I saw this film at the Santy auditorium shortly before Christmas, as I remember. It was a great film with a great message and Robert Reich is brilliant. There is no doubt that growing inequality is dangerous as, historically, it has eventually led to the downfall of democracies. Given below is a treatise on the subject that is frightening, if we follow historic precedence. So far our unique capitalistic system (with all its imperfections) and our form as a Republic Representative Democracy has weathered storm after storm.
I think it is well to remember that the explosive growth of the middle class after WWll was due to the fact that we were the only substantial engine of manufacturing of the goods that the world wanted. We had no competition and anyone who was able to work and wanted to, shared in the productivity. Through our largess such as the Marshall Plan, we helped the world get back on its feet. While doing this we created the strong competition that we now face and with which we must live.
As much as I respect Reich and Obama's good intentions, I believe redistribution of wealth by well-meaning fiat could result in the repeat of history. I hope we can elect a new leader (and representatives) who is charismatic enough to respond appropriately to the danger.
Fond Regards, Ralph
On Feb 17, 2014, at 3:02 PM, <remillar@allwest.net> <remillar@allwest.net> wrote:
Some say the growing inequality is the biggest threat to our democracy.
---------------------------------Francesfilm: INEQUALITY FOR ALL
- Event:
- INEQUALITY FOR ALL
- Date:
- Tuesday, February 18, 2014
- Time:
- 7:00 PM
- Cost:
- Free
In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship." "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; >From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage." The Obituary follows: Born 1776, Died 2012 It doesn't hurt to read this several times. Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning the last Presidential election: Number of States won by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29 Square miles of land won by: Obama: 580,000 McCain: 2,427,000 Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million McCain: 143 million Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Obama: 13.2 McCain: 2.1 Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country. Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase. If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal's - and they vote - then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years. If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message. If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom. This is truly scary! Of course we are not a democracy, we are a Constitutional Republic . Someone should point this out to Obama. Of course we know he and too many others pay little attention to The Constitution. There couldn't be more at stake than on Nov 2012. If you are as concerned as I am please pass this along.
