I’m not about to launch into some sort of rant that will validate Lou Dobbs’ “War on the Middle Class” myth, but even I have to wonder what’s going on these days. While I’m not arrogant or self-pitying enough to believe that the man behind the curtain has it out for us middle class slobs, it’s not difficult to see why so many people are feeling that way these days.
With the price of oil being triple what it was at the outset of the war in Iraq (yeah, THAT worked out well, eh??), the domino effect seems to be rippling through virtually every part of the economy. If you buy bread, gasoline, or milk (just to pick three random commodities), you’re no doubt fully aware of the steep increase in prices. I think we’d be less upset about this if wages were keeping up. Yeah, right; the price of gas has tripled over the past five years, but how many of us can say that we’re making three times what we were five years ago?
Yeah, that’s what I thought….
The end result is that those most vulnerable- middle class families, the elderly, the disabled- are the ones most adversely impacted by the economic New World Order. And for the rest of us, trying to make ends meet is no picnic, either. Hungry? Want to order a pizza? Well, with the increasing cost of flour, that pizza’s going to set you back a fair bit more than it did just a few short weeks ago. Need a vacation? How convenient…United just increased prices $50 across the board, and other airlines are considering the same thing. And I think I’ve already said enough about the price of gasoline.
Those of us of a certain age can remember Ronald Reagan campaigning for President on one simple question: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” How many of us could honestly answer that question in the affirmative today? I’m not certain that I could.
This may be oversimplifying things a bit, but I really do blame Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © for this mess. Hey, if you’re willing to take credit for the good times (and he certainly has been during his Reign of Error © ), you’d best willing to step up and accept responsibility for the bad. Yes, I understand that Presidents don’t effect the economy nearly as much as we (or they) would like to think, but Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © has been willing to praise himself and his Administration when things were going well. Now that the economy appears to be circling the drain, you can damn well bet that people like me (and we’re a surly, unforgiving collection of SOBs, aren’t we??) are going to hold The Worst President Ever © accountable. Hell, if Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid won’t, I’m willing to step up to the plate.
I can only speak for myself, and in the interest of full disclosure I’ll admit that I’m blessed in that I make a reasonable (though hardly opulent) amount of money. I carry very little debt, but if it’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to make ends meet these days, what must it be like for those less fortunate than myself? What must it be like paying $3.50 for a gallon of gasoline when you’re on a fixed budget and every gallon means less food on your table? Or when it forces a parent to make a choice between food or health care for their children?
We live in a world in which our leaders are far more concerned with looking out for Wall Street than Main Street. While I understand the macroeconomic realities of bailing out Bear Stearns…we’re supposed to make do with a $600 tax rebate (Oh, thank you, sir…may I have some more??)? How about economic policies that actually look out for the middle class instead of bailing out banks and other financial institutions that have allowed greed and poor judgement to lead them down the east side of the economic bell curve?
It would be nice to think that government is actually of, by, and for the Sheeple. The reality is that the Golden Rule (Those in positions of power look out for those friends who have gold) governs what happens inside the Beltway. Until Americans stop voting against their economic interests, we really have little room for complaint. After all, those of y’all who continually vote Republican are putting people into power who care only for your vote. Your opinion only counts once every four years. The other 1560 days, the message is a clear and unmistakable “(&^% you”. Until Americans can find it within themselves to remove their anteriors from their posteriors, exactly nothing will change.
Same as it ever was….
