A divided America cannot be simplistically defined by the rich and poor. That in relative terms, no poor person here would exchange citizenship with that of a poor person from any underdeveloped country is nonetheless as inadequate as comparing Saddam’s atrocities to abuses in state, and military prisons abroad. The fact is we can and are expected to do better. The same comparison of apples and oranges apply to corporate salaries of CEOs and that of modest profit-taking of small business owners. The runaway train of wealth that has blown past the common stations in favor of the palatial centers of the nation is owing to the dearth of corporate conscience and the individual conscience of the multi-millionaire-billionaire complex of moneychangers in the entire economic culture where little responsibility and talent are rewarded by the lack of consumer conscience and responsibility in restraining their unwarranted hedonism. Yes, the little people cannot be exonerated from the malaise of greed and emotional splendors.
We continue to encourage entertainers and sports figures to garner huge payoffs because of our gullible and emotional spirit of overly appraising so-called doers who do not even make token effort to give back to the public because they are deluded by the grandiose of false icons thrust upon them by an irrational, Dionysian consumer. While schools across the nation are in dire disrepair, bridges falling down, potholes marring the highways, public ground transportation now only the mark of poverty and a dinosaur of the past, five dollar aspirin in hospitals to ease the debit impact of uninsured patients, infant mortality among the poor rivaling those in poorer nations, CEOs salaries and perks are five hundred times that of a household income of $30,000.
Neither is there a gainful conscience among the poor who take and expect as much as they can squeeze from an admittedly quasi-conservative government. Because the payroll tax is regressive and bleeds the poor, earned income credit kicks in to practically excuse the poor from even paying their share of social security, in addition, not taking into account the matching fund by the employer. This is as far as the conscience of the government will extend to ease its guilt complex for knowing all to well that it never intends to create self-sufficiency and responsibility among the poor by legislating a living wage even to level of 1979. Yet the conservative machine is not responsible for the poor lacking spinal courage and common sense to rectify the deliberate action to keep them down. The overwhelming majority of the poor is too lazy and irresponsible to vote in order to put thunder in its voice in order to improve its lot; instead, the poor rely on wishful thinking that a government driven by self interests will be kinder and gentler.
Still, there is more to the problem than misplaced monetary values. The nation is adrift by the flash waters of many subcultures at war: the liberal elitists vs. the conservative think tanks, the evangelists vs the privatization of religious belief, industrialists vs. environmentalists, iconic talking heads vs. Cronkite-oriented diehards, “marriage” vs. “partners,” universal health care vs. medical savings accounts, preemptive war vs. diplomacy, red states vs. blue states, outsourcing vs. domestic jobs, free trade vs. fair trade, Seventh Heaven vs. Sex in the City, Sopranos vs. American Family, FOX vs. CNN, restriction on stem-cells vs. science, defense vs. infrastructure, deregulation vs. regulation, sex and violence vs. family entertainment, Bush flip flops vs. Kerry’s waffling, self-interest lobbying vs. common good lobbying — all of which exemplifies either-or syndrome as opposed to diversity’s positive commitment to cultural enrichment.
Copyright © 2004 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: May 26, 2004.