Growth, Wealth and the Virsus

INFINITUM GROWTH AND WEALTH SERVES ONLY THE FEW

And it is not you and I. The Covid-19 has dominated our lives for the past twelve
months along with the political indifference and ineptitude by the
president and administration officials in the mishandling of the
pandemic. The total lack of leadership and cavalier attitude has
cost the lives of over 350K citizens. Our public health
institutions, the best in the world, have been excluded from decision
making, slandered and demeaned. It is an embarrassment and disgrace.
Yet we still have elected leaders claiming that it is a hoax or
non-existent disease. Mixed messaging, outright lies and the
continued criticism of our public health officials, medial experts
and scientific research by the WH and president illustrates the
severity of accepting lies, misinformation and fabrications from an
unstable imbecile. Also, we learned that it wasn’t a beer
shortage, hoax, or something that just “mysteriously disappears.”
as some would have us believe. With 9/11 all airports were closed
and flights put on hold for an extended period of time. With the
death toll rising towards the half million mark airports and airlines
should be shut down indefinitely. Is it any different than driving
drunk, causing a fatality and saying sorry afterward? The refusal by
a segment of the population to take precautions and follow the public
health service recommended social distancing and mask wearing is
perplexing. “Traditions” are no excuse for travel in a pandemic.
Apologies after the fact are a weak and pathetic gesture for a
selfish wrongdoing that jeopardizes the lives of others. Withholding
of masks, and ventilators and the promotion of taking toxic
disinfectants as possible remedies has cost lives. The rush to
develop a vaccine and serious side effects associated with some
manufactures is another major concern. Funding was withheld for the
purchase of millions more vaccines. The promise of a “strategic
vaccine reserve” was a lie. Distribution has been haphazard. In
the eyes of the world the U. S. has become a laughing stock. No life
should have to be sacrificed for money, power and arrogance
regardless of age or color.

For many, this past year has been an over whelming experience. No one saw it coming but
it was predictable. We are all victims of a diseased and dysfunctional government as well as a pandemic. For four years wehave been hostage of a lawless administration and GOP regime. Nobody is left out. We are all being used by a major political party and
presidential administration that is operating against our best
interest and that of democracy. They are playing politics with our
lives. There is a big price to pay for neglecting a global pandemic
disease. For ignoring the environment and our natural resources with
an endless growth economy. The rolling back of environmental and
health safety regulations and laws puts us all at risk. This is
being done solely for economic growth and increasing the GDP. This
virus is an anthropogenic environmental crisis caused by a parasitic
organism transmitted by wild animals into humans and spreads through
densely populated cities worldwide. We do not contract this disease
at the same rate nor are we impacted to the same degree. Minorities
and those living in areas of historic or high pollution are
disproportionally infected. Seniors are highly susceptible too.
There is no “constitutional right” to deliberately aid in the
spreading of a global fatal pandemic disease. This may well be the
first of many to come. The illegal wildlife trade, thawing of the
permafrost and melting of the ice caps and glaciers are releasing
numerous microbes, bacteria and other viruses that have been dormant
for centuries. Deforestation of tropical rain forest and climate
change heating of ocean waters will spawn outbreaks of further new
disease viruses. The stage is set, the dye is cast and the lines are
drawn for repeated highly infectious and pandemic disease outbreaks.

The Covid-19 crisis is a deadly example of what wealth and the lack of concern for a
quality environment can produce. Economic growth is the problem not
the solution. Our current economic system fosters financial and
racial inequality, poverty and promotes division. The real estate
industry and development as much as energy, chemical, pharma and
mining industries, is one economic strategy that is contributing to
the growing inequality and ecological collapse. Natural ecosystem
both land and sea are deteriorating at alarming rates. Food and
fresh water systems and supplies are being contaminated and depleted.
Economic activities such as deforestation, fire, climate induced
weather extremes, loss of productive agricultural soil, toxic air,
and depletion of commercial fish stocks are all happening before our
eyes yet the GOP and Trump and those before him (Reagan, and Bush I
and II) are pushing for accelerated exploitation and extraction of
our environmental capital at a nonrenewable rate. All the
environmental regulatory rollbacks is designed to facilitate and
expedite GDP growth. President Carter had initiated an aggressive
energy saving program forty three years ago which if followed would
have placed this country at the forefront of sustainability and
renewable energy efficiency. Reagan wiped it all out. The Bonzo
Syndrom continues. The next big violent conflict will be among
ourselves for food, water and other essentials for life. It is you
and I who will be forced into paying higher taxes to pay off the
government debt that the rich and corporations have required to fuel
unsustainable growth. We receive no pardons. The same problem exist
at the town and state levels. Loss of homes, health and lives loom
for the future because of this greed. Deteriorating living
conditions will spawn famine and violence which has already been
encouraged and promoted by Trump and his GOP allies for the past four
years. Expenses across the board need to be reduced. What is the
price of health and survival? What is the price of racism? What
price is being extracted from our way of life for that of a fascist,
radical nationalistic, authoritarian government? As the song “Hello
Out There” goes, our net worth is falling, our shinning star is
dimming and our fight for life and peace is failing. Arrogance,
lying, deceit, obstruction and plain stupidly are prevailing. We are
spinning out of control. Are we all considered expendable and merely
a given sacrifice for someone else’s financial and power gain?
Stand up, speak out and take action.

GIB CHASE