Political and business pundits both agree that our country’s economy is spiraling out of control as millions of Americans engage in daily debates regarding the economy.  The truth is – the economy has been spiraling for quite some time.  As a result of political posturing, business kickbacks, repeated missteps, special interests, and greed, our economic landscape resembles an amusement park roller coaster ride.  In spite of the severity and implications of instability and rather than challenge the truly broken systems, racist hate groups are using this time of confusion, fear and pervasive sense of powerlessness to perpetuate evil and dissention.  For the select few who really control what goes on in this country – on many levels – not much has changed.

What has changed is that the gap between rich and poor has not only widened, but morphed into a major chasm.   And this country’s ability to distract itself (whether Tea Party, Democrat, Progressive, etc.) from the truth about the economics in this country, while “locked and loaded” against another group – impacted by the same dilemma – is truly amazing!  America has once again disproven its resilience during hard times by cultivating hate-mongers, including some who sincerely believe the economic strain can be traced to undocumented immigrants and the social programs that assist the poor. 

These unfounded premises are driven by misinformation and Americans are sadly being influenced into racially and ethnically motivated oppressive and harassing activity – which often leads to violent hate crimes. The recent incidents of the deep-rooted, insidious, misinformed hate and fear campaigns against Muslims in this country rival the historic witch hunts and crusades against Catholics, Jews, the mentally ill and the poor.

Nevertheless, journalism veterans, fact finders and sensationalists alike, are reporting and blogging on the truth about the complex, interconnected, and intentionally orchestrated current economic prevailing conditions, as described by  Bill Merens on WPR’s AT ISSUE … the idea was the (bailout) money from the government was to go to the banks and so the banks would give it to the people but the banks feared giving it to the people because they didn’t trust that the economy was coming back and it can’t come if people don’t have the money.”

While on one side of the economic continuum, large corporations continue to be financially sustained by trillions in bailouts and corporate deals extended by the government.  In nearly every major industry still afloat in this country, well-connected, corporate giants bask in lucrative entitlement benefits which translate into billions of dollars in profits.  At the opposite end, hardworking people, those in a fluctuating and clandestine middle class holding pattern, struggle to live out their dreams, raise their families and establish their modest legacies through hard work, long hours, and more than often short pay.

In the food processing industry, there are jobs – risky, low wage, and not very desirable work.  For many Latino, Somali and other immigrant and refugee workers in meatpacking, poultry and food processing, the hours in large facilities are long and full of physical and mental stress, as they grind out a living and strive to be a part of safe, healthy communities.  As they attempt to achieve their piece of the “dream”, they experience oppression, isolation and harassment because of their language, religious beliefs and cultural practices.   Those in power, real and perceived, are about to experience discomfort as the U.S. undergoes dramatic demographic changes,  with the expanse of voting Latino and immigrant communities, an underestimated political base, engaging in considerable organizing efforts.

So, the fact is, even in the midst of major economic unrest, America is far from being bankrupt.   It’s actually business as usual.  Having had many of the historically sound industries sucked into either the vortex of NAFTA or absorbed into the monopolizing “merger-ville” of the financial meltdown, the greedy corporations continue to wield power and control over the decision-making tables of this country.  The major systems of this country need an earnest, thorough, examination, and restructure.  This action, however, must begin with the corporate, state and economic acknowledgement of, and ultimate dismantling of, the historical foundation of structural racism that permeates the country. Only then can America move to a place of true equality.