The story from last week regarding Shirley Sherrod, has totally missed the point again as usual. The edited story started out about race. And for the most part, on Sunday's MSM, it seemed to remain focused on race. But if they dared to listen to Shirley Sherrod's words and I mean REALLY LISTEN, they should understand that Shirley's story is not about race. It is the about the ever growing difference in this country between the haves and the have nots.
I lived abroad in Mexico for a period of time. I think Mexico is a fitting comparative example since Mexicans entering our country either legally or illegally seem to be under attack these days. In Mexico, there really is no middle class. You have the haves and the have nots. The haves have all the power and money. They live in nice neighborhoods. They own things. They run things. They for the most part tell the have nots what to do. The have nots have no power and compared to the haves, very limited access to money. They work hard in the heat 40-60 hours a week. They scrape, save, bargain, and do for themselves the best they can because there is no federal aid in Mexico. There is no welfare. There is no social security. Hence old ladies sitting and begging on the streets to survive.
This is what I see the Republican Party trying to do to our country. The haves have gotten incredibly rich under 8 years of Pres GWB and they don't want to give up their generous and massive tax cuts that are due to expire this year. Their only hope is to try and get control of Congress back through lies, manipulation and fear. They use the very methods that they profess to hate. All they care about is their bottom line. Need an example? Just look at the Gulf mess. That could have been any oil company drilling deep in the Gulf.
But even more devious and more troubling is the stereotypical racial attitudes that they appear to want to keep in place. You see in America it's ok to be a non-white and poor. But it's not OK to be white and poor. If you're white and poor, there must be something wrong with you. You must be defective in some way. But if you are a non-white in 2010 America, and you are poor, well, it's ok, because you are probably from a disadvantaged neighborhood and just need a little extra help. This thinking is diabolical and yet it continues to pervade the subconscious thinking of the majority of Americans regardless of the color of their skin.
As the gaps between the haves and have nots widens due to the economic ramifications of reckless fiscal policies, many white people are becoming afraid (aka tea baggers) that they will find themselves in the have not group thus becoming a blemish on society as a whole. It means you failed. It means you made reckless choices. It means you were irresponsible....or so society tries to imply. And perhaps some of this is true. Many of today's millionaires have made poor choices and failed, thus finding themselves in the have not category at least temporarily. But then they learned from their failure, and refused to be pidgeoned holed as a failure . Shit happens to everyone and it does not discriminate based on skin color. We all are responsible for our choices regardless of race, sex, age, etc.
However, in Shirley Sherrod's story, she eventually learned that the white attorney didn't care about the color of the farmer's skin; whether he was white or non-white. All the attorney cared about was the color of the man's money. No greenbacks, no help, no justice. Here is reality. There is not freedom and justice for all as the pledge of allegiance says. There is only freedom and justice for those who can afford to pay for it. If you are rich, you can literally get away with murder.
So America, has become more like Mexico than people realize headed towards a system with a 2 tiers. If you are a have, you have justice, you have health care, you are a value member of society. If you are a have not regardless of color, you are shit out of look. You have nothing. The biggest difference between the US and Mexico is that in America, presently, our government helps those that fall on hard times where as in Mexico, there is no help. Perhaps here is the crux of the immigration issue.
Today, in Martin Wolf's blog, "the political genius of supply side economics", he clearly illustrates that if the GOP takes back power, they will only serve the haves and work hard to make the difference between the haves and have nots as wide as perhaps the Grand Canyon even if it means the destruction of our country. After all, the haves believe they will be able to survive because well, they are haves. So the real issue is NOT ABOUT RACE, even though the tea baggers and other conservative crazies, might lead some to believe. IT'S ABOUT MONEY! And as we have seen with all administrations, even with the Obama Administration, it all boils down to the color of your money and how much you have if you want to get something from your government. You don't see Congress or Tim Geithner's Treasury Department doing any favors for you or I lately have you? But somehow every bill that comes out of Congress, every bill that Obama signs always boils down he who pays, is he who gains. Examples, the health care bill, the regulatory reform, bank reform, etc.
Bottom line.....A society based on the love of money is doomed to fail! It has in past history. It will in the future and if we as a country are so narcissitic that we can not or will not see the bigger picture, then we deserve the consequences of these choices. Please let's stop missing the point!