POLITICS - All Views
American Politics - An Independent's Viewpoint
By Pete Lorins
Many have argued that there are two Americas, one for the wealthy and one for the poor and working class. The top 1% has been associated with the wealthy while the bottom 99% has been associated with the poor and working class. To some extent, that seems to be the case, however, upon looking into the matter more objectively, one has to realize that there are indeed many Americas along the American political spectrum.
Americans typically fall into the following politically categories:
The extremes (Liberals/Democrats and Conservatives/Republicans)
Independents
Moderates on both sides
Tea Party Conservatives who challenge Establishment Conservatives and Democrats; and
Others
Over the past quarter of a century (i.e.., 25 years), I have observed Republican President George Bush attack Iraq and kill Saddam Hussein after 9-11 based on false intelligence, and subsequently spend millions of dollars which could have been invested in reviving the American economy and/or creating jobs or paying our educators more, or at least increase the payscale of the average American. Moreover, I have watched both Republican and Democratic US Presidents G.W. Bush and Obama pour millions of dollars into the very banks that causes the mortgage fiasco only to watch those very banks retain such funds in a manner that did not really help revive the economy. In the mean time, the average American continues to get paid nearly minimum wage, and while major corporations got huge bailouts or pseudo-loans which were not fully paid back to the country or for which the country did not get a return on its investment.
Thus, is America due for a political revolution? Are Americans entitled to demand more accountability from those that they either elect or indirectly nominate into office, who criminally misled Americans by intentionally misrepresenting their true intentions?
Who should be have been held accountable for the mortgage fiasco?
Who should be held accountable for wasting millions of money into vain wars due to negligence in getting reliable intelligence?
Who should be imprisoned for the VA issues or for attacks induced by negligence on the part of our elected/nominated officials?
Accountability needs to be demanded. The era of golden parachutes has to end and the 99% of Americans who have worked hard to keep the engine of America going have to demand more respect from their elected officials by requesting that laws be passed to hold those that intentionally mislead the country accountable for misrepresentations that substantially affect either a portion of the population or the country at large.
On a last note, to be fair, one must give President Obama some credit for remainining steadfast with his agenda despite the most demanding form of opposition that I have witnessed in my lifetime, which enabled him to actually kill Osama Ben Laden without spending trillions like his predecessor (George W. Bush) did without even killing the right man. Additionally, Mr. Obama seemed to have wanted to stay true to some of the agenda on which he ran, respect/equality for all Americans in the area of health care, equal-pay for women, and empathy to young Black men while remaining the President for all Americans. It is a very daunting task and he seems to have done as best as any one else in his position could have done in those areas under the circumstances.
Mr. Pete Lorins is the chief editor of LorinsPOST and can be reached at:
snirol.consultants@gmail.com