Class Conflict.... Alive and Thriving

Imagine a world where the middle class no longer exists. Imagine a world where the richest in their class take a strangle hold on those below them and work them for every ounce of blood and sweat. Imagine a world where paychecks continue to drop, taxes are higher (only on the middle and lower class), and unions become less influential because in most states it is illegal to organize. These are the times of our age the 2010's. As Republicans get ready to square off against President Obama, their mouths are watering and waiting for the opportunity to grill him over his economic shortfalls. I must admit, I am disappointed with much of the work the President has done with trying to enhance our economy, but the Republicans in this country have a list of zero's on their side as well.

In fact, in a recent push to increase job production in the U.S., President Obama tried pushing a bill through the Senate that many claim would have helped construction workers, education (teachers), firefighters, police, and veterans. The bill met a wall of Republican Elephants who said the bill cost too much. Being Conservative and all, I think they believe wasting billions of dollars in Afghanistan and Iraq is a much better investment. Better idea! Lets spend 17 billion dollars on 75 F22 Raptors. What an investment in the future.

Some people see security as an American soldier carrying a light machine gun through the streets of some 3rd World country. Others see security as a paycheck, a job, or being able to afford their home. As paychecks continuously go down in the U.S., CEO paychecks have increased, even after the major bank and car company bailouts. As the richest 1% get richer in the U.S., they are hoping to get even more richer as the Republicans try to lower taxes on the top 1% of wage earners, a trend that started to erase the middle class since President Reagan. As taxes fell to new lows on the richest Americans, higher costs fell on most of our parents. Education and college costs were raised due to less federal spending, again, double hitting the middle class. Now is the time to act. The 9-9-9 plan proposed by Herman Cain and similar plans to lower taxes on the richest 1% of Americans needs to stop NOW. For every percentage point they lower taxes on the rich, it is billions upon billions of taxes that get raised on the middle class. Enough is enough.

I always hear our upper class individuals talk about how people like me bring about class conflict in our society and how it breeds hate for the upper class. Let me remind you that the conflict that exists remains because your responsibility of taking care of the lower classes, you know, the ones who work at minimum wage to supply your bank cophers, are sick and tired. With our health care benefits being taken away, our pay checks decreasing, education and taxes rising, we refuse to pay the load so that millionaires and billionaires can live comfortably in both their summer and winter homes. I refuse to pay more so that they can own 3-4 expensive cars, while mine is bought used and is rusting out. I refuse to pay more so that their kids can have no responsibilities, while mine may have to work at age 16 to help our family survive. I refuse to pay more so that they can purchase expensive dresses, shoes, diamonds, jewelry, exotic animals, or rolex watches while I struggle to pay for my gasoline so I can drive to work.

I won't pay more. And if I have it my way, those who make more than 1 million dollars will pay more. I refuse to pay one dime more. I am the middle class American. There are more of me, than there are of you. I will out vote you in the next election. I will succeed in making sure I live more comfortably, all the while I will succeed in making sure our upper class think twice before they purchase their 5th car. I am the middle class. I am one, but we are many.

The Koch brothers are the Real Terrorists

About a year ago the state of Wisconsin was in an uproar when Governor Scott Walker was pushing an anti-union bill down the throats of Wisconsin workers, teachers, and public servants. A sting operation by a New York reporter, Ian Murphy, revealed that Walker and David Koch (multibillionaire) had some backroom deals that show the class divide between the richest one percent of Americans and those who struggle to pay their bills, or middle class. It seems like the Koch brothers are at it again; only recently were they found to be aiding and abetting the enemy by selling petrochemical materials to the Iranian government. That's right, our very own American businessmen are selling materials to a country who not only do we have an embargo with, they are state sponsors of terror.

The Koch brothers are the epitome of what is wrong with our business laws and tax codes for multinational companies. These companies often run outside of American laws under subsidiary companies and are entirely against workers rights to strike or deal with management. Not only do these companies break most American labor laws, but they sell materials to a known state terrorist organization. The Koch brothers would sell crack cocaine to an 80 year old if they could make a dime off it. In all seriousness, after hearing the news that Koch-Glitsch subsidiary sold materials to Iran, I was outraged. During World War II this would be considered treasonous to send materials to the Japanese. In Vietnam, vets despised Hanoi Jane Fonda for doing a photo shoot with the enemy. Now, we find out that American businessmen are finding loopholes in our legal system to sell materials to a country who has been actively attacking troops in Iraq.

Join me in denouncing the Koch industries label by boycotting the purchase of Brawny tissue, Quilted Northern, Angel Soft, Vanity Fair, and Dixie products. Maybe we can send these dip-shits a call that when you aid and abed the enemy, you pay for it in America.

God bless everyone, even the Koch brothers.

Ayn Rand: Conservative Favorite, Atheist Best Friend

The last couple of days I have been researching conservative theories on conflict, economies, and war. I came across a book written by Ayn Rand which comments on statism. Rand wrote in a section of her book about how communism/socialism and peace movements are parts of "statist" ideology. She went on to say that peace movements only fight to stop war where the participants on one side have weapons while the othe side sees the worst of genocide. In her analysis of peace movements she assumes that such movements allow for dictatorships.
In my participation within peace movements, most if not all of the participants want justice. War is not fair, nor just. The weak almost entirely die or are targeted at some point, even with our so-called "smart weapons." As a Christian society in America we jump sometimes at the thought of taking out terrorists, a euphemism often used to describe people who disagree with American policymakers. The word terrorist has been used to describe countless figure in the last ten years and has nearly lost its true meaning, but that is not the point of this essay. As Christians we need to look at the gospels to see what Jesus thought of war. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus commented on acts of violence while he was about to be arrested. Jesus said, "Put your sword back in its place..."for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Jesus doesn't seem to literally say that we will die because w lift the sword in body; he is talking about our spirit. A part of us dies whenever we cause violence on another. Our souls are stricken when we support policies that murder, kill, and even take the lives of criminals.
Let us remember the last act that God revealed for us on Earth. While dying on the cross Jesus forgave the men who had committed crimes. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." A great example for all to forgive others for their sins.
As a major influence in philosophy Rand has presented a conservative dialogue on how economic systems should forget about the lower classes of people because in her ideology it takes away from individualism. She is pro-low taxes on the rich, anti-government with regard to social programs, and atheist in nature. She believes that religion irrational, something most conservatives who follow her ideology never mention. At best, her books present a philosophy of hatred for the underclass, something to resent from the middle and upper classes. Jesus teaches us to love our brother, but Rand would argue he wasn't even God.
As we move into another year where politicians will debate social and economic theories and proposals, if you hear any arguments that mention Ayn Rand, realize her theory of economic development is much like her theory on religion. It's ludicrous, selfish, and utterly despicable.

Love, love, love, crazy love.