Many pundits and writers are attempting, in vain, to put the current socio-economic maelstrom — that is presently devouring America — in its proper historical context. They have failed. Being 63 years of age, I have never experienced or seen anything like the present-day mess that looms like a dark and foreboding cloud over the entire United States of America. Almost every aspect and sector of American life is suffering.
What do I mean?
Here are some real-time examples:
-US auto manufacturers cannot get their hands on enough computer chips. As a result, tens of thousands of cars sit in rented parking lots unsold. Most auto computer chips are created in northeast Asia — particularly in Taiwan. The continued covid outbreaks in northeast Asia, and the never-ending supply-chain nightmare in East Asia, keeps this part of the world in a chaotic state.
Hence, the US, European, and the rest of the Western markets are now literally hostages of their own creation — ‘globalization’. The West had almost completely gutted their electronic industries since 1980. Now the proverbial ‘chickens have come home to roost’.
The West’s shortsighted (and greedy) economic policies that destroyed and outsourced millions of living-wage jobs are now coming back to haunt, if not derail, the economies of the West.
-It is with bitter irony, according to sources within the auto industry, the number of Americans who are viewed as potential consumers of new cars has shrunk dramatically in recent years. Why?
Since 1980, millions of middle-class manufacturing jobs have vanished. The vast majority of workers have never recovered financially. Along with the economic calamities of 2000-2001 and 2007-2009, the number of ‘downshifted’ workers have grown by the millions!
-In 2022, Consumer Reports published an article that stated the median price of a new car had risen to $47,000.
In the summer of 2021, an article in The Wall Street Journal, stated that seven to eight million Americans have fallen from their middle-class echelon into the ranks of the working poor, or into poverty itself.
4.2% of Americans do not own or have direct access to a car. Conservatively, that amounts to 13 million Americans lacking access to an automobile.
Of course, the corporate TV media never mentions or recognizes these individuals. They are the ‘invisible’ pandemic casualties over the past two years! Greed never rests. Empathy is for suckers!
The millions killed or injured by Covid-19 — who gives a damn! Capitalism is all that matters. If you don’t believe me, just turn on your TV sets listen to these scumbags preach about the divinity and Wall Street. It will turn your stomach.
-These millions of ‘downshifted’ consumers have finally made their disappearance felt within the US economy. Last week, the quarterly sales figures (January thru March 2022) for national retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and others were disclosed. It was ugly. Huge losses. As a result, Wall Street took a dump in their shorts.
Last Wednesday, due to the retailers’ stunning data, it is estimated that stocks on Wall Street lost $1.5 trillion dollars in value — in just one day!
The current market “correction” is not expected to end. A serious Recession is fast approaching. Hundreds of ‘zombie’ companies will be closing soon. Why? Cheap money from the US Federal Reserve is quickly becoming a sweet memory. Now the cost of averting bankruptcy is simply too costly for hundreds of companies in the US and around the world.
Time to pay the piper. In truth, most are facing bankruptcy — its closing time!
-A independent study, conducted by the Pentagon, declared that 71% of Americans (18 to 24) are not eligible or fit for military duty. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you read the previous sentence correctly. 71% are not eligible or fit for military duty. The number one problem — obesity.
This shocking report resonated through the halls of the US Congress and the Pentagon. For a nation like the United States, that is constantly at war with someone, somewhere in the world, if it was ever confronted by a real adversary (aka China), it could only count on 29% of Americans to be ready to serve.
Not exactly the ‘right stuff’ that came to represent WWII’s Greatest Generation!!
-Food and Gas prices, and Rents, are climbing alarmingly high. Tens of millions are literally scrambling to survive — financially and nutritionally. Dollar Tree stores were making record profits before the pandemic lockdown. Yet, inexplicably, after the lockdown ended, they raised the prices of their goods by 25%!
Gas prices are nearing, or over, $5 per gallon in many parts of America. In California, well, who the hell knows?! I have heard prices being in the $7 or $8 per gallon range.
Let’s make this simple, most people are not going to go out and eat at their local restaurants. Or go on a short vacation. Or go shopping in their local communities. Why? Their ‘spending’ money will be going into their gas tanks because they have to show up at work! Plus, don’t forget their electric and heating bills. It is all getting out of control for millions of American families. And — no one is coming to help them.
Of course, those making a living wage, or better, will enjoy themselves, but the ‘other half’’ of America will be staying home. But — for how long? Revolt?
Homelessness is beginning to rise significantly. The lack of reasonably priced housing, and skyrocketing rents have put millions of Americans at risk. A recent government report stated that America has fallen behind in building (4) million new homes. The bodies are starting to pile up on the sidewalks of America. Revolt?
And it has been disclosed that 12.5% of Americans are classified as being ‘Food Insecure’. Let’s break this crisis down — statistically. It is estimated by the US government that 45 million people (kids included) rely on government aid for food.
15 % of rural America struggles with hunger on a daily basis. And 23.5 million Americans live in ‘Food Deserts’. These are areas with difficult access to quality food.
These states have the highest percentage of their populations being ‘Food Insecure’. They are the following: Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine and Oklahoma.
Mississippi is the worst — 18.7% of its citizens are ‘Food Insecure’.
