And before I get started since it applies somewhere in all this, of all the Plutocrats, despots, etc we could have found to destroy this country, how did we end up with Trump? You do not hear President Putin of Russia or President Xi Jinping of China acting the fool like President Trump. Trump acts more like a third world despot than a first world leader even for a plutocratic dictator of a major power.
And with that note; we all hear the terms third world problems, or first world problems, today I am going to add two new terms. We have affluenza problems and one percenter problems.
Affluenza you may recall is a term the defense used by a family thought they were wealthy and felt their son should be not guilty of killing some people because of his DUI because he just didn’t grow up in an environment where he understood the consequences of his actions, or some such nonsense. This is not an affluenza problem, but some people think it is. There are no real affluenza problems, this is a term I am going to use to describe how bad people can behave who think they have wealth, but really are barely above upper middle class and one bad event could probably put them back into reality. They probably will not accept it, but it can and will happen.
So, today’s example of an affluenza problem is Representative Hunter from Southern California. He is fighting his indictment about abuse of campaign funds. Apparently to maintain a certain lifestyle his family wanted he is accused of using some of his campaign funds. Now, let’s be fair, he is indicted not convicted. He should be considered innocent till proven guilty. Yet, I lost total respect for him today even though he served in the Marines and in Desert Storm. He just lost all credibility with me. Why?
First, the better half and I have been blessed with wonderful events, good times etc, and, we have had bad things happen to us, made mistakes, bad decisions, yet every morning or every discussion is a we discussion. No matter what happened we experienced it together, it was our blessing, it was our fault. Representative Hunter in an article I read this morning threw his wife under the bus and backed up multiple times. Not only did he act like he was unaware of what was going on, if anything was going on, if it was, she did it. That is low, that is lower than snake low. Even Mr. Cohen who has a host of other affluenza problems went State evidence supposedly to protect his family and at least leave them some assets. My God, the self-described fixer for Donald Trump had more decency than this Congressman from Southern California. Okay it was one article, but sheesh if anywhere close to his feelings the man needs to be put away for a much longer time than what his crimes might. Who knows, maybe she will step up and admit everything and it was all her fault, but to come out publicly and just say I was unaware of what she was doing, do not point fingers at me. That is the stuff that hurts the soul deep.
Again, there are no real affluenza problems, there are people who have an affluenza problem. They cannot understand reality because their perceived self-importance hinders their ability to act and think rationally.
There are first world problems, yet they are of the fixable nature. And these are more pronounced with the ever-growing wealth gap, wage stagnation, diminishing healthcare for the dollars people are spending, education debt, decline in savings, etc. Soon there may be a new category of problems somewhere in between first world problems and third world problems.
Generally, though you can think of first world problems as your water heater busting the same month you had two flat tires or other car repairs during back to school month. This is fixable. It is going to cause stress and some adjustments, but most people in the first world can work through this, may take longer for some over others, but workable.
So, what is a one percenter problem. Affluenza problem is a problem, yet it is created because of bad behavior. And in many cases can create real problems for someone else. One percenter problems are self-created problems. The Kardashians are the best example. They do not have one problem at all. Everything that can happen to them is fixable. They create their own self perceived problems. One percenters are so out of touch with reality that when something goes bad they think it is a problem. It isn’t. It is just their perception. High crimes such as murder are a problem for all people, yet for one percenters, they are treated so differently that they do not experience the difficulty of the problem that everyone else does. It literally is not a problem, it is an inconvenience. And yes, I said that, and it is scary, yet true. You know you are a one percenter when you must tell people you have a problem. The concept of the problem is only in their mind. As the saying goes: “I wish I had their problems.”
And now for third world problems. These exist. People suffer through disease with no health care, natural disasters with no federal emergency fund, despots that commit genocide, or turn on their own people consuming resources for themselves while their people suffer. People are hungry, destitute, live in squalor, no clothing or shoes even when freezing, life honestly sucks for them.
We can do better has a human race, but we need to prioritize what are the problems, yet until we overcome greed and corruption in the first world, these people will suffer. And what amazes me, is no one in the first world needs to give up anything. Okay maybe some time and I am not talking about volunteer work time, even though that can be helpful. I am talking about the time for us to hold our leaders accountable to how we treat the world.
Solving third world problems will not be easy yet solving them benefits the whole. If people have a better, life it is shared. Stronger economies across the board helps with trade, education, jobs, sharing of ideas, democracy. Heck, it makes being a tourist more fun. It makes being a human more fun. You share in everyone’s culture and life. Creativity is fostered because everyone has a chance to contribute. The best answers going forward are developed. Raising people up by giving them a fighting chance to be successful should be our goal. We cannot give handouts, we can give a hand.
To help the whole planet takes all of us, yet we are letting opportunities pass us by. We need to stop the decline of Western Civilization so to speak and apply ourselves to fulfilling our destiny given to us by our forefathers. It is good to be successful. It is not good to ignore others lack of success. Time we redirected who we are back to a path that creates success for the whole. There are no other problems than the ones we ignore the most.
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