ANGER

Abundant and intense!

 We live today in a very angry world; at the mercy of corporate greed and our vulnerability to its insatiable gluttony. A world where people are increasingly frustrated living under its grip over our very being and the lack of viable response by our government. People feel helpless. People are frustrated. People are angry.

The murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Health, was the embodiment of that anger, receiving over ten million dollars annually for services to a health insurance company notorious for denying treatment. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” appeared on the shell casings, accentuating the company’s callous indifference to those who fill its coffers.

The madness of murder can never be condoned under any circumstances but many are cheering the culprit. What does that tell us?

As frustration increases throughout the nation, mental illness intensifies and acts of violence become more frequent.

One thing people understand is that they’re getting screwed. Meanwhile, we’re at war with each other, grasping for any information that justifies the anger regardless of truth. And there is so much floating around in our digital world, often of little or no kin to reality. With a lack of trust in government and each other, we’re all headed in different directions as confusion proliferates.

Why and how has this happened?

During the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt created space at the table for workers and intellectuals. For the first time the lords of industry and finance had partners to speak for the people. Through time, unions were recognized and regulations passed providing protection from corporate indulgence; programs continuing to grow through the 1960’s.

Then, the concept of deregulation in the name of profits, slowly started taking over. Most intellectuals grasped the concepts and sustained the ideal. However, many others are strictly here and now; unfamiliar with the history, without a grasp on the issues. Easily manipulated, they lost the message and those who carried on lost the ability to communicate with them.

Today we’ve reached the epitome. As the economy grows by record proportions, the majority are being shoved to the side as Americans have the highest income inequality in the industrial world.  In 2018 American billionaires paid a lower tax rate than the working class. In 1963, the wealthiest families had 36 times the wealth of families in the middle; in 2022, it was 71 times. The top 10 percent now control 70 percent of American wealth.

And with unrestrained frenzy to increase affluence at the highest level, chaos reigns among the victims whose standard of living plumets. So, who do we elect to protect the interests of the people? Those with little or no actual understanding of issues elect Donald Trump as the anti-establishment leader who would fight their battles. Alas, he only serves himself while feeding the anger and increasing the problems.

But what about sophisticated urbanites? Although Trump made inroads among certain groups, he’s still swamped overall in major cities. So, who do the great urban centers follow? New York, the financial and cultural capital of the nation, elected Michael Bloomberg as mayor who proceeded to hand over the city to rampant development while cutting basic services vital to those who can’t afford the sky high rents. As Trump has dominated the Republican Party nationally, Bloomberg, running as a Republican, has taken control of the Democrats in New York. The formerly invulnerable party bosses who didn’t cooperate with the billionaire mayor were ousted, replaced by those who blindly support their master. After a two term limit was imposed before his first election, he managed to serve a third, with the two administrations following his maintaining his primary agenda.

While Trump comes across as crass and in your face, Bloomberg is the urban sophisticate. Different approach but same result…the rich get richer and we, the people, get screwed!

So, are those in the city really all that astute?

Isn’t it time to stop accepting the bullshit, learn the truth and start working together with and for each other?

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