Unfortunately, for the overwhelming majority of Americans who can vote, not a clue about what those two men and their legions represent. The deck has been stacked by the Super Rich ( Less than 1/4 of 1 % of us) who have controlled things for so long. Perhaps it was under FDR , the guy who actually saved capitalism by the way, when the Super Rich were penned in a bit. Things were so bad during The Depression that the Super Rich had to be stopped from transforming America into Amerika. Family farms were decimated, massive unemployment and homelessness became a regular occurrence, suicide was in vogue as were labor unrest against the forces of corporate  fascism, and even the banks were closing all throughout this nation. This writer’s father and my grandparents were eating banana sandwiches for their dinner. My grandfather, a proud Sicilian machinist, lost his job after being arrested for striking, and wound up blowing his brains out in 1940 when he couldn’t even receive Relief, as they labeled welfare then. Before his demise the Feds had rushed in a multitude of programs to ease the financial and spiritual suffering: The CCC ( Civilian Conservation Corps) employed tens of millions of unemployed to create public works and trails and parks; The FHA ( Federal Housing Administration) and the HOLC ( Home Owners Loan Corporation)  subsidized mortgage and housing relief to stop the myriad of foreclosures and help find housing for those who could not afford what the landlord demanded.; The PWA ( Public Works Administration) once again created public works construction to employ millions and upgrade our infrastructure; The SSA ( Social Security Act) which is still in practice today, helping all of us retirees… despite what the Super Rich’s minions wish to end; The WPA ( Works Progress Administration) was the largest agency of all, and kept so many employed during those hard times. I could go on and on, but you should get the drift.

The sad reality is how the majority of Americans do not comprehend how terrible things are becoming for most of us. The right wing, led by Mr. Trump, seem to wish FDR’s programs never existed. Candidly, with how they have weakened the union movement, so that less than 10% of private sector workers are unionized, and allow the owners of industry to soak in fortunes, we are approaching Feudalism 21st Century style! The last thing these predators want is a vibrant unionized nation. Thus, this Gig Economy is swallowing up working stiffs like a shark does minnows. They refuse to cover health costs and other benefits that our parents and grandparents just took for granted. The Democrats, led by President Biden, really give lip service to American non unionized workers. The beginning of the downfall of labor’s influence began with the 1947 Taft Hartley Act , which both parties basically supported. Truman vetoed it and the bipartisan Congress overrode it:

The Taft–Hartley Act amended the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), adding new restrictions on union actions and designating new union-specific unfair labor practices. Among the practices prohibited by the Taft–Hartley act are jurisdictional strikes, wildcat strikes, solidarity or political strikes, secondary boycotts, secondary and mass picketing, closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns. The amendments also allowed states to enact right-to-work laws banning union shop.

I cannot comprehend how any working stiff could ever support a demagogue like Trump. No, I can comprehend, because Trump and his far right party use the same formula that Hitler’s propaganda minister Goebbels used: Find scapegoats for the suffering of our citizens caught in the crosshairs of the Super Rich and blame it all on immigrants of color, gays , especially transgender folks, fetus killers and liberals AKA Marxists who hate their Jesus. If only Jesus could do another miracle and return to see how these ignorant fools perform their craziness.

So, the only other option for those who can vote( though many just won’t) is someone like Joe Biden. If there was ever an example of ‘ lesser of Two Evils’ it is now. Column A gives you outright Feudalistic Fascism. Column B gives you a slower dissolving acid on the body Americana. Either way we are all doomed, but this writer will choose the acid for now.

PA Farruggio
May , 2024