What a dichotomy we have in America, that those with the most can complain (in good conscience) about the possessions of those with the least. We celebrate "Welfare to work" as a miracle of political achievement. We use this as a shining example of responsible government spending even when these programs serve only to stagnate the pool of opportunity. In our environment of political graft and corporate theft, it's truly amazing that our ire is so successfully directed at those with nothing at all.
"Welfare to work" isn't a boon for society because the jobs available to those with no education aren't inclined to be profitable. When you have people who possess no skills being forced into the marketplace instead of educational centers, they are likely to fall victim to corporate employers who more closely resemble sharks. Welfare to education is a much more responsible idea, but the "haves" in our society resent that notion to strenuously to allow a trial run. Slowly, but surely, our culture is cultivating an ignorant, and thereby, easier controlled population. Our freedoms are under attack by those who hoard the nation's bounty. So complacent have we become, that we don't een stir in the face of corporate theft.
Where's the public rage that should be aimed at Enron? Not only did they help destroy our economy by siphoning money out of a publicly owned company, they swindled our citizens out of massive amounts of money. They sold energy from California to out of state companies, during an energy shortage, and then sold it back at huge mark ups. These are the same people who donated a private jet to George W. Bush so that he could campaign for President of the United States of America. (Remember how GW said he wouldn't take public "matching funds" because he raised too much money?) With the massive amounts of corporate welfare doled out to Enron, they gave George W. Bush all the public money he could havehoped for. (No one seems to get too upset about the amounts of corporate welfare out there.) What did enron get from the deal? Nothing much, just several appointees to government cabinet positions, and almost exclusive rights to shape our government's energy policies viea contact with Dick Cheney. Apparently our government only cares about theft when poor people steal! Even the government steals, though they don't call it theft... In congressional terms it's referred to as "pork barrel spending" (business as usual).
Right now, our defense department is building bombs that are too heavy to be carried by any of our aircraft. Somehow, approving trillions of dollars for weapons we can't ever use is percieved as responsible leadership, but feeding hungry children and educating the ignorant is somehow irresponsible. It's hard to get this point accross because every time you mention cutting "defense spending" they trot out an underpaid soldier and blame us. (Someone should tell them that they could pay a living wage to soldiers if they gave up the graft.) Generals don't like this idea, and start doing their voodoo terrorism dance... They trot out pictures of Osamma B and call responsible citizens anti-patriotic.
Well, America, shame on us. We're supposed to be "The land of the free" but we aren't very interested in freedom any longer. That's proven by our refusal to see the thinly veiled attacks on our liberties by those who claim to be defending us. We don't seem motivated enough by opportunity to seize it. We're allowing ourselves to be kept ignorant by thirty-second sound bytes, lies cloaked in common sense, and our own complacency. We continually ignore the fact that the easiest population to manipulate is an ignorant one.