This is a tough diary for me to write. I am disgusted at what is flying out of the mouthes of the Republicans and their poorly educated offspring, the Tea Baggers. And worse, I am horrified at what is/and is not happening in the White House.
There are lots books written about the disparities between the rich and poor. I have been worrying about the "deepest cut" our leaders wish to slice, now, today, this minute, to protect (??? fill in this space ie. Banks, Debt etc.) which is really a red herring but will further lower the standards of a life of the majority (I am including the poor with the middle class). All the political posturing/falderal seems to hide the real end product; the top few are 'saved' from taxes (and such) so they can avoid their responsibility for the good life they lead. This is appalling. I learned a long time ago that taxes pay for our good life - health, food, education, security. What do the Republicans and the Tea Party people think will come after the hacking off what makes our society worth living? And why would anyone in the White House consider the ideas of the insane?
There are also volumes published on the environmental toxins that overwhelmingly effect the poor (and middle class) because the poor (and middle class) cannot afford to live away from freeways, highways, spillways. The children of the "95%" breath, drink, and play in the effluent of industrial waste. We have Three Mile Island and the burning waterways of the Love Canal and other industrial catastrophes to prove that without rules/laws/punishment industry does not care.
I linked to many articles, below. What they say says it all.
The White House's most recent slips (reveals, perhaps) would lower the standards for life in this country, particularly for the poor and the Middle Class. Just to vacillate on whether or not support the Tar sands projector to not push for tighter restrictions on Ozone or Round-up Ready Crops says too much about how the President thinks of the poor and those who are exposed to some of the worst chemicals in their homes, schools and work... I find this unthinkable.
Who Suffers the most from air pollution and OZONE
The Poor. Period. Who suffers the most from OZONE?
Who Suffers the most from oil spills or from the sands (pdf file) around the mine? Anyone who lives near to the mine, the pipeline or who may come in contact with the sands, water, air from the mine or pipeline.
What is the effect over time of Roundup Ready crops and those who spray Roundup?
My final thought is this.... Yes, solar and wind can produce power to do many of the things we need, but fossil fuels are the concentrated form of solar power - collected from plants millions of years ago. This is probably THE most powerful source of energy we can use which is the 'safest' and the easiest to get and use ... as apposed to nuclear. What troubles me above the fact that burning fuel to get to the fuel for our silly commodities like driving around in our own cars, will cause mass destruction of our only home. And we are trying to use the stuff up faster and faster!!! I don't see any other planet that we can move to when this one gets "messed up"! We just trashed our Space Program. .....And, what if - WHAT IF we REALLY needed REAL power to do something very important.... are we REALLY thinking that somehow we will invent it just in the nick time???? I don't think so. I think we should look at how much fossil fuel is left... as something to protect -----> just in case. But, I worry that it just might snatched up for the 1%ers going to Mars....