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This is the set-up. The economy is actually in shambles. Sure, there are new jobs. But don't ask what the average wage is on those jobs. It is a pittance compared to what you need to pay for food, housing, clothing, education and health care. How often do you buy a new computer? I remember a time when we didn't buy them at all. We can live without computers, electronics gear and cheap imported kids' toys. We have to have food, housing, clothing, education and health care. As the speaker in the video explains, the increased prices for those important things have not been given the appropriate weight in determining inflation.
The next president will wake up the morning after his or her inauguration and discover not only that we are mired in a war we cannot "win" or afford, but that we owe an enormous debt that we cannot repay. The fate of the nations that Naomi Klein describes in her book Shock Doctrine is about to be ours. The next likely government will probably be approached by a team of Chicago School economists ready to offer the "solution" of more privatization and a reign of the terror of abject poverty on most of us working folks (even those of us who delude ourselves into thinking we are investors). There is probably nothing we can do to prevent the shock. What we can do is have OUR SET OF IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH IT READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
I believe that John Edwards is the only presidential candidate who sees the reality of our economic situation, and who has the human values that we will need when the shock of the true state of our economy hits home. Please consider how well the candidate you support will be able to deal with the economic nightmare that is going to descend on us after the election. Remember Carter. He is a truly great man, but he was completely unprepared for the situation he faced in office.
I believe that Hillary will fail us on this count. In retrospect, after beginning to read Naomi Klein's book, I realize what I did not realize during the Bill Clinton Years: Greenspan neatly cornered Clinton on threats of inflation and an out of control national debt and persuaded Clinton to weaken the safety net for the poor. We got into a huge stock market bubble as a result of the Greenspan/Clinton collaboration economic measures. Clinton agreed to NAFTA without insisting on protections for our workers. Thus, Clinton, for all his good intentions, was unprepared to deal with the economy. He had not decided from the get-go that protecting ordinary Americans was his number one value. He is a great guy, but he failed to set up the structure that Bush used to cause run-away debt, decreased wages and insufficient investment in infrastructure. Clinton ran on the economy but when you look back on things, he did not keep his eye on the economic goal of protecting workers and their families and keeping the power of capital healthy but in check. Clinton cared about working people in his heart, but he did not keep working people foremost in his thoughts in crafting certain key aspects of his economic policy such as trade and welfare.
The next president will have to bring the country together on a program to protect us in the working middle class (including middle management employees) as well as the weakest and poorest from the ravages of the combination of inflation and depression that will follow the irresponsibility and corruption of the Bush years. We have been stolen blind. The Democrats in Congress are accomplices. We need a president who can inspire us all to work together and sacrifice to get our credit paid down and to invest and save for the future. It is going to be the toughest job any president has ever faced. I believe that John Edwards is the only many who can do that. Please think this over carefully and be sure to read Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine.
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