Enough is Enough
By Peter Schwartzman
Are we in denial?
Unemployment rates are
way up (closing in on 8% nationally), more than seventy million Americans have
insufficient insurance for health care, hundreds of billions of dollars are
being given to big banks and insurance companies (so much for the “free” market),
and our food supply is loaded with genetically-modified (GMO), high fructose
corn syrup as well as an increasing list of tainted products. Yet, we don’t seem
to be making much of a fuss. Meanwhile, French workers are staging strikes and
massive protests in response to the economic crisis. Similar discontent among
workers can be found throughout Europe—particularly in Italy, Greece, Bulgaria,
Latvia and Lithuania. Brazilian and French farmers have been protesting the
introduction of GMO crops into their fields. And, just last month, Icelanders
dismantled their government. So why are we behaving as if everything is (or
will be) okay?
I speculate that
there are many reasons for our apparent reluctance to be demonstrative in our
protestations and demands. All of them give me concern and all need to be more
thoroughly discussed and examined in order to make sense of what is really
going on and what might happen if things continue to get worse.
First, for many,
President Obama is the savior that will bring a happy resolution to these
matters. And while there is much that he can do, it is going to take a lot more
than Obama and his appointees to redirect this ship. The amazing redistribution
of wealth that has occurred over the past thirty years (from the poor and
middle class to the richest few percent) makes our economic problems ever more
severe. Since Senator Obama voted in favor of the bailouts of 2008 (so much of
which went to the same firms and companies that were careless/reckless with
their investment strategies), it is unrealistic to think he will support a
major change in paradigm anytime soon. Furthermore, his choices for economic
strategists have been more of the same when it comes to supporting corporations
first and thinking about citizens second (of particular note are: Lawrence
Summers, as head of the National Economic Council; and, Timothy Geithner, as
Treasury Secretary, formerly chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York
who played a major role in crafting the $700 billion financial bail-out
(otherwise known as the biggest corporate welfare handout ever)).
Second, many of us have
literally become exhausted because we are so busy. We spend our time wrapped up
in immediate day to day problems and responsibilities. After resolving these,
we don’t have much time or energy left to focus on (or become occupied with) the
big picture. Both parents now work; some even work two or three jobs to make
ends meet. As a result, our leisure is limited and many don’t get much quality
time with their children either. In this situation, most leave the “big”
problems for the “experts.” Unfortunately, it is the “experts” that are largely
responsible for our collective dilemma. Among other sources, too many financial
agents speculated too aggressively and government oversight committees looked
the other way. Yet, ironically, when it came time to make these greedy
speculators accountable for their reckless “gambling,” what did we do? Give
them more money! And did anyone in Galesburg (or surrounding areas) openly
protest? Not that I heard.
Third, others have
lost a sense of empowerment as the government has gotten bigger (especially via
the “military industrial complex” and “homeland security”) and large
multinational corporations have gained monopolistic control over many small
businesses as well as an overwhelming influence on our leaders. We figure, what
is the point to speaking up against these powers. Who will hear and, more
importantly, respond to their grievances? I don’t blame people for this
perspective. I think it is largely perpetuated by our entertainment and
consumer-driven news media; television exists to sell things, not to help or
empower people or communities. To counter this debilitating set of
circumstances, I strongly recommend for people to engage in local politics and
retake ownership over it (hence, my essay last week).
Does
it sound like I am exaggerating the seriousness of our situation? Well consider
this. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said, while on
a TV talk show this past weekend, that we should consider nationalizing the
banking system! Meanwhile, Nouriel Rubini, a distinguished economics professor
from New York University, stated recently that the U.S. banks are “effectively
insolvent” (in other words, “broken”) (for more from Rubini, check out his
economic website: www.rgemonitor.com).
Yet, no national leader has yet felt the need to use the “D” word to describe
where we are headed. These are certainly unusual times. I don’t know what will
happen but we should definitely wake up out of our malaise and begin to assert
our will so that our community doesn’t suffer unnecessarily due to rapacious
actions of financial speculators, or inaction/misaction by bought and corrupt
politicians.
2/19/09