House Of Public Discourse
Is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action.
Bernie's Populist Message Is Striking Home With The American People
Bernie Sanders message is exploding and his recent surge in the political polling suggests that his narrative has become a political tidal wave. Sanders has an ever increasing lead in New Hampshire and has come from way back in the Iowa polls to take a four-point lead. Also, in the national polls, the Sanders campaign has caught a once thought insurmountable lead by the Clinton campaign to be within the margin of error.
Bernie Sanders rallies have drawn record crowds even in the Red States. Bernie Sanders message is electrifying crowds and part of the reason his message is not picking a war of words with his opposition or throwing Latino's, African Americans, Muslim's, and immigrants under the bus. He is not throwing people who disagree with him out of his rallies. Bernie Sanders message is resonating because his narrative is speaking to people, not from an authoritarian or entitlement perspective he [Sanders] is speaking about issues that people genuinely care about and affect their lives.
Bernie Sanders message is one of populism. So, what is populism?
People are not only agreeing with Bernie's message how the rich have skated by and not paid their fair share of taxes they can personally relate to its truth. Young people are thrilled to hear Bernie's plan for making public college education free and reducing interest rates on student loan debt. When people become aware of Bernie Sanders long record of defending Social Security they appreciate his efforts and embrace his goal of expanding it. People who have been chastised or locked up for non-violate drug offenses support whole-heartedly Bernie's plan to decriminalize marijuana.
Bernie Sanders message has gone from a lone cry in the wilderness to a major political tidal wave that is sweeping the nation. In this writer's view, this should not be surprising. People are becoming more and more aware that our country and government has been sold to the highest bidder and as such the political process has been rigged. When you focus on the language that the Sanders campaign is using versus the Republicans and Hillary Clinton he uses the pronoun We, not I. We not only includes himself or herself but considers all of us " We The People."
Bernie Sanders message is not one of authoritarianism which suggest put your faith in me because I can to this and I can do that instead it's a populist one that says we can do great things if we come together to fight these plutocrats who are destroying our democracy. Bernie's message is not one of " I am the only one qualified to lead" but one of " We can bring about positive change together as " We The People."
Bernie Sanders speaks to the people, not at them. He is not telling people what to think. His message says I understand what you think and we are all together in a common accord. This factor is what is causing the surge in the polls for Bernie Sanders and puts daylight between him and Hillary Clinton and the entire Republican presidential field.
What's even more important to point out is these issues that Bernie Sanders is advocating in his campaigns platform are not issues on the campaign trail but issues he has worked on his entire career as a public servant. Bernie Sanders has a solid voting record to back up his rhetoric. There is no questioning his integrity of genuineness. Bernie Sanders has an 81% approval rating in Vermont Sanders home state.
There is no mass evolving or having to admit mistakes and people don't have to worry that Bernie will not work hard to fulfill his promises. This character is one the American populist have been craving. Bernie Sanders has accountability which in turn gives him credibility. Bernie Sanders has a record that can be validated. Bernie Sanders has built and continues to build a sense of trust with the American populist.
Unlike Hillary Clinton who has openly admitted mistakes to her credit and evolved on one issue after the other. Moreover, Bernie Sanders has a political record, unlike Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
The political establishment of the Democratic party and their preordained choice and their authoritarian follower base can't wrap their heads around the political tidal wave that is Bernie Sanders but the American people have and it's reflecting in the polls as of the rendition of this essay.
Plutocracy Has Turned Our Democracy Upside Down And Its Happen Before.
The rising rate of inequality in America matters and there are several reasons why. Some American say it doesn't or they don't seem to care. These Americans are living in a fantasy world. History has shown us that plutocracy is bad for America and “History Does Repeat Itself in Politics."
In the real world, inequality is a thief and it is an alienating force. The rich are buying elections at every level of our democracy. Local, state, and federal levels it doesn't matter. Corporations are buying politicians to shape our laws to their advantage. Regardless of the consequences to our environment and our economy.
The basic needs of life are affected by inequality resulting from plutocracy. For example, affordable housing. Across America, people of ordinary means cannot afford decent housing. In certain parts of the country like in New Jersey three out of five couples can't afford a two-bedroom apartment at market rates. In San Francisco, residents from an angry middle class have taken to the streets in protest to the plutocracy of Silicon Valley elites who have created a market on Real Estate that has thrown average citizens out on the streets.
