CROSSVILLE —
It appears the long range “plans” made by and for the extremely rich, plans to make quick and easy profits from every possible corner of our country, are scheduled for our very near future.
First, there is money to be made by profiting from our unnecessary and planned wars! Namely, and most recently, our invasion of Iraq and the continuation of the Afghan war, with profits going to Blackwater, Halliburton, Brown & Root... sound familiar? It should. We have paid private defense contractors hundreds of billions over the past ten war years. These war expenditures are, after all, the central reason for our current U.S. huge “deficits”! Trillions are already in the books, with more to follow. This past June, Reuters reported that the total cost of the Afghanistan and Iraq actions will be somewhere between $3.7 trillion and $4.4 trillion! Do not doubt that more “investors” are already in line to benefit from a new “Iranian” war by the U.S.
Public schools appear to be next in line for “privatizing,” changing to “charters” where once again, “investors” will be the financial beneficiaries. Existing teacher pay AND benefits will be “adjusted” and put under control of those who manipulate these privatized institutions... this is all ready under way. Government spends almost a trillion dollars a year on education at federal, state and local levels, and profiteers want their cut.
Similarly, prisons have been “privatized,” with the debts already put in the government budget offering huge profits to those limited and special “investors”! Supposedly, a third of current prisoners are punished up to five years just for simple marijuana possession. Thanks to the pro-prison lobby, we now have more people behind bars than any other country in the world (almost all of them poor, of course). Many prison systems have become just another example of a very easy way to maintain a continual flow of huge profits from public money (your taxes!) to the “right” people.
Privatizing Social Security has been planned for years. Supposedly, $3 trillion is owed to the Social Security funds because of “loans” made to the federal government over the past years. Privatizing Social Security funds will allow these owed billions from the government to be absorbed by “vulture” capitalists (“Bain Capital” sound familiar?) with continued payroll deductions added each year with the funds “invested” in the stock market... the manipulated stock market. Bought low, sold high and wiped out periodically to control the market. The losers will be the “recipients” of Social Security. Expect Medicare and Medicaid to be manipulated in the same way.
You can also expect, however, that only the existing extremely rich will be allowed to be members of this exclusive “investment” club. They are the only ones wealthy enough to buy and sell companies. They are the only ones wealthy enough to buy and sell our government. They don’t call it “privatizing” for nothing.
• • •
This column represents alternative thoughts to other published columns in the Crossville Chronicle. “We the People” is published each Wednesday. Opinions expressed in “We the People” columns are not necessarily those of the Crossville Chronicle publisher, editor or staff. For more information, contact John Wund, editor, at jwund@frontiernet.net.
Opinion
WE THE PEOPLE: Greater profits for the already wealthy
- Opinion
-
-
LION AND THE LAMB: More than meets the eye
It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, and my wife Sheral suggested I join her on a shopping trip. In Crossville Sheral went inside a store and I stayed outside looking at the bargain specials. My mind was in neutral, so I almost missed the little boy’s question. He was about seven or eight, evidently had just seen his first Amish family, and they had seemed very strange to him.
-
WE THE PEOPLE: No time to govern
Bob Dole’s tribute to George McGovern at the time of his death last year was both beautiful and touching. Speaking of the friendship they shared and the work they did together during their time in the Senate and later in retirement, Dole said McGovern “was one of the finest public servants I ever had the privilege to know.” He went on to say that they knew what they had in common was far more important than their different political philosophies.
-
TIDBITS: Be wary of home improvement shows
Sometimes I think home improvement stores need a screening tool of some sort, perhaps some kind of licensing or reference check. For example, before one can walk in and buy that handy dandy table saw, they need three people to vouch that they aren’t likely to cut off a bodily appendage.
-
STUMPTALK: Obama’s Benghazi betrayal
“Betrayal” is an ugly word. “To fail or desert especially in a time of need.” Those who pay attention to the actions of Obama are justified in saying we have been betrayed. Think about the IRS and DOJ debacles. Clearly our ambassador and his staff at the Benghazi consulate were betrayed, deserted in their time of mortal need. Obama allowed them to be murdered.
-
Lion and the Lamb: When schools go beyond the three Rs
The three Rs, reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, have always been at the foundation of education in Cumberland County. Recently, however, a fourth R has been added — religion. In permission was granted representatives of The Gideons International to distribute Bibles to fifth-graders in the Brown Elementary School in Crossville, and this took place April 11.
-
We the People: Your vote — use it or lose it
A powerful faction within the Republican Party is determined to downsize our federal government. They want to reshape programs that originated to protect common folks like us.
-
Stumptalk: The elephant in the room
I recently saw video footage of the president surrounded by the heads of all the services; they had assembled to address the continuing and scandalous problem of sexual harassment in the armed forces. The elephant in the room, of course, was young women in the military serving in close quarters with young men.
-
We the People: Reality check, anyone?
Harry Truman had a birthday anniversary in early May. Harry was proud of being from the “show me” state. Republicans who aspire to stop all progress and set the clock back should take a lesson from Truman. He did something besides complain and obstruct progress.
-
The Lion and the Lamb: The devil and the IRS
National news these past several weeks has focused on a scandal in the Internal Revenue Service. IRS agents have been targeting Tea Party and other conservative groups for additional scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status. As this story developed over the past several weeks, however, it has become apparent that the IRS problem is much greater than the complaints raised by the Tea Party.
-
Tidbits: What's in a name?
Being born in the time before routine ultrasounds, my parents thought I was going to be a boy. I'm not sure if mom was carrying high or low, or if the wedding ring on a string went one way or the other, or what other old wives tale was used to determine I would be a he rather than a she, but that's what they thought and that's how they prepared.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
LION AND THE LAMB: More than meets the eye
James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
