“Any city, however small is in fact divided into two, one for the poor, the other for the rich, they are at war with one another.” – Plato, The Republic
That single quote could not ring more true than it does today. The Pew Research Center points out that the gap between rich and poor is at an all-time high, with the median net worth of upper class families being about seven times that of middle-class families ($639,400 vs. $96,500)[1]. Such statistics become cannon fodder for political narrative. While it’s become comical to listen to our elected officials bash each other like kids during recess, economic policy starts right here. As insignificant as it may seem, your single vote guides this dialog. Choose wisely my friend.
It’s a shame our society has become so engrossed by this procession as to not even really care. In the 2016 presidential election, amidst a heated contest with major issues at stake, amplified by more than $5 billion of advertising, only 55.7% of eligible voters hit the booths[2]. Nearly half of America lacked the interest to get off the couch for five minutes and vote for how the country should be run. Among 35 developed countries, America ranks 31st in voter turnout[3]. There’s no better example of this than in 2004 when P. Diddy rallied America with his “Vote or Die!” slogan and proceeded to not cast a vote.
Any absent-minded citizens should recognize that every day you go to work a piece of your earnings, a substantial piece, will go to a charity not of your choosing. The Office of Management and Budget projects $3.422 trillion of revenue for fiscal year 2019, with $1.688 trillion coming from personal income taxes. These tax dollars will be spread across the world in unfathomable arrangements. Modern politicians ought to recall a lesson from Luke 3:13 in which John The Baptist was asked by tax collectors, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he replied to them, “Collect no more than your due from the people.”
When this tax collection leaves the government’s piggy bank shorthanded, debt enters the picture. The ever-expanding credit line of Uncle Sam can buy politicians votes as it is funneled to the pork of promises previously made, provide immediate gratification through pet projects, or jolt the markets with an influx of cash. However, politicians come and go as the terms end or begin. Unfortunately, that debt will remain. Beware, a nation can be knotted in a snare of debt, and then their loyalty can be assured to its lender. Today there’s almost $21 trillion of American debt with no realistic repayment plan.
In our parent’s generation, the public feared that there might be a lack of information on which to base political opinion from the handful of news networks. In a polar opposite scenario, today presents such a plethora of information that stations align themselves with a congruent message. Viewers are more sheltered now than then as we gravitate towards a channel that meets our already existing predispositions.
At a critical juncture in American history, Millennials and future generations need to absorb this biased news with a critical eye and make informed judgments, think of the economical consequences, then get up and vote! To click the button or not click the button is your personal decision to be Responsible- the cause of a matter, or to be the Victim- the effect of a matter.
[1] Pew Research- 2014
[2] Census Bureau
[3] Pew Research- “US Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout”. Drew DeSilver. 05/15/17.
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