These stories of unfairness could be documented city by city state by state. In the 20 largest metro areas in America, less than 50% of the homes are affordable.[See Source] This reality hit this writer dead in the face back in 2003 when I took a job working in the New York garment district. I thought the world was at my disposal an 85k salary was the most in my lifetime and I was sitting on top of the world. This euphoria quickly came to an end when I started to look for housing. It was very discouraging to say the least.
In communities all over America, the rich are driving up real estate values making it virtually impossible for the working poor to obtain good housing. The growing impressive skylines of our major cities is a constant reminder of how wealth and power have driven the everyday American into a life of having to settle for less.
This is just one example why inequality matters?
Not only does inequality matter but we should also reflect why the ills of plutocracy have cast a long shadow on our democracy. Rich people in America think they are the wealth creators. They feel that all us mere minion are parasites living off them. They have the gall to argue that there is too much government regulation and that's what killing the American economy.
We are living in an age where we have wealth inequality raging down on us like a "bull in a china shop." For example, take New York City where wealth inequality rivals any third world country. According to our research of the 25 most populated cities in America New York is one the most unequal. The median income for the bottom 20% was less than $9,000 while the top 1% of New Yorkers have an income of 2.2 million. Across America, this divide between the super rich and everybody else has become as wide as the Grand Canyon. Major economic studies have indicated that this chasm has and will stifle jobs and economic growth for years. [See Source]
Never in our history as a nation has the top one hundredth of the one percent owned more of our wealth or paid as low a tax rate. Current Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is trying valiantly to make this issue a focal point of his campaign. In the view of the House of Public Discourse rightfully so. However, in the debates thus far the topic has only been skimmed over.
We here in the House of Public Discourse put this issue way up on our priority list way before Bernie Sanders announced his run for president. [ America The Land Of Inequality]
Income inequality has risen and continues to rise to its highest levels since the time of the "Great Depression." This inequality is growing daily and should be the most pressing issue in a Democratic Party presidential race. Why has it not? One reason the Democratic Party hierarchy are just as addicted to money in politics as the Republicans and talking about this issue is still taboo. It's the old " don't bite the hand that feeds you" syndrome. That big money in politics is the law of the land and no matter how wrong this is how the game is played and not to go along with the game means sure defeat for the Democratic Party.
I would like to pose a hypothetical question but one that has relevance. When you talk about poverty in America politicians run and jump for the opportunity to speak about the issue and what they would do to help the problem. However, when you ask those same politicians to talk about one of the main reason for growing poverty in America and around the world " Wealth Inequality" and the role plutocracy plays in it mums the word. Why?
When you talk about poverty in the abstract it has this feel good ring to it people love feel good stories. When I say feel good I mean that people love hearing how someone or group is going about helping the poor. But, when you ask politicians their views on wealth inequality and how the wealth has been distributed among the top 1% they become hesitate or refuse comment altogether. Could it be their wealthy donors will not like it very much?
The growing wealth inequality resulting from plutocracy is the biggest economic challenge we face in America today. Moreover, discussing the issue for corporate owned politicians is threatening to them. No sooner than President Obama suggested a higher tax rate for the rich in America you heard this cry of "Class Warfare" coming from the Plutocrats and their hip-pocketed politicians.
Let's be clear here no one is attacking anybody for their personal success. But, as a writer and someone who takes pride in writing about where the research takes me would be wrong not to point out that much of the blame for this inequality rest on the backs of the so-called New Democrats. After the defeat of Walter Mondale in 1984, the hierarchy corporate Democrats made a conscious decision that we're never going to lose the funding battle involved with running a political campaign again. This mindset did nothing but help the problem of wealth inequality grow.
Yes, the Democrats continued to campaign on the social issues the same way they have before containing their liberalism in that sense. However, economically these corporate centrist Democrats began to side more and more with Wall Street and the very rich. The bottom line is that the Democrats do not represent the poor like they used too and the issue of representing the poor is being put further back on the burner in 2016.
