By Carl Fombrun Adapted from an old French saying, I would say when I think of the U.S. OF A, “ this country has done me too much good to criticize it, and too much bad to praise it,” but let the chips fall where they may once in awhile. What’s presently happening with Walter Reed Hospital in Washington with rodents and neglect for U.S. veterans, but loving tender care for members of the U.S. Congress, is a small example of the hypocrisy and incompetence of what the United States of America is continuing to go through under a reactionary Republican administration and a poorly prepared president. Capitalism can be as evil in America as Communism or any Dictatorship, under Democrats or Republicans, and I already hear the so called patriots, conservative right wingers, misguided citizens and immigrants, native born and otherwise, telling me : “America, love it or leave it, put-up or shut-up,” although I have been a U.S. citizen for almost half-a-century and many of those critics are newcomers in this “land of plenty.” Strange reminders of the Baby Doc days in Haiti where I am originally from. All this comes to mind, not only because of the Walter Reed fiasco, all the other failures for the past six years of this Republican administration in Iraq and at home with Katrina, and catastrophies, too many to mention in a newsletter, but also of the working relationship I have had with corporate America in my heydays as a token of the American labor force. One of my first taste of crooked corporate America, when I applied for a job with the personnel headquarters of an airline in New York, I was directed to fill an application with an employment agency, with the agreement that my two first weeks of employment would be taken off my salary as a commission. Accepted for a position in Customer Service, the first words out of my immediate supervisor’s mouth were: “ Carl, welcome aboard. Remember, this is a Republican airline” (beggars can’t be choosy). And this was in 1964 under the Democratic administration of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Over 21 years with this airline, the employees were asked, during twelve years in my case, to give over 12 percent of their salaries to keep it from going bankrupt. It went bankrupt anyway, with its CEO who received millions of dollars, as a golden parachute in retirement. As for the employees, a couple committed suicide, others being too old, but not old enough for retirement, had to accept minimum wage jobs available on the market, and the loss of their pension. Yours truly, seeing the storm coming, accepted a forced early retirement at age 55. A robber baron took over the airline and employees who were promised benefits, never received them. In 1987, to celebrate retirement, we enjoyed a free round trip in First Class, my wife and I to Paris, France offered by a son who worked for Pan Am as an aircraft mechanic. Today, that son, due to a motorcycle accident is brain injured, and for over three years has been denied social security benefits to which he is entitled. U.S. senator Bill Nelson-D FL, Kendrick Meek-D FL are aware of this situation, and until today nothing has been done to improve his precarious lifestyle. Before leaving for Paris, I had authorized my former company to transfer my account which consisted of an important sum after 21 years of hard work, to a Credit Union institution of my choosing. On my return from France, my account transferred to the credit union was short $10,000 dollars. After enquiring with my former employer, I was told that they neglected to transfer the account on the days instructed, and that unfortunately they did it when there was a three day crash in the stock market in the fall of 1987. My lawyer told me that it was not worth litigating and to accept the loss. Only in America. The above is only a small sample of million of similar middle-class stories in good old USA; the weak, the apologists and cynics will tell you to consider the alternative. It does not matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat when it comes to greed. That’s the capitalist way. When it pertains to social issues, the Democrats have had the edge with FDR, JFK, LBJ, and Bill Clinton. I am wary of Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton who behaves as a warhawk, no apologies on her vote for going to war with Iraq, and like LBJ, will, when the time comes, have no money for social programs due to commitments to warfare. Once, if elected, Hilary may get started with Iran. I am also wary of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who claims not to have a two-third Democratic majority to accomplish real change in the U.S. Senate. Whatever happened to leadership ? Having lived long enough in American society, I regretfully believe that “America” is not ready for a white female or a black man, unless they would come out of the ordinary and show true leadership. That’s not presently the case; hope springs eternal. As for the Republican side, they are coming up with thrice married Italian-American Rudolph Guiliani, weak on social issues but strong on the America of love it or leave it: “Bring them on” just like the cowboy in the White House, who presently in response to Venezuelan president Chavez’s popularity, is courting the millions of Latin-Americans poor. Born again Christians and Conservative Republicans will have some adjustments to make with Giuliani’s morals. And thats’s where this Republic stands at this early stage of election maneuvering, today March 7 2007. To conclude, the American voters should remind elected officials, Republicans or Democrats, who need their vote in 2008, to get a bill started to place members of the U.S. Congress under Social Security like everyone else. As it’s well-known, Senators and members of the U.S.Congress DO NOT pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. However, when they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die with increase, from time to time, due to cost of living adjustments. A well-known example, Democratic senator Robert Byrd, former Klu Klux Klan member and congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000.00 during the last years of their lives.This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two dignitaries. Younger members of Congress who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives. This huge perk voted for them, by themselves, is free of charge. The American taxpayer picks up the tab. The American worker who pays into Social Security Plan until he retires, which amount is matched by his employer, is expected to get an average of $1000 dollars per month. Same goes for a self-employed person participating in Social Security. If changes were made with these outrageous financial and health benefits to members of the U.S. Legislative branch, as well as stopping the waste of billion of dollars on the war in Iraq by the Executive branch, a decent healthcare system, for the majority of the American people, would emerge. Hey! Here is CARL’S CORNER dreaming in technicolor. Dream on, “America.” Sweet Land of Liberty Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, (Haitians died in Savannah) Land of the pilgrims' pride, From every mountain side Let Freedom ring. Carl
