IS NOT THE ECONOMY, STUPID!

Why do we sit idle wile our financial wealth is disappearing? Why don’t we do something to protect our investment? Why do we feel completely helpless when told that we must pay an extra $1.00 for a gallon of milk, over $0.90 more for a gallon of gasoline, plus increases in electric, gas, water and other utilities bills?

To compounding our predicament I must add the increase in the cost of medicine and medical services, reduced coverage for us lucky enough to have a medical insurance, drastic increase in premium and de replacement of a $600.00 deductible for the $3,000.00 one. This is done while having to give a complete invasive personal profile called “Complete Confidential Wellness Assessment”, to a third party company that will grade and assign you a risk number that “can and will be used against you”, at the moment that your reduced medical coverage will have to kick in.

We must also accept quietly the increased power given to banks, credit card companies and other financial institution to arbitrarily change the rules by increasing penalties and fees to take away more of your hard earned money. This is done by designing very hard to avoid triggers that will reduce your grace period, increase you penalty fees, rise you annual interest rate; all this wile negatively affecting your credit score creating a virtual catch 22. Is this part of inflation?

I could go on-and-on about how much in the hole we really are. But, we all know it. The problem is that we are been constantly told by the government and The Media “we are doing great!” The economy is humming and we should just count our blessings.

The truth is that government reports won’t tabulate how many people are taking home less income that the previous year. No, because they are still employed, and it won’t benefit the government for us to know that. We only told the news of how low the 4.9% unemployment rate is. “HURRAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT!”

This situation is creating a slowly, but steady erosion of Americans savings, wealth, standard of living and buying power. Just like the proverbial “crab been slowly cooked alive”, we are witnessing the demise of America as we used to know it…

The question remains: Why are we allowing this to happen?

One of the reasons is that we are all make participants of the dynamics that are causing this problem through the direct and indirect participation in the Stock Market. There is no doubt that government policies favor Big Corporations. Evidence of this is the amount of money and resources (over and under the table) spent by this corporations to persuade law-makes to promote laws and policies that will allow Big Corporation increase their profits.

None the less, this is not the only thing they do. While there is nothing wrong with a corporation making a profit, it’s completely outrageous that for them to obtain greater margins, the consumer is undermined and reduced to a mere source of resources for their means. New laws are created to protect corporations and the way they do business at the same time, policy changes make it easier for this same corporation to reduce benefits, reclassify, fire at will and covertly discriminate against individual or entire groups of employees. Take for example the lack of enforcement of illegal immigration laws that have created an over-abundant bank of resources threatening the legal and qualified US working force by promoting dishonest competition for available jobs (some lower skills, and some mid to highly skilled worker), lowering the pay rate and covered benefits.

Another indirect consequence is the increase load of resource consuming individuals that lack the benefits that Big Corporations do not have to pay them for been NON-DOCUMENTED workers. These savings are turned into profits, and this is just one example.

Policies that will allow companies to create the ideal conditions to force hard working, law following people to pawn gold, or go to a Pay-Day Loan agency for money to survive have also been passed further reducing us all to a lower class of individual compared to some corporations.

So, how do we participate in all this? Each one of us collaborates with this Big Corporations that are hell bent in screwing us in one way or another. This participation could be voluntary and with our full knowledge such as our direct investment in a company stock, or by the subtle participation on a diversified fund through the company 401k, IRA or any other similar Money Market type of investment. The fact is that once we participate on any of this investment we are aiding and approving or condoning these Big Corporations actions, including the ones that negatively affect us.

The indirect way of collaborating with our own economic and social demise is by consuming products and service offered by companies that due us wrong. This is the toughest habit to break. How can we say no to lower prices provided by some of the Super-Mega Chains, or pass by a lower gasoline price offered by a company, or stop banking with some Ultra-Big Bank? How are we going to say no to infinite growing credit lines or 0% closing points refinance deals? After all, our take home money is shrinking, bills and consumable prices increasing and we need to survive.

You will never se a fan at the Yankee’s Stadium dress up in white with blue stripes, face painted blue with the team’s logo, cheering for the visitor team while his own local team is wining 10 to 0.

That is the spirit created in corporate America. This is all like a game. We all participate in one way or anther, even when we thing we are not.

The problem is that “This ain’t no GAME”, or if it is, we are not the cheering fan… We re the LOOSING TEAM!

Some will argue that voting is the way we can change policy, but who are we kidding. Like it was so eloquently presented by a Comedy Central “South Park” adult cartoon, we are given the option to chose between a “Turd Sandwich and a Douche Bag” .

People, there is no easy answer, but I’m sure there is one. Do your research; don’t get your information from corporate sponsored cable news channels. The internet is free for now. So, lets us it wisely.

We can’t be afraid to read the constitution, learn a little bit about the law and history.

Let’s try to avoid some of our must egregious mistakes as a Nation!