TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   If you are a working class American, the great majority, you know that the greatest President in history was undoubtedly Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His policies were focused on improving the lives of all Americans for 12 years. No other president has always placed people first. Over the last 78 years our government’s priorities have become corporate profits, and special interests who pay for the elections of our executive and legislative branches. You may not be aware of this fact, but there are less than a handful of lobbyists working for you and me in Washington. In the 21 st century, the super-rich have abandoned capitalism and now have complete control over our government. America has become a plutocracy. The quality of life for most Americans has declined thanks to “Greedflation,” growing racism, mass bigotry, proven by the enormous increase in hate crimes, misogyny, and a failure to care for our senior citizens. Most Americans have inadequate healthcare

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Greedflation, increases in Medicare, and insufficient increases in Social Security prove that our government and corporate America are colluding to kill older Americans as quickly as possible. My wife and I have one income: our Social Security. We struggled as millions of others do. In 2019 we were surviving, and that is the only accurate term I could use. Today our food bill has increased by about 35 percent. Our gas and electric bill increased 37 percent. Gasoline prices have risen by more than 40 percent. Medicare has risen by about 20 percent. I have found ways to reduce our automobile and homeowner’s insurance, but every other necessary expenditure has increased. The 8.5 percent increase in our Social Security checks we began receiving in January of this year fail to compensate for the increase in the cost of necessities. Greedflation, a planned increase in commodities, and a minimal increase in Social Security in 2024 will endanger our very existence. We

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   My wife and I did two things today. I purchased gas for our truck, and she went grocery shopping. We live in Northern Nevada, and we are both in our 70s. Gas is nearly four-and-one-half dollars a gallon, about 20 cents higher than the last time I went to the gas station. Our grocery bill was over 30 percent higher than last week. We noticed that several items, no luxuries, had risen by more than 50 cents each, To make it worse, many of the packaged goods were higher in price but the content was less. Last year our COLA increase for social security was 8.7 percent. However, the reality is that our personal cost of living has increased by 15-18 percent. I learned the increase for this year is expected to be about three percent. This is another form of “agism” by our uncaring government. What is continuing to happen is “Greedflation.” After we survived the Covid-19 pandemic, America’s corporations took advantage of the privilege given to them by those who were el

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart The first popular American Republican president since Dwight Eisenhower was elected in 1980. His name was Ronald Reagan. Those of us who voted for him were fooled by a movie star, not a great leader. He immediately began wars on the working class, minorities, women, and all other religions other than Christianity. His support for the wealthiest Americans soon became the policy of the entire Republican Party, and continues to this day. The truth is, that over the last 42 years, our nation is now controlled by plutocracy. The recent “Greedflation” was a clear example of this ongoing situation. There was no viable reason for corporations to raise prices on everything from gasoline to the price of eggs, but profits are the only concern of corporate America and the party who calls themselves “Republicans” today. Today, Walmart, Kroger, and other major stores have decided that billions of dollars in profit each year were not enough. Therefore, they decided to en