Elitism, Oligarchy and Democracy

This is from a dailykos blogger/contributor 0n 10/20/08

One of the things that always amazed and bothered me was that the overwhelming majority of people who rose to the top of and were most successful at the schools that I attended and companies that I worked for were themselves the children of powerful and successful parents. Not that they necessarily lacked it, but they didn’t get to where they were merely on merit. And I’m not just talking favoratism, although there was surely much of that, but also the inherited and absorbed wisdom, smarts, experience, sophistication, etc., that they got from their parents and their friends and relatives. They entered the world with huge advantages, which I don’t begrudge them, but which most people simply do not have, making it much, much harder for them to succeed in a world which such people tend to dominate.

Our society used to be much better at leveling the playing field to the extent possible, in the form of a great public education system, and with companies offering great post-education professional “grooming” in the post-WWII years to fill vast new numbers of job openings that couldn’t possibly be filled by the children of the well-off alone. This is no longer the case. Public schools are awful for the most part (I was lucky enough to attend an excellent one), and companies tend to hire for specific slots, and grooming is more and more a thing of the past, as privileged graduates of top schools get tracked to the top, and everyone else gets shoved into a vast assembly line where you’re basically interchangeable and easy to replace, in a dead-end job. It’s still possible for someone of limited means to rise to the top, but much harder than it used to be.

Obama, of course, is the exception, but one that proves the rule, as he’s clearly an exceptional person who would have succeeded anywhere. But these days, if you’re not already from a privileged background, or exceptionally smart and ambitious, it’s very hard to gain entry into the upper levels of the professional world. Which makes one wonder just how many talented people are stuck somewhere, unable to realize their potential and maximally contribute to society, because society is no longer interested in making it easier for them to do this. It’s like we’re all driving on the highway, with a privileged few on the express lane and moving fast, and the rest of us stuck in the local lane, moving slow, and unable to move into the express lane.

If Dems can get us back to a move level playing field, they will not only help millions, and society, but themselves as well, as they’ll be winning over a generation or two of loyal voters (which the GOP knows, and is part of the reason why they worked so hard to make government fail, because successful government invariably leads to left-wing dominance). This has to happen. The inbred nth-generation offspring of the country’s rich and powerful elites are unfit to lead the country, and a massive change of leadership is called for. And a new generation of leaders has to be groomed for it.

McCain Hates the Gooks

“I hate the gooks,” McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. “I will hate them as long as I live.”

Yes. I know he was held captive by the North Vietnamese. He himself admits he has hatred inside him. This could also be why he is so angry. He called his wife an obscene name. He does not have the temperament to be president. I know Bill Clinton got angry sometimes, too, but John McCain was tortured and has reason to be angry. He has had too much trauma to be President. Maybe has nightmares about his imprisonment. I think he has been too damaged psychologically to be president. Unfortunate for him but this is not someone we want in the most stressful job in the world. We need someone who can be calm under pressure. He just has too much of a bad temper.

FPL to raise electric bills

Our electric bills are going up in August and again in 2009. How do these people expect us to live? We have a lot of senior citizens in Florida on social security. Seems they do not give a damn about us. Is this increase in electric bills and in gasoline prices going to be reflected in the next cost of living adjustment? The proposed COLA for 2009 is 2.8 percent. With that kind of small increase, more and more people are going to fall behind and will not be able to keep up with the increased expenses.

Energy Views

It does not appear that we can rely on government to solve our problems. If there is going to be a solution, I think it is going to have to come from the grassroots. The price of gasoline is outrageous. I think this was all planned a long time ago by Bush, Cheney and their oil buddies perhaps in Cheney’s secret energy meetings early in the first Bush administration. Why all the secrecy? We need to demand accountability and the only way we can do it is for the people to rise up and revolt against their treachery. I propose we get started NOW!

Secrecy in the Bush Administration – Another Example

from Daily Kos June 15, 2008

The dirty secret about the Bush administration negotiations with Nouri al Maliki’s government for a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is that they hinge upon secrecy. Begun in earnest in March, all the details have been kept secret from the US Congress, the Iraqi Parliament, and the public in both countries. In fact Bush announced last year that he would not permit Congress to ratify what would be a (major) defense treaty. The American public has no enthusiasm and Iraqis across the board are deeply hostile to almost everything about SOFA. Virtually every Iraqi politician of note is suspicious if not dismissive.

Even dead-enders in the WH have been defensive in the extreme. Vague and negative details were all they’d give out, none of them being very credible: That SOFA would be “nonbinding”, would not be a treaty, would not establish permanent bases, would not limit what the next president can do, etc. It was clear already last year that they realized there’d be no agreement, and hence no opportunity to lock in the next president to Bush’s Iraq policies, without resort to the utmost secrecy.

