Is becoming a Third World Nation the change you expect and want?

A New York Times writer wrote awhile ago and to paraphrase him, that the U.S. had a fairly broad educated workforce. However, what he stated as what has materialized is where wealth and income has fallen into the hands of the few who are wealthy, elite and powerful and less and less to average and middle America. Hey, who can argue that fact? That even though many in the country were educated they could not overcome that redistribution of that wealth. This was an extremely significant and alarming event.

In my opinion he hit the nail right on the head. The only fault I would find is that it had been going on for years and even decades and that it has now reached critical mass. As he has pointed out education, something propagated by a current presidential candidate as an answer to our woes, has not overcome the shrinking and reduction of the middle class, or average America and the redistribution of wealth. I would add as explained in my other articles why. It is called jobs. That is good pay / stay here jobs and industry. I defy any of the Presidential candidates to be specific as to answering that question with substance and fact. The "we will create"needs to be qualified with what, when, how and who? Their answer is more of the same Free Market ideology that got us to this point and sadly many buy it as change.

Now as he further explained and in my opinion by fact that the aim of most Western countries is to level the playing field for all citizens. This was the goal of free markets before it went horribly off course. In my opinion greed entered and all other doors were closed. The sad fact is try to open those doors now and you have even a bigger problem with too many entanglements. Yet, we are just now sharing some talk to this point of equal distribution. Republicans used to call it trickle down and I say without the trickle. So why here in the United States has it done the very opposite? That is placing more and more wealth into the hands of the few. In fact it is estimated that 20% of Americans own 80% of the wealth and that number is shrinking to fewer owning the wealth each day.

Quite frankly many have written to the similarities between the America of today and third world countries. A year or so ago mind you, America was placed about 12^th on the list of industrialized nations. A far cry from its top position and it is still falling. If that isn’t of itself a warning what is? Some of the nations ahead of the United States would astound you.

What are the similarities to defining a Third World nation? Well one very significant one is more wealth in the hands of few, larger military expenditures which make up for a good part of the budget, large deficits, reduced or limited industrial capability, predominantly an importer not exporter and high trade deficits, unequal distribution of wealth and income, increased poverty, the selling of its national assets, ports, highways, parks, increased police powers and reduced middle class and increased poverty levels. Does any of this sound familiar?

Third World nations are usually defined as under developed industrially, socially, politically and economically. If we look at America today we see us sliding in some of these area’s rapidly. Industry evaporating, politically, the nation torn in two, socially, more of the same with fragmented opinions and views and certainly economically where we have fallen significantly. Our trade has favored other nations at our expense with imports and trillions in debt owed by us and our posterity.

Now lets not forget with this usally comes the possibility of civil unrest. Just look around the world at these Third World nations to prove that point. The government better have Police Powers in place to deal with it. Providing more power to police and law enforcement and elimination or reduction in human rights goes hand in hand, but not in a Republic of We the People, that is if it remains We the People.

So what we have here in my opinion is really as close to the actual real state of this Union as one could define and I must ask if you even see it the same? If you do, do you care? If you care what will you do if anything? Certainly those in power do not see anything wrong with any of it and I would ask you, why should they, would you given their same circumstance?

Well sadly and in my opinion most will do little to nothing.  Why would the haves want to and as for the rest it is simple. We are for the most part sheep and without direction, a leader, a focus, a cause, we perish. We perish from out own inability to take action and come together. Hence we are at the mercy of the organized.  Yes, that is what separates us all. Many just cannot do on their own, they must follow. They do it because they just do not know how. They do it to be socially right and correct. They do it for selfish reasons and they do it because they are uniformed or just do not care. Yet, no matter the reason why, it just doesn't matter only the outcome. Hence the orator and the person gifted in tongue, the one who can captivate and stimulate the senses and urge the masses, will usually prevail. Yes, words are powerful and they do make for a climate and permission for change and they will sway and unite those who need to be told into believing what they are being told. Remember it is not the actual words but the deeds that make the change. The words provide your acceptance and approval and your enthusiasm. Yes and sadly we will follow like the "Three Blind Mice" and those in charge know it and expect. Yes, they follow  right  where they want to go.

Robert T. Melaccio Sr. 2008 Copyright ©2008 Robert Melaccio