Wall Street, Not ISIS, Is Destroying the American Dream

By Scott Galindez, Reader Supported News

11 December 15

onald Trump and his ilk are exploiting people’s frustrations and fear by blaming the boogeyman. ISIS is not depressing wages, immigrants are not taking away workers’ pension plans, Mexicans are not price gouging so medications are unaffordable, and African Americans are not raising the cost of a college education.

It is Wall Street and the billionaire class that are causing millions of Americans to struggle to make ends meet, and only one candidate for President gets that.

Bernie Sanders understands that Americans from across the political spectrum are angry. He understands that they have the right to be afraid of what the future holds. He often talks about the anger of the Tea Party, saying it is misdirected at scapegoats. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and even the so-called moderates are exploiting the justified anger that working class “Reagan Democrats” feel. Instead of blaming the billionaire class, who have rigged the system to take away their ability to get ahead and climb up the economic ladder, they are pitted against others like themselves who are seeking the American dream.

It’s always been this way. It used to be and still is the “negroes” who were taking away the jobs. Then it was the women: they had no business working jobs that should be going to men. Now it’s the immigrants. The other distraction is ISIS and Muslims – never mind that we meddled in their countries and caused way more death and destruction than they have caused here. Remember the Shah in Iran? We sold weapons to Iran within weeks of their holding Americans hostage. How about the weapons we gave Saddam in Iraq? We are not an innocent victim in the Middle East.

Of course ISIS is a problem that needs to be dealt with, but it doesn’t justify a war with Islam like Donald Trump right down to Jeb Bush want. Muslims are not closing factories and moving overseas for cheap labor. Muslims are not fighting to keep the minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. Muslims are not forcing seniors to choose between prescription drugs and food. Muslims are not forcing our young people to go into debt to get an education.

The moneyed class has rigged the system, and they are happy to have the blame directed at undeserving scapegoats. What Donald Trump is doing is un-American. It’s not patriotic. There is absolutely nothing anti-establishment about Donald Trump: he is the establishment, and he is blaming immigrants and Muslims for the oppressive tactics of his establishment. As long as the pitchforks are pointed at others, the establishment is happy.

Bernie gets it. He is ready to take on Donald Trump and the rest of the billionaire class that the Republicans and the corporate Democrats represent. Bernie wants to put people before profits. Bernie is not scapegoating weak targets to exploit people’s anger and fear to get votes. It’s time to rise up and face the real enemy. It is the greed of Wall Street that we must defeat. When big business starts putting the common good of the American people ahead of their profit margins, the American dream can become a reality for everyone again, not just for winners at the top.

Donald Trump has no interest in making America great again for all of us, including immigrants and the poor. He just wants us to dominate the world again and exploit the poor, be they American or foreign. He wants the poor to be grateful for the crumbs the establishment gives them. He wants those same poor people to defend his wealth because they believe they are defending the greatest nation on earth, even if they are not sharing in its riches.

Bernie wants us all to thrive and realize the American dream. Wake up before it’s too late.

Scott Galindez attended Syracuse University, where he first became politically active. The writings of El Salvador's slain archbishop Oscar Romero and the on-campus South Africa divestment movement converted him from a Reagan supporter to an activist for Peace and Justice. Over the years he has been influenced by the likes of Philip Berrigan, William Thomas, Mitch Snyder, Don White, Lisa Fithian, and Paul Wellstone. Scott met Marc Ash while organizing counterinaugural events after George W. Bush's first stolen election. Scott will be spending a year covering the presidential election from Iowa.

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