Where Is The Shared Sacrifice?

America has been sold on some bad decisions over the last few decades, and that includes some made by Democrats, not just Republicans or (so called) conservatives. Your pocketbook and national security are THE issues above all else. Bill Clinton is likable and all that, but he signed the law dismantling the regulatory system for the banking industry. Interestingly, I heard something come out of his mouth in an interview about a year ago that absolutely stunned me. All politicians, especially those running for or holding higher office, have big egos, but Bill Clinton could give lessons. He actually said he was sorry for signing the banking deregulation into law. After I got off the floor and back into my chair, I thought, "Well, NOW he says that, with the economy in shambles and millions out of work, but at least he sees the error of his ways, something Republicans will never admit." If you notice how Republicans now act, they didn't do any of this. They had nothing to do with deficits, wars, foreclosures, too big to fail, economic meltdown, over priced oil and gasoline, trade imbalances, unfair trade, jobs going overseas... I'd go on, but my fingers are cramped. I'm not blaming them alone, some Democrats have been on board with them, but it has been the modern (and some of it not so modern) Republican philosophy that has been in the ascendancy for more than three decades. If they didn't do any of this, what the hell were they doing in office? They can't have this stuff both ways.

Now Republicans have moved back to balancing budgets, something they didn't do under President George W. Bush. Sounds great until you hear their proposals. If you aren't wealthy, be prepared to take some real hits. I'm not naive, average Americans, and that includes union members, will have to make sacrifices to get this country back on track. Union members are patriotic Americans who have a stake in this country and who want it to succeed, and many have already made concessions. The problem for unions and for other non wealthy Americans is, where is the shared sacrifice? Republicans want average Americans to give up benefits and services, but they want to give more tax cuts to the wealthiest in our society, including the repeal of the estate tax for Americans worth millions and billions. Translation: "Lower YOUR standard of living so we can help those terribly needy wealthy Americans; after all, they create jobs." And to be honest, they have created jobs, often in China! Perhaps some of these Republicans should run for office over there! Don't be fooled! Don't let Republicans, or Democrats for that matter, act as if YOU have some stake in the wealthy getting "mo' money, mo' money!" It is NOT in your interest! Be careful of sayings like, "These people (the wealthy and wealthy investors) are just trying to make a living." What a bunch of malarkey! They are making bigger fortunes, not a living. There's a difference; a hell of a difference! And now Republicans want to let the super wealthy pass along all of that wealth (untaxed!) to their next generation! LOOK OUT AMERICA! The hypocritical GOP is saying that union workers, who make a hell of a lot less than the people with these big estates, are often not judged on merit, while at the same time wanting to permit huge estates to be passed along to those who have not earned it; that is, to people who are not being judged on merit, but who are benefiting purely based upon birthright. If they are able to sell all of this malarkey, we may need to bring back King John to sign a new "Magna Carta," because we may be returning the days of "Merry Olde England!" (The "Magna Carta" dates to 1215!) If you can't pay your bills, you may end up in debtors prison. Is this route we want to take America?

Having picked on Bill Clinton, now it's time for Ronald Reagan again. To be quite blunt about it, I'm sick and tired of hearing about Reagan's "boundless optimism." It wasn't Reagan's "boundless optimism" that pulled the country through the 1980s, but rather huge federal deficits run during his time in office. Oh yes, Americans went back to work after a severe recession where unemployment neared 11%, but they went back to work on borrowed money. What is this conservatism anyway? It was also during Reagan's time in office that working Americans began to see the tide turn in favor of wealthy interests and the wealthiest Americans. When trade deals were in the offing after he left office, Reagan jumped on board, and again we heard about Reagan's "boundless optimism" that America could out produce other countries.* Well again, "boundless optimism" got us into big trouble! Untold jobs have gone overseas, displaced American workers, especially older workers, have seen their lives devastated! Whole communities have been devastated as plants have moved to China. I say "The hell with the "boundless optimism" crap, it never fed anyone or educated a child. Optimism needs to be based upon reality, not a slogan or a whim. When will this country again lead this country and the rest of the world to HIGHER goals, instead of gutting the American middle class to meet the lower wages and benefits of foreign countries?

* To be totally fair here, deals like NAFTA were pushed by Democrat Bill Clinton, but with Reagan's (and all living ex-presidents') support.

WORD HISTORY:
Union-This word goes back to the Indo European root "oino/oinos/oynos," which meant "one, single." There are many words in the various Indo European languages which trace back to this root. It gave Latin, an Indo European language related to English further down the family tree, "unus," which meant "one," and then later "unionem," which meant "oneness," and this became part of Old French, a Latin-based language, as "union," and meaning " one, unity. " It is related to "unite." By the 1400s, English had acquired the word from French, and by the 1600s it was used for a "group of states joined in common purpose," and also for "political groups united in common cause." The word was also used in the 1800s (perhaps the 1830s?) in "trade union(s)," which has now often been shortened to just "union" for "workers united in common interest."