I was so hopeful in 2008. I too supported the change that we all hoped for; that we all thirsted for. It looked promising at first and I felt like many Americans did that year. It was a feeling of closeness not unlike the patriotic closeness we felt collectively after September 11, 2001. In this case, it was much more positive and hopeful. I supported a different ideology and the implementation of changes that we as Americans find difficult, but not without the wherewithal to do so. I was hopeful and proud to be an American. Unfortunately, Americans don't like change and have a difficult time enacting it when it's desperately needed. Take health care, for example. I'm bewildered and dumbfounded that the most conservative and many liberal Americans would fight a universal health care plan. Why? What is the reasoning? Am I to understand your contention is that it's wise to keep the power and price of our health insurance coverage in the hands of companies that would deny extended coverage to a child with leukemia because his maintenance health care costs are too high? This is the logical choice? I alone could be dropped from many health insurance plans because I have a history of asthma and smoking cigarettes? While CEO's of many of these insurance giants have McMansions with multiple car garages, large pools and even petting zoo's, the average American is struggling to find a job and frightened of getting sick because he or she cannot afford it. Is this the America I live in? This is the country that you want? I'm confused and angry to say the least. The top 5% of wealthy Americans at one time lorded over 14 trillion dollars of America's overall wealth. Now they control 40 trillion. That's capitalism at work alright, but democracy falls by the wayside. What are the lower incomes to do and who carries the burden of America's debt? We do.
We live in a country that pays its teachers a laughable wage for their responsibilities and expects them to perform miracles with overcrowded classrooms and shoe string budgets; as well as limited supplies and resources. We're then surprised to read in the news that another youth has been charged in a felonious crime and couldn't read, another teen is pregnant and has no means to support herself, congressman Doucheberg was found smoking crack with a hooker by the neighborhood high school, or among adults age 25 to 34, the U.S. is ninth among industrialized nations in the share of its population that has at least a high school degree. The god fearing conservative right tell us regularly that it's a decline in family values and loss of faith in god that have allowed us to deteriorate to this Sodom and Gomorrah-like landscape, but I assure you god doesn't give a shit because he/she doesn't exist. Stop believing in your invisible friend and see the truth for once, you vacuous poltroon! The GOP only cares about a person when they're in the womb (because of god) and then when the youth is old enough to vote or join the military. If you're rich, they really love you. Enough to hold the unemployed hostage in order to get what they want; an extension on the Bush Tax Cuts which includes those wealthy ones with control of 40 trillion dollars of America's overall wealth. They also LOVE defense. Defense occupies 20% of our national budget, yet we allow our teachers and schools to fall behind year after year. Does anyone else see the disconnect? Family values and moral rectitude should begin at home and in our schools where kids spend the majority of their time, yet our leaders allow education to languish while building the better killing machine in order to defeat terrorism. (Terrorism is a military tactic. You don't defeat it. You defeat an army or an adversary; not a tactic).
So, what can we learn from this duplicity that is perpetrated by politicians? I interpret it as they care more about wealth and occupying other countries than they do about our children, their future or their education. An educated person would take the time to think and make the best decision for the many, instead of for the richest few. Intelligence and education are the only things that will keep us from repeating the past; which America has been stuck doing since the 80's, politically speaking. Continuing to commit 20% of our national budget on defense has not kept us that much safer. Also, I don't see too many jet fighter dog fights in the skies over Afghanistan or Iraq, so why is a large portion of our defense spending going to McDonald Douglas and Lockheed Martin? Instead of investing in our future's educational success, the GOP wants to continue to keep America safe from terrorism and spend more and more on defense and other dysfunctional programs without compromise. While raping the educational future of this country, they also want to keep the wealthy sleeping on 1,000 thread count sheets after an exhausting day of fucking the middle and lower classes. And this is who many of you voted into office or voted to keep in office in the 2010 midterms. Fuck you and your short memories, assholes. Those economics have been done to death and they didn't work before. It's political déjà vu and not one of you seems to ever learn your lesson. When will you learn that the time for change in this country is right now?
Step into any grocery store with me and see if you can follow the logic. We now live in a country where fresh fruits and vegetables cost so much that many people cannot afford to provide that healthy choice to themselves or their children. So, they choose McDonald's or Taco Bell over good nutrition because they can get more for their buck at those low-end food suppliers. Furthermore, the poor diet has added exponentially to the onset of diabetes and hypertension in our society. Unable to choose a healthy diet, unable to afford health care, and no job adds stress to poorly educated individual and it combines with many other factors to overload our emergency rooms and hospitals with sick individuals that can't pay for medicines to keep them healthy; let alone the hospital bills. Who pays the bills when these people go to the emergency room or hospital and they can't pay? WE DO! WE ALL DO! Our tax dollars are used to support the individuals in this society who cannot pay for themselves. Hmmm....sounds like socialism, doesn't it? Medicare and Medicaid are social programs, so why is it so difficult to comprehend that we already have forms of socialized medicine. You support Medicaid and Medicare, but a universal health care system is beyond the pale? So many countries have a social health care system and don't seem to be hurting economically because of it. Moreover, those same countries have a longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality, and lower cases of diabetes, hypertension, and other serious medical conditions related to diet and availability to health care.