The US media was happy to lend a hand. In Iraq and Iran, SOFA has been the hottest of issues all year. But until May 30th, it barely registered in American news.

Another example of secrecy and dishonesty: These treacherous liars had secret meetings with energy executives to plan the energy policy. I think the price of oil and gasoline at the pump was planned a long time ago by Dick Cheney and his corrupt buddies. Their actions are beyond impeachable. They are criminals and should be held accountable for the mess they have made of this country. If McCain wins then I cannot say we deserve it. I do not think I deserve to have McCain and these criminals running my country into the ground. This is an outrage. I am beyond angry at these sleazy Republicans.

 

Practical Solutions

Do you have any ideas that will help the middle class? I believe in the intrinsic value of education, however, I also think we need to be practical and take into consideration the realities of today’s economy. Kids should attend college but I think they should carefully consider their major area of study. Unless you plan to become a psychologist, for example, I do not recommend getting an undergraduate degree in psychology. You would need at least a masters in psychology to get a decent paying job after finishing school.

I do, however, recommend getting a degree in business with the intention of starting your own business. A degree in the health field may be a good idea considering the future demand for health care workers. Degrees in art, history or philosophy do not make sense to me at this time. There is too much luck involved in some of these fields. It is too chancy.

Financing an education for your children is becoming more and more challenging as college costs continue to rise. Two ideas come to mind: In Vermont, there is plenty of financial assistance available through the Vermont Student Assistance Organization and they have a very good outreach program.

In Florida (and I assume other states) there is a prepaid college program and I recommend enrolling your child in the program as early as possible and college will be paid for by the time he or she is ready to enroll.

Getting good grades….start early with encouraging good reading habits for your children. Require them to do 20 minutes minimum of reading every day from an early age including in the summer. They also need to comprehend what they read. Good grades lead to scholarships for college and children should be rewarded for getting A’s.

What ideas do you have? Please contribute to the discussion if you can think of ways individuals can use to increase their ability to make it in this hostile world. We need all the help we can get.  Ideas such as how we can cooperate on things like car repairs, computer repairs, home repairs. Maybe barter??? Craigslist?

Health Insurance Companies Cancel Sick Patients

By Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 9, 2007

One of the state’s largest health insurers set goals and paid bonuses based in part on how many individual policyholders were dropped and how much money was saved.

Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc. avoided paying $35.5 million in medical expenses by rescinding about 1,600 policies between 2000 and 2006. During that period, it paid its senior analyst in charge of cancellations more than $20,000 in bonuses based in part on her meeting or exceeding annual targets for revoking policies, documents disclosed Thursday showed.

 

The revelation that the health plan had cancellation goals and bonuses comes amid a storm of controversy over the industry-wide but long-hidden practice of rescinding coverage after expensive medical treatments have been authorized.

These cancellations have been the recent focus of intense scrutiny by lawmakers, state regulators and consumer advocates. Although these “rescissions” are only a small portion of the companies’ overall business, they typically leave sick patients with crushing medical bills and no way to obtain needed treatment.

Most of the state’s major insurers have cancellation departments or individuals assigned to review coverage applications. They typically pull a policyholder’s records after major medical claims are made to ensure that the client qualified for coverage at the outset.

The Middle Class: What Can We Do?

I think there must be some things we can do. How many of us started out in the middle class in the 60’s only to find ourselves struggling to make ends meet these days? Sometimes things happen to cause changes in our lives…things like divorce. After a divorce, many women lose their middle income status and end up having a hard time financially for the rest of their lives. Their credit ratings may be ruined because of the way they have had to “rob Peter to pay Paul” while raising their children on their own. They may have felt that they had no choice but to use credit cards to buy food.

Now that my own children are grown and I am retired, I can honestly say I did the best I could under the circumstances. I had a BA in Psychology and I went back to school and got a Masters degree, however, state jobs do not pay very much. I guess my field of choice was not very lucrative. I probably should have gone into the private sector.

All is not lost. If we can get over some of our hangups about cooperative living, maybe that will be the key to dealing with the problem of the shrinking middle class. Can you think of examples where people have joined together to find ways to deal with a problem? I am sure there are many of them. We should not depend solely on the government to take care of us.

I have been watching Lou Dobbs talk about the war on the middle class. I think he should feature stories of how people have been able to maintain a middle class standard of living in spite of the greed of corporations that has been ruining our economy by sending jobs overseas.

We are not going to change the global nature of the economy, however, in what ways can we get in on the global economy ourselves as individuals or groups or individuals. Perhaps self employment is the answer.  We should explore the possibilities.  What do you think about making the most of the situation we find in today’s economy? 

