Learning and Growing.

Yesterday was a very important, historic day. It is the day of the 55th year anniversary of the March on Washington. It was the dream of so many men and women who desire to see equality and justice made manifest in our land and in our world. A. Philip Randolph back in the 1940’s wanted that exact march (in protesting industries discriminating against black people during World War II), but he lived to see his dream of such a march later fulfilled in 1963. The march wasn’t just about a multiracial protest against Jim Crow apartheid. The organizations and supporters of the march wanted many political demands explicitly met. The social activists involved in the March wanted an end to police brutality, they wanted federal civil rights legislation, they advocated for labor rights, they desired living wages, and they believed in investments in education. A. Philip Randolph, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, Cleveland Robinson, Roy Wilkins, James Farmer, John Lewis, and countless other men, women, and children organized the whole march. Flyers were sent, calls were made, and over 200,000 people traveled into the capital in order for them to rally for human freedom. At the march, many speakers spoke their minds like A. Philip Randolph, Daisy Bates, John Lewis, and others. One very bad mistake was the restrictions on women speakers as women have every right to voice their issues without restraint. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his powerful “I Have A Dream” speech.

Many people focus on a few words, but his speech was much more than those few, inspirational, legitimate, and eloquent words. His speech in total was an indictment of the racism and oppression found in America. It was call for America to live up to its creed and enact the freedom that are owed to African Americans. Mahalia Jackson moved Dr. King to speak about the Dream. So, Dr. King put the notes down and spoke from his heart words that were pertinent about the Dream and its true meaning. Dr. King’s Dream was straightforward in desiring humanity, regardless of skin color, to have the same equality and justice as anyone else. He wanted racism against black people to end and economic exploitation to cease. He gave his closing statements of his speech in religious, spiritual terms that stirred up the crowd who witnessed him deliver his inspirational, monumental oratory. Now, we live in 2018, and we still believe in the Dream wholeheartedly. With our zeal, we will continue to advocate for it for our faith is real and the Dream will exist in the future.

In conclusion, studying economics is very important. We know that trickled down economics doesn’t work to help the economy in a wide ranging scale. Back in 1993, Bill Clinton wanted to increase the taxes on the earners who made $250K+ a year from 31% to 39.6%. Many conservatives thought this would cause an economic disaster. They were wrong. In fact, from 1992 to 2000, 23 million jobs were created among 8 budget years. The deficit was turned into federal surplus. When Bush came into office back in 2001, he lowered the tax rate on earners who made $250K+ a year from 39.6% to 35%. George W. Bush also cut the top rates on capital gains and dividends. He passed his large tax cut again with the same policies in 2003. From 2001 to 2003, the economy barely grew. The housing market crash contributed to the Great Recession. George W. Bush was desperate and claimed to promote tax cuts and low spending, but passed a large bailout to large financial institutions not to the American people directly who experienced home foreclosures or the poor in general. When Barack Obama came into office, he inherited the problems of the Great Recession. At the end of 2012, Barack Obama raised the taxes on the super wealthy to about 39.6%. He also increased tax rates in capital gains and dividends. Later, the economy grew. By the end of Obama’s second term in 2017, the unemployment rate declined to less than 5 percent, the median income increased, and the GDP has grown. Even when conservatives and supply siders cite Reagan, they omit that Reagan's tax cuts of 1981 didn't end the recession in 1982. It prolonged it until 1984. The economic growth by Reagan was facilitated (via Volcker of the Federal Reserve) by the low interest rates and the expansion of government spending from the mid to late 1980's. Even Ronald Reagan raised taxes at times. I don't support Reagan's ideological agenda (as he promoted imperial adventures, used austerity, and did many things that I don't agree with like him vetoing an anti-apartheid bill), but Reagan did in fact raised taxes multiple times.

Today, we have Trump. Trump believes in tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts to environmental regulations, and he promotes a trade wars (which long term doesn’t work since we have a very interconnected economy). Trump’s trade war deals with tax on foreign goods. Now, many nations have retaliated against that policy by placing tariffs on what we sell to them. This trade war is folly, because of many reasons. One reason is that numerous American companies sell goods worldwide and foreign companies hire Americans. American companies readily sell items overseas. Massive tariffs harm workers and place more of a burden on workers and families who own massive goods and services in the States. For example, tariffs drive up prices on inputs used by American workers to create products. Workers need steel to make cars and other products while tariffs on steel hurt U.S. workers. Tariffs increase the prices of goods that U.S. consumers buy. The Smooth Harley tariff worsen the Great Depression back during the 1930's. We don’t need any tariffs. We need early childhood education, technological skills, research technology, etc. We need investments in health care too. History teaches us that collaboration, investments in infrastructure (like ports, the Internet, high speed transit, bridges, hospitals, etc.), the strengthening of the social safety net, regulating financial entities (as any Wall Street banker who has done criminal actions should be punished), and other progressive policies grow economic development. Addressing poverty and economic inequality must be done as well. Justice for black people and immigration rights are paramount causes to advance. A record high of 75 percent of Americans believe that immigration is good for America, new immigrants can deal with an aging population, immigration spending helps the economy in general, and immigration exists while crime rates are at all time historic lows in 2018. The concentration of economic power into fewer hands during the current generation is wrong. Big money dominating politics unfairly must end. America is made up of many different backgrounds and cultures, so power should be equitable distributed to the human race. That is why health care, housing, education, and other necessities must be promoted to the poor, the working class, and all people.

I didn't comment on Cardi B here, because I don't agree with her on many issues. Yet, I have to take a moment to mention a few words on her now since this is an important issue. Recently, Cardi B and others were part of a skit that disrespected the Civil Rights Movement in really offensive terms. African Americans have shed blood during the Civil Rights Movement in order for us to have many of the rights that some take for granted like the right to vote, the right of housing without discrimination, etc. For her and others like Rip Michaels to create such a skit is not only disrespectful, but it's cruel. Cardi B has shown who she is. She isn't ignorant as some have claimed. She knows exactly what she is doing. Some black people want to unfortunately defend her because she is a person of color. Cardi B says the N word, calls black women "roaches" (which is wrong and evil), colorists readily lust after her, and she has the support among many in that industry. There is no way that I will ever support any non-black person saying the N word period or anyone else for that matter. I don't care what the ending of that word is, the N word is despicable. We must always use discernment. Not everyone who expresses hip hop or tries to befriends us are down. Like usual, Cardi B is said to have apologized (and she portrayed Coretta Scott King in a really denigrating fashion), but you will notice that she would never use a skit to mock the Holocaust, because Jewish people will not play any games like that. The supporters of Cardi B are readily silent and they are silent since their disgraceful support is fully exposed as treacherous. People like Cardi B use music and videos to mock black people for the purposes of making financial profit. We, who are black people, should never play games like that either. Our legacy, our history, and our culture as black people must be respected. This isn't new. Birth of a Nation, modern music that mocks Blackness, and other degrading images have slandered black people for a long time. This is a fight for our liberation. Brothers and Sisters have every right to stand up for our freedom. We don't hate anybody. We just want our human dignity as black people to be respected.

By Timothy