Reflections on Losing America

(A revised reprise from my Facebook postings in March 2012)

Class Wars? The underlying message I keep getting from the “Conservative Republican Religious Right Tea Party of America” brought to you by The Koch Brothers, Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh and others (if I may lump them all together) is that the poor, the working poor (and less blatantly, the middle class) are a drag on this country. Why should the "hard working" class (people with very good paying jobs, positions and power) subsidize those lazy, good-for-nothing slackers in our society? The "hard working" Wall Street executives, stock traders and bankers see "big government" as their enemy. Big government taxes them unfairly and redistributes their "hard earned" wealth to the undeserving in our society. Big government regulates things that impede their businesses, banks and global corporations. Big government takes their money and provides things like public education, student loans and safety nets like Social Security for the elderly. And how dare big government use their hard earned wealth to provide healthcare for the masses! All this government money (their money) going to what they consider the most unworthy and most unproductive segments of our society makes them angry. Is it any wonder they are calling for smaller government, less regulation and the elimination of "Obamacare” or by its correct name, The Affordable Healthcare Act? 

It would appear that after day 3 of unprecedented hearings, the 5 conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are leaning toward gutting the Affordable Healthcare Act or tossing the whole law altogether. The conservative right wing should rejoice at their apparent victory...but then what would THEY propose to replace this law that would have improved everyone's access to healthcare and make it more affordable? I suggest that the opposition has NOTHING. They  would leave things as they are... preexisting conditions leading to "cherry picking" who can get coverage and higher and higher premiums so that eventually only the wealthy and the powerful can afford healthcare.

Will the Supreme Court show its own "activism" (the conservative’s constant complaint about the lower federal courts) by overriding the will of the Congress of the United States? Then, it was the high court that overrode the voters of this once great land in the 2000 Presidential Election. The U. S. supreme left us with George W. Bush as president, who after 8 years helped to bankrupt and crash our economy. Or will this court decide to uphold the greatest good for the greatest number of Americans and keep this law whole and in force? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Recently, I talked to visitors coming to the Alamo from Canada and Europe and they were very puzzled at America's reluctance to cover healthcare for all its citizens, as they have it in their countries. They don't know why the issue would even come before the Supreme Court. Don't we Americans see this as our collective responsibility to all of our citizens? I did not know how to answer them. When did Americans stop caring? When did we develop the mindset: I've got mine now you go scramble for yours? When did education and healthcare for all citizens become an alien concept, something to be done away with? When did we become a nation of US vs THEM?

Make no mistake, America, we are in a Class War. I feel that the voices of reason and moderation have been drowned out by those of wealth and power who have lost their compassion for the common man, who no longer believe they are their brother’s keeper. If the poor and those who are in need in this society are of no value, then soon what value the struggling Middle Class?  And once the Middle Class is destroyed...the bridges from poor to rich will have been burned. Pray for our Supreme Court justices and vote wisely in November 2012.

Food for THOUGHT…