Philip A. Farruggio Philip A. Farruggio -- It's The Empire, Stupid!
May 21, 2024
The overwhelming majority of Americans who can vote don't have a clue what President Biden and former President Trump and their legions represent.
The deck has been stacked by the Super Rich (fewer than 1/4 of 1 percent of us) who have controlled things for so long.
Perhaps it was under FDR who saved capitalism when the Super Rich were penned in a bit. Things were so bad during The Depression that the Super Rich had to be stopped from transforming America into Amerika.
Family farms were decimated, massive unemployment and homelessness became a regular occurrence, suicide was in vogue as was labor unrest against the forces of corporate fascism. Banks were closing all throughout this nation.
This writer's father and grandparents were eating banana sandwiches for their dinner. My grandfather, a proud Sicilian machinist, lost his job after being arrested for striking, and wound up blowing his brains out in 1940 when he couldn't even receive Relief, as they labeled welfare then.
Before his demise, the Feds had rushed in a multitude of programs to ease the financial and spiritual suffering. The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) employed tens of millions of unemployed to create public works and trails and parks. The FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and the HOLC (Home Owners Loan Corporation) subsidized mortgage and housing relief to stop the myriad of foreclosures and help find housing for those who could not afford what the landlord demanded.
The PWA (Public Works Administration) once again created public works construction to employ millions and upgrade our infrastructure. The SSA (Social Security Act) which is still in practice today, helps all of us retirees... despite what the Super Rich's minions wish to end; The WPA (Works Progress Administration) was the largest agency of all, and kept so many employed during those hard times. I could go on and on, but you should get the drift.
The sad reality is that most Americans do not comprehend how terrible things are becoming for most of us. The right wing, led by Mr. Trump, seems to wish FDR's programs never existed.
They have weakened the union movement so that fewer than 10 percent of private sector workers are unionized as the owners of industry soak in fortunes,. We are approaching Feudalism 21st Century style!
The last thing these predators want is a vibrant unionized nation. Thus, this Gig Economy is swallowing up working stiffs like a shark does minnows. They refuse to cover health costs and other benefits that our parents and grandparents just took for granted. The Democrats, led by President Biden, give lip service to American nonunionized workers.
The downfall of labor's influence began with the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which both parties supported. Truman vetoed it and the bipartisan Congress overrode it:
The Taft–Hartley Act amended the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), adding new restrictions on union actions and designating new union-specific unfair labor practices. Among the practices prohibited by the Taft–Hartley act are jurisdictional strikes, wildcat strikes, solidarity or political strikes, secondary boycotts, secondary and mass picketing, closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns. The amendments also allowed states to enact right-to-work laws banning union shop.
I cannot comprehend how any working stiff could ever support a demagogue like Trump. No, I can comprehend, because Trump and his far-right party use the same formula that Hitler's propaganda minister Goebbels used: Find scapegoats for the suffering of our citizens caught in the crosshairs of the Super Rich and blame it all on immigrants of color, gays, especially transgender folks, fetus killers and liberals AKA Marxists who hate their Jesus.
If only Jesus could do another miracle and return to see how these ignorant fools perform their craziness.
So, the only other option for those who can vote (though many just won't) is someone like Joe Biden. If there was ever an example of the "Lesser of Two Evils" it is now.
Column A gives you outright Feudalistic Fascism. Column B gives you a slower dissolving acid on the body Americana.
Either way we are all doomed, but this writer will choose the acid for now.
PA Farruggio
May , 2024
Philip A Farruggio is regular columnist on itstheempirestupid website. He is also frequently posted on Countercurrents, Dissident Voice and the Nation of Change Blogs. He is the son and grandson of Brooklyn NYC longshoremen and a graduate of Brooklyn College, class of 1974. Since the 2000 election debacle Philip has written over 500 columns on the Military Industrial Empire and other facets of life in an upside down America. He is also host of the ‘ It’s the Empire… Stupid ‘ radio show, co produced by Chuck Gregory. Philip can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..