Are you really Taxed Enough Already?

As the April 15Th income tax deadline anxiety rose, a different type of anxiety took shape in many U.S. cities, a grassroots movement called a T.E.A. party (which stands for taxed enough already) was taken to the streets. The TEA Party movement is based on the idea that the federal government is over taxing the citizens of this country out of prosperity and taking away money from people who have worked hard for their wages. I have to add that this is group is composed of nearly an all-white following, which may play a role in their dissolution towards the current government? Are these folks really concerned about the possibility of their taxes going up in 2011 or is this movement really about what they perceive their taxes are going to be funding?

I have to raise the point of concern that a pseudo-mob of middle class and upper financial class demographic displaying their displeasure of American tax policy is a little disturbing and a little funny. The last time I checked, the people that were complaining on April 15Th were the people who composed the policies. The conservative television news stations, particularly Fox News, stoked the fire of the protesters that attended the rallies. Isn't it funny to hear Fox News try to be the voice of the populist movement in this country?

Where were these people the past 8 years? NO wait! Where were these disgruntled Teabaggers the last 30 years? This is not some protest on tax policy. This is another example of the racial dog whistle that gets blown by conservative wingnuts to protest this country's new direction as a whole. The change that these people believe in, would be making this the country for 1920 again. A reminder that the 1920s was a time of extreme inequality from rich to poor, and before the social protections of the New Deal like Social Security and Medicare.

Quotes like this were common place from the T.E.A. parties that took place on April 15Th:

“We, the taxpayers who pay the majority of taxes, are sick of supporting those who do not carry their load, we're sick of paying to fund social programs to support those who sit and wait for handouts, we're sick of funding businesses whose fiscal irresponsibility has led to their collapse without a bailout. We are trying to send a message to Congress that We the People have had enough.” --Unnamed Protestor

This angry tax dissenter was not actually complaining about the amount of taxes he has to pay. He was complaining about how the amount of taxes he has to pay will be possibly used to fund government social programs that affect the less fortunate. I feel that it is my responsibility to keep reiterating that poverty disporportionatly effects people of color in this country. The unnamed protestor does not want to support the policies of a president that has vowed to extend a helping hand to those less financially fortunate. The particulary program isn't the point. It could be welfare, Affirmative Action, the worker's right to organize, ACORN, etc., the real point is that the Teabaggers percieve these people are getting a "gift" and the Teabaggers want their gift too.

The Teabaggers were voicing their concerns against immigration and unbridled government spending. After the largest deficit increase in American history, kept them on the sidelines, a new type of president gets these folks up in arms and out on the streets. These rally goers are okay with funding a 10 billion dollar a month war where we invade a country that had zero terroristic connections, but they are not okay with school reconstruction and public health care for the poorest Americans that cannot afford it.

The war in Iraq and Afganistan can easily be seen as another neo-crusade for the hearts and minds of civilization. As Pat Buchanan has said "all politics are not local, all politics are tribal". When our tribe of American soldiers were authorized to go invade Iraq, it was immediately regarded as a Christian imperative to bring democracy and choice to the Iraqis.

This entire movement, no matter how rediculous it may seem to the intelligent people of this country, should be taken seriously, because it highlights several important pillars of a still existing American society. The reverberation from the stains of racism and the original sin of slavery can still be felt in this country. Intolerance towards immigrants is not conservatism, it is just a different form of thinly veiled racism that has taken over the far right.

What should the responsible citizens say to the voiced discontent of the Teabaggers? We should say "to hell with your whining!" For the last 30 years this country has been hijacked by deregulation that have conducted wars under false pretenses and have promoted a mindset that is bent on taking America back to the time of the robberbarons. This country is going through a change. It is a change of evolution not revolution. The evolution of pervailing ideas. If the presidency of Barack Obama does nothing in the next 4 years, he is still not a complete failure. President Obama changed this country, he changed the way we observe this country. When we watched the inauguration in January, those waiving American flags from the sea of observers, were our tickets to a new America. This sect of the country that feels like they have lost something, they did. They lost their tickets to their time machine ride of deregulation back to the 1920s. They lost their stranglehold of concentrated power from the hands of a few all white men. They may be taxed enough already, but I hope the mental taxation of the dawning of a new America dwindles their followers.

