The Emerald Rose

As this country began to come out of the Great Depression It was widely recognized that more was needed than just the repeal of the Prohibition Amendment of the late 20’s to make Americans powerful and productive once again. Not only did we have to make them productive, but we had to design a system to provide for the future, to provide the “hope” so badly crushed by the Depression. So the Franklin D. Roosevelt “New Deal” government began the highway that would take us as a country, back to slavery. In his defense I don’t believe that was the intent, but a politicians intent is only as farsighted as his term of office!
The great “hope” policy, or the enactment of the Social Security Act was a masterful creation to provide the famed “carrot” for Americans to put the shoulder back to the wheel. It offered a “reward” for all the toil at the end of the rainbow, a government stipend for the rest of your life once you reached retirement age. How wonderful it seemed, a small token of money was witheld from the paychecks and would be put to work helping to grow the economy of this country, and then the workers would get it back when they could no longer work and retired. A simply marvelous contract that was supposed to be a perpetually funded and growing “national pension”, but the increase in life span, the phenomonal improvements in health care, and pharmaceuticals all put the Social Security Act in the position where it is today, with a sunset on the horizon. It would not have been that way had the original intent of a Social Security TRUST Fund been installed, but once again the politicians fingers dipped in and “borrowed” from the monies that were supposed to be held in sacred trust for the American people.
Along with Social Security came two other very significant “engines” designed to keep America from ever getting to the brink, like the Great Depression, again. They were the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, and The National Securities Act of 1934. One to ensure our Labor force was “organized” and working toward every workers hope of the American Dream, and the other organizing the operation and management of the basis of our wealth, our Corporate Investment Markets and players. No one wanted anyone jumping out of windows anymore as on “Black Friday” in October of 1929.
As things rapidly began to move us back on track the European politics began to interfere.Adolph Hitler in Germany and Emperor Hirohito in Japan were edging the world closer to another brink,…the horrors of WWII, and the decimation of the European and Japanese economies. Once again Americans moved toward the situation very cautiously,….and then came Pearl Harbor. Now Americans mobilized, the deep sense of patriotism brought hundreds of thousands to volunteer for the war effort, not only in the Armed Services, but at home in the plants and factories and businesses of America. For the first time women stepped forward and put thie shoulder to the wheel,…Rosy the Riveter was born, and we moved ahead some more.

      Back in the time machine Elwood,…”Poof!” Ok here we are in 2008. Let’s see what’s going on.

      Our older folks, now me included, we’re living longer, we are healthier (sort of), the average life expectancy has jumped to 78 years old, from a 1950’s of only 61 years old!

     But Social Security is shot. The estimates are insolvent by 2040. (Shit that means I’m not going to get anymore checks when I’m 95. How am I goiung to be able to afford a pint o’ Guinness each afternoon?) Was it our fault it is folding up quicker than a cheap tent? NO! It’s the idiots we elected that smiled, promised us “We’ll take care of you,don’t worry!” and then sold us down the river to be “one of the boys and get re-elected forever! Am I bitter over that, no just flat mad at myself for not figuring out how to “get me some of that.”

      And the Labor Relations Acts of the 30’s, including the Tafty-Hartley Act of 1947 that were going to empower our working people to trade thier sweat and toil for a “place in the sun” as they retired? Well the best I can say here is go to Wally-World and check the age of thier employees. Gee! This is thier “place in the sun” because they can’t make ends meet if they don’t work, and the “benefits” like health, dental, etc they were supposed to get for thier thirty years of boring toil for thier company,…gone now the “Medicare” program run by the government replaces the dropped programs by thier former companies who basically said “This is too expensive, go somewhere and die will you please?”

     And while we are at it our National Securities Act and all the banking regulations we’ve put in place. Is that why more banks are failing, more stocks are collapsing and sub-prime mortgages, another fine product of our American know how, have been farmed out around the world and are tearing up everyone’s economy as well!

      We’ll publish this one as part of the “What the Hell is wrong with the world” section.

    Sorry for the rant, but I am getting more frustrated every day with my fellow countrymen. What has Barack Obama actually done, accomplished, etc? Can anyone tell me just one meaningful contribution he has made to this country? One single little bitty teeny weeny thing? Oh he dresses “cool”, talks slick, but so what! We are in hard times we need a hard leader to kick this government in the butt and get us back on track. Get rid of oppressive taxation, put dignity back into the work ethic, as someone just sent me a commentary recently, “If I have to take a random drug test to keep my job, how ’bout those bastards on welfare having to do the same thing? Is that fair or what?”

    I am going to form the “Ostrich Party” be a member, join today, send in your pledge and contribution right away, I need the money! Now how much more hionest can I be? Join the resto f the Ostriches, for get Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, “Green” (now that one makes no sense to me, check the late George Carlins thought on that) parties, be proud, be an Ostrich get your head in the sand and don;t worry, be happy!

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