By Robert Dean
For the Carter County Times
Now that the RNC and DNC show is over, wouldn’t it be wise to ask: Are you feeling better? The loud cries of “The bad guy wears red, the liar wears blue” have faded into the final pages as new scandals prepare to become media fodder. But honestly, do you think the American system believes in investing in your success?
The American psyche is once again exhausted, as the mudslinging of the election campaign is upon us. For two and a half months more, we are blessed with endless quotes about the other side’s incompetence, about how a scandal is brewing in the other camp, about how the other sycophant has his nefarious claws ready to stab in the back of anyone who is just trying to pay his bills.
And here’s where the problem begins: paying the bills. With wages stagnating, we have to be accountable when we swipe our cards through the machine. Do politicians care about the price of Doritos? No, they care about the donors who line their pockets – on both sides.
How can someone at the podium look Americans in the face and talk about the prosperity of the country when a brown paper bag of groceries containing little less than eggs, bread, cold cuts and a few sundries costs as much as an electric bill? Why are we the ones who lose out on gas because there was a power outage or a corporate shakeup, and so the blame is once again shifted to the consumer while profits soar. Right now, oil companies and most grocery stores are raking in those dollars. Shouldn’t we recognize that as the crime it is? Kroger made $2.2 billion in profit last year — with B. Walmart wasn’t far behind with its profit margins. Some of the people reading this may have visited a food bank because they had to decide between filling up their car or buying a box of clams and cheese for dinner — because gas at least got them to work, where the cycle continues to spiral out of control.
When we want to give these crooks the cards, we ask them why the community center is asking us for donations when those government funds should be serving our interests. Why aren’t the roads being fixed and why is it so hard to get a government job when so much needs to be repaired? I mean, have you seen the bridges and tunnels? Across America, our infrastructure is crumbling and the reason we’ve never gotten a decent package to get workers on site is, as always, partisan infighting. We have a right to affordable gas, to not go broke shopping for school, to be able to cook dinner without pinching every penny.
When you vote, don’t look at the ballot as if the other candidates have the plague, but ask yourself: What impact will my vote have on the working class? Instead of just bemoaning these problems, push for policies that ensure fair wages and corporate accountability. Ask tough questions and demand real answers. Too many politicians promise a “better tomorrow” while ignoring the most pressing needs of today – don’t be fooled by promises of a new park for the kids – in a few years. Those groceries won’t buy themselves.
Robert Dean is a journalist based in Austin, Texas. His work has appeared in MIC, Consequence of Sound, Houston Chronicle, and The Austin American Statesman, among others. Get his book of essays, Existential Thirst Trap Here.