This issue does not affect just the people at the bottom of the economic scale it also affects the middle class as well. The middle class has been hammered by plutocracy. Their jobs have been sent overseas and the recent Obama supported TPP trade deal will only make this reality worse. We are not advocating isolationism and we embrace globalization as being a good thing for society as a collective. But, we need to address these issue in America first in the view of this writer and the one candidate we see doing this is Bernie Sanders. Not just on the campaign trail but throughout his over 25 years in public service.What is tragic is that factions from the top and the politicians they own
are trying to slant the political process even more in their favor.
Why Are Americans So Passive About Wealth Inequality Resulting From Plutocracy?
For starters, the poor people in this country have been totally demoralized by the unfairness in our political process. Many have surrendered. They feel their voice is one crying in the wilderness. When you have residents from poor and minority communities being stop and frisked and shot by police without proper cause in many cases it tends to make one indifferent to politics period. It makes the rising up and voicing concerns difficult.
There is also a relentless narrative coming from mainstream media, Christian Right fundamentalist pastors, and right wing politicians that paint this picture that being in poverty is a person fault and people who are rich deserve to be rich and that all these poor people need to go just " fend for themselves."
Lots of Americans have become disillusioned about their financial situation and feel nothing can save them from their poverty. Some people who are poor actually believe they deserve to be poor.[See Source] For this reason, poor people are not motivated to get out and revolt against a system that is repressing them.
What Happens If America Leaves This Issue Of Wealth Inequality Unchecked?
If we as a collective society do nothing wealth inequality will continue to take us to a very bad place. Our political process will be even more captured. The top 1% super rich will do whatever they can to control our political systems. More importantly, the cognitive capture by the mainstream media and the vast conspiracy theorist like Alex Jones. One of the main reason for the financial crisis in 2008 was the entire intellectual establishment not just people inside investment banks, but regulators, academic economists, and financial journalist got mesmerized by the financial sector's vision of how the economy should work.
Also, there is a broader cognitive capture perpetrated by the intellectual class that plutocracy is inevitable and that if you are poor it's your own fault and that you're part of this 47% dependent class. Unions are bad. This cognitive defect increases if wealth inequality is not addressed.
Global elites proclaim they're acting in the collective interest of society while evidence shows they're acting for their own personal vested interest. What this leads to is a continued downward spiral of social mobility. Social mobility is decreasing year by year in America.
We see powerful sectors like the Oil, Technology, and Finance industries receiving government subsides funded by the taxpayers. With less and less tax money going to the middle class and poor. That is why we see this full blown war on the first step up entitlement programs.
Why Are The Plutocrats So Eager To Cut Entitlement Sending?
The answer is a simple one. They [Plutocrats] don't need it and they don't want their tax dollars funding it! Where was that outrage when the six trillion dollars of bailout money was coming their way? This is something in this writer's view we should all worry about. All of these factors do stifle economic growth. What America has evolved into is a Latin America type society where you have really rich people at the top and the majority of the population really struggling.
The Bottom Line.
The Plutocrats and their plutocracy in Washington are so close to monopolizing our government. For that reason, it's the view of the House of Public Discourse that the election now confronting us is truly the most important in my 55 year lifetime. Our government has been bought lock, stock, and barrel. This has made change from within impossible. Only a revolution by “We the People" can change this ominous tide of corruption and basic unfairness. Washington has become a looted city because of plutocracy and the only people benefiting from the spoils are the Plutocrats. They get the tax breaks off the backs of the middle class. They get the legislative loopholes that their money buys them through influence peddling. They are awarded government contracts from payoffs and bribes. Just like Bernie Sanders has expressed on the campaign trail they have fixed the system. These Plutocrats pay a lesser tax rate than school teachers, police, firefighters, and basic caregivers. We are giving subsidies to rich corporations and denying food stamps to poor working people, they remove oversight of the Wall Street casino speculators and bailout the crooks who drove our nation's economy into the ditch. They fight reinstatement of Glass-Steagall and are against the reforms of Dodd-Frank. They provide tax havens for multinationals and stick it to the American workers and consumers. And, the most serious ill of all the American middle class and low wage workers pay the tab that these Plutocrats write off. This is " Why the ills Of Plutocracy Matter!"
