Turn Over the Hourglass

On May 6, 1935, Pres. Roosevelt signed executive order 7034 creating the largest public works program in history. The Works Progress Administration created 8.5 million jobs during the Depression of the 1930s.

The problem we face today is lack of demand for products and services because all the money has trickled up an little is left for lower and middle classes. It's like an hour glass with all of the sand stuck in one end (among the top wealth bracket).

For the betterment of society we need to turn the hourglass over so that money flows to the people so the people will provide the demand that will generate supply defining economic activity, and lets do it in ecologically sustainable way.

Honor Smedley Butler on Veteran's Day

Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, USMC,

• 1881 - 1940
  
• Two-time recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor

"I spent 33 years and 4 months in active service as a member of our country's most agile military force--the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to Major General. And during that period I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism. I suspected I was part of a racket all the time. Now I am sure of it." -- Smedley. D. Butler

How to Stop Wars of Empire:

"A few profit – and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can't end it by disarmament conferences. You can't eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can't wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war." -- Smedley. D. Butler

It is for this reason that the US Congress must investigate, without immunity, war profiteering during the Bush years. The findings must be prosecuted. The ill-begotten profits, tax-payer dollars, must be clawed back and returned to the US Treasury. I urge veterans to join the broad-based movement to make this happen.

Famous Butler Essay: War is a Racket

Post Script: Smedley Butler also exposed a group of wealthy industrialists who plotted a military coup to overthrow the government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934 [1].

Sources:

History Today, An American coup d'etat? (plot against Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1934) November 1, 1995, vol.45, Issue 11, Clayton Cramer.

Next Steps

Like FDR said after he was elected in 1932, "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it." -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

What do we want?

• Out of Iraq with No Permanent Bases
  
• No Escalation in Afghanistan (It's a dry quagmire)
  
• Universal Health Care with No Insurance Middle-man
  
• Election Reform One person, One voice, One vote, no corporate speech nor money
  
• Fair Trade not Corporate Free Trade
  
• Spread the Wealth down to the people from whom it was taken over the last few decades
  
• Enforce Environmental Laws
  
• Investigate and Prosecute the Crimes of the Bush Administration
  

That's just for starters.