The eve of destruction

The American middle class has been under nearly constant barrage from the radical right for three decades, starting with Reagan’s voodoo economics of the 1980s and intensifying under the hair-brained schemes of the Bush/Cheney reign.

Since the 2010 mid-term elections, the assault on the middle class has escalated beyond all reason to the point where our entire post-WWII standard of living may unhinge and collapse, thus signaling the death of the American way of life as we know it.

A strong and healthy middle class in the United States is what has set us apart from the rest of the planet. A middle class that gave the poor and needy a reasonable and attainable benchmark to strive toward. Each successive generation took steps upward on the ladder of social and economic progress.

Sadly, upon entering 2011, as other nations like India and Brazil continue to expand their sizeable middle class, the radical right puppets of the corporate aristocracy have seized  upon an opportunity to yank this ladder of upward mobility right out from under many of us and start hammering the final nails in the coffin of America’s middle class.

Unless there is a seismic about-face in our nation’s errant course in the next six months, this death knell will be irreversible for at least a generation. American society will  join the litany of nations with just two economic classes of citizen, the filthy rich and the desperate.

Saturday, February 26 presents an opportunity to turn our nation away from the radical right’s destructive path. Rallies to Save the American Dream will be held at all 50 state capitals at noon, local time.

We are sitting at the eve of destruction, folks, when it comes to our middle class. The ongoing political struggles in Madison, Columbus, Indianapolis, Lansing, and Washington are not just political skirmishes, but epic battles for the hearts and minds of the American populace. A loss at this point would deal a mortal blow to the hopes and dreams of millions.

Are we going to accept a lower standard of living so selfish billionaires and heartless corporations in their opulent boardrooms can lounge upon the broken backs of the working poor and former middle class? I hope not. But, if so, we will get exactly what we deserve — serfdom.

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11 blood pressure-raising income charts

Mother Jones has come out with some great charts that show the vast differences in Americans’ incomes these days: It’s the inequality, stupid. As the article points out:

A huge share of the nation’s economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top one-hundredth of one percent, who now make an average of $27 million per household. The average income for the bottom 90 percent of us? $31,244.

It’s a pretty safe bet that anyone who opposes closing that gigantic gap is in that one-hundredth of one percent.

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A just cause

The ongoing protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana are very important to those who work in the public sector for a variety of reasons, but one of the most important factors that has been largely overlooked is “just cause.”

Federal laws generally protect private sector workers from being fired for unreasonable or arbitrary reasons. However, the federal law does not apply to public sector employees unless that state happens to adopt it or something analogous to it (emphasis added).

Without a “just cause” provision, a public sector employee would become an “at will” employee. With the exception of being fired for race, creed, gender, or age under “at will” public sector employees could be terminated from their job for just about any reason.

If your public sector boss does not like the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the smell of your perfume, the music you listen to, or the tone of your voice, you can be unceremoniously canned on the spot.  Just imagine all the arbitrary and capricious reasons that could be made up to get rid of disliked employees or those who have differing political opinions.

So, when I hear so-called pundits and those in the private sector say that public sector workers have cushy jobs and boundless perks, I cringe, because they are flat out wrong.  In this particular case, the private sector employees have a distinct advantage over those in the public sector. That is why those brave protesters and representatives in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana who are fighting to retain collective bargaining are so critical. For without “just cause,” they may lose the only factor separating them from whims, quirks, notions, impulses, whimsy, and knee-jerks.

Just cause is indeed a just cause to fight for!

 

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Bring back ‘Firefly’!

A show that has been off the air much longer than it was on has resurfaced in the news recently. Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” was around for only one season, and not even a full one at that, back in 2002. Fans of the show are so passionate that every few months, a story is written about the push to bring the series back to television. The latest is from CNN, Internet-savvy ‘Firefly’ fans fly back into the fight. Writers and actors involved with the series all seem willing to go back into production if given the go-ahead.

Count me among the thousands–millions?–of people who would be thrilled to see “Firefly” back on the air. I was introduced to the show by a co-worker who loaned me her box set of the series. I loved it so much I bought my own copy, as well as the movie sequel, “Serenity.” I have also turned a couple of my family members into fans, and have run into “Firefly” aficionados everywhere. We all have one gripe about the show: it didn’t last long enough.

It’s hard to explain the appeal of “Firefly,” which can be loosely described as a western set it space. The cast was great and had amazing chemistry. The plots were original and entertaining. If you want to check it out for yourself, Hulu has the whole series up here. My favorite episodes are “Out of Gas” and “Ariel.” If you like what you see, join the campaign to bring it back to TV.

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