Edward Berger, retired in Arizona, says that the people are waking up to the economic and social pilfering that is happening all around them. And they are fighting back to reclaim their society.
He writes:
For many years, I have blogged about the damage the so-called reform/Libertarian movement has done to America and to America as One Nation. A nation that prospered as WE developed strong communities, one public education system, common values, and true representative government.
Our Nation is endangered by the starvation and planned destruction of neighborhood community schools – public comprehensive schools – and the privatization of public services for profit.
We are now well aware that there are forces that wish to destroy the basic elements that keep America strong: The representative processes, the public schools, community governments, community health systems, public services, and programs for the greater good. Because of greed and crooked ideologies, our public services have been privatized, pirated, and raided by profiteers. This has been done to access, and personally profit from the tax dollars we pay for the things best done when we put our resources together through government. Think roads, water systems, schools, public utilities, libraries, social services, aid to those in need, and safety nets for children and those who cannot help themselves…
Every social program is being attacked and is in danger of being starved out of existence as tax dollars are redirected and profiteers steal from us – the US….
Americans were so unprepared for this attack from those who bought our politicians, circumvented our representative governments, and made their own laws, that they wilted before the onslaught of greed. In every American community, and in the communities within the greater communities, there is little resistance to the reformers. In state after state radical right-wing ‘libertarians’ have taken control of government. Groups of people hiding behind corporate veils so they are exempt from accountability for their amoral behavior, invented groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) who use their power and wealth to by-pass elected representatives by providing the bills and laws they, not The People, want enacted. Along with the darkness created by these nation killers, came the Dark Money to finance the destruction of America and to create a new type of human bondage.
But of course you know all of this. What you need to know is that within the hearts of our communities people are organizing against the forces that have proved to be so evil. In almost every community, the majority of citizens are demanding a stop to the rape and pillage and the constant quest for access and control of our tax dollars. People are becoming aware that our public schools and other institutions have lost access to the funds necessary to do the jobs that must be done if we are to stay free and flourish. We are aware that legislatures and other political organs have intentionally forced school choice and other catchy “experiments” on communities, even though these programs cause a massive waste of our tax money for duplication of services. At the same time, “reformers” discredit education and educated members of the community. They weaken, breed contempt for, and undermine proven and successful social programs.
Community leaders are focusing on electing true representatives who will oppose those who starve community programs in order to profit from their demise. They are demanding accountability from their elected leaders and legislators who have intentionally blocked the public’s access to data that exposes their misuse of tax dollars and the corruption on which they thrive. In some instances, the local Press has broken from the Corporate Press and is fighting to educate their communities.
If democracy lives, we will resist, we will organize, and we will reclaim the public good for the benefit of the public, not the enrichment of a few.
