What is that dirty little word?

The conversation in America is avoiding a dirty little word.  At least one would expect it to be a dirty little word because it has disappeared from our vocabulary.  It has six letters so it is small like a dirty little word but this word can be expressed in polite company, in academic circles or when children are present.  The word is in the dictionary but most Americans under the age of forty probably do not know what it means.  You see, there is one problem with this word and the reason it is not used in America, the dirty little word is not politically correct.

All of our politicians for forty years have been silenced fearful to even mention this dirty little word for to some just speaking the word is akin to a treasonous act.  The vested interests roll out all the hyped up labels like isolationist or protectionist in order to shut down the slightest mention of this word.  No politician could withstand the assault that would come against them should they buck the vested interests.  As a result, the dirty little word is not talked about, ever, not by just plain folk, our politicians or a single media outlet.  We voters need to start talking and asking questions about that dirty little word, tariff.

The American people have been duped so long that most of us do not know what the word tariff means.  The Webster definition is “a list or system of taxes placed by a government upon exports and/ or imports.”  This simple definition is the way that all countries have operated for, perhaps, thousands of years.  Tariffs were and now are imposed to protect the national interest as defined by each government.  That is the rub, our politicians in America have confused the national interest with their own money interest which to them is more important than jobs for the people.  Our politicians fund their costly politics and their sometimes costly lifestyle by playing along with the vested interests opposing tariff taxes.  Their silence has been too easily gained.

The political mantra and rallying point against American tariffs is the often verbalized phase, free trade.  Democrats and Republicans have been united in their support of free trade for the last forty years, be it the Bushes or the Clintons.  I ask, what has it gotten the average American?  Personal income for the last forty years has flat lined while it has gotten more and more difficult to pay living expenses because of government intrusion into our lives.  The multitude of trade deals put in place by our politicians has depleted the middle class and forced millions of American on government assistance. We tell our kids the truth, nothing is free in life, somebody pays.  

The medium income in America is around $40,000, I ask, who can raise a family of four on that income anywhere in America but especially in California?  The answer is that it is not possible, you either have a high paying government approved and supported job or you experience the tragedy of being on the government dole.  There are few winners, the relatively rich are getting richer and the relatively poor are getting poorer, the middle class, the historical strength of this nation, is fading away.  Am I exaggerating our predicament?  Just ask the supporters of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump about the new normal America.  The people are not happy and they are angry. 

Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump are the only presidential candidates railing against the American vested interests who have purchased the demise of the middle class.  Who are the free trade political operatives?  You guessed it, the Wall Street charlatans and their big business cronies with their stock market profits.  You know, the ones who gave us the financial collapse and then had their hands out so our politicians could bail them out.  Our politicians obeyed on cue with taxpayer money.  That was only half of their plan, they also wanted cheap money to feed the stock market and thanks to the Obama administration cheap money they got.

How long is America going to tolerate this injustice?   Hopefully not long if we, the voters, remember that dirty little word.  I will even say please.

 

G.Goslaw

Landers, CA.