A LIBERAL VIEW OF THINGS: Conservatives’ injustice helped wake up America

It’s hard for me to admit, but I may have been wrong about slamming the Bush II administration so hard. I may also have been wrong about giving Ronald Reagan such a rough ride. Perhaps having Grover Norquist act like an ideological geek isn’t such a bad thing, pledges and all. In fact, I’m beginning to think that having these people, along with their pals Karl Rove, Dick Armey, Tom DeLay, Roger Ailes, Lee Atwater, Paul Wolfowitz and the gabbling neo-conservatives enter our history when they did is the best thing that could have happened to the United States.

The Occupy Wall Street movements made me think about why these folks are demonstrating. Are they just upset with the 1 percent of the super rich who own more than 50 percent of the country’s wealth, or are they just frustrated their college degrees, military service, skilled craftsmanship and artistic talents can’t earn them more than a meager existence, the one they hoped to avoid with hard work, diligence and continued education?

Maybe they’ve read about or seen enough of the injustice, hopelessness, crumbling infrastructure, declining public services and education and condescension the working classes have to endure in an ever-increasing, elitist-controlled society. Maybe it’s the sadness associated with having the moral and societal pact torn up between the working people in America and those who control the money that creates jobs.

Maybe it’s all of these thing …. and more.

Maybe the demonstrators are out there because of guilt. Maybe they’re embarrassed for having ignored the growing corruption and graft that put us in this pickle.

After decades of poor voter turnout, a 24-hour election cycle 365 days of the year that drains millions of dollars from productive endeavors, bought-and-paid for politicians, a complicit Supreme Court that has an elitist, ruling class agenda; industrial and capitalistic moguls who eagerly send our jobs to other countries, then hide their assets so they can avoid taxes; and a “let ’em eat cake” attitude from their “elected” representatives, they are compelled to demand what their government promised but did not deliver: CHANGE.

The fat, dumb and happy society finally saw what was happening from 30 years of creeping elitism and unregulated capitalism. They had to be shocked and insulted into realizing they were lied to and manipulated by those they trusted with their country.  These people out in the rain, the cold, the tear-gas, the rubber bullets and the nightsticks now want to vent their anger and their guilt.

They didn’t take charge of their country because they thought that a representative government would take care of them, protect them from the greed of the money interests and produce legislation that was good for the pursuit of happiness. They were wrong. They now know they let it happen.

“We the People….” didn’t do our jobs.

So, what are our jobs? If the current situation is any guide, maybe we should promote voter sophistication as a major household activity. Maybe we should all educate ourselves to the laws that affect us, examine the veracity of the people who say they want to represent us, study the issues on the ballot and become active in putting things on the ballot that are good for the people and our communities.

Maybe we should insist that everyone in our families and neighborhoods be registered to vote and also be aware of who and what is on the ballot. This is hard to do, but so are the alternatives of having no home, no money, no health care and no honest representation.

Those demonstrators occupying this or that city must realize what they are doing and why they are doing it. If they don’t they’ll be just like the uninformed voters who put the people in office who caused this mess in the first place.

I’d love to see some signs that say:  “We must have 100% voter turnout!”

Yes, we got lucky. Just in time, too. If the people had waited much longer, perhaps all their opportunities, jobs and dreams would end up in Malaya, India, China or Europe.  Thank goodness those I mentioned earlier here were so disruptive to American life that it woke up the people.