The Middle Class

I grew up in a middle class household in New Jersey in the 60’s. We were neither rich nor poor, but fairly comfortable. Today, I am not alone in my concern that my children will not have the same middle income standard of living. What is the reason for this? Well, for one thing it is corporate greed and the corruption of the current administration. I am sure some of us who can remember being told that if you work hard and play by the rules, you will be guaranteed a place at the table, a place where you could be a part of the “American Dream”….home ownership, college education for your kids and a secure retirement as well as health insurance coverage. Well today these are all slipping beyond the reach of millions of Americans who have worked hard and played by the rules. The middle class needs to be represented much better than it is now.

I did a google search to see if there is a www.themiddleclass.com and found that there is none. So I propose that someone interested in getting the middle class together to promote support for a strong middle class in the US should consider developing a website with that name for all of us who want to return to the days when the American Dream could be made into more of a reality for our children and grandchildren.

If you feel the same, please let me know as I am really interested in your opinions. I  wholeheartedly supported Bernie Sanders for Senate  in 2006. He is an Independent and maybe it is time for the middle class to follow the example of Senator Sanders and become Independent as well. Maybe then we can get this country moving again in the right direction!

Bernie Sanders Immigration Bill Amendment

Mr. President, I want to speak about an amendment that I will be offering with Senator Grassley to the Immigration Reform Bill, Amendment 1332.

This amendment has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the Programmers Guild and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

But, before I speak about the amendment, I want to focus on what is happening in our economy today.

Mr. President, the fact of the matter is that there is a war going on in America today. And, I’m not talking about the War in Iraq or the War in Afghanistan. I’m talking about a war against the American middle class, the American standard of living, and indeed the American dream itself.

The American public understands that since George Bush became President, an additional 5.4 million Americans have slipped out of the middle class and into poverty; nearly 7 million Americans have lost their health insurance; income for the average American family has fallen by $1,273; and 3 million Americans have lost their pensions .

Even college graduates aren’t getting ahead. From 2000-2004 we have seen the wages of college graduates decline by 5%.

And, according to a new study by researchers at MIT, earnings of the average U.S. worker with an undergraduate degree have not kept up with gains in productivity over the past 25 years.

In other words, Mr. President, despite an explosion in technology and worker productivity over the past thirty years, millions of American workers, including college graduates, are working longer hours for lower wages.

In America today, the personal savings rate is below zero, which hasn’t happened since the Great Depression. Home foreclosures are at their highest level in nearly four decades.

Mr. President, what I fear the most is that if we keep going in the direction that we are headed our children and our grandchildren will have a lower standard of living than we do. We must not allow that to happen.

But, Mr. President, I am afraid that it already is. According to a recent joint study by the Pew Charitable Trust and the Brookings Institution men in their 30s earned on average 12 percent less in 2004 than their fathers did in 1974 after adjusting for inflation.

In addition, Mr. President, it is important to note that over the last six years, this country has lost over 3 million good paying manufacturing jobs.

During the debate over NAFTA and PNTR with China, we were told not to worry about those blue collar jobs which we have lost in droves. Think about all of the white collar information technology jobs we will be gaining.

Well, guess again. From January of 2001 to January of 2006, we have lost 644,000 information sector jobs.

And, Alan Blinder, the former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve has told us that between 30 and 40 million jobs in this country are in danger of being shipped overseas.

Mr. President, the middle class is being squeezed twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

When Americans get up in the morning and take their kids to day care, they find that the price of childcare is skyrocketing.

When they drive to work, they are being squeezed at the gas station, while the big oil companies and OPEC are making out like bandits.

When they go to work, they are being squeezed by their employer, who is cutting back on their healthcare and pension benefits, and threatening to move their jobs to China if they don’t accept cuts in pay.

When they come home from work, they open up their mailbox, only to find that the interest on their mortgage payments and their credit cards, in some cases, are doubling or even tripling, while big banks are making record-breaking profits.

When they go to the hospital, they are told by their insurance company that their premiums and co-pays will be going up or, even worse, they aren’t covered for the medical procedures they need.

When they want to send their kids to college, they find that the price of college education is becoming ever more unobtainable as college seniors are graduating $20,000 in the hole.

And, now, Mr. President, we have this immigration bill, a bill that would allow employers to hire hundreds of thousands, if not millions of workers from other countries in both low-skilled jobs and high-skilled jobs.

Mr. President, it is important to note, that the same corporate groups who supported NAFTA and PNTR with China, the same businesses that fought against an increase in the minimum wage, the same companies that have outsourced hundreds of thousands of jobs to China, Mexico, Vietnam, India and other low-wage countries are supporting this bill.

The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce representing the largest business group in this country, the same person who has “urged” companies to outsource American jobs, supports moving this bill forward.

The National Restaurant Association, the Business Roundtable, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, groups that have opposed an increase in the minimum wage, support this legislation.