Our Underclass
There has been much talk about the growing
inequality in our country and our rapidly disappearing middles class. This is
very true, documented by many expert economists and evidenced by a myriad of
statistics. We should talk about this more and more and continue talking about
it until something is done–corrective action must be taken. This is no light
subject folks. Left to continue, it will destroy our country as we know it–maybe
even our very sovereignty. Let me ask you. Where is our middle class
going as they disappear? The answer is: they are merging
into our underclass, our poor and underprivileged, which is exploding. Our
middle class is moving to the other side of the tracks, to the ghettos and
wherever. As I have said many times before in the course of writing my
postings, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the
welfare rolls are climbing. What’s more, you, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, are
borrowing the money to pay for it. If this trend continues and is left to its ultimate conclusion, we will be in the underclass serving the rich as their servants, aka
serfs (their slaves).
What
can we do about this, our nation’s plight? The answer is: we must get rid of
them. We must rid ourselves of the underclass. Of course, there will always be
those who need help. They will need help for a variety of reasons, including disabilities,
physical and mental, but we can reduce their number to a minimum, if we will. We
should begin this redemptive process today–now, before it is too late. The idea
is to help as many of those as we absolutely can move from the underclass back up
into the middleclass, helping them to, once again, become productive and carry
their weight in society.
Obviously,
this is a very contentious issue, subject to much debate. I don’t even pretend
to know all the answers as to how we can achieve such a feat; but, I can
certainly come up with a few, and we must try:
1.
We must create jobs for those unemployed who are able
and willing to work. We can do this through the creation of work programs and
the building and repair of infrastructure.
2.
We must increase the minimum wage. This relief will
only work temporarily as all other related factors will balance out, especially
through inflation; but, it will provide temporary relief in the interim until
our economy can recover.
3.
We must implement tax reforms, completely overhauling
our present system, eliminating corporate welfare and implementing a
progressive income tax system with top marginal rates approaching those before
the administration of Ronald Reagan. Except for requisite increases in Social
Security and Healthcare costs, this change shouldn't affect ninety-five percent
of you reading this, if any of you, providing those who are able will once
again pay their fair share of the necessary cost of government.
4. We
must take back our government from the present reign of our Shadow Government. You know who they
are. I have discussed them in detail in a recent posting (or postings) to this
blog–those making our government their puppet.
5.
We all know where learning abilities are greatest in
our lives. Of course, it is at our very
beginning, when we are born and in our youth. Taking advantage of this reality,
we should increase our emphasis on education, beginning with pre K and
continuing through college. In fact, we should make it legally imperative that
everyone able must achieve an education through the first four years of college
or a vocational training school, dependent upon the student’s ability,
aspirations or desires, effectively helping everyone to become productive and
financially independent. This increased emphasis on education should include
social training and reflect basic values, such as responsibility, honesty and
integrity in the conduct of one’s affairs, paying one’s bills on a timely
basis, how to balance a checkbook, home economics, and so forth. Responsibility
for the success of this endeavor should be that of the parents as well as that
of the students; and, those who resist or refuse cooperation when they are able
should be placed in special schools to insure their successful training. Our nation
is in serious trouble. To be quite candid, we no longer can afford not to do
this. We are in dire need of an informed, educated, and responsible public if
we are to keep our democracy. If we will do these things, I am confident our
nation’s downward trend will reverse and the GDP will be there to cover the
cost. We may be in debt up to our ears, but a turnaround is still very possible
if we will, as they say, mind our P’s and Q’s, end corruption [another topic
for another time], and take care of business.
6.
We need to establish trade tariffs so as to adjust
prices on imports for wage differences between countries from which we import
to that of which comparable wages will be paid in the United States. That there
is a thing such as a free market is a myth, and continued lies and propaganda
to the contrary don’t change the reality. A free market exists only in the
classroom. When either supply or demand is controlled by any one means or
another, the market is no longer free.
7.
Discrimination in hiring of any kind, be it age, color,
looks, religion, sex, whatever, must be eliminated by any means available, in
conjunction with which I must also point
out that it is going to be necessary to increase the retirement age for Social
Security which will be unacceptable unless we are willing to hire those who are
older. You will notice I didn’t mention Medicare. That is because I hope we
will come to our senses and change to a single payer national healthcare system covering everyone
from birth to death (I recommended this earlier in previous postings). I must
also mention that we can’t allow this antidiscrimination rule to interfere with
competency on the job. One must always be able to adequately perform that for
which he is paid. The hiring requisite must relate to the job performance
requirement.
8.
Another need for which the solution is, also,
difficult, has to do with those living in the ghettos of our large cities. A
severe transportation problem exists in that both jobs and retail
establishments, for a variety of reasons, have moved from the inner city to the
suburbs and outlying areas. Even schools have closed and/or moved, therefore
effectively isolating those living there. This must be resolved. People can’t
be expected to walk miles to school or to a job.
9.
The next and last issue, for now, which I feel must be
considered in this discussion has to do with racial prejudice, a very argumentative
subject, to say the least; but I feel I must discuss it because it is so
important to the subject at hand. I believe and submit to you that, although
much is said about color, actual prejudice against color in this nation, is
minimal as compared to prejudice for another reason. That reason is one’s personal
behavior and demeanor. That having been said, these personal traits are a
source of prejudice by others regardless of one’s color, and has led to lost jobs,
interview rejections, lost promotions, lost pay increases, social ostracism,
family break-ups, incarceration, and even the inspiration of fear within others.
This is another huge problem, probably the most difficult of all, that must be
resolved. The only viable approach to the solution which I see is the creation of
educational programs for individuals and families beginning in life as early as
pre K. This, too, will cost money; but, if successful, I believe it will pay
for itself plus interests, not the least of which will be a significant
reduction in our prison populations.
mtss86@comcast.net
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