Hope... and Obama?
Studying economics at USM really taught me so much about the past and present.
What really scares me is how much the income inequality of today resembles that of the 1920's and 30's, where a majority of wealth was held in the hands of the few.
When you look at the data today, the incomes of 1% of the US population has skyrocketed, while that of the majority has flatlined or decreased. Just the other day there was an article on the salaries of CEOs, which continues to climb significantly, despite the slow economy and decreasing wages of ordinary Americans.
Pundits tell us that it's immigrants, liberals, or the price of oil taking money out of the pockets of Americans. However the real cause for the increasing income disparity is the lack of labor power in the US. During the New Deal and up until the 60's, union membership was at it's highest. Even workers who were not in unions benefited from union membership. Companies would offer workers higher wages and benefits to prevent them from unionizing (called Welfare Capitalism).
Corporations were eventually able to strip labor protections from the American workforce and union membership has shrunk in this country. As union membership has shrunk, labors voice and influence has all but been erased from politics.
I wrote Obama a letter recently. I knew that he wouldn't read it, but it was something that I needed to write. I told him my fears and my hopes for him. My main fear - that he's another political centrist, putting himself in the middle so as not to upset the right or industries that might line his pockets. My main hope - that he really could and would change this country for the better.
Despite me fears regarding Obama, I know that we need him in office.
McCain is so similar to Bush. He has voted the same way as Bush 89% of the time. An example of McCain's bad policy is his solution for health care, which is to tax health care benefits. Right now we have the "luxury" of our health care benefits (if you are lucky enough to have them) being tax free. McCain would like to change this, costing Americans much, much more for health care. Given McCain's propensity towards tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations, I assume that he will do nothing to address income inequality, other than to maintain the status quo.
I know that some have been disappointed with Obama winning the nomination, but I hope that everyone will eventually stand behind him. We need change in this country and maybe, if we all push Obama to stand up for the majority of us, we will get the change that we want and so deserve. Obama speaks of health care reform and addressing income redistribution. I think that if we make our voices louder than those of corporations and the wealthy elite, we may get these things... but the possibility is only there given that our next President is Obama and not McCain.
Lastly, one of our fundamental rights as workers in this country is our right to join unions. However there is no teeth to this right. The Employee Free Choice Act would change this, and restore workers' freedom to form unions and bargain with employers. McCain is opposed to this.
So please, if you can spare a small amount of your time, write to your political representatives and urge them to support "The Employee Free Choice Act." Whether you can, or want, to join unions, remember that unions improve the working and income conditions for ALL workers.
Also, If you can spare more than a little time, volunteer for Obama's campaign and try to help him win in November (I am).
What really scares me is how much the income inequality of today resembles that of the 1920's and 30's, where a majority of wealth was held in the hands of the few.
When you look at the data today, the incomes of 1% of the US population has skyrocketed, while that of the majority has flatlined or decreased. Just the other day there was an article on the salaries of CEOs, which continues to climb significantly, despite the slow economy and decreasing wages of ordinary Americans.
Pundits tell us that it's immigrants, liberals, or the price of oil taking money out of the pockets of Americans. However the real cause for the increasing income disparity is the lack of labor power in the US. During the New Deal and up until the 60's, union membership was at it's highest. Even workers who were not in unions benefited from union membership. Companies would offer workers higher wages and benefits to prevent them from unionizing (called Welfare Capitalism).
Corporations were eventually able to strip labor protections from the American workforce and union membership has shrunk in this country. As union membership has shrunk, labors voice and influence has all but been erased from politics.
I wrote Obama a letter recently. I knew that he wouldn't read it, but it was something that I needed to write. I told him my fears and my hopes for him. My main fear - that he's another political centrist, putting himself in the middle so as not to upset the right or industries that might line his pockets. My main hope - that he really could and would change this country for the better.
Despite me fears regarding Obama, I know that we need him in office.
McCain is so similar to Bush. He has voted the same way as Bush 89% of the time. An example of McCain's bad policy is his solution for health care, which is to tax health care benefits. Right now we have the "luxury" of our health care benefits (if you are lucky enough to have them) being tax free. McCain would like to change this, costing Americans much, much more for health care. Given McCain's propensity towards tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations, I assume that he will do nothing to address income inequality, other than to maintain the status quo.
I know that some have been disappointed with Obama winning the nomination, but I hope that everyone will eventually stand behind him. We need change in this country and maybe, if we all push Obama to stand up for the majority of us, we will get the change that we want and so deserve. Obama speaks of health care reform and addressing income redistribution. I think that if we make our voices louder than those of corporations and the wealthy elite, we may get these things... but the possibility is only there given that our next President is Obama and not McCain.
Lastly, one of our fundamental rights as workers in this country is our right to join unions. However there is no teeth to this right. The Employee Free Choice Act would change this, and restore workers' freedom to form unions and bargain with employers. McCain is opposed to this.
So please, if you can spare a small amount of your time, write to your political representatives and urge them to support "The Employee Free Choice Act." Whether you can, or want, to join unions, remember that unions improve the working and income conditions for ALL workers.
Also, If you can spare more than a little time, volunteer for Obama's campaign and try to help him win in November (I am).