The Shadow of a Nation

Through-out history there have always been those individuals who defined a nation. From the beginning of Americas founding Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson personified what the United States stood for. In the 19th century gave us Lincoln who preserved a nation. The 20th century Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR. and John Kennedy whose steady hands kept America strong and healthy. The characters of these great leaders enabled the United States to reach for greatness and actually attain it.

But for the past 60 years America’s fall from grace is almost complete. In those past 60 years the United States has surrendered greatness for mediocrity. The vine of opportunities for millions has withered and died by governmental loopholes and mergers and acquisitions by the captains of industry. In this period in time is a reminder that history does in fact repeat. The mergers and acquisitions by large corporations like JP Morgan Chase Bank and many other fortune 500 corporations reminds one of the Rockefellers, The Vanderbilts and J.P. Morgan who systematically controlled the building of Americas economy over 120 years ago. If it wasn’t for Teddy Roosevelt’s policies these titans of industry would have reigned supreme controlling not only the economy but our government as well.

Unfortunately, the days of Teddy Roosevelt are long gone. The Republican party today is nothing like what TR and the Republican party was during the early 20th century. Today they are in tune with big business and have shown little empathy for the average working class American. And when the Federal Reserve bank was formed, a privately owned and controlled institution, started an avalanche of monetary misfortunes for many Americans. Later on, when President Nixon took the United States off the gold standard and created Fiat currency that is still in use today has only exasperated current economic and financial conditions for millions of Americans. The inflationary trends now are directly linked to the absence of monetary values not backed up by gold. The hopes and dreams of millions all across the country have vanished by corruption and greed of the dominant corporate influence that has controlled our government for far too long.

We have to remember there are allot of dynamics that have come into play within our society from over 60 years of disingenuous governmental policies and Supreme Court rulings that have eroded not only our educational system but have corrupted our whole democratic process. So, what we have today is much of the public are unable to comprehend many of the reforms that will end the many crises that this nation faces. We need leaders who can convey in progressive terms step by step the reforms that are needed. 

The problem is the United States hasn’t had the type of leadership to unify a nation behind a plan of direction since John Kennedy.  What we have today is a well-coordinated media structure that either makes or breaks a political candidate. In 2016 the media orchestrated the rise of Donald Trump and the Democratic party establishment sabotaged Senators Sanders campaign. The way to overcome the established status-quo is by capitalizing on the publics frustration with the way things are. Too much gun violence, wage stagnation or none at all, corporate mergers and acquisitions, lack of health care, fresh abundant clean water and a host of other concerns that directly affect the quality of life.

Again, the problem is that our current congress is all too caught up in partisan politics, so nothing really gets done.  The money factor currently is a major obstacle in accomplishing what needs to be done. Someone once said that in order to change our political system to serve the publics interests there has to be one that is willing to play the political game and win the game in order to change the game. Unfortunately, no one who has ever won a major national election has bothered to disrupt the status-quo for the greater good for all Americans. Another concern is that when it takes so much money to mount a political campaign either on a state or federal level is where we have a major flaw in our democratic process. We are seeing the results today. More corruption while the public opportunities for elevating ones self up the ladder of upward mobility have withered and died. 

We can and we must educate all Americans that there are ways to end the inner struggles of our nation and around the world. Doing so would be a first step in rejuvenating not only our economy but establishing a return to what our founding Fathers envisioned for this nation.