You Abandoned Your Most Loyal

by Sudhama Ranganathan Wednesday, Jun. 08, 2011 at 6:43 PM
uconnharassment@gmail.com

In the lead up to the national elections of 2008 both parties rattled off their lists of things they would do differently. They told us how they would act regarding the dual wars middle class Americans have been forced to pay for ? even more so than the large corporations benefitting from the wars. They told us how they would reverse the problems caused by the sub-prime mortgage scam that caused the two bailouts of Wall Street. They told us how our civil liberties would be brought back to a place that made sense. They told us how sweeping changes Americans desired would be made reality.

You Abandoned Your M...
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In the lead up to the national elections of 2008 both parties rattled off their lists of things they would do differently. They told us how they would act regarding the dual wars middle class Americans have been forced to pay for – even more so than the large corporations benefitting from the wars. They told us how they would reverse the problems caused by the sub-prime mortgage scam that caused the two bailouts of Wall Street. They told us how our civil liberties would be brought back to a place that made sense. They told us how sweeping changes Americans desired would be made reality.

But the changes that came form that election, and the 2006 elections and the 2010 elections have not borne the fruit promised – not by a long shot. The wars are essentially still raging and we are engaging in nation building in Afghanistan and Iraq. Though we were given a drawdown table we are still in both countries. How much US treasury must we expend in Iraq? How is that coming back to us and is it benefitting us?

The Bush administration admitted the premise for going into Iraq was wrong. They were given faulty information by the CIA and so they decided to make the case for war based on that evidence to Congress and the nation. They said it would be short, yet we are still there even after the “president of hope” swept into office based in large part on his promise to end that war claiming among other things we should not be involved in nation building. So why are we there still and how is it benefitting the middle class Americans paying for it? Why are we forced to pay for the Bush administration and the CIA's mistake?

The president of hope also promised to pull out of Afghanistan once he had gone after those responsible. Well we did that and Osama Bin Laden was killed. It is widely reported that Afghanistan will not be ready for decades if not longer to run the kind of government we would set up for them. Corruption is rife and even that nation's leader's brother has his hands in the cookie jar – way in. Perhaps it's time we let them forge their own future. We can't afford to pay for their nation building as we aren't being compensated any more than we are in Iraq. If instability is the issue well we provided plenty of arms and aid to Saudi Arabia and other countries we stayed detached from during instability. Why so much interest in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The number one contractor in Iraq, Halliburton, incorporated itself in a tax haven to skip out on American taxes and moved its headquarters from Texas to the United Arab Emirates when it started getting sued for massive overcharges to American taxpayers. They don't care about us one bit. Yet we are still forced to pay them. Why? Why isn't the Iraqi government paying them or whomever they decide to pick?

The regulatory reforms instituted after the financial crash of 2008 failed to truly address the issues that caused the crash. The regulations still allow the same practices to take place essentially and the financial institutions are bigger than they've ever been. “Too big to fail? Hey let's just let them merge that should fix the problem. Oh yeah and make sure if they do fail Americans now getting poorer will foot the bill.” Genius.

Democrats promised to look after the middle class and middle class workers. That has always been their strong suit – their bread and butter. So what happened? American workers have had their jobs shipped overseas due to currency manipulation deals to prop up nations we favored in places like Asia and Eastern Europe to keep them from becoming communist during the Cold War which ended in 1989. The middle class are becoming poorer and poorer and how did the current batch of Democrats support them when their rights were being taken away across the country?

When union rights were torn to shreds where were the Democratic big wigs? What were they thinking about? What was running through their heads? What were the scrappers for the little guy planning and implementing to make sure middle class Americans were protected? We will never know. Why? They were absent.

We know now what Representative Anthony Weiner was thinking about and spending all his time away from the House planning, but what about the rest? Where were they when massive rallies were taking place which should have been led by luminary after luminary from the Democrat's national party? We know Republicans weren't going to be supporting them, but they never did. They said they would strip middle class union workers of their rights and they did. Union rights and labor negotiating rights was always something they were against, but what did the Democrats do? They watched from their tinted windowed limousines in Washington and made a few comments here and there.

If they were true to who they claimed they were they should have been there every day with top party people there speaking every day in the fight with the people. But they abandoned and left when they were needed most as if they were afraid of a good fight, so they gave up before they even tried. Only the local Democrats tried and there was not much they could do all by themselves apparently, but at least they tried.

Democrats promised if given the opportunity they would make the changes they said they would in 2006 and 2008. When they were swept into office and handed the super majority to do so what did they do? They dragged out a year debating each other on heath care reform. Where were the changes to end too big to fail? Where were the measures to start the drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan to ensure no new nation building? Where were the amendments to the Patriot Act they all told us went too far when they campaigned?

Sure there are good aspects of it but there are bad ones too. How do we know that? Because they told us that when they campaigned. They lied to get into office. They were dishonest – at least thus far. When the vast sums of money were given to Wall Street how much went to start a jobs program like we had during the great depression and other major works to get people employed? Where was all the money being invested in education for the future of America we were promised.

Are the children in our urban centers better off more safe and freer to concentrate on their studies instead of avoiding gangs? Lol. What happened to sensible immigration reform to end the money wasted on rounding up people picking lettuce under the table and get focused on drugs and guns? “Huh? What's that mean?” When the economy does pick up again and jobs come back, which they will as they always do to one extent or another, what real safe guards are in place? Republicans rolled back regulations leading to the crash while Democrats have done little to ensure a repeat.

The Republicans have spent all their time making sure government doesn't run properly so they can get elected. Gee thanks guys for sacrificing what's best for us all for your own gain. What's the hold up? Oh that's right it's you guys again. With no progress as your answers for the economy and more what good are you?

But the biggest disappointment thus far has been the Democrats who were given a majority to bring sweeping changes but have just continued the policies of the previous administration and abandoned middle class Americans thus far. Instead of being the president of hope president Obama has behaved more like president O-Bush-a. If they are truly sincere Democrats will spend the next year and some change concentrating on making good on their promises instead of more talk designed to fool us again. What good are our taxes if they are to be wasted on the inaction and corruption of fools? Let's hope for some real reason to allow our hope to be restored between now and the next election.

To read about my inspiration for this article go to www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com.

Original: You Abandoned Your Most Loyal