Voting Democratically Against All Odds [Satire]
One might be able to declare that those who remember the enthusiasm and sheer excitement in voting in Barack Obama in 2008 had a sense of joy and pride. The Democrats had finally done it! The party had nominated and chosen a presidential candidate who represented Main Street; except, Former President Obama had then left the regular streets of America for Wall Street. After bailing out the banks, Obama proceeded to speak to Wall Street at around $400K per speech. Sure, he had also achieved passing a law which produced a national healthcare plan allowing those unable to get health insurance the ability to obtain medical coverage and treatment for any and all deteriorating conditions. Still, Americans faced a change in their cost-of-living while the basics, such as housing, wages, and even savings had stayed stagnant. Are The People voting democratically against all odds? There has to be valid reasons to “Vote Blue No Matter Who,” as The Democrats often state.
At a bird’s eye-view, the dynamics of the US must all seem the same — most are mobile and producing results while others are trying their best to make the most of their day and their environment. It is business as usual in a world-leading, capitalistic society which prides itself on independence and the ability to influence worldly markets. What could go wrong in a highly-educated, highly-producing nation? Perhaps if a US education did not place so many in an insurmountable amount of debt, perhaps if The Great Recession had not hit so many recent college graduates who also had to compete with DINKs (Double Income No Kids) as well as the quantitative easing of available housing sold at inflated prices, courtesy of President Obama and the banks, the standard-of-living of many millennials would be different than what it is today.
Many would most likely state that Millennials, those between the ages of what is now considered to be 25 to 39 years old, are simply whiners who do not know how to save money and invest correctly. After all, living in the US is measured by how well the markets are doing, and not just those located within its own borders. At this point, as the richest nation, the US is supposed to be merely composed of sites and shops set up for tourism and growth. The service industry is the leading employer and offers little to no benefits, as well as minimal wages, depending on the type of service that is needed. If one needs a $300 healthcare consultation verses burger and fries, well then, it does not matter if the one cooking the burger and fries cannot afford the cost of healthcare. Welcome to America, folks! The land of the free.
Despite the aforementioned, voters in the US should really vote democratically against all the odds held against them! Why not? Why throw away your future to those who want to repeal your rights — your right to access healthcare, your right to work for a minimum wage and set of hours, your right to freedom of speech and to peacefully assemble. In fact, does the US have a definition of “peacefully” assembling, or does it involve law enforcement declaring a gathering a “riot” if protestors refuse to listen, refuse to disperse, or refuse to accept that their government is letting them down? Now, the Justice Department is trying to declare some cities in the US “anarchist” and threatening to stop the supply of federal funding if these cities remain out of control! (Barr Declares NYC, Seattle, Portland ‘Anarchist’ Cities and Threatens Funding Cuts via VICE News)
In this present time of action against police brutality, unfair wages, climate crisis, and insurmountable debt mixed with the effects of a global pandemic, is it no wonder why so many turn their attention to the current election year? Millions of voters gathered in various primaries and caucuses to vote-in their choice candidates whom they felt had represented their values and goals. Still, the US is left with choosing between one of two major parties — Democrats or Republicans.
Recently, the BBC published an article, titled, “FinCEN Files: All you need to know about the documents leak,” which mentions how financial institutions from all over the world use “suspicious activity reports” (SARs) to report any probable illegal activity happening among and between financial institutions. The BBC reported that between 2000 to 2017, some recognizable corporate and central banks, such as HSBC, JP Morgan, and Deutsche Bank, along with the UAE Central Bank had funneled money to suspicious organizations and nations who reportedly have sanctions placed against them. This may have also led to the indirect funding of terrorist organizations. Although these types of undertakings are not new to transactions involved in global markets, it is an indicator of what type of leadership is happening around the world, particularly in the US.
When one thinks back to the days of President Obama and how he decided to bail out these types of institutions, as well as the politics surrounding them, one has to wonder why should one even vote democratically? Is there really a difference between the two major US parties, or will money politics always win? After all, against all the odds, most people seem to still vote in hopes that their candidate will bring either much-needed change to their community or, at least, to keep the status quo and help those who cannot help themselves. There is no reason why one should not vote democratically to vote change out! That is, after all, politics-as-usual in the US.
Sources:
VICE News — “Barr Declares NYC, Seattle, Portland ‘Anarchist’ Cities and Threatens Funding Cuts” (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qj4qmx/bill-barr-declares-new-york-seattle-and-portland-anarchist-cities-and-threatens-to-pull-funding)
BBC — “FinCEN Files: All you need to know about the documents leak” (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54226107)
