On the right hand, they say that there’s nothing that they will do and on the left hand, they say there’s nothing they can do. The fact is that both hands – right and left – are in the pockets of the corporations and ultra-rich – beholden to their financial backers.
We’re all fed up with establishment. In this political climate everyone is claiming to be anti-establishment, but let’s face it, the truth of the matter is that both the Democratic and Republican parties ARE the establishment. Voting for either of the major parties is voting to keep all these broken, dysfunctional policies in place.
The only solution is to break with the major parties and stand up for what we believe in. They say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Well they must take us all for a bunch of fools, because every time they keep playing us against each other with choices that range from bad to worse, and we keep voting for them.
Is it any wonder why we’re in such a mess? When multi-billion dollar corporations like Northrop and Exxon not only pay no tax at all, but actually receive huge multi-million dollar tax refunds.
California is the only State in the Union that does not charge royalties for oil and resource extraction. Instead we pay subsidies to companies who then ship all our jobs overseas, to China and India. It’s not immigrants who are taking our jobs away and destroying our economy – it’s the Wall Street crooks and CEO’s who care more about lining their pockets than the well being of Americans – those are the ones who are plundering our wealth and not paying their fair share and it’s about time that they start being held accountable.
It’s also time to end all bank foreclosures. They have stolen enough of our homes and thrown enough people on the streets – they have been paid three times over in bailouts and tax breaks. Enough is enough.
The only thing these establishment politicians in Sacramento care about is cutting what little we have left. Our schools have been pillaged left and right of all their resources. These are our children’s futures that are being auctioned off, but there’s plenty of money for prison cells.
Do the math. It costs $40,000 a year to house one prisoner and $100,000 a year to maintain each police officer. In the City of Los Angeles alone we have 10,000 police officers – that comes up to a whopping $1 billion. If we were to invest that kind of money into our schools and social services, we would have the best public education in the world and a huge reduction of crime.
And let’s look at our health care – or lack thereof. In a state where we have the 6th largest economy in the world, there is no excuse why our health care ranks at the bottom. Universal Health Care not only works, but it’s cheaper too. We can afford it and we must put that bill back on the Governor’s desk.
... to be continued ...
Third Populist Manifesto
The sons of another
Whitman awake
Retake the word
Retake the song
There is no time now
for sleeping till noon
in your shuttered rooms
There is no time now
as New York crumbles
beneath our feet
under the trampling
of a nation of sheep
as Kabul is wiped
off the map
as the Palestinian
follows in the footsteps
of the Native American
gone with the echoes
of a thousand mother’s cries
everyone asking “Why?”
Not for freedom
Not for democracy
But for a new kingdom
ruled by philanthropy
Yes, blood is thicker
than water
but not as thick
as oil
How many must still
be killed
to keep the drills
alive?
Where are the new Ginsbergs
the new Dylans
the voices of a new generation
with their cut-up jeans
and back packs?
Where are all the great
minds of today
Still roaming their
dark alleyways?
Yes, Ferlinghetti is still alive
but so too is Berlusconi
The usurper is still
in the House
And all the voices
remain silent
How many Kyotos
must be rejected?
How many Johannesburgs
over-ruled by a party of one?
How many rulers selected
and promises broken
before we stand up
and speak out
and take back
what should be ours
guaranteed by birth?
Whitman’s wild children
are all alive and well
So put down your glasses
and pick up your pens
Get on your buses
all going “Further”
And let your voices
be heard.
