I’ve spent a lot of time trying to sort out my thoughts on the current political drama, but I can’t quite get there. Nothing makes sense to me anymore. Every time I land on an idea or form an opinion about what is happening in America and what to do about it, doubt or misinformation creeps in, and there I am, stuck in Lodi again.
While I’m not afraid to criticize the government or those who fuck with it, I’ve thought about quitting or at least changing the subject because it’s too damned depressing. But if there was ever a time to speak up about injustice, this is it.
All that to say I gave AOC some money. Bernie’s next. With their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, these two are showing great leadership in the face of billionaire bad guys running amok and threatening all aspects of American life. I used to think Bernie and AOC were too far left and ruined it for the rest of us well-meaning Democrats.
Now I see they have a point. After the current administration kicked in, I was fired up to save democracy and would have been happy to go back to the way it was. Status quo was fine with me. Sure, I knew our form of government was flawed, but I figured we could sort that out once we stopped the bleeding.
Bernie and AOC are opening my eyes to the reality that economic inequality is at the core of what’s wrong with our country. Until now, I mostly ignored it because even though I grew up in a low-income working class family, I was able to climb my way out. The system pretty much worked for me.
However, the system pretty much sucks for a lot of people. I was entrenched in this idea they probably made bad choices or didn’t have the will rise above it, but I now accept that what worked for many of us when we ventured out into the labor pool 50-something years ago isn’t the key to success today or tomorrow. Everything has changed.
There is a lot of bad stuff going down right now. It’s a lot to absorb, and any kind of discussion with friends and family usually ends in a food fight. Perhaps I’m naive, but what if we talked about how we can make our economy work for everyone? That conversation has the potential to expand across all parties and all ideologies. And that gives me a tiny glimmer of hope.
Ready? I’ll go first. How about everyone paying their fair share of taxes?
I agree that Bernie and AOC are out there fighting for people’s interests. I am so done with the corporatist folks like Schumer and Jeffries. They only seem interested in holding their seats and not rocking the boat. The boat needs to be rocked. Looks like AOC is the heir apparent to Bernie. I recently donated to Bernie and will to AOC. I will not give to the DNC because I think they are weak tea at this point.
I totally agree. The Dems, for the most part, are not cutting it.
And yes, we can make it work for everyone. The last thing needed is another large tax cut for people that are doing great and services taken away from people who are not well off. This whole tax cut thing has become pathology. I am always frustrated with the Reps claiming it is just like a family. We need to tighten our belts and cut costs. But this family can also increase income by making sure people pay their fair share. We do not need a special class that pay no taxes and get all the wealth. It is just crazy and everyone but Bernie has been afraid to point it out. No doubt because both parties want the big donor contributions.
Well said. It can be done.
I think everyone paying their fair share is a great place to start. Our system is rigged and I’m afraid that it will get much worse soon. Have you read Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond? I think he does a good job explaining how we got here and, if we have the will, how it can be repaired (I’m not holding my breath).
Thanks for the book recommendation! I go back and forth. One day I’m optimistic, next day I’m not. Sigh.
The phrase “Everyone Should Pay Their Fair Share” is loaded. What does it mean? Take for example, I am well off and just completed my 1040, $50,000 to the feds plus more to the state. I billed more consulting hours last year, I am retired than I expected. My marginal rate including fed, state, and both sides of FICA is almost 50%. Add on property tax and one gets the picture.
Something like 80% of taxes are paid by 20%.
Tesla pays no income tax because they play by the rules set up by the republicans and democrats. Incentives to carryover losses to offset gains in future years. Europe does not do that, but they don’t have industries creating amazing products.
Clinton with NAFTA sent jobs to Mexico while making auto makers more profitable and decimated manufacturing in the Midwest.
Traditional elected officials Schumer, Pelosi, Graham are wealthy beyond belief from jobs paying a few hundred thousand per year? How?
When I hear of the US influencing elections in other countries with our tax dollars I ask ,is that fair?
The wealthy do pay a lot of tax, just in different forms than we look at.
There are smart people who could probably figure out some sort of tax overhaul that would address your concerns about being over-taxed, and at the same time, scoop up those who truly aren’t paying their share — whether that’s individuals or corporations.
It’s hard to make sense out of nonsense. It’s a full-time job keeping up with the latest political news. The rhetoric is disheartening. Oligarchy influence on government is not new or solely an American issue. Colonization is a hot topic in Canada. I’ve often thought it had more to do with class than race. I’m called to pay more attention to the politics of my own country.
It really is hard. Yesterday I felt good about where I landed on this topic, but today I read a few headlines and wondered if I have it all wrong. Still, I feel like we have to make the effort.
I always leant more left than right, but the older I’ve got, the further left I have moved. It’s easy to fall for the story until you find yourself in a shitty position due to circumstances beyond your control, and discover quite how hard it is to turn around. Idealist me looks at communism and thinks “if only”. If only power didn’t corrupt regardless what side of the fence it was on. But it does.
Like you, I admire AOC and Bernie for fighting the good fight, and for understanding that the real problem lies in economic inequality.
Yes, I’m also becoming more left as I age. I wish more people would see the light.
“, and there I am, stuck in Lodi again.” Just have to ask what that means? My grandmother met her husband in Lodi, CA, so your sentence stuck out to me.
My red state is giving everyone a tax rebate. Middle income gets about $127, upper income $5k. The state has an $80 million backlog of repairs to schools and infrastructure, and they want to scrap Medicaid expansion because it’s getting too expensive. That’s just the kind of crap that the Republicans do.
Sorry for the obscure reference. It’s from the John Fogerty song, Lodi. He’s on the road, trying to get gigs and stuff, but he can’t quite make it and finds himself stuck in Lodi.