A dictatorship of a moneyed elite…
People of color are disproportionately employed in the service industries hardest hit by the pandemic, according to an analysis of employment data by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and unemployment rates reflect that: In February, 12.3% of Black workers in Texas were unemployed, compared to 9.3% of Hispanic workers and only 5.1% of white workers. In February 2020, the unemployment rates for each group were 4.7%, 4.7% and 2.5%, respectively.
By JM Hamilton (6-26-2021)
Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure deal this week was yet another reminder of how this administration has already given up on America’s working class and thrown them over the side of the country’s leaky – and condemned – ship of state, in favor of pandering to a right-wing GOP. The irony is the GOP could care less about working with this President, and Mitch McConnell has stated that he wants to see Biden fail. All this, when the Dems control both houses of Congress, and yet, refuse to exercise their power and authority already six months into the Biden administration.
The bipartisan infrastructure proposal, announced with great fanfare on Friday, is a dog. The proposal, as of yet - not even written up, is a fraction of what Biden proposed and contains little or no Green New Deal elements. Instead, Biden indicated that Dems would take a two-track approach and work on a more progressive infrastructure bill, simultaneously. It’s classic Washington, that is to say, completely backwards, corrupt, and incompetent. And of course, the two infrastructure bills will take months to pass if they ever pass at all.
Already the two sides, Dems & GOP, are bickering, after Biden said he’d veto the bipartisan bill, if he could not pass the more progressive Dem bill, simultaneously … only to backtrack on Saturday (today) and indicate that he wouldn’t veto the bipartisan bill, after all. Confused? No worries, you’re in good company. The Ivy League brain trust, in Washington, has no clue as to what they are doing either.
When the final history of American democracy is written, it will reflect that Obama walked a deranged lunatic into the White House, and that Biden will undoubtedly do the same, as he fails to meet his obligations and promises to American labor, independents, and the working class.
Washington occupies a bubble and does everything in its power to crush labor, and disenfranchised Americans, by ignoring the public’s request for wildly popular: Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Living Wage, and Infrastructure programs. The public also wants to see the exceptionally wealthy pay for these programs; but so far, the bipartisan deal calls for America’s old infrastructure to be sold off to the wealthy at fire-sale prices (undoubtedly so that they can extract rents from the American public) … just like they do in poor countries.
That’s right America, we are just another corrupt banana republic, another kleptocracy, that is being busted out – a la Soprano – for America’s rapacious billionaire class.
All of this, of course, is happening while unemployment benefits, rent moratoriums, and utility breaks are rapidly coming to an end, at a time when the US economy is anything but fully recovered, and tens of millions of workers are unemployed, underemployed, given up looking for work, and are subjected to wage slavery. See minorities and women in particular, Biden’s base, who the President does not appear to give a damn about. Meanwhile, the plague is resurgent throughout Southern GOP states, and Trump’s and Biden’s one time stimulus checks have long ago run out for America’s bottom half.
How do the two parties get away with it? Simple, both parties serve the same billionaire/multinational masters. They know the political pendulum swings back and forth, and the public has nowhere to run but to the failed two-party system. Biden’s primary strategy appears to be to burn up the legislative clock, pretend to be working on his agenda & campaign promises (which are already DOA), and pander to his wealthy donors (basically, ensuring a rigged US economy and Washington remain untouched from change and reform).
How do I know that Biden’s agenda is dead, that he has no intention of fulfilling his campaign promises…watch the Federal Reserve, who indicates they are getting ready to taper because they are satisfied with the progress of the American economy. That is, if the FED was still concerned about the economy, or thought they’d need to finance yet more crisis programs or New Deal legislation, there’d be little or no discussion about tapering ultra-accommodative monetary policy.
But I digress, the problem for Biden, the Dems, and Americans is, the GOP is playing for keeps, and the coup they started on January 6th is still very much alive and in motion. We see this with massive voter suppression efforts, and the installation of Trump lackeys in key state positions … positions that will certify, or not, future elections. Moreover, the Dems haven’t lifted a finger to bring GOP coup leaders, in Congress, to trial (nor the GOP’s donors).
What many Americans fail to realize is none of this has to be this way. There are western governments that actually work and function on behalf of their citizen. There are democratic governments that are effective and get things done expeditiously. In Canada, the Trudeau government has been highly effective in taking care of its citizens with progressive policies, like a UBI. And this same government has already vaccinated greater than 75% of the population, with first time vaccine doses. The NY Times reports America’s comparable number is less than 55%. Do I agree with everything the Liberal government does… absolutely not. But because the Liberals, partnered with the NDP, are so effective, and generally, do the right thing on behalf of Canada’s citizens… this humble American, blessed with dual Canadian citizenship, just has to marvel at the Canadian government’s success (vis a vis, the never-ending corruption and failure that is the American government).
Who benefits from the malaise surrounding the US government, who encourages the partisanship and the atomization of the American electorate, who ensures that culture wars/social conflicts are never resolved (and wages remain stagnant) … so that Americans don’t have a moment to look up and see who is really destroying theirs and their children’s futures? Well, that’s the billionaire and donor class, who know that if they can keep America divided, its citizens are less likely to notice that as the national debt soars, the billionaires and multi-millionaires are growing richer, and richer, and richer (and more numerous).
And public largesse, by the trillions, is being laundered through America’s debt and stock markets, as the national debt soars ever higher: #BustOut.
It’s the ultimate transfer of wealth from the many into the hands of a few. It’s probably already too late to reform, America is already run by a dictatorship… A dictatorship of a moneyed elite. Given the path the Biden administration is traveling down, Americans soon may not even have the illusion - or pretense - of a two-party system.
Copyright JM Hamilton Publishing 2021
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