To the editor:
Our frustration and anger with the unfairness of our economic and political systems have overwhelmed everything.
America will become really great once again when every person able to work has a decent job, decent pay, decent benefits and can enjoy life and recreation with their families and friends. We were almost there when the world ran on manufacturing and family farming. Technology and unregulated greed have left us with a great wasteland of impoverished farmers and unemployed people who have no way of digging out by themselves.
Quality of life has been the banner of the country since the Declaration of Independence. We crafted a Constitution that enshrined it as a major purpose of our government at all levels. In industry we make sure to look at best practices no matter where it comes from. Our politicians cannot see beyond the borders of their own limited knowledge. We are being sold down the river by big money propaganda, big money candidates and government now run by big money and for big money. It is hard to not be sucked in by the bumper-sticker slogans and how they keep us from considering the source. Big money and the billionaires are not working for us and they have even said so. Unfortunately our political parties have been corrupted by big money to the point that they are part of the problem and not the solution.
Those who support the Trump message and those who despise it are both right and both are being played by big money and corporations who are rolling in the largest hoard of money in history, stashed all around the world. The tax system has been plundered for the last 40 years by big money and we have paid for it with the quality of our lives and the lives of our children.
Ordinary people from every point of view must unite and rise up on behalf of every other ordinary person in our country and reject the hatefulness and finger pointing fostered by the propaganda machine. Only then can we force our economic and political systems to work for the quality of life across the whole country and not just the fortunate few. “United we stand – divided we fall” is even more true today.
If workers everywhere could shed their slogans, labels and anger and join hands to stand together on behalf of ordinary people we might have a chance to really make America great again and a beacon for the rest of the world. I would love to see a new political party – Workers for the American Way where we could all meet in the middle of the road to recovery.
Donald A. Smith
Franklin
