I have had it with the clusterfuck of the US healthcare system, the lack of effective social support structures, our profit driven corporation-controlled government and our consumer driven economic system.
For the most part, I don’t even have to deal with most of this. (Except for healthcare since I am an uninsured and live in a Deep South state that chose not to offer expanded ACA coverage).
I seriously considered leaving the US to relocate to a country with better social support systems and values aligned with mine. I researched immigrating to Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, the UK and Germany.
For me, it is too late. I am too old. I am unskilled for an in-demand position. I am too poor to buy my way in as an entrepreneur or retiree.
So instead of leaving the US, I have opted out as much as possible by living a small, heath conscious and frugal lifestyle.
I tried opting out even last year more by living in the wilderness off-the-grid, but I failed in that endeavor.
The US is not falling apart imminently. We’re in a slow decline that began decades ago. The failures of our systems and government are things I have been aware of for a long time. The wealthy live in privilege. The middle class do OK. The poor get screwed.
It’s been that way forever.
I had hoped the Covid-19 pandemic would wake people up and forces changes. But now I doubt it.
I think post-pandemic in the US, the wealthy will live in privilege. The middle class will do OK. And the poor will continue to get screwed.
This was the case in Roman times, in medieval times, in feudal times, and, as far as I am aware, since civilization has existed.
Our government, especially at the Federal level, is a dismal failure. Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin that is controlled by special interests, corporations and the wealthy.
When Bernie Sanders talked about universal healthcare, a living wage, free college tuition and care for the elderly, I thought maybe, just maybe, he could make some of this happen if he were elected President.
At least, I thought that until the corporate contributors, lobbyists and special interest stepped in alongside the DNC to crush Bernie’s candidacy and maintain the status quo.
If Biden wins, the political machine will return to “normal”. This really won’t be much different than normal under Trump (or Obama, Bush, Clinton, and their predecessors).
If Trump wins, he’ll continue to be a belligerent, bullying, blowhard who says and does whatever he wants. But functionally his actions are not much different than the Democrats.
Both parties will support exorbitant military spending, make self-serving political decisions, give lip service to the poor and middle class while providing bailouts, handouts and tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthy.
I wonder if we’ll have a revolution in my lifetime. I know of nobody who likes our current system of healthcare. Everyone I know agrees that Congress is divisive and ineffective. Most of us have experienced being screwed over by corporate interests and the government policies designed to serve them.
I’ve even thought about running for office to make a difference. Most likely I never will.
I wonder if any of us will do anything to change the system. I wonder if we even can.
If not, I suppose we will just complain on the internet as our political leaders line their pockets while giving us bread and circuses.