Today's MOZEN: To Have and Have Not

F LoBuono

It's never really been about religious or political ideology. Not in the end. It's about MONEY - and, the power that comes with it. That, unfortunately, my friends, is the way of the world - the whole world. It's those that HAVE vs. those TRYING to get it - or, at least, their share of it.

In a recent NY Times article (Monday, May 15,2017. Iranians Hold Little Hope Election Will Lift Fortunes), author Thomas Erdbrink writes of the difficulty young Iranians have in securing steady, well-paying jobs. The biggest reason is that those who HAVE those types of jobs want to keep as much as they can for as LONG as they can. Most of those well-paying jobs lay in the government sector. People fortunate enough to get those positions jealously keep them, often well past retirement age driving the youth unemployment rate to an astounding 30%! It creates a never ending cycle of hidden poverty where young, educated professionals often toil countless hours in numerous low-paying positions just to feed their families. The religious ideology doesn't matter - they are ALL Shiite (90-95%) Muslims. Neither does the political - unless you continue to support the status quo. So, of course, the people with the POWER, i.e. the MONEY, never relinquish it.

Well, is it really so different here, or anywhere else in the world for that matter?

Let's take our current Health Care debate. Why should Universal Health Care be so god damned hard?! Our health is not open for negotiation.  It is a right, not a privilege. Therefore, our #1 priority should be the health and well being of ALL Americans. PERIOD. Whatever it takes to this MUST be done. But, it doesn't, and we are left to ask why?

I'll tell you why - it's because virtually ALL politicians bend to the will of their power base - and that's the BIG $$$ to be made off the Health Care System. Democrats are not immune from this blight but it's the Republicans who are MOST beholding to the BIG MONEY CATS who profit so greatly from the system. Their very economic platform is Trickle Down, i.e. reward the rich who will then in turn take care of the poor. Really.

We talk about brotherhood and unity all of the time yet we continue to support a system of inequity. Can anyone REALLY say that we live in an EQUAL society where ALL people are judged by the quality of their character rather than the contents of their bank accounts?? Unfortunately, I think not.

In reality, until we address these startling inequalities, our lot will never change. Our society will be in a constant state of turmoil between those who have made it and those still struggling to do so. The choice to change is ours. We can either give those who, for whatever circumstance, may be less fortunate than we, the boot and shove them further down the slope of poverty. OR, we can give them a hand up to join us in relative comfort and security. And, is that SO terrible for people to expect?

So, please, stop claiming one ideology is greater than the next. Until we start treating each other with equanimity, it's all just so much BULL SHIT.

That is all.