I'm fucking embarrassed to be an American today. Aren't you? You should be. We are looked upon as obese, hedonistic, self-absorbed jackasses in the world community and those other countries are correct. You can't imagine conserving energy, can you? You can't imagine paying higher taxes in order to help pay down the debt/deficit and to pay for universal health care, can you? You can't imagine making a wiser decision regarding choice of car, can you? Could you get off the couch and take a walk? Could you not run off the cliff like lemmings on Black Friday because you have to spend money you don't really have? You could stop fostering your sense of entitlement and care about others, or at least try to see it from another person's perspective? Until you face the fact that we (as a nation) need to make sacrifices and drastic changes, you'll never truly understand; and nothing will change.
My understanding is that the GOP is suggesting extending tax cuts for all, including the wealthy, and limit government spending; a smaller government. Yet, they won't discuss a change in the defense budget, the Medicare/Medicaid budget, or Social Security. So, their suggestion is to extend tax cuts which would not bring revenue to help pay down America's debt and it will actually add to it by $700 billion dollars. The aforementioned budget programs are pretty big and take a lot of resources to keep them funded and running smoothly. Gee, that sounds like big government to me. Do they really expect to pay down the deficit/debt of America by adding to it and keeping the programs that comprise the largest portion of it in place without adjustments? And they expect the debt to what.....just go away on its own? Maybe they think god is going to help. He's keenly adroit at finances, so I'm told. Either way, you need to understand something right now. Drastic changes need to be made in order for our country to get back on track. That means sacrifice, selflessness, and a modicum of understanding. I like TV and cars just as much as the next person. I like to have money to spend on frivolous bullshit too, but 'here and now' is staring us in the face, people. We are the most violent, self-indulgent, and unhealthy culture on this planet and we refuse to make the necessary changes to do anything about it; which brings me to my final point.
President Obama, I supported you because I wanted change. I supported you because the Bush era destroyed our credibility in the global community; not to mention our economy. You've had the opportunity to make and effect change, but instead you make deals and waver to the point of giving the GOP a handjob because they'll hold their breath if you don't. You said it would be fiscally irresponsible to extend the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest Americans, yet that is exactly what you're doing. Why? Because of the extension of unemployment benefits? We got an extension on unemployment insurance benefits without a definitive time frame. Oh goody, nice job. Why have you caved? Why have you compromised your integrity? If you don't fight on this, then what principal do you fight for? When is the right time for you to fight? You also said you would not allow the dismissal of the public option, yet you dealt with the devil and caved on that too. America wants a leader, Mr. President. It needs a leader. So lead goddamnit! Stop giving in to the GOP's childish tantrums and change things. Not easy to do in Washington? George W. Bush didn't seem to have a problem getting things done without the Democrat's support. Take a lesson from his presidency and effect change no matter what the GOP says or does. Stop being a milquetoast and stand up for what we, the people, want! I'm angry that this is how you've chosen to lead. There is no change as promised and I feel hopeless, not hopeful. If I enjoyed flaccid members, I'd have a nerve block performed on my Johnson so I could play with myself constantly and not get a boner.
Even in my extreme disappointment in our president, I must admit that we're all to blame. We're all culpable in this crime against America. The housing market, the stock market, the drive-thru world we've built for ourselves so we can sit on our asses and collectively suck the marrow out of our planet. We all play a part, but now is the time that we need to put aside the material and work together to correct what we've gotten wrong thus far. All of us are required to sacrifice and make changes in order to improve, learn, and prevent ourselves from making the same mistakes over and over. As corny as it sounds, we need to invest in our future and make the correct decisions now. Sacrifice would include raising taxes. Yes, I know....you don't want that, but who's gonna pay off our debts? You're not a child living at home with mommy and daddy. If you create debt, it has to be paid off somehow. Accept it and move forward with me. What type of country do you want to have? What America do you see? What America do you want? We need to change and change quickly or we'll be the entry in history books under the heading: Fall of a Modern Day Rome. Our leaders continue to deal and finagle for their own interests, not yours or mine. What I've been promised has not come to fruition. This is our country! This is MY country! I'm angry and embarrassed. Aren't you?! You should be.
