An Impossible Dream
By Timothy Gatto
22 June, 2012
Countercurrents.org
This planet is in dire straits as you can probably figure out. Military madness has engulfed the whole damn place. The economies of practically every nation on Earth are all heading south. Wars, rumors of war, dissent and disgust in America in the norm, how are we to get out of this disgusting hell we've created for ourselves? There are solutions. I know I'm always pointing out the deceit and wrongdoings of our government, but hey, someone's got to do it.
This time I'm going to take a different track. I'm not going to dwell on what's wrong. We all know what's wrong. No, this time I'm going to share a vision with all of you. It's a way out of this out-of-control train we are riding on. The first thing we need to do is to have an immediate end to these on-going wars. People are dying on both sides. Children are growing up, never knowing peace. The boys grow up to be soldiers and the girls grow up to weep over them. Our troops come back home in pieces, physically and mentally. We send our daughters to be raped and nothing is done about it. What does that say about our society?
We need health coverage for all citizens, rich, poor, black, white…everyone. Screw the Republicans, we need Medicare for everyone. We are the only industrial nation without universal health coverage for our citizens. Is this some kind of joke? For all of those Republicans that don't want the government in their health care, let me say this: I'm 61 and I have Medicare and Tri-Care (Army retirement benefit). Both are controlled by the Federal Government. I have gone through cancer, two surgeries and radiation. I had a double by-pass (emergency) courtesy of the Federal Government. Today I am healthy, cancer free I have normal blood pressure. My prescriptions are covered and I see my own doctor about once a month. Never, and I mean NEVER has the government refused any type of medical treatment to either myself or my wife (who has had problems of her own). Don't believe the Republican Right. They just want to make corporations rich from your health care dollars.
Global Warming needs to be addressed. Every year the average temperature goes up. Right now in June, the temperature in Greenville South Carolina is about 100 degrees. Not only is it hot on the East Coast, but the polar caps are melting, the sea level is rising and there is more carbon in the air from greenhouse emissions than there has been for millions of years. We need leadership in the White House, not vacillation. The future of the world (or at we least human beings) is at stake. It's time everyone had a reality check.
We need the budget balanced. Tax the rich. You heard me. Tax the rich. Under President Eisenhower the rate was 91% for millionaires. He was a Republican. You rich people have had your “tax vacation”. It's time for all of you to pay the piper. That goes for corporations that are getting away with murder. I paid more in taxes than GE. They didn't pay any. Funny how these things happen.
This War on Drugs is a farce. There are entire police squads that pay their own salaries from the goods they confiscate from drug dealers. Young men and women are doing hard time for possession of marijuana and other drugs, their lives in the toilet, so to speak. We need to treat substance abuse as a public health matter, not as a criminal justice matter. We need to stop incarcerating people for non-violent crimes and stop using private corporations for incarceration. They've made it into a business, and business is good . We have more people incarcerated per capita than any country on Earth. So this is America? The drug cartels are rich, and armed to the teeth. Take away their product and watch them die. Tax the drugs and watch the deficit disappear. It will also take the drugs out of reach for the younger Americans. Right now a ten year old can buy heroin.
Put the Federal Reserve under the control of the Treasury Department and Congress. No more Goldman-Sachs alumni printing money with no transparency. No more private bankers who make up the privately-owned Federal Reserve in control of our currency. Kick the Rothschild's and the Mellon's out. No more paying 6% interest by the Federal Government for every Dollar printed. It's ridiculous.
Strive for a balance budget except in times of war or major economic downturns. While we are at it, let's get rid of “corporate personhood”. Corporations are not people. They care not for the general welfare of this nation. They care only for the bottom line and think only of their shareholders. This isn't an opinion, it's the law.
Get rid of the “Citizen's United” ruling by a corrupt Supreme Court. Overrule it by placing persons of conscience on the court. We can only do that with a President of conscience. It isn't Obama and it sure as hell isn't Romney.
Stop the growth and power of the military-industrial-complex. This isn't a tin-hat conclusion. President Eisenhower warned of of them in his last speech to the nation as President. He must have thought it was awfully important. Now it's a reality. They practically run our government. 53cents of every tax dollar goes to them. Weapons are our largest export . This nation feeds on war . It's time to end it. Let these weapons makers build cat-scans and transportation systems, solar panels and windmills. Let them build things that contribute to life instead of making weapons of death. It's the moral thing to do. All of you fundamental Christians should rally around this idea, or do you have a God that wants you to kill people? I doubt it.
These ideas are from the platform of Rocky Anderson . Go to VoteRocky.Org . If you believe in what I've just written, stand up and do something about what's going on. All I see ahead is a gigantic world-wide train wreck if you can imagine that. Aren't these the things we all want?
Maybe I'm asking a lot to for you to put your faith in one man. I don't believe too much in our electoral system either. Still, it's a chance to vote your disgust with the two-party system. It's a chance to tell this government how you feel. It's very important that we vote our dissent. Throw them into chaos. Let them scratch their heads and wonder for a change. Do you want change? This is the way to do it. Be proud of yourself when you walk out of the voting booth. Whoever wins, you'll know you weren't part of the problem; you might just be part of the solution.
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