Meltdown.

In the 50 short years I have been alive, I have seen three institutions decline that have dramatically affected the soul of the United States.

First, the systematic destruction of labor unions from the right (and from internal corruption) have unbalanced the wealth distribution for average folks. No longer can you live a middle class lifestyle through a blue collar work style. Long gone are the days of leisure that my grandparents aspired, with the vacations and travel from either being a foreman at Phillips 66 or owning a small mattress factory in Texas. Today is a slog and a modern form of slavery for those that either can’t break through with unaffordable education or bootstrapping with hard work. Remind me again the problem with COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?

Second, Watergate gave the media the taste of sensationalism like blood in the water for a shark. It provided lessons for today that we need news for the purpose of ratings and entertainment rather than a check on the corruption of our elected officials. It was a powerful drug, and the decline of our media is much like the unfortunate families that struggle with members that have addiction problems (which, parenthetically is woefully underreported).

Finally, the utter failure and collapse of the Legislative branch of the US Government is the final step in our current hell. Executive power is killing the constitution and when there is a non functioning political party contributing to a non-functioning branch of government, we should all buy fiddles because Rome is about to burn.

I write this today after reading The Grand Old Meltdown after the Republican Party’s only platform is the support President Trump, who proudly proclaimed “12 More Years” to open the Republican Convention last night. Yes, I know it will be portrayed as a joke to “OWN LIBS”, because ya know, fascism is really funny! That said the underlying failures of our systems have gotten us to this point.

““You know, I don’t have a history of dodging questions. But I don’t know how to answer that. There is no consistent philosophy,” Luntz responded. “You can’t say it’s about making America great again at a time of Covid and economic distress and social unrest. It’s just not credible.”

The Grand Old Meltdown 
What happens when a party gives up on ideas? 


By TIM ALBERTA

So, you win. I’m owned. Along with the rest of America.