Decay of Dreams
After the Great Depression the Democrats and Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a dream, that no man or woman who worked all their life should, in the autumn of their life have to rely on charity. Social Security was the dream that became the law of the land.
It was not meant to be a retirement fund, but a source of support so that government would not have to bear the burden of public aid totally in case the economy were to fall into ruin again. At least the soup lines would be smaller and people would have a sense of dignity of themselves and a sense of loyalty to a government that proved trust is a reciprocal thing.
Government is a public trust bequeathed to those who are elected to run it, a bond with the people and a promise to serve in the public interest and the common man.
A good government is tribal in principle in that everyone is considered valuable and contributes to the common good of all. In a good tribe, everyone has a job and is guaranteed a job, men, women and children….yes, even dogs who guard the tribal perimeter loyally.
In this land called America there aren't enough jobs to go around, so then, are the chiefs of government and the chiefs of corporations good tribal leaders? No. Their first priorities are survival and profit, survival of government and profits of companies. Winston Churchill did not agree that liberal capitalism was good nor that democratic government was good, he said it was the best that we have so far, which means the civilizations of men have a long way to go in moral growth.
In my youth I agreed with the vision of Social Security and never once, in more than forty five years of working, did I complain about making my Social Security contribution, such was the trust I had for America the brave and America the beautiful…….and I still do, even though George Bush, the buffalo shooter from Texas has his guns aimed at one of Americas most treasured of promises, Social Security.
Either it is true we banded together under the articles of the Constitution for the common good or the leaders of America have acquired a bad case of moral amnesia.
The dream is fading, slowly as planned, and that is appalling and a slap in the face of the honest working man and woman. It is big government that is ill and has lost sight of the fact that promises to the people should come first and not be subject to amendment or appeal. If Social Security is in trouble it is government mismanagement that is to blame, not the working people. Good government keeps its' promises and if it doesn't it is a symptom of social sickness, of decaying moral responsibility, of government and corporations who are losing their soul…..as planned, maybe on purpose.
When I discovered Blogging on the Internet I became excited because on the Internet, for the first time, I would have the chance to be heard without hoping a letter I wrote to some newspaper editor would be judged worthy of publication. I think it is a wonderful thing to be heard without censorship and I believe the Internet, without government interference could become the first real true voice of the people, and I think the voice of the people is good, how else explain the progress the world has made so far in the evolution of good government, but, beware, America is in trouble and George Bush, the outlaw cowboy, is on a moral manhunt, trouble is, his enemies are the wrong people, us, honest loyal Americans who put their trust in a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
It is hard to hear the Liberty Bell ringing these days.
John Victor Jalasian@yahoo.com