Jim Green

Why Did We Let Flint Rot Into Decay Jim Green

FOR a democracy to work we must have an informed electorate-and a tiny handful know this-sadly not many-but we stood on one foot and then the other and let Flint/the Rust Belt rot into decay-when we had the "legal authorization", on the books, to prevent this horrendous travesty! A brief history leading up to this: Following WW II President Truman saw a disaster looming-how to provide employment for 12 million returning troops-and prevent our drifting back into another Great Depression, and he saw the necessity for some "public-sector" employment-and we, as a nation, owed employment to these brave souls.... But in a destructive twist the Republicans in Congress started waiving and flailing their arms in air-frightening the American people with "socialism" [sure, when we, in a democracy work together on behalf of the common good, for employment or healthcare--that is "socialism"]..... But the Republican hysteria laid the groundwork for exploiting the Red Scare-and ushered in the most evil senator, and era, in America history-- McCarthyism-which still hangs over America like a dark cloud! To this day our small and petty still use the word "commie" to sabotage our democracy-and replace rational solutions essential to effective Job Creation in our 21st Century market economy---with their fraud.....i.e., the most pernicious fraud in American history, that: "The market can provide anybody wanting a job, with a job."... IT IS PURE BS! And as Thomas Frank noted in "LISTEN, LIBERAL", we Democrats have fallen down on the job....we didn't speak up-and as it has turned out....became part of the collateral damage....