Wanna know what I think?

I’ve just watched the rebroadcast of the American Vice-Presidential Debate.  Fascinating!  Joe Biden was amazing.  I think he’d be a wonderful VP.

Sarah Palin exceeded my expectations.  She made did a great job of telling the American public exactly why they should NOT vote for John McCain.  I really didn’t expect her to do that.

I’ve been reading a fascinating book this week – Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser.  I strongly recommend this book.  It’s not a health book, telling you not to eat fast food.  It exposes how the fast food industry has changed American culture (and the rest of the world) in the last century.  It’s not a pretty picture and has left me feeling helpless again.  For instance, the labor practices in the food industry, especially fast food, are shocking.  They have changed the face of farming in the US and other parts of the world.

But the most chilling aspect to this book is the realization that these food corporations (again, not just fast food) have become so powerful that they call the shots in Washington and their state capitals.  They basically write their own legislation and have managed to block any attempt by the federal government to control what they produce and how.

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this.  Well, WE are the consumers.  WE are the ones who may get sick from e-coli, salmonella, campylobacter or, God forbid, Mad Cow Disease because farm animals are fed the ground and rendered remains of other farm animals (that’s right, cows eat chickens, chickens eat pigs, etc.).  Furthermore, animals are slaughtered in such ways and at such speeds by the lowest paid workers in the country that contamination is rife.

WE would like to believe that someone is looking out for us.  That there are health inspectors who test meat (and other foods), but unfortunately that is not the case.  These industries have managed to convince legislators that they should police themselves.  To add insult to injury, the government is not allowed to force them to recall contaminated food.  This is to be done on a voluntary basis.

Incidentally, the meat that the fast food industry deems unfit or inferior is sold to the government for use in school cafeterias.

But not only are WE the consumers, most of us have been employed in this industry at some stage of our lives, where we have earned low wages, worked long hours and had no benefits.  The food industry is the biggest employer in America and as such they have managed to keep the minimum wage as low as possible.  In the last four decades the real-term minimum wage has fallen by 40%, while executive remuneration has increased tremendously. 

These companies are impoverishing the people of America. 

I’m only using the food industry as an example here, but really, the big corporations in America have become too powerful.  They spend a lot of money on election campaigns so that public officials would further their interests.  That is why they can get away with massive pollution, exploitation, endangering our health, advertising to our children, corruption, tax breaks and even murder.

Unless you’ve been on Mars for the last few weeks, you’ll know that the world is facing an enormous financial crisis right now.  We all know that the bailout bill was rejected by the House of Representatives on Monday night, has been reworked, was passed by the Senate and will be brought before the House again today.

We’ve been told that the reason the bill was not approved was because the American people lobbied their congressmen relentlessly.  I can’t tell you how surprised I was last night when I heard about some of the changes that had been made to the bill. 

Wooden arrows?  Rum?  Hollywood movies?  Are you kidding me?

Seems to me the congressmen are trying to please the lobbyists (and by extension the corporations they represent).  The bill is expected to pass in the House, not because the American people have been satisfied, but because Big Business has been satisfied.

The House Republicans are still looking out for Wall Street.  Fuck Main Street!

Schlosser says in his book:

The twenty-first century will no doubt be marked by a struggle to curtail excessive corporate power. The great challenge now facing countries throughout the world is how to find a proper balance between the efficiency and amorality of the market. Over the past twenty years the Unites States has swung too far in one direction, weakening the regulations that safeguard workers, consumers and the environment. An economic system promising freedom has too often become a means of denying it, as the narrow dictates of the market gain precedence over more important democratic values.

Now, back to the Campaign Trail.

The Republican Party has a long history of supporting and encouraging deregulation in the business world.  Look where that has brought us.  This can NOT continue. 

Of course, a lot of these things occurred and flourished under the Clinton administration.  The Democrats are not blameless, but they are BETTER.

But this isn’t even about partisanship anymore.  We have to look at the candidate.  Sarah Palin told us last night that she and John McCain want to shake up Washington and Wall Street.  But in almost the same breath she said that they support deregulation, that government should “let business get on with doing business”.

Well, I’m sorry, Sarah and John, but that’s just not good enough anymore.  It’s just too last-century. (By the way, I’m so glad that Joe Biden called McCain on that “Maverick” business – it was seriously getting up my nose.)

Enter Barack Obama.  I like the guy.  But to be honest, during the primaries, I supported Hilary Clinton.

We have come to a stage, however, where we need a visionary.  Another JFK.  And I think that Barack Obama might just be that person.

Maybe he can lead America to “government of the people, by the people, for the people” again.  Instead of government by corporations for corporations.

YOU, the American people have a tremendous opportunity here.  Do the right thing!  The world is holding its breath.

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Information from “Fast Food Nation” by Erick Schlosser and “The Food Revolution” by John Robbins. Both worth a read!