I Pledge Allegiance to the Banks of the United States of America and to the Corporations for Which They Stand. One Nation where Money is GOD. Made Divisible, No Liberty or Justice at ALL…

 

I was reading a short blog yesterday listing one mans opinion about what’s wrong with America.  He was frustrated that our unemployment rate, currently at 9.1%, isn’t the biggest problem as both Republicans and Democrats would have us believe.  I’d have to agree with that, but here is his list:

1. Money in politics

2. Medicare

3. Corporate tax loopholes

4. Inequalities in public education

5. Unnecessary wars

 

As I considered each hefty issue I came to realize how interconnected all five really are.  Sitting in a waiting room I quickly came up with my own list that combines the above five, and much much more, into one and continued from there.  This is what I came up with:

1. Collusion between government and business

2. Lack of empathy

3. Lying preachers and politicians

4. The media

5. A lazy entitled youth 

 

With the exception of #1 these are in no particular order.  Lets take a quick look at each one:

 

Collusion Between Government and Business

When we have corporate lawyers, think tanks, and lobbyists writing the legislation that becomes law the middle class is set up to fail.  What were left with is high unemployment, super powerful banks, wars for profit, the inability of government to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, a broken public education system, and a corporate tax rate that corporations don’t even pay.  Because of this collusion America is bleeding good paying jobs and tax revenue.  These corporations have the ability to export their profit, import their debt, export manufacturing, and import their goods.

Lack of Empathy

It’s shocking to see how many people around the country think that the poor, the sick, the unemployed, and the uneducated are nothing but a drain on society.  When a video like this makes national news because people are amazed at the compassion of others we’ve got a real problem.  The thing is, when most people see someone in need they reach out a hand.  But when many people see people in need as a statistic then all compassion and empathy is turned into spite and anger because we’re inherently selfish.

Lying Preachers and Politicians

The things to take note of here are the correlations between poverty and extremism.  How the strong prey on the weak.  How people in search of help and hope find themselves entangled in a cobweb of hate.  How the wolves in sheep-skinned religious and political leaders lure in their masses and feed on their sorrow.

The Media

The media distorts the truth.  They make it hard for the average person to understand what’s at the heart of the problem.  Snippets and sound-bytes are used to lead the viewer down a path that was never intended.  We become distracted by non-issues and we’re constantly being deceived and misdirected.  They keep us foaming at the mouth for ratings and political agendas.

 

 A Lazy Entitled Youth

When I look at children today I fear for our future.  They aren’t concerned about doing a good job.  They have no pride in their work and have no work ethic.  Maybe it’s the education system, over protective parents, or a misguided belief that they don’t have to take responsibility for their choices and actions.  Maybe it’s because we’ve been telling them for too long that all they need is to have a positive attitude.  Maybe we need to stop teaching them about the value of a positive self-esteem without teaching them that it’s something that must be earned.