A Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy?

Is there a vast right-wing conspiracy in the United States, as Hillary Clinton claimed back in the '90's? No. They're not smart enough to create a vast conspiracy.

However, evidence is overwhelming that there are any number of narrow right-wing conspirators, intent on advancing radical changes in our country to the advantage of a plutocracy and to the detriment of nearly everyone else.

For much of the twentieth century, we claimed that our country rested on a three-legged stool, comprised of big business, big labor and big government. Now big labor is largely gone. Public service unions remain, but are under relentless assault right now, and the Republican party is doing everything it can to, as they say, "starve the beast" of big government. (If you feel it's insulting to refer to the government of the United States as a "beast," I'm with you.)

That leaves us with only one leg of the increasingly unstable stool. Cloaked under innocuous titles such as "The Heritage Foundation" these corporate shills fund candidates who seek election appealing to the fears of the voters, rather than to their aspirations or to their generosity. "Be grateful for the little you still have," is their mantra, and "Beware of those around you who are trying desperately to share the scraps we have left for you."

Immediate and exorbitant profit from speculation, even in the necessities of life, is their goal, not long-range growth or trying to bolster a healthy population of countrymen. Why else are they so furiously attacking the health care reform act and the unions? Mind, the health care reform act is far from perfect, far too complicated and still not universal, but repeal will end any attempt to help the 15% of the population who are without any help with health care expenses for another generation.

Is it any wonder we have tumbled away from the steady growth in living standards experienced by our parents fifty years ago into a boom-and-bust economy? In fact, it's easy to predict we'll see much more bust than boom in the future as the corporate nation now being created enriches a few and throws the rest of back towards bare subsistence. And I'm not exaggerating here.

One last point. Where is the patriotism of these people? Where is the simple good sense? Isn't it contemptible for them to spend so much money to influence politicians so they can cut their own tax bills? I swear, they spend ninety-nine cents on public relations and legal fees to avoid paying a dollar in taxes.