Not a single Republican candidate has discussed the serious domestic problems facing the majority of Americans. Statistics don’t lie. The middle class is disappearing, and the result is a growing income inequality. The proof is an increasing number of ‘super-rich’ Americans, and on the other end a growing number of families living in poverty.

Today, April 14, 2016, tens of thousands of American workers will join 40,000 Verizon workers in a protest against their employers. While American corporations are experiencing all-time record profits, wages and benefits packages have stagnated for American workers.

At last count, the United States has 536 billionaires; in second place is China with 213. Let that sink in for just a moment. I, along with the vast majority of Americans, cannot imagine what a billion dollars would mean to our struggling existence. Does anyone need that amount of disposable income? The truth is that the majority of these billionaires want more.

By November 8^th, the American people will have a single issue of importance when the cast their ballots; income. America ranks 14^th in the quality of life throughout the world, and it continues to decline.

The voting public will have many issues on their mind, but fairness in the workplace will be the priority. Any candidate who refuses to support the majority of the American people will not win election.

Today American workers are demanding a $15 per hour federal minimum wage. Republicans fallaciously claim that that would cost the American people jobs, and harm the ‘job creators.’ These are not just lies; they are ‘huge’ lies.

History proves that increasing the minimum wage has never cost Americans jobs. Major corporations are not ‘job creators.’ They gift their CEO’s with tens-of-millions of dollars in salaries and bonuses, but refuse to reward their workers for creating their opportunity to receive huge profits.

It is highly likely that big business will ignore today’s protests; they have no interest in the lives of those who work for them. But candidates seeking election or reelection in November cannot. Although national security has been the focus of the GOP candidates, when Americans are casting their ballots, their personal lives and the future of their families will take precedence.

Hillary Clinton’s ‘machine’ will likely defeat Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination, but Senator Sanders’ message will dominate the general election. He is the only candidate who is 100 percent correct about how to make our country great again. No country can claim greatness if the disparity between the working and ruling class is a large as ours is today.

Our founding fathers predicted this situation; John Adams suggested that our democracy would fail. Thomas Jefferson expressed his personal fear regarding a future plutocracy.

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered…. I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies…. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” Thomas Jefferson.

It never fails to amaze me how our forefathers could predict the future of the nation they created in the late 1700’s. They were far wiser than those who fail to work in Washington today.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

Photo Courtesy of Nathan Borror

Novels by James Turnage available on Amazon’s Kindle