American Liberty in Jeopardy? You decide

Is our Liberty in jeopardy here in America? You decide for yourselves, or perhaps you have already decided with your vote.

A government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich is far more likely to continue with Republicans back in power. We should know for sure very shortly.

But what you may not know, is that the Democrats are not much better. How can the rich (and there are no poor folks in Congress) ever really understand the struggles and despair of the impoverished? Look at their priorities and it is easy to see how disconnected every member of Congress is from “main street America.”

Since early this year, Washington has left millions of unemployed workers without the money, in the form of jobless benefits, to pay their rent or mortgage and feed themselves and their families. These most unfortunate souls are known as the 99ers. Had the Democrats not been so arrogant as to assume the 99ers would vote for them no matter what, and instead passed the Tier 5 bill before they recessed (yet again) they (the Dems) would not be sweating bullets worrying about their jobs. Hey Ms. Pelosi - I’ll bet you are not laughing at the 99ers now.

This Summer, the Democrats refused to budge on funding Unemployment extensions using money from TARP or the Stimulus Package.

But, Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers, saw a proposed $19 billion tax shifted from their assets onto working people. While the toothless financial reform bill passed by Congress earlier this year was initially to be paid for by taxing the institutions most responsible for the financial meltdown of 2008, the Democratic leadership caved to Republican objections, agreeing to fund it instead with money left over from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)—funds that otherwise would have gone to decrease the US deficit. Instead, those billions in deficit reduction will be gouged out of programs that benefit the working class and the poor.

So Democrats refused to compromise to get badly needed UI benefits passed for hurting Americans, but they did compromise with Republicans to fund the so called Financial Reform Bill via those TARP funds. What is more important? Saving Americans from homelessness and starvation, or passing a weak Financial Reform Bill that barely makes a difference to Wall Street moguls, crooks and thieves?

Also let us not forget, while slashing funds for the jobless and the working population generally, Congress approved $33 billion to pay for the escalation of the nine-year-old war and occupation in Afghanistan, bestowing billions of dollars on a corrupt Afghanistan regime. Although there may not be oil in Afghanistan - there is reportedly over $1 trillion in untapped minerals in the earth there.

Taken together, these actions provide an unmistakable portrait of a government that is of the rich, by the rich and for the rich—one that is utterly unresponsive to the needs and wishes of the vast majority of the American people. The actions of the US Senate (the “millionaires club”), the House (where the average net worth is $650,000) and to some extent the Obama White House are determined by the interests of the banks, the corporations and the wealthiest one percent of the population, while the majority of the country, the working people, are abandoned to the mercies of the capitalist “free market.”

The Democratic House and Senate leadership have blamed Republican obstinacy for the defeat of these meager relief measures. The reality, however, is that both big business parties accept the doctrine of deficit reduction and agree that social spending—including the pittance offered to the unemployed—must be curtailed to that end. As for the Obama White House, it declined to make an issue of millions of workers being left destitute.

What is to account for the chasm that divides the interests of the working class majority from the policies of the two big business parties? According to the latest data released by the Congressional Budget Office 4 months ago, the income gap between the top 1 percent, America’s millionaires, and the rest of the population more than tripled between 1979 and 2007. During that period, the top one percent saw its after-tax income increase 281 percent, compared to just 25 percent for the middle fifth of the population.

No wonder the Democrats stand to lose the House and maybe the Senate as well. If and when that happens, the Democrats will have no one to blame but themselves. Had they passed Tier 5 they would be sitting pretty, confident of winning enough seats to safeguard their majorities in both the House and Senate.

No matter what happens as a result of today’s voting, Congress should NOT wait another 2 weeks to get back to Washington - as is scheduled. They should return immediately and get that Tier 5 Bill passed and extend the UI filing dates as well.

There is wide speculation that the lame-duck Congress will not be addressing the unemployment issues of Tier 5 or extending filing deadlines at all. If that proves to be the case, then there is little doubt that America will erupt into violent protests in towns across the nation - likely by Christmas.

Perhaps the Government is already aware of what is sure to come, as they seem to be preparing for civil unrest here on our own shores. They are already spending millions to arm the guards patrolling our unemployment offices.

According to RTTV News:

Twenty thousand additional U.S. uniformed troops, set to be trained by 2011, are to help as a response to the threat of a possible mass terror attack or civil unrest following an economic collapse. But despite assurances from the Pentagon, many Americans are worried by the prospect of seeing the military guard in the streets.