When the Top 1% incomes in the US are subtracted from national statistics — those determining (more accurately) per capita income for an individual — the median income for the average American is approximately $30,000.
What does this mean? It means that half this nation lives in varying degrees of poverty. Inflation is a financial killer to these Americans!
Nevertheless, there are other critical issues that need to be addressed:
-Last year, over 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses.
-Last year, over 35,000 Americans died from gun violence.
-US soldiers are killing themselves on a daily basis somewhere in America.
-Over one million students are not attending college! Why? It simply costs too much.
-US is spending billions in the war occurring in Ukraine. Perhaps, that money should be spent at home. Infrastructure? Have you seen the roads, bridges, and airports in America lately? When I see photos of Ukraine blown-up by the Russians, they remind me of America’s infrastructure crisis. Both need to be rebuilt in the very near future.
-Women are on the verge of being made into permanent second-class citizens again. If Roe v. Wade is reversed by the Supreme Court, and women have still not achieved equal pay, then how the hell can any woman claim that they are equal to a man?! In what way? Answer. None.
When will America finally wake up to the realities facing this nation?
The most powerful nation in the world, like the Titanic, is sailing straight toward a calamitous and dangerous perfect storm.
The corporate media, in pursuit of greater audience ratings, has you constantly worried about Ukraine, Donald Trump, or some idiotic celebrity.
CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Fox and the major networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) trot out the same blowhards, know-nothings and inbred dumbasses to inform the American people of exactly what their corporate masters demand of them.
(Note: They are well compensated to ‘gas-light’ (aka LIE to) America. All of these shows don’t know shit about anything! The ‘talking heads’ look terribly bored and lifeless sitting there trying to look concerned and earnest. By the way, it’s not working.)
If you don’t believe me, watch Morning Joe this coming Monday. This is what you will witness.
Joe Scarborough talking incessantly about himself, which puts everyone in coma. This is the guy in high school everyone despised. Talked the loudest and knew the least about everything.
Mika constantly mispronounces everyone’s name and appears to be absolutely clueless about anything that occurs outside the comfortable and leafy suburbs of Connecticut. I was at a book event in Washington, DC, in 2011, that was organized for the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, Mika’s father. Both the father and mother joked that Mika had the lowest admission test scores in Brown University’s history. Nobody laughed in the audience. They already knew. Ruthlessly, her mother and dad told the same stories about their daughter’s questionable intelligence. The audience thought it was an act of cruelty. I sure did. I remained uncomfortable throughout the event. I still do.
Willie Geist looks like he is going to have root canal work done during every show. I get the impression that Willie is constantly looking for the exit door during every show. He never says what’s on his mind. He plays the role of the well-fed frat boy quite well. He never disagrees with Joe. But, Willie, your body language screams, ‘Get me the fuck out of here. Now!’ I could be wrong, but, Willie, it is time for you do something real in your life.
Mike Barnicle looks like the guy who is thinking, ‘Why the fuck am I getting up in the morning to be on this b.s. show?’ He appears totally indifferent and uninterested about any subject brought up on the show. This guy was in the movie, The Candidate, with Robert Redford, one of the best political movies ever. Now he is paid to pretend that Joe knows what he is talking about. Christ, talk about a shitty way to end one’s career.
Katty Kay is always trying, unsuccessfully, to look stoically intelligent. She is always wearing glasses to give her the sheen of intelligence. It doesn’t work because he always agrees with Joe. Why the glasses then? She has never presented an original thought. It does not matter. Katty knows which side of her bread is buttered by good ol’ Joe. In that respect, Ms. Kay is very smart, indeed.
I bring up the Morning Joe show because it is representative of these worthless political shows. They essentially have the same cast of characters, and they are paid well to play their assigned roles. Of course, their viewers learn absolutely nothing from any of them. Without their interns and staff to do all the work, these self-important simpletons would be seen for exactly what and who they really are. Just boring, irrelevant and, in truth, very uninteresting people.
America — we are sleepwalking through one of the most dangerous periods in American history. Domestically and internationally, we appear to be overly distracted and indifferent to the dangers surrounding us. Where the hell is the leadership?
The US Congress is so fully compromised by special interest money that politicians like Joe Manchin has told his own party, the Democratic Party, to ‘go screw itself’, and no one holds this man accountable for his actions, or votes, in the US Senate.
America, we are being led by clowns and frauds. Take your pick. We are indeed sleepwalking toward a catastrophic moment in our nation’s history. If we do not wake-up and demand (a national strike?) a change of course, we will almost certainly go down — just the Titanic.
Arrogance and hubris are not our friends. It is just those hangers-on who are still receiving money from the US for kissing our asses!
Denial and delusional behavior do not represent a plan of action. It is pure escapism. Plain and simple.
If we depend on Washington to lead us out of this quagmire of debilitating challenges, we are doomed.
America, it is time we rise up.
Challenge power directly. We are only alone, and defeated, if we chose to be.
Unity of action is our only hope!
Time to wake-up, America. Sleepwalking can only lead to a catastrophic future.
Or are we permanently Sleepwalking? Do we even want to wake up?
Simply put, the day of reckoning is arriving very, very soon for America.
If lucky, we will have one last chance to save ourselves. Maybe. Just maybe.