News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 11, 2019: There are two challenges in writing each episode of Trump’s America – both subject matter – food for thought, and a good attention getting title.
This week, I want to thank my media partner Wall Street Journal for this week’s title – their front-page story in Wednesday’s paper about eating gold; not allegorically, but really eating gold for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
For the super-rich, it is real “food” for me – wonderful allegory. To be so wealthy that to find something to do with all that “gold” that they eat some! This is the GOLDEN age we live in!
Before I turn to the allegory, let me give you a taste of the Wall Street Journal story to whet your appetite.
“There are gold-flaked pizzas and gold-injected soups, gold-dusted French fries and gold-infused Bloody Mary, cakes and pies topped with gold frosting. An Italian restaurant offers gold flakes in lieu of Parmesan cheese. In the past year, several major hotels have begun offering cappuccinos infused with gold.”
They forgot to mention gold bun hamburgers. Very popular. “The gold dishes come with hefty price tags—$45 for gold dusted chicken nuggets and fries at the Fairmont Dubai, $75 for a gold cappuccino at the Four Seasons, and $99 for the Golden Beef Burger at Maison Rouge, a high-end eatery off the country’s main drag, Sheikh Zayed Road.”
You don’t have to travel to Dubai for gold food, but let me continue .. “Adding gold to food and drinks isn’t about flavor. As long as it is relatively pure, 23 or 24 karats, gold has no taste and is nutritionally neutral, restaurants say.” Adding gold to food and drinks isn’t about flavor. As long as it is relatively pure, 23 or 24 karats, gold has no taste and is nutritionally neutral, restaurants say.”
REPEAT … “Adding gold to food and drinks isn’t about flavor. As long, as it is relatively pure, 23 or 24 karats, gold has no taste and is nutritionally neutral.”
So why eat gold? Which brings me to the real story this episode. There is NO good reason. It is all about excess. And guess what even though you will never eat gold ALL of us are paying for it. That is the real story.
So the pointed theme here is excessive inequality. You and I because we let it happen are feeding this very destructive absurdity leading to gold pizza. What’s that you have done nothing to power the Super Rich?
Nothing is correct. Doing nothing to stop the madness in the United States or around the world. What can you do the game is stacked against you? CHANGE the game dramatically change the rules. What rules?
It begins with how we interpret both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and everything that flows from them. Meaning our government, who we elect and what laws they do and don’t pass.
Right now, and for much of the past there is no fundamental difference between the Republicans and Democrats as much as they work hard to give the impression there is. The differences are on the edges not at the core. Case in point right now the so-called battle over the so-called wall.
It gives the appearance Democrats and Republicans are involved in some pivotal battle that will have a tremendous impact on our future. NONSENSE. All it does is divert attention from REAL core issues which neither the Republicans but more to the point Democrats in Congress will not. Give Crazy Donald Trump the $5 Billion for his so-called wall.
As a secondary issue but only as a secondary issue make sure how those funds are used and not wasted. But the real issue is getting rid of this diversion. The fact is Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and all their little Democratic robots in the House and Senate no matter how much they huff, and puff enjoy spending all their time attacking Trump and the wall they look busy. Likewise, when this charade ends then turning almost all their attention to new investigations of Trump.
And threats to impeach him. Who cares President Donald Trump is not the fundamental problem he is a symptom. Or maybe our Congressional Democrats will push for some “improvements” in fatally flawed Obamacare that protects the horrendous Status Quo in the medical industry. Or try to slightly decease greenhouse gases. Protect food stamps. Get more funds for opioid addiction caused by drug companies. All well and good EXCEPT all these minor pieces of legislation most of which will go nowhere anyway do nothing to solve the REAL problems.
Just the opposite they meaning the elected Democrats led by Pelosi and Schumer and their sycophants in the media praise them for their good work which only serves to reinforce the Status Quo and make it all worse …..
While the Super Rich & Powerful keep eating more and more gold and the crumbs that fall off their fat table for the rest of us get smaller and smaller.
What the rest of us need are a NEW Bill of Rights & Responsibilities that becomes the cornerstone document for drafting the kind of laws we need. Clearly a Democratic Party dominated by old line Status Quo junkies like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and their so-called leadership will not draft. So, if somehow, we get rid of Pelosi and Schumer and their “team” in 2020 what will this new Bill of Rights & Responsibilities other will write address: First of all … The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution do not protect, and neither should our laws protect outrageous destructive ever increasing concentration of wealth and power in America. That all legislation introduced by Democrats in Congress must clearly state and have the purpose to address and correct this core problem in both fundamental and all other ways both immediately and even more over time.
Further that … Our government should and must work to be FAIR to all Americans not the very privileged few. The ability of the rich and powerful to have far, far more impact on how and why our government operates resulting in their gaining special privileges at the expense of everyone else must end.
And that …. our entire taxing system which funds government and all government programs must be based on logic that those who benefit the most from our nation must pay their appropriate share of the bill one way or another not the exact opposite which is the current system of taxation in America. None of this will happen now. It can, it must begin in 2020 if we elect a truly progressive Democratic Party President and a Democratic led House and Senate with Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and their team gone, gone, gone.
How can we possibly do all this that is a question for other episodes? Until and unless this happens, the Rich will just eat even more gold. And everyone else will fight over smaller and smaller crumbs off their table.
(This series dedicated in honor of the late Liu Xiaobo & Jamal Khashoggi)