Only the Children?

This week, President Obama was asked again and again about deficits and spending during his second presidential press conference. We all know that the budget is very important, but aren't there more important issues than bickering over why the president wants spend money to improve our schools and the way we fund health care in this country. What I mean is there are very pertinent issues that plague our country and these issues only mildly even relate to money. My issue was highlighted by the reporter from Ebony Magazine who asked President Obama about children living in poverty in this country, children homeless, and the Hoovervillesqe 'tent' cities that are starting to pop up around the country. President Obama responded that he was "heartbroken" that any child would have to live like this in the world's richest country. He totally missed the point!

We are "heartbroken" for any child who has to live like this? How about any American who has to live like this? The problem we so massively suffer from in this country is a distorted perception of what is okay. It's not a politically winnable argument to feel sad for adults, who have made choices and ended up on the street, but we can cry for the children, because that is politically acceptable. You don't see people with any sympathy for the adults that are having a rough time. These tent cities house more than just children, but mothers with no place to go and fathers that cannot find work to put a roof over his family's head. It is not okay for children or anyone else to be living on the streets in the richest country in the world. We need to stand up and cry foul at the notion that poor people are the nation's losers and don't deserve the same respect as rich folks. Eating healthy food and drinking clean water should not be held as a privilege.

This is not an indictment on President Obama. I have the utmost respect for his political skills and talents, as well as Barack Obama the man. I just feel that part of the 'change' that this country sought out in 2008, is the change of moving beyond what is or has always been politically acceptable to what is right! Change cannot be a slogan or a poster for a campaign, but actual actions in the United States to better represent all folks from all circumstances. The poor folks in this country (some of which are sleeping in tents under freeways) tend to get left out of the change that politicians believe in. That needs to stop, and I'm not just speaking about the children.

Lets blame workers! Wait... who should we blame?

This is a very well written article, but I have to take the other side of this issue up in debate.

AIG's Larceny
Obama ''gets it,'' but Geithner clearly doesn't.
By Dan Gerstein

http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/17/geithner-obama-republicans-bonuses-opinions-columnists-aig.html?partner=email

There have been several articles and columns, very similar to this one, published in the last several weeks. Generally there is a public discourse of anger towards the financial institutions with the ongoing crisis, and those evil people responsible for ruining our economy. How about we look in the mirror to find the evil doers that ruined our economy?

Why are we so angry with the employees? So what that the employees at AIG are receiving a bonus. They had those in their contracts. AIG may be enemy number 1 on the news this week, just like Bernard Madoff was two weeks ago, but no one man, woman, or company derailed our financial system. To simply just throw blame towards the employees at AIG for the collapse of our banking system is just madness. How many people have worked a job, and had to perform a task they did not agree with??? ….. Oh yeah, that is right, EVERYONE! If I worked at AIG, and had to do my job just like all of us out there, and a perk to the daily grind of my job was a bonus of 1k or 5k, at the end of the fiscal year, that makes me a little happier. That just might be a little bit more of an incentive to keep me working. That money will allow my children a few nice things that maybe I couldn't afford throughout the year. Maybe I can afford a vacation with that money, so at least I don’t go crazy from my countless hours at work. Why are we so outraged at regular people that have to work? We all have to work. If everyone was just complaining about the highest level executives, that is an entirely different issue, but they can’t get fired all at once, because if no one knows what they’re doing, AIG will run like the Treasury department.

I find it incredible in this country to see level of executive envy and privilege, and the vile disrespect of ourselves, the everyday professionals. Whether we work at an uptown law firm, a downtown financial institution, a midtown factory worker or anywhere in between, we all have similar goals to provide a good home for ourselves and our loved ones. We just can't sweep this blame towards a few people or factions of our society. This is a failure of tremendous proportions, and we all have had a hand in this some way or another.

The economy was not ruined by people who work at AIG or Bear Stearns or any of the wall street elite. The economy was ruined by a failed ideology, that deregulation and low oversight of the market is good policy. No Wall Street bank or tycoon made the country overwhelming elect Reagan twice, and 2 Bushes for twelve more years at the helm of our country. We are the people that voted for those ideological policies and practices. We have failed us.

