Stuck In The Middle With You

This nation is in dire straits. I think the so called recession is going to make make the depression look like a picnic. How we came to this juncture in American history is clouded with charge and counter charge, by paid political pundits, lobbying groups, think tanks and a bankrupt moral climate in our federal government on both sides of the isle.

We have MBA economists touting unsound economic theories such as Darwinian Economics based on self interest and greed. We have raised such theories to a level of cult worship without regard for the logical outcomes of such pathologically flawed ideas.

Greed without restraint. Unregulated economic rape of unsuspecting consumers all in the guise of unfettered free trade and markets. The list of suspects in this collusion are legion. The radical right wing conservatives who mouth the words spun with guile meant to cloak the real effects of these so called theories. You've heard the buzz words that hide the truth of their real malevolence: free trade, deregulation, globalization, let the market decide, privatization, outsourcing, just to name a few.

In stead of plain talk they weave policies in deliberate obfuscation. Lets have a look at what they are really saying. Globalization and Outsourcing sound innocuous and justifiable after all its just seeking the lowest priced labor pool for the benefit of the corporation stockholders. Right?

But consider what happens when it is put into practice, you or your neighbor are forced out of their job and into lower paying jobs elsewhere in the economy.

Basically you are now in wage competition with third world countries without regulation or protection for their workers, who in many cases will work for pennies an hour. Do these so called Multinational American Corporation care? No way. This is Darwinian Economics, basically they are saying, I've got mine and you can go to hell. They wrap themselves in the flag, but they don't give a flying _ _ _ _ about this country or it's citizens.

To add insult to injury they flood American markets with cheap products and goods produced third world countries like China. What country benefits in the exchange? Communist China. Who gets the benefit of bloated profits? The stockholders. Who gets the shaft American workers. Bush's economic emergency package is a joke, how will buying more cheap Chinese imports help anyone but the greedy corporations and China?

But we are complicit in our own demise, we purchase these cheap products. It started in the seventies when we allowed foreign auto imports into this country. That, forty years later, has all but devastated our domestic automakers. It's been all down hill since.

It has reached such a level of insanity that, we are borrowing 9-10 billion dollars a week from communist China to finance the Bush war.

Where is China getting that kind of money? From America which is buying lead ladened toys and ecoli contaminated Chinese food.

Hows that for a Faustian twist.

Unfortunately, I see no help, for those of us stuck in the middle of this meltdown, from either party. They are both complicit and part of the history that has brought us to this point. For example: A democratic president (Clinton) signed NAFTA in to law which was a pushed by a Republican president (G.H. Bush) and 30 North American Corporations.

My only suggestion is stop buying a lot of crap you don't need. Learn how to live on less than you make. Become self sufficient by growing your own food.

The rich will survive because they have all the money and resources.
The poor will survive because they were never caught up in the quest of over consumption.
That leaves those of us stuck in the middle to muddle through. Good Luck!

Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please.... Please.....

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please.... Please.....

Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you,
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Artist: Stealers Wheel
Song: Stuck in the Middle With You