HOME
DV NEWS
SERVICE ARCHIVE LETTERS SUBMISSIONS/CONTACT ABOUT DV
Circuses and Sleeping Giants
by
P. Anthony Farruggio
Dissident
Voice
November 6, 2003
Hoorah,
the NFL opened up its season this past September! Or, should I say that
corporate America's 'carnival' continues to captivate our living rooms, replete
with 'T & A', expensive car commercials and yes, even a football game mixed
in! God bless Media America, and thank you Mr. Commander in Chief (who in his
youth avoided any battle) for those 'sound bites of wisdom' before kickoff.
This
writer, with a flick of the VCR, developed an antidote to "Monday Night
Mayhem' many years ago. I now tape Monday night games after the first quarter.
Then, real early on Tuesday morning, as the wife sleeps away, I relax and view
the action in perhaps 30 minutes. No Buds or Ram Tough hype for yours truly.
Whatever gets ya through the night, hah?
What
astonishes me is watching the myriads of 20 and 30 something guys in the stands
at these 'circuses'. How they dress up wild and let it all hang out for the
cameras, cheering and yelling for their team of choice. One wonders how many of
them actually vote. Do they have good quality healthcare? Good secure jobs? How
many 20-somethings supported this latest war on Iraq? If so, why aren't they
patrolling the countryside and the streets where our enemy once ruled? As for
the ones against Mr. Bush's preemptive attack, did they attend the peace
rallies as vociferously and with as much passion? Dear reader, we both know the
answers to most of my rhetoric. So, how do we do reach this 'Sleeping Giant'
called young mainstream America?
The
current Democratic Party leadership, with its thousands of local chapters
throughout America, is missing a golden opportunity to defeat the favored Bush
team. Observe the current Democratic strategists and politicos shouting about a
couple of hundred bucks for needed Child Tax Credits for the working poor. Yet
they totally ignore Robert Reich's Payroll Tax Forgiveness Plan, or the need
for Universal Medicare. These two key solutions alone could motivate MILLIONS
of young, working Americans to get off their 'potato laden couches' and pull
the lever. If these donkeys would initiate a real political ad campaign behind
just these two issues, the Bush team, with all its cash cows, would still be
defeated.
The
Reich plan, hardly ever discussed by our (corporate run) mainstream media, is
quite simple. The first $20,000 of wages is exempt from any payroll
contribution by both worker AND boss. Thus, employee and employer can each save
up to $1250 a year- money spent as one sees fit. Do you think most of the 'Sleeping
Giants' in the stands would complain about having MORE of their hard earned
wages in pocket? How many companies, with possible savings of $1250 per
employee, would be against such a plan? Oh, I can hear the naysayers now.
"How are we gonna pay for this?" Well, the Reich plan provides for
the current ceiling of $80k a year for payroll tax contributions to be
eliminated. Thus, our wealthy
multimillionaires (and billionaires), who get so much in the way of 'economic
stimulus tax breaks', would have the 6.5% taken out of their pay, no matter
what it is. They won't like it, but this is the same group of people who do not
like unions, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, workman's
compensation etc. To add 'insult' to their injury, I would include in this new
law a feature that treats cash bonuses (including stock options) as wages. No
'creative accounting' 101 - the boys and girls in the stands don't have that
luxury when they divvy up each year. Reich's plan also affirms that the
ridiculous Estate Tax repeal be voided, thus saving our national treasury
billions in lost revenue. Our "boy" in the White House proves the
failure of the "legacy" system anyway.
Universal
Medicare is another no brainer for our 'Sleeping Giants'. Most 20 and 30
something Americans either currently have no health coverage, or some terrible
plan that provides bare minimums. As far as we baby boomers or near boomers (40
- 50's), who could argue against contributing, under Universal Medicare,
probably HALF of what we now must pay?
The current privatized system just does not make sense! The simplicity
of having one central insurer, NON PROFIT, does make sense, and if presented to
the public properly, would attract voters.
After all, 99% of us are currently 'fighting' to survive and prosper on
just 15% of our nations wealth (did I hear 'Banana Republic'?).
So,
there you have it. Democratic Party, the time is as 'right' (no pun intended)
as it will ever be. Wake up the 'Sleeping Giants' with key issue solutions, and
leave the 'Circuses' to the other team. The game is almost over for America!!
Philip
Anthony Farruggio is a spokesperson for FAER (Floridia
Association for Ecomonic Reform). This
Brooklyn, NY born, bred and educated (Brooklyn College '74) son of a
longshoreman, has had over 35 columns posted on progressive sites and
newspapers since the 2000 election, including NewsInsider.org and
Counterpunch.com. He can be reached at PAnthonyF@aol.com.
Other Articles by Philip Anthony Farruggio
HOME