LETTER: America today is a nation in crisis; who will lead?
America was once a self-sustaining nation by manufacturing, commodity producing and inventing. We are now beholden to other nations to supply many of our basic needs. Will the next election help or hinder our slide into the one world order, global economy?
I have witnessed many changes in lifestyles and economic conditions that have led to disintegration of our political system. Following is my analysis.
Example: During my youth there were two oil refineries northeast of Kalispell along the railroad tracks. One refinery had a pipeline to the Stillwater River wherein their