COLUMN: 11-21-2007

This week's "Black Friday" sales will be lackluster because the American economy is on the brink of a precipice. The only growth in the economy over the past 6 years has been in the income of the extremely rich and that is insufficient to drive most Americans to shop when their mortgages are out of control, their gas and grocery spending has been forced to intolerable levels, and they haven't experienced any real income growth since the late 1990's. Both President Bush and former President Clinton are to blame for this situation as uncontrolled free trade with nations that don't have worker or human rights has eliminated all decent future prospects for America's working class. They are also responsible for the flood of illegal immigrants taking the lowest-end jobs, which has similarly driven down all middle class and working class income. We need a new president in 2008 who will dramatically change these policies if we want to have any chance of maintaining our economic superiority in the future. Unfortunately, all of the leading candidates seem to be cut from the same cloth as they continue to pander to every special interest who brings them a check at the expense of the American people. The only ultimate solution to this issue will be either the elimination of money from the political system or the rise of a strong third party based on the principles of true democratic representation, either of which sadly may take many years to occur