It breaks my heart each and every time I read something about America. If it's gun violence, the reduction of food stamps, homes going into foreclosure, the low wages, the under-employment or the health care system, no matter which way you look at it, it's a country in crisis.
The United States is a beautiful country of absolutely magical landscapes, gorgeous loving people and patriotism that is very much unlike any other country you'll ever visit... yet there is absolutely no humanity within the government systems and corporate America. How can the people be so loving and caring, yet their government can treat their people as third-class citizens?
For instance, I recently read that Walmart, the largest family owned employer in the country, and the wealthiest family in the world, has the same amount of money as the bottom 30% of the population of the United States ($150 billion as of August 2013), yet they have the audacity to have collection boxes out the front of their stores asking their customers to donate food items so that their 'associates' (employees) can have a nice Thanksgiving. Why aren't they giving them bonuses, raising their wages, doing something to ensure that their employees can live above the poverty line and enjoy the nation's tradition? It just tears my heart out.
Then this health care crisis... the compulsory health care system will cripple those who are barely surviving. Alaska is the most expensive state costing a minimum of $385 a month for the low-cost bronze care. That's most people's monthly food bill. In Australia, I pay $243 a month for a medium level health insurance which also includes rebates on everything from dental to massages, speech therapy to contact lenses. The least expensive state is Minnesota at $174 a month. How are people who have no jobs, have no home to live in, have no welfare from the government expected to pay this? http://finance.yahoo.com/news/50-states-obamacare-113318311.html
The hospitality sector is beyond a joke. With wages fixed at $2.13 an hour plus tips, most servers are making around $9 per hour, if they are lucky... but the $2.13 an hour has been fixed for 21 years... how does that work? And why are 10,000,000 people in the United States still living on last century's wages? http://www.upworthy.com/something-frozen-for-21-years-needs-to-thaw-right-now?c=ufb1
The scary thing is, I'm not sure if it's sensationalism or truth, but I read this morning that China is refusing to stockpile anymore US debt. They currently have about $3.66 trillion (or 1/3) of the US debt, because they wanted to artificially kept the Chinese Yuan down to sell their products cheaply to companies like Walmart, but now they don't want anymore US debt and will start selling their 'cheap products' at prices they should be selling them at, making it difficult for Americans to survive.
http://www.trueactivist.com/china-announces-that-it-is-going-to-stop-stockpiling-u-s-dollars/
How did the American government take it so far? 1980s Gordon Gecko greed, the ease of credit cards, the promise of a fortunate life through Hollywood fantasies? It's almost as if the government needs to wipe the slate clean, create completely new humanity based legislation that allows their country to grow and stop having such a fighting mentality that they need to protect the world from inhumanity when they need a great big look at themselves. If you look at the vicious circle - lack of jobs leads to poverty, poverty leads to crime, crime leads to senseless murders, murders lead to heartache and heartache can lead in two different directions - for the strong, they can be inspired and make a stance, for the weak... and I'm sorry to say, in a country that is getting weaker by the minute, it leads to depression, hopelessness and a population who can no longer work. There is no encouragement in jobs as the wages are pathetic. And if you want to get a decent job, you need to get a college degree - if you can't afford it, you get a student loan, and then you're still at the poverty line until you pay it off over the first 10 years of your working life. It's like there is no way to get ahead unless you have a wealthy family who's prepared to support you until you are 40.
I will admit, there are plenty of jobs getting great dollars in the US, but there is a widening gap between the rich and the middle class that is destroying their beautiful country. If the government insisted that employers gave their people an incentive to work hard that was actually commensurate with their skill levels, experience and cost of living, then maybe the people will be less likely to commit crimes out of desperation and hatred. Maybe people will actually have time to support their children with compassion and love because they aren't working 4 jobs to survive and their children won't feel like they are being left behind and being babysat by violent video games that they want to take out on the streets and destroy their town because of the lack of time and love their parents can give them. Maybe if they started supporting locally made products rather than imports from China they may actually create a workforce that sustains themselves.
It's not about getting back to Christian values, fighting for better gun control or tightening abortion laws... can't you see that if you have jobs you have productivity, you have taxes being paid and you have less boredom... Most parents will understand that the more you get your children involved in things like sport, dance, music, scouts, etc, the less likely they are to get themselves in trouble with the law, have unwanted pregnancies or have anger against the world and start random shootings. If we fix the problem from ground level - job creation and satisfaction, there will be more self-pride and happiness within the country.
To all my American friends, I hope you don't find me idealistic, but if you fight for anything - fight for jobs and wages, and the rest will take care of themselves.
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