Now, 47 million people have been cut off from $5 billion in food aid in The United States. This, right after putting billions into having a stealth warship, after $24 billion wasted in a manufactured government shut down designed to keep millions of other Americans from having affordable healthcare coverage. This, after laying off America during the recession, after sending jobs overseas because corporations could make more money off the backs of other folk through sub-standard wages, after de-regulating greed for over 32 years (yes, Reaganomics), trying to LEGISLATE peoples' bedrooms and bodies, after refusing to collect billions of $ in taxes from the wealthy individuals and corporations in our country.
This war has been waged for years... until now, it has been a massacre, rather than a war, because NO ONE fought back... the CHURCH remained silent, complicit in the economic rape of the nation because they gained in much the same way (at worst) and/or were afraid they might lose their precious 501c3 status if they spoke out (at best).
The democratic (blue) stripes on this Laissez-Faire Greed economic system Zebra remained largely silent, because they felt the political wind and knew they would lose votes if they stood up for the most vulnerable.
The republicans (red) stripes on the Zebra perpetrated, pushed, promoted and executed the war on the poor because it meant they could get more profit for those who were the elites among them - the wealthy and powerful who first took over corporations and industries and then bought the government...
AND HERE IS THE KICKER...
Like the English Kings and Lords before them, who got the Irish to throw away their young lives in fighting the Scotts when they rebelled, and used the Scotts and others to throw away their lives to fight the Irish when they rebelled, etc., etc.... for generations...
so, these who have waged this CLASS WAR have pitted the Middle Class, especially lower, middle-class against the poor, scapegoating the poor who receive a pittance from government for all their own economic woes, when it was the wealthy and powerful who designed the system that holds them down for their own gain...
Like the Nazi's, who scapegoated the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals and others for the economic woes of struggling Germans...
the wealthy and powerful have very adeptly used false anecdotes, stereotypes and outright bigotry to manipulate the working poor and lower, middle-class to hate those who receive public assistance, so that they would not see the true threat to their well-being...
AND PEOPLE WERE GULLIBLE ENOUGH TO BUY IT...
so, they resent anyone who "should be lower" than them economically (yes, because of race), who gets a job or starts to succeed, claiming that they TOOK MY JOB/OUR JOBS, as if they were entitled to them... being of the same RACE as the wealthy and powerful, but NEVER in the same club....
and they resent anyone who "buys steaks" or "sells their food stamps for cash", because they scrape and scrimp and save to just make it, not recognizing that the foolish expressions of immediate gratification (which most of us do through credit - spending more than we have on things) those on fixed-income make, they pay for later in the month with panic and fear in the lack...
so, the soul of America has been eroded by GREED, a false sense of ENTITLEMENT and VIOLENCE in our hearts, words and sometimes actions against those who we have been duped into scapegoating, so that we will not attack those in "the big house"...
It is an AGE OLD process, and very effective, because it is easier to hate and scapegoat someone "below" you on the economic ladder, while aspiring to be the wealthy and powerful, rather than see that the system that divides is WRONG, EVIL, IMMORAL, and resist, actively change the system... for some, because they aspire to be in that very exclusive club, for others, because they do not want to risk the few crumbs (TV's, Cars, Houses, Vacations) in perks that they get for the sake of others who are consistently, systematically, intentionally, brutally, immorally held down for the profit of a few others... so we blame the VICTIMS, and even claim to BE the victims ourselves....
What would it look like if ...
ALL SCHOOLS WERE PUBLIC AND FUNDED EQUALLY, SO ALL CHILDREN GOT THE SAME CHANCE TO SUCCEED IN AMERICA?
EVERY JOB WAS FULL TIME, WITH A LIVING WAGE ($15 per hour minimum right now) AND BENEFITS, AND THE SECURITY OF NOT BEING FIRED FOR NO REASON, SO THAT EVERYONE COULD WORK AND MAKE A LIVING AT IT IN AMERICA?
EVERYONE PAID THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES... ON ALL ASSETS WITH NO EXEMPTIONS, LOOPHOLES OR HIDDEN ASSETS, WITHOUT EXEPTION, IN AMERICA?
Yes, some would have to sacrifice a little of the exorbitant profits they now get, and perhaps the 24 bedroom mansion for an 8 bedroom shack... not get a larger and more extravagant yacht every 5 years, but rather every 10 years... not buy the most expensive and exotic fourth vehicle, but have one less or four that are a little less luxurious... maybe have a few less "servants" to do the housework or lawn care and maybe have to spend some time with their children and not pay a "nanny" to completely raise them... I know, I know, it sounds like a HORRIBLE existence... hardly worth living... but I am confident that with a little resolve, these folks could somehow find a way to be happy...
and it would mean that others who have been held down and out for generations would have some kind of life-security in MAKING IT, and even tip the scale on THRIVING over just SURVIVING... would that be so terrible for our nation? under God? Indivisible? With liberty and justice for ALL?
Stop looking horizontally or "beneath" you for the problem. It is those ABOVE you who have victimized us ALL as a nation, and they have done it very well for 32 years... THEY are the ones who have waged this massacre... let's now turn it, not into a war, but into a non-violent movement for change...
THE TIME IS NOW.
Pastor Jamie
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