As Independence Day approaches, I've been thinking about that iconic American saying, "Freedom Isn't Free."
Usually it refers to the sacrifice of the men and women who serve in the military and their families -- and it's especially poignant now that Iraq- and Afghanistan-era vets are facing a 12.7 percent unemployment rate. (For a bright note, take a look at some of those vets rebuilding the World Trade Center after being trained in construction trades through an innovative union effort.)
I do believe that freedom isn't free -- but today the corporate and political right wing is trying to cheapen this truly American value. They've been cynically using the word "freedom" to rally the American public against its own best interests.
When the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act, Sarah Palin tweeted, "Obama lies; freedom dies."
She's referring, I guess, to the freedom to go without health care when you're sick.
In its otherwise positive decision, the Supreme Court gave states the "freedom" to deny Medicaid coverage to their poorest residents -- even though the federal government would pick up the tab.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker received the National Rifle Association's "Defender of Freedom" award recently. I guess they meant Gov. Walker is defending teachers' freedom from joining with coworkers to bargain fairly about things like class size.
Time after time we're told corporations should have freedom from pesky job safety regulations, environmental protections and labor standards -- giving working people the freedom to be crushed in collapsing mines, choke on filthy air and get paid too little to live on.
When politicians on the right talk about the "freedom" to replace Social Security with vouchers, what they really mean is freedom from a secure retirement income. The "freedom" to get vouchers for retraining is actually freedom from unemployment compensation's safety net when your job is shipped overseas.
The "freedom" of cutting local government translates into the freedom from having the help of a cop or a firefighter or EMS tech in your time of greatest need.
Let's call this right-wing "freedom" catch phrase what it really is: a grossly political strategy to dupe the public, which holds the word "freedom" as something sacred.
This Independence Day, I say let's go back to a truer use of the word "freedom." Let's start with President Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. I would add the freedom to bargain collectively.
Those freedoms are under attack today. We all will pay a heavy price if we don't stand up and fight for them.
 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Higher the cost
Lower the wage
SEE WHY the Crony Capitalist cannot stop immegration legal or otherwise. We need to get American wages back to $2.00 per hour to get our jobs back from China.
Where is the line for $2.00 and hour. Don't see a rush yet.
If liberty is not free, than society is not free either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty
BOTH parites are CRONY CAPITALIST destroying FREEDOM for GREED and ADVANTAGE of a few be it THINK TANKS, MINORITIES, GAYS, WOMENS
What happend to the spirit of mankind that is not MAN or WOMAN, SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS, MINORITIES, IMMIGRANTS
They were rewarded WORKERS taking care of their families. My mother and dad both worked 24/6 plus every day of their life. And my mother never dug holes but if she did she got paid the same as a man for digging holes. Or my dad would be their the next day for the equal pay she deserved
That means I lettered in 3 SPORTS for 4 years
Got C's because I could not read or writed
Then I went to college and learned to READ AND WRITE with BONE HEAD MATH courses and GOT A's
You are right about education, but don't blame the parents. The were responsible for getting me through Basic Training and working in the Pentagon with Top Secret for 3 years of the VIETNAM era.
So when I speak CIA it comes from the first wife working their and me being a Whistle Blower for UNAMERICAN activity
Name calliing, english grading, and spell checkers are all COMPUTERS these days. So leave my parents, educatin out of this. It was Bill Gates
YOU need a real job. Hiding behind grading and name calling is not becoming of you
Both political parties have become Crony Capitalist working for Stock Traders, BANKS and INVESTMENT firms
The PUBLIC SECTOR has 67% UNION pariticpation
That sound like about 73% AGAINST the worker and for those who DON'T WORK in main street producing GOOD and SERVICES...Like Goverment workers, politicians, BANKERS, INVESTMENT FIRMS and STOCK TRADERS
But if you want more sooner and the only way to do that is to pay less now, yeah, there's going to be some backlash from the millions of Americans these companies want to screw.
How much is enough, btw? And I mean that question for both sides of the employment battle?
And I don't imagine justice is anything but a word to victims of the worst crimes, because it is then only vengeance.
People like to say to Vietnam vets "thank you for your service". I know they mostly mean well (those who aren't just saying it out of numb habit)-but don't they think it's a little late to be taken seriously? And "welcome home"? Really? I came home in October 1968. There was coffee from the Red Cross and nice ladies to serve it, and honestly, one fellow who never even made eye contact with me grabbed my check for a sandwich in LAX. And you know what ...that meant more to me than all the "welcome home"'s of today, and all the "thanks for your service". And it never crossed my mind that someday vets would be needling the public talking about how "freedom isn't free". (If you are out there somewhere--I want you to know that I think of you and your kind gesture often; you made a huge difference for me, for the price of a toasted tuna fish sandwich, when others just came home to nothing.)
Sure it is. That's what we did for you, and we didn't expect any thanks or payment, and many of us still don't. You are welcome.
"freedom IS free".
That's the whole thing. We have had wars to make freedom available at no cost to anyone who is an American. We do it "for free" and don't expect any gratitude. We don't want gratitude. We have our honor to consider and to sacrifice honor for a bunch of cheap "thank you for your service"'s is not noble. Especially if you have to ask for it.
It is fight a war for American GREED, VENGENCE AND PARANOIA. Serving Crooks and not American MANKIND value and rights of LIFE, LIBERTY and HAPPINESS
I served once like you...NEVER AGAIN. PROUD my son died in a snow bank AND not in a far off JUNGLE or DESERT.
Hell I do't even believe in dying to save a Nation State ANYMORE.
And the politicians lie that they don't understand the
1) if you cut Supply prices rise (TODAY) at any demand level
2) If you cut consumption the do to lack of jobs, lower wages and taxes the demand curve is veritcle and prices will not fall even with lower demand
3) Tax Cuts create Less REVENUE and MORE DEBT (TODAY).
AND Harding, Hoover, Coolige, GWB and OBAMA are the only Presidents to do this and the result is perdictable.
Why REAGAN, GHWB and CLINTON raised TAXES on PROFITS, DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS to shift CASH to those who work to BUY more GOODS AND SERVICES
When Mittal bought out the company, the unions' successorship clause in the contract meant that all the workers that had struggled through those tough years still kept their benefits, pensions and salaries.
All those people that were salaried non-exempt decided that the union was so bad that they finally voted it in a week before the takeover. They knew that they would be out in the street or getting drastic cuts without union protection.
The one division that didn't go union was the Research department, who felt that they were too valuable to the company not to be kept. They were emptying out their desks on the first day. Mittal brought in his people from India who were happy to make fifty times what they made at home. Nothing is sacred.
So if you wonder what the union did for you back at Mother Inland, it's that you still have a roof over your head, and its not a cardboard box.
Why do people say working stiffs just don't get it? A fine example.