Letter to the Editor: Second American Revolution

Dear Bob Knight,

After over 200 successful years, the great American Dream is turning into a nightmare in almost every aspect of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A majority of We The People are no longer in control of our destiny or that of these United States. When moderate politicians of the two parties were willing to cooperate with each other, for the benefit of their constituents, it worked reasonably well. It’s not happening anymore.

Radical, ultra conservative and liberal, Republicans and Democrats, along with special interests (money), are destroying our sense of responsibility, the economy, morality and the determination to work hard to provide for our families and others in need. Manufacturing, the middle class and small businesses are disappearing. China and other low wage countries, with little or no benefits, provide most of our products. A decent college education costs over $100,000 and our kids suffer sever difficulty finding suitable employment to repay their loans.

It seems that American attitudes and values are changing, not for the better. Just about everyone is looking for the easy, quick way out, to do as little as possible for whatever they can get away with. Scams, schemes and abuses appear in just about every field, and are funning rampant. They are even evident in the previously revered medical profession (hospitals, doctors, insurance & medications), by religious leaders and those controlling higher educational institutions.

Elected, appointed and governmental workers, upon completion of their terms, often are hired by corporations and special interest organizations for which they had been responsible for compliance with the laws, regulations, reports and investigations (IRS, SEC, etc.). On its face, this appears to be a conflict of the public’s interest. The gap between the rich and poor keeps getting wider, with the disappearance of the middle class. Employment opportunities are limited to the military, civil service, large retail chair stores (usually at malls), hotels, farming, restaurants, bars and fast food establishments. Even some of these have been deteriorating.

The high and unnecessary waste in lives, treasure and time on wars and democratic nation building involving Iraq, Afghanistan, Drugs, etc., is unjustifiable and outrageous. The then reported suicide rate of over 80 per week of returning veterans is inconceivable. The funds expended could have better been used, at least temporarily, to subsidize our manufacturing plants, and counter our excessive unemployment rate and the loss of payroll and income tax revenues. This outcome resulted from and due to the transfer of domestic production to foreign facilities. Let alone to at least save most of the middle class.

Let us assume 20-30 percent of each party are avid, unwilling to compromise, liberals and conservatives. Therefore, independents and moderates total 40-60 percent of the electorate. This would be a vast majority over the extremist elements of both parties. Only when this happens can we then begin to straighten out the afore mentioned problems. I certainly and sincerely hope that we can accomplish this goal before it’s too late.

I therefore recommend an additional and new MODERATE REPUBLICAN party and an additional and new MODERATE DEMOCRATIC party that can and will work and compromise together toward a better future OF, BY AND FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE.

Sincerely,
Arthur J. Firestone
Palisades