently, I watched our fellow citizens assemble holiday feasts of Ramen Noodles. Many of these people work full-time, some at profitable multinationals like McDonalds. They told me it’s impossible to save adequately, and the public assistance programs they utilize undermine their efforts to accumulate the assets needed to improve their lives. They said their poverty could be defined as neglect by authorities which could result in the loss of their children to the foster care system. They told me one day they would eat healthy food, when they could afford it. Temperatures will near zero this week. These people have been directed by the utility company to seek charity. The charity is closed until after the New Year. Charity is no substitute for a safety net.
This is life for millions of resilient and hard working Americans. Instead of serving these people, Republican leaders living off of the government they wish to destroy, accuse their employers, the American people, of dependency, mismanagement and laziness, none of which is true. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said the poor ought to quit spending on “booze and women or movies.” His fellow crony Orin Hatch, said he had a problem spending for children’s health insurance, when they “who won’t help themselves.” Our own Billy Long voted dozens of times against people who desperately need health care. It’s times like this it’s useful to remember the gluttony of our ruling class, ponder their hypocrisy and guilt, and rethink our national priorities. It’s times like this that working men and women need to reboot their government.
Once they’re all gone next November, I recommend we focus on rebuilding the American Dream for everyone and nurturing a New Patriotism that promotes the well-being of people. I propose the following for everyone riding in this big boat we share called America.
Imagine we build a nation where health care is guaranteed for everyone; where seniors enjoy economic security and dignity; where families and children are supported and protected from government overreach; where our air and water are clean; where our privacy is guaranteed; where our students enjoy modern public schools and affordable secondary education; where working people enjoy a living wage and financial security; where our veterans are cared for; where all people are guaranteed equal civil rights in a just legal system. Imagine we create a healthy and secure nation where our food supply is protected, where our farmers and small businesses prosper; where predatory businesses are closed down, and Wall Street abuses regulated and punished harshly. Imagine we build new, green infrastructure; generate millions of good, high-paying, future-proof jobs; and imagine we tend to our neglected rural areas so our children there can grow old at home. This is an America that is just, fair, nurturing, and non-partisan. It is one we can afford if we wisely chose how to spend our national wealth. It is a New American Dream for all, not just the few. This is the vision of America I want to help bring about.
The vision I have shared encompasses the desires of Generation X, which I represent, and the Millennial generation that is rising. We are new blood. Our time has come. Trust us in 2018 to build a better future.
John Farmer de la Torre is a journalist and candidate for U.S. Congress in Missouri’s 7th Congressional District.