Yes, I know the job situation is serious. I know people are worried. It may not be technically a depression - but the circumstances are very clear. But, hear me out...
We can't afford health care... it'll cost jobs. A good scare tactic. But, if we had universal health care, people wouldn't have to worry about their health care going away when they lose their job or finding a job with good benefits. Businesses would have healthier, more reliable employees - and would probably spend less for health care.
We can't have taxes... it'll cost jobs. Now, I'm sure you can find economists people to argue this either way. But I look at taxes differently. If we care about our citizens, we need to realize that we need to money to protect our citizens.
We can't have financial regulation... it'll hurt the economy. Oh, really? And who exactly got us into this situation in the first place? If you were burgled, or raped, or hurt and beaten, wouldn't you expect justice?
We can't afford environmental regulations... they're destroying business. Do we really need businesses that damage our environment. That destroy land so that it can never be used (i.e., farmed) again due to toxic contamination? Businesses that cause health ramifications that disable and kill our citizens - their possible employee base?
Businesses need tax breaks... or they'll leave and we'll lose more jobs. Now this is ridiculous. I hear this all the time from Republican, Tea Party, conservative, and even swing/independent voters. I don't buy it. One, if we believe in a free market, then we don't need businesses that can't survive the market without help from the government. Two, if everyone needs to make sacrifices in this economy, so do businesses. And, three, the main point that has come to me... why, why are businesses and potential jobs more important than the welfare of the American people?
This is my main problem and frustration. People that are conservative - whether they be libertarian, republican, or "tea party" - they all seem to want less government. But they want government to help businesses. It seems like all Republican suggestions have one thing in common - support business. Anything that business considers harmful is bad. When did businesses start voting in elections? We need to support people.
Some of these people that talk about getting back to the Constitution need to realize that this country was not founded to protect big business and stock markets. I realize that Trade was an important issue to the Founding Fathers, but it was really about tyranny. About governments - kings - usurping our human rights for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." LIFE. Allowing businesses to destroy our health and our land and our air and water, doesn't that infringe on our right to Life? LIBERTY. Shouldn't we be free to make our own decisions? Shouldn't we be free to know our environment won't harm us? PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. If we knew that our health was guaranteed, if we knew that banks/financial institutions were stopped from harming our way of life, wouldn't we be free to be happy?
Now, many people will call me a socialist. I don't think I am. I've never read Marx or visited Sweden. (Closest I've gotten is that I prefer listening to the BBC over ANY American media organization.) I just think that we have certain rights. (Besides, where in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, does it declare what economic system is "American"?)
When it comes right down to it-- we need to make our priority the welfare of the American people. I believe jobs, the economy, businesses, the free market - will settle themselves. In the end, which is more important? I CHOOSE LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. What do you support?
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