Summary

The article reflects on the U.S. government's perceived neglect and lack of support for its citizens, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting a disregard for the well-being of the general population.

Abstract

The author revisits a previous article from 2018, which critiqued the NRA's influence on gun laws and the government's complicity in gun violence. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the author argues that the government's slow response, inadequate financial support, and negligence in handling the crisis further evidences a lack of concern for the survival of the average citizen. The government's prioritization of corporate interests over the welfare of the populace, including underfunding the CDC, dismantling the pandemic response team, and failing to provide sufficient protective equipment for healthcare workers, is highlighted. The author contends that despite the citizenry's role in sustaining the economy and government through their labor and taxes, the government has not reciprocated with adequate measures to ensure their survival during the pandemic.

Opinions

The government's response to Covid-19 was delayed and inadequate compared to other countries' swift actions.
The stimulus provided to citizens was insufficient and less prioritized than the financial aid given to industries and large corporations.
The author suggests that the government's actions (or lack thereof) indicate a disinterest in the survival of the general population, particularly the non-affluent classes.
The article criticizes the government for underfunding essential health services like the CDC and for dismantling the pandemic response team prior to the outbreak.
There is skepticism about the government's willingness to provide further economic relief to citizens, despite the high unemployment rate.
The author expresses frustration with the government's suggestion of risky treatments for Covid-19 and the promotion of a drug with potential conflicts of interest.
The article underscores the disparity between the substantial aid provided to corporations and the minimal support offered to taxpaying citizens.

Our Government Does Not Want US to Survive: 2020

Nothing but a flag and overgrown grass to remember us once we’re gone. @abbyabby Unsplash

I’m going to reach back to an article I wrote back in February of 2018, entitled, “Our Government Does Not Want Us To Survive.” It was all about the NRA and how they dictate guns laws in this country, and how complicit our governing body is in the death of 1000's of men women and children at the hands of gun violence. I get into some other issues to but the title frames it perfectly.

In comparison to other articles, this one didn’t do well. Hell, you can’t knock it out of the park every time.

Or maybe people thought I was being too much of an alarmist. Maybe people were overwhelmed with a sense of, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

So, now, over two years later, I ask you, did I? Did I protest too much or does our government not want us to survive?

First of all, just so that we’re all on the same page, who am I talking about when I say ‘us’? I am talking about all of you sitting behind your keyboard, tablet or cell phone reading this. All of you who work for a living. All of you who pay your taxes, who deal with high insurance costs, high medical costs, and high food costs. More specifically, I am talking about all of us who are not a part of the ruling class, that upper 1%.

Let’s re-examine through a lens of what’s happened in the past five months.

Covid-19 hits and the response from our government is slower than watching hair grow. Entire countries were closing their borders, and placing their citizens on lock down, while the U.S. did nothing. Local leaders had to take matters into their own hands, issuing stay-at-home orders to keep their residents safe.

After a little while, whole states began to shut down and that’s when the job losses began. Almost immediately, Bernie Sanders began talking about a need for a universal basic income in the wake of the job loss and insurance loss due to Covid-19; universal basic income (UBI), one of the better, although limited, talking points of Andrew Yang.

Instead of UBI, the U.S. Citizens got a stimulus. $1200, if you’re single. $2400, if you’re married. $500, for each child. EBT recipients got a bump in their benefits for a couple of months. Doesn’t sound all bad, right?

A lot industries received money, too. Hospital. They need it. Airlines and airports. There revenue has certainly dropped during this pandemic. Boeing. I’m highly doubtful they really need any help. A whole host of small business got help to stay afloat, as well as some business that are not so small, who took advantage of the availability of that money. (They say they’ll have to pay that money back, but I’ll believe it when I see it.)

This country has 43 million unemployed. And with the rhetoric sloshing out of Washington, D.C.; the likelihood of another stimulus is slim to none. And if it does pass, we will not get it for a long time.

There are 111,000 people dead as a result of Covid-19, and the negligence of this country’s government.

A government who has grossly underfunded the CDC.

A government who dismantled the pandemic response team.

A government who suggests that the elderly put their lives on the line and venture out of the safety and security of their homes for the sake of the economy.

A government who suggests injecting poisons as a means to treat the Covid-19 virus.

A government (Trump) who pushes for the use of a drug, which has no scientific foundation to show that it works against Covid-19, just because Trump has stock in the company who makes it.

A government who has not and will not nationalize companies so that PPE can be produced to protect healthcare workers.

A government who will use taxpayer money to aid corporations in abundance, but doles out pittance to the citizenry that keeps the coffers full.

What does all this equate to?

No money, no survival.

No protection, no survival.

No aid, no survival.

The old saying goes is that one should not bite the hand that feeds it. We feed this economy with our consumerism; and we feed the government by showing up for our jobs every day, but we have been bitten so many times that there is scarcely anything left of us.

All in all, once again, our government does not want us to survive.