TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Let me take you back to how America’s economy functioned in the 20th century. When I was a young man in the late 1950’s and 1960’s I learned about capitalism and how our country flourished throughout the early 20 th century. If a corporation declared a profit of 30 percent or more, it was considered to be one of the top corporations in America. These profits were shared with their employees, and reinvested into their companies to ensure continued growth. Of course some of the profits were awarded to a successful management team in the form of shares in the corporation or bonuses. PROFITS ARE NOW OFF THE CHARTS, AND EMPLOYEES NO LONGER SHARE IN THEIR SUCCESS Today’s large corporations declare profits of 300, 400, 500 percent or more. We have no way of knowing the real number thanks to the tax code. The tax code contains 6,871 pages. Most of those pages are what we call “loopholes,” ways for the super-rich to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. They

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   From the time I could afford to purchase my first automobile, I began to understand why everyone complained about gas prices.   Now, at the mature age of 77, I can tell you why they piss of f just about everyone .   The oil and gas industry began the practice of “Greedflation” about 50 years ago. Whenever they had ac cidents , spills or were forced to make expensive repairs to their aging equipment, they would arbitrarily raise prices at the pump. If you live near a resort area, like me, you notice that the prices are much higher in that area than where you live. I live near Lake Tahoe, and not only is this a fact, the se companies raise prices down here in Reno and up in Lake Tahoe prior to every holiday. Tahoe no longer has a commercial airport.   LAST WEEK TRUMP OFFERED 20 OIL EXECUTIVES A BRIBE   It was revealed that last week Trump met with 20 gas and oil executives at Mar-a-Lago. He told them that if they would donate one-billion dollars to his re

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart The United States of America has become a Plutocracy thanks to the anti-American efforts of those who call themselves “conservatives,” the TEA Party and the Freedom Caucus. Our country is no longer a Democratic Republic, as designed by our Founding Fathers. It is now under the control of 765 billionaires. If you are angry about the 40 percent increase in your grocery bill, I understand. If your utility bill has risen by 30-50 percent, I feel your  anger. If you live on a fixed income, and your overall cost of living has increased by 30-70 percent, you should hate corporations and your government which are complicit with the wealthy to make your lives more difficult. The average Social Security COLA is less than four percent. Both the 2010 and the 2020 Decennial Census’ revealed a disturbing fact. Adjusting for inflation, the average working family has not received an increase in their income for nearly 40 years, while the number of billionaires and millionaires

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart “America is the richest country in the world:” “America is the greatest country in the world.” The former are two phrases professional politicians use ad nauseam. The second claim is absolutely 100 percent false: it’s not even close to the truth. Our country is far behind other developed nations in many areas including healthcare and education. However, the only one which matters, is quality of life. We are last in the world. As for being the richest country, this only applies to about five percent of our nation’s people. At least one-half of all Americans struggle in the low-income demographic or with incomes which are below the poverty line. The middle class is diminishing. Earnings for a middle class in the U.S. ranged between $43,350 and $130,000 annually in 2021. It has become extremely difficult to find employment which offers what is now a middle-class income. You must remember Trump’s only accomplishment over four years was a tax cut. However, the only p

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   When I was 10-12 years old, my favorite candy bar was the Milky Way. I would often buy one as I walked home from school. It cost me five cents. The last time I shopped at a store, a smaller version of that same candy bar cost $1.18. I can no longer be on my feet long enough to shop. However, my wife was shopping today and sent me a text with a picture of candy bars on a shelf. The cost was about $3.59 each, and they looked even smaller. Can you say “Greedflation?” And people wonder why I hate corporations.   Millions of Americans choose to deny the truth. In our grocery stores, consumers pay the same or a greater price for every item they purchase , although the content is less than it was one year ago. For example, a package of bacon which sold for $3.99 a pound, 16 oz ., is now just 12 oz ., costing an average of $5.99. The same is true for a half-gallon of ice cream, at about the same rate.   These examples prove that there are numerous cases of fraud pe

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   The quality of life for most Americans is in decline. One small and exclusive group is responsible for this situation: America’s corporations. Something you will never hear from the mainstream media: most working-class men and women dislike if not hate the super-rich. They don’t care about us and live their pitiful lives spending huge amounts of money on things they don’t need, while most of us fear the possibility of a single disaster destroying our futures. The media claims that inflation is becoming less of a problem in our country. To put it simply and accurately, “they are full of s**t.” Greedflation continues. My grocery bills remain 30-40 percent higher than they were two years ago. Gas prices in my state continue to hover around four dollars per gallon. My utility bill rose 60 percent, and they will never be reduced. If you are like me, you rely on a fixed income. Although my cost of living has risen about 40 percent on average, my social security chec