Antone's Nightclub
Pushing Ventura's Point on Economy
RECEIVED Mon., Aug. 23, 2004
Dear Editor,
I want to comment on Michael Ventura's "Letters @ 3am" column titled "The News Behind the News" [Aug. 20]. Although he points out news articles, usually in the back pages of newspapers, that highlight signals about an impending economic disaster, I want to call him out on only making a "slight" jab on Bush's rhetoric for more tax cuts for the rich. Mr. Ventura could have gone further and really put in print what a lot of us folks are thinking. That the good old USA is headed toward another dark period in its 200-plus years under this administration. Unless of course some immediate changes in economic and worldwide policy are made. As a history buff, I always look to the past for signals about our future. Having pretty much killed our manufacturing base in exchange for cheaper products produced in low-wage labor countries like China, our economy is held together by consumer spending. This is totally ridiculous for a country to rely on its economic might on shoppers getting out to Wal-Mart and Target. As Mr. Ventura points out, high oil prices will hurt what little manufacturing we still do and eventually be passed on via higher prices to the consumer who has already pulled back due to higher prices at the pumps. It's a vicious circle compounded by the fact that unemployment growth will remain low in this country while our "bring it on" president continues to stack up the highest deficit in history. As he also points out, 50% of this nation's voters are happy with the president because he's kicking Iraqi ass and telling the French to "eff" off. Most of these folks voted for the president on the basis of his religious-right thinking. Excellent, he's great for religious agendas but terrible for our economy. As much as Republicans want to think they are part of the rich elite, the tax cuts the president is pushing really only benefit the very few wealthy elite. Everyone else is delusional or seriously wanting to belong to some outdated class society. Think about it while China becomes the next world power and interestingly enough, they don't even believe in any religion!
I want to comment on Michael Ventura's "Letters @ 3am" column titled "The News Behind the News" [Aug. 20]. Although he points out news articles, usually in the back pages of newspapers, that highlight signals about an impending economic disaster, I want to call him out on only making a "slight" jab on Bush's rhetoric for more tax cuts for the rich. Mr. Ventura could have gone further and really put in print what a lot of us folks are thinking. That the good old USA is headed toward another dark period in its 200-plus years under this administration. Unless of course some immediate changes in economic and worldwide policy are made. As a history buff, I always look to the past for signals about our future. Having pretty much killed our manufacturing base in exchange for cheaper products produced in low-wage labor countries like China, our economy is held together by consumer spending. This is totally ridiculous for a country to rely on its economic might on shoppers getting out to Wal-Mart and Target. As Mr. Ventura points out, high oil prices will hurt what little manufacturing we still do and eventually be passed on via higher prices to the consumer who has already pulled back due to higher prices at the pumps. It's a vicious circle compounded by the fact that unemployment growth will remain low in this country while our "bring it on" president continues to stack up the highest deficit in history. As he also points out, 50% of this nation's voters are happy with the president because he's kicking Iraqi ass and telling the French to "eff" off. Most of these folks voted for the president on the basis of his religious-right thinking. Excellent, he's great for religious agendas but terrible for our economy. As much as Republicans want to think they are part of the rich elite, the tax cuts the president is pushing really only benefit the very few wealthy elite. Everyone else is delusional or seriously wanting to belong to some outdated class society. Think about it while China becomes the next world power and interestingly enough, they don't even believe in any religion!
Fred Valenzuela-Falcone