Mother Nature casts her vote

It’s easy to find the cause of Hurricane Sandy.

It’s two fold.

The first is global warming. This massive storm is yet one more unprecedented catastrophic climate “event” linked to global warming.

And the cause of global warming is no secret. It’s us and our complicity in a political/financial system corrupted by greed.

So much for causes.

Under the present alignment of events, a motive for this hurricane suggests itself. Yes, against all reason, I’m asking you to find a sentient motive in nature. Bear with me....

Here we are entering the last week of a presidential election campaign in which both candidates have shamelessly and blatantly ignored the issue of global warming.

The reason is clear: Both have been bought off by fear-mongering, carbon-emitting, corporate polluters.

Now, from the hyper-warm waters of the South Atlantic arises a monster hurricane that could just wreak havoc on the campaigns, the Nov. 6 election, and, one can hope, our entire corrupt political system.

Power outages, blocked roads, huge evacuations, massive flooding. Try campaigning and voting under those circumstances.

The so-called “battleground” states of New Hampshire, Virginia and Ohio could look exactly like battlegrounds in the aftermath of this mega-storm.

Moreover, like the meltdown of the financial markets four years ago, this storm could dictate end-game political events.

The president will have to go back to being presidential — whatever that means. (Who knows, he might even utter the words “global” and “warming.”)

Mitt Romney may have to cede in response to the devastation that government has a role beyond building battleships, axing taxes, cutting regulations and subsidizing the rich.
 
Okay, so Mother Nature may not have a motive for sending this storm, but we might consider that we are being punished (or are unwittingly punishing ourselves) for our collective dirty deeds.

I suggest that another vote is trumping all others in this election — the ballot  of grievances Mother Nature is now casting along the Atlantic Coast.

Tax inequity, thy name is Mitt Romney

The Occupy Movement can take political credit for Mitt Romney’s unpopularity with large numbers of voting Republicans.

Romney, whose worth is put at some $250 million, not only is, but acts like, a One Per-center.

No need to list his “Let them land in the safety net” gaffes, starting with his proffering a $10,000 bet (ironically to Rick Santorum, now his resurgent challenger.)

Most recently Romney shared that he’s not worried about the poor because the “safety net” is working. The evidence that the net is full of holes stands at every freeway on-ramp where the homeless beg for handouts.

The lumpen on the Republican Right are understandably not amused. They are no longer besotted by the glories of capitalism. Imagine a conservative Republican attacking “vulture capitalism." The term comes from Santorum, Now he too is reliant on big money donors whose wealth resides in stock market dealing. One in particular is Foster Friess, who also mixes Christian "prosperity" evangelism in with his political support.

Curiously, the term "vulture capitalism" might have come right out of the Occupy lexicon.

Populist Republicans may also be catching on that there’s a connection between over-the-top wealth and controlling the government. What we have, it has been noted, is socialism by and for the rich.

(Many of us maintain that’s true no matter which party is in power.)

The political press has woefully failed to scratch the surface with Romney regarding his views on taxation. The press seems happy to transcribe Romney's self-righteously saying, “I paid what I owed and not a cent more.” He paid at a federal tax rate of 13.9 percent last year.

Has he ever been asked whether what he paid was fair? Never mind its legality. As president would he push to change the tax code to get rid of the inequities that have served him so well and the rest of us unfairly?

And if not, why not?

Those are questions Left and Right can agree need to be asked — and answered.

Romney needs to be reminded that for every cent of taxes he doesn’t pay under the current “legal” system, someone else (you? me? The average voter?) legally must.

No wonder this guy is in trouble politically. If anything he owes us. The gall of asking for our votes!

And who is supporting him? The “establishment” Republican One Percent through their secret mega-campaign PACs. Wonder why....

Before the next primary, and certainly before the Republican convention, reporters must put the tax reform question to Romney. The largest possible audience should hear his answer.

Voters of all persuasions are getting to know this issue well, thanks to the Occupy movement.

Now it has become personified. Its name is Mitt Romney.