By Neba-Fuh
The US Republican Presidential hopeful Senator McCain John's recent economic utterances and arguments aimed at slowing down the momentum
his rival the Democratic hopeful Senator Obama Barack has gathered, may instead be luring low income Republicans towards voting for Obama.
At
this time when America is facing the greatest down plunge of any great
economy in history, military heroism and experience will not be the
main factors that will decide the outcome of this election.
During the
last televised debate of the two candidates, McCain brought in an
unwilling 'horse' in this race- Joe the Plumber, a struggling Ohio
resident whom Obama met during his campaign there, became an
'unsolicited star'. McCain capitalized on Joe the Plumber's worries on Obama's plan to increase taxes for people making more than $250.000
per annum.
McCain has thereafter used Joe
the Plumber's anecdote
to tag Obama as a socialist, 'ready to distribute Americans' wealth if he is elected'.
It
should be recalled that Obama's tax plan is aimed at increasing taxes to
those earning more that $250,000 per annum while those earning less,
will have no tax increment. Meanwhile McCain is advocating for
zero-tax increment.
If economy will be the most deciding factor in electing America's next President, then Mccain's recent
economic utterances are attracting more voters to Obama.
America
enters its worst economic recession since the thirties. Unemployment
figures are skyrocketing, gas prices are just returning from a record
high, banks are rapping up,
companies are closing down, citizens are
finding it hard to afford tuition fees for their kids, the medicare
system is less than envious etc. Americans are realising that the
American dream will end up being just a dream and nothing else. Capitalism
spiced with extreme deregulation is having a toll on once the world's
greatest economy.
In a system where the laissez- faire option has failed, Americans should feel no sense of inferiority to try other options like Socialism in the short term, or stick to Mixed Economy in the long run. This will enhance the much needed regulation of the economy that is needed to avoid economic plunges such as the one we are facing now. Socialism doesn't hamper freedom if well managed for a short period of time. The Founding Fathers never prescribed a system of economy as American! Socialism if well managed is not a speed-break to freedom. A poor man is not free! Not being able to eat well or have a shelter or pay our bills isn't freeedom, and not being free is surely unAmerican I guess.
The
recent campaign manoeuvres by McCain to paint Obama as a socialist( An
accusation Obama strongly denies), just because he(Obama) wants to
raise taxes for the rich, is the last kick of a dying horse.
If you consider that 90% of Americans falls in the
bracket of those whose taxes will not be raised, and only 10% falls in
'rich bracket', then you will understand how small Mccain's audience is.
At
a time when billions of dollars have been spent on an egoistic-
triggered war in Iraq, billions lost because of extreme deregulation,
poor economic analyses, poor managerial abilities by almighty CEOs,as
well as tax breaks for multi-billion multinationals such Exxon; then it
goes without saying that the tax plan of each of the candidates will be
crucial in attempting to redress this downturn of the economy, if any of them is elected on November 4.
Taxing the rich more and stopping tax breaks for multinationals seem to be an idea even Joe the struggling Plumber could have bought, for he falls under those whose taxes will not be increased, in the Obama tax plan. To paint such an idea as socialism, as if socialism is a sin, is McCain's way of closing the curtains to his ambition of becoming President of the United States of America.
On election
day, the majority of the 90% of American folks who will vote will
surely not bother whether the policy that will make them feel 'American' or
'Free Again' is called Socialism or whatever.
What will bother
poverty-stricken Americans as they go to vote will be 'how they will put
food on their kitchen tables, pay their mortgages, pay tuition for their
kids, buy fuel for their cars at an affordable price and feel 'American' again .
Who cares if the dollars will come by increasing Donald Trump's, Bill
Gates' or Warren Buffet's taxes; just to name these few.
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