Most conservatives will speak of their belief in low government intervention and low taxes will allow individual hard work to triumph, so that individuals will be able to to pull yourself up "by your own bootstraps" with enough hard work and initiative. Now we have broken those bootstraps without a cobbler in sight! Low regulatory oversight and hardly any intervention has left us without a boot to pull up, so we look to blame someone for those broken bootstraps. Who can we blame? Lets blame the workers at footlocker and not government for making sure every shoe sold had to pass certain parameters. Who votes in the government leaders? We do, why are we so angry? We are getting exactly what we deserve. We voted for the people that have promoted those ideologies for the past 30 years. That is the beauty of democracy. Democracy rises and parishes on will of the people. So we can look no further than our ballots for the blame of this mess, not the worker!

Who is going to bring change to Palestine?

We are on the brink of a new age of American politics. Barack Hussein Obama will shortly take office and take a giant step at fulfilling the dream that so many African American men and women has dreamed about for oh so long. Will he be the great leader that so many Americans voted for? I don't know? In time, we shall see, but my question is bigger than the domestic wants for U.S. citizens. With change coming to America, who is going to bring change to the rest of the world's unfortunate. Who is going to bring change to Palestinians?

In recent history, American foreign policy has been a rubber stamp of approval for Israeli political and military decisions. This comes at a price for the Palestinians and their territories, who have perished by the thousands at the hands of the Israeli military invading Gaza. If you look at it this way, Gaza is a prison for people who have never been convicted of a crime besides being Palestinian. 79 percent of the households live in poverty, food and resources are obviously scarce for children and parents alike. Not to mention this is the region's punching bag, or missile test site for Israel; bridges, schools, power plants, and roads are destroyed on a regular basis.

This is not to say that all of the violence is unprovoked. Recently, the strength of the world's third strongest military has been on display in Gaza with their retaliation effort to the rockets fired by Hamas (democratically elected governing body of the Palestinian territories). Sadly, Hamas has decided that it would rather provide its people with bullets instead of butter. Sometimes, it is easier to start a battle than battle your domestic issues, like poverty.

I believe in one's right and ability to defend itself, but where does it end? The latest records display 13 Israelis dead and a staggering 1350 Palestinians, 80% of which were civilian. Since 13 people have died, does that give Israel the right to kill 1300?

In the states, we have heard a lot about change. Change has come to America. The only problem is that change can not just come to America. Change has to come to all those who live without justice. President Obama needs to stand up for more than just American lives and jobs, but stand up for the light in which The United States of America can still shine on the rest of the world. A continuing support of all that is Israel, is not change for those in Palestine.

Our New Years Resolution: Put the Human Back in Humanitarian

Every new year, I am inundated with questions about my new year's resolution. Do you want to save this much money? Do you want to buy your first home? Maybe Lew, you should start thinking about getting married? So for this year, I am going to declare a new year's resolution, and I think it is one we can all embrace. For 2009, we should put the human back in humanitarian.

This year, we shall no longer stand for homelessness and hunger in the Unites States. We live in the richest country in the world, and their are 34 million people living in poverty right here. If you listen to or watch the news, you would get the impression that poverty is for people in 1 dollar a month infomercials. It is not, it is right in our front and backyards! In the nation's capital, you don't have to travel five blocks from the White House to see homeless people sleeping on a park bench. This is absolutely disgusting! This is not what we should stand for.

For most people, a humanitarian is a person with a kind heart who will go out of their way to bring kindness to those around them. This kindness falls short on too many counts for too many people though. We live in a society where people will pick up a dog on the side of the road or alone in the park, feed the dog, take the dog in for shots at the vet, and will walk right past homeless people on the street. I wonder how many of those people have ever stopped to help a man or women down on their luck in the park? Would they bother to ask a homeless person where they are from or if they are in need of medical care? Where is the human element in picking up a stray dog or cat, but walking past a man or woman?

So our new year's resolution for 2009 is to put people first, no matter what creed or color. We can combat hunger and homelessness. Last year, there were so many voices carrying the chant "yes we can" and this year we can follow through by putting the human back in humanitarian.

I'm So Proud of You... America

I'm so proud of you America.  It has been a good year for a nation that is pushing 235.  This year you went out of your way to renew your promise to all your children, that no matter what background, face or race, you can achieve something great in the United States of America with hard work and a good education.  Did I mention you became the first Western nation to elect a man of color to its highest office in the land? What a year you have had.  Something great really came out of you in 2008.

America, you have shrugged off some of your darkest days of racial turbulence that was generated during the Civil Rights Era to produce a leader that really represents the diversity of your great land.  Just forty years ago, just one generation ago, your land said it was free, but your children were separated in almost every way they navigated your hills and valleys.  My parents tell stories of segregated schools, restaurants, water fountains, even music concerts. Now, we share everything, especially the hope for something greater that can come for your renewed promise.

Some theorist have given the name of black plight in the U.S. the 'slave mind'.  This is a theory of mental limitations that have been placed on a people, from generations of failure and lost dreams, to eventual acceptance of goals and rules that are less than what can be accepted for the majority culture.  This is the idea that obviously stems from slavery, "I am a slave.  My children will become slaves." as the cycle continues with no hope to become anything more. This wasn't that long ago.  My grandfather's grandfather was born in slavery, and there is no record of my family history past that because of trade.  That is why I am so proud of you today America.  To rise from the ashes of your own internal flame to let all your children shine down, on the message that there is nothing false about hope.    

An MSNBC commercial advertisement stated that "presidents can change lives", perhaps that could not be more true than with Barack Obama.  A black man in this country that has risen to the top of American culture without acting in a blockbuster movie, or singing a grammy winning album, or dribbling a basketball... well that last one is in question, but you know what I mean.  A man that has achieved prominence with proficiency of his intellect and hard work, not some act of pop culture.  I just can't stop smiling that all of this happened here, only could have happened here, in America.

 

Putting Integrity First

First off, before I get into any argument on ideology or American policy throughout history, I have to say that John McCain is not George Wallace.  Nor is John McCain a racist in any capacity, but his campaign has been treading on the other side of the line for weeks.  I will go as far as saying that an observer of the McCain campaign could possibly believe he or she woke up in a time machine and went back to 1968.  That is the problem.  We deserve more from our politics than cloaking fear and hatred with the idea of a "tough campaign".

John Lewis was not speaking out of turn last week.  In America, we cannot afford to ever turn a blind eye to intolerance.  There is a responsibility that comes with public office and public service and the ability to put people ahead of a political agenda should be at the top of the list. 

"Off with his head," or monkey dolls with Obama stickers should not be tolerated EVER! PERIOD!  Could you imagine the backlash if Obama supporters held up a G.I. Joe doll, with a McCain sticker, hanging from a stick.

Talking about pal"ling" around with terrorist.  The most prolific terrorist organization in American history is the Ku Klux Klan.  If you watched the debates on Wednesday, you heard John McCain say how proud he is of all the people that support him, and come to his rallies. Look at what the republican campaign has been building upon the last two months.  Republican campaign surrogates haven't even tried to hide their agenda for the racial attacks on Obama. And just for the record, when they say "we want to turn the page from the economic crisis, and make this campaign about character," what they really mean is that they want to make the campaign about race/religious anxieties/even his name. For the republican campaign, they see McCain's personal "character" easy for them to defend.  John McCain is white, a war veteran (hero), and oh did I mention that he is white.  He is just like you or your grandpa, whatever works for you.

Maybe I am an idealist just disguised as a realist.  Or maybe I am just saddened by the recent campaign efforts of a man that I truly admired.  I remember yelling with my parents, who are card-carrying democrats, after seeing the Clinton campaign wallow in the mud during the the Democratic primaries.  I told them that I am firmly against race politics, and I am going to vote for John McCain in November if Hillary won the nomination.  I want the 2000 John McCain Back!  He wouldn't pander to these hate filled crazies that are coming to his campaign rallies, because that John McCain was better than that.  Maybe the 2008 John McCain, could put his integrity first.