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How to Recapture America the Beautiful: Part I

This is the first in a series of articles designed to accomplish specific ends. First, it will illuminate the extent to which the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. This transformation is now so pervasive and so devastating in its impact that it may be too late to stop it short of a new Declaration of Independence. It is so overwhelming, in fact, that if you are not in the top one percent of the wealth curve, you may soon find yourself in dire straights and in need of public assistance that will not be there for you. That is no exaggeration. A plutocracy (rule by the wealthy) is nearly upon us, and it portends a very long period of opulence by the few, and servitude by the many. It is so serious that you and I will be challenged to the very core of our beliefs and values to find the strength and the drive to defeat it. But defeat it we must—if we believe in freedom. And if we believe we are all equal. And if we believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You and I cannot do it alone. We need to be joined—not by thousands—but by millions. But you must understand where, how, why, and to what extent these changes have taken place. Knowledge is power. You must become so sickened by this takeover, and so intent on restoring America back to her founding principles, that you will take up this cause and fight for it with all the fervor that our founders fought to win those freedoms for us. It is also your moment of truth. There is no room for neutrality. The right side of history demands a commitment.

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A new reality is nearing its final stage across America. It began in the 1960s. It is now 90 percent complete. The wealthy are taking control of all aspects of our lives with a fervor and an intensity the likes of which the world has never seen. It goes by the name of conservatism, but it is an insidious evil as corrupt as any tyranny that has ever spread its tentacles in search of souls to devour. From the classrooms to the boardrooms to the maternity wings of our health care system, its impact is being felt. It is sucking up money and wealth faster than anyone knows. Mergers and acquisitions have produced large banks and giant corporations that direct new money flows. Executives are paid staggering incomes in the mega millions, while workers are being stripped of their ability to bargain; wages have stagnated for more than 40 years; at the same time productivity has risen thus producing huge amounts of wealth; and nearly all of it is being handed to the wealthy by laws put into place by legislators controlled by the wealthy. Women are being stripped of control over their own bodies. Fetuses are acquiring protections that citizens are being denied. Children now sing about the land of the free and the home of the brave while it is crumbling under their feet. They swear allegiance to a land that has nearly disappeared. Poverty is being created in the wake of the wealth that is being siphoned away, and it is being forced upon an ever-growing segment of our population. As a result crime is rising, incarcerations are rising, drug use is rising, illiteracy is rising, suicides and mental health issues are soaring, while hope is falling fast. Americans are losing the ability to vote, while voting outcomes are being rigged; voting districts are being gerrymandered to favor conservatives who vote the will of the wealthy. Money is building a propaganda machine that is spewing a constant flow of lies via a wide assortment of media. Lies in the form of assertions and opinions are replacing facts and truth. All the while you and I are caught in the cross-fire. And we stand there like deer caught in a car’s headlights.

Do you recognize most of these dangers? More importantly, do you care? And if you care, are you willing to risk a little in order to defeat the top one percent and restore America to her founding values? If you are, welcome aboard! If not, please step aside. A benevolent juggernaut of truth is coming.

Next: Greed and a lust for power: Who has it and why?