from the series Raise Your Voice…
By PETER MOLENAAR
Responsible neighbors who sought their polling places remain aware that the back page of the ballot was devoted to the election of numerous judgeships. For me, this was as daunting as a college entrance exam! Why do respected election officials not inform us that our ballots count if not fully filled out? Let us enhance voter participation, not suppress it, please.
Now hear this: Trump won’t be winging it this time. Rather, he will commence with a fully worked out billionaires’ agenda. So, expect another round of tax cuts for the rich, coupled with public service cuts for the rest of us.
How was it possible for such an outstanding citizen to win once again? Was bigotry the key ingredient? Actually, I prefer to think that skillful agitation of economic angst won the day. Truly, one wonders if the capitalist system will collapse before the end of this century.
But guess what? It was price gouging by Trump’s corporate boss buddies, which gave us inflation. A trade war with China will exacerbate this problem, on top of which, the expulsion of millions of immigrants will cause a serious economic dislocation. Another concern: additional tax breaks for the super-rich will further distort the economy in favor of more private jets! Hey, these jets spew more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in a single day than a worker’s car does in an entire year.
Thankfully, the old man writing this piece still remembers: some 25 years ago, capitalists were deindustrializing our country with total disregard for the men and women whose labor had created our nation’s wealth. In this regard, Trump has never lifted a finger on our behalf. In truth, organized labor mobilized our protests.
So, the time has come again: a vision of Labor marches is invoking. Naturally, here in Minnesota, our protest will be permitted and peaceful. Here are some of the proposed slogans:
TAX THE RICH NOT US!
JUST SAY NO TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS!
SAVE THE PLANET, PLEASE!
Peter Molenaar advocates a broad united-front, even as he describes socialism as the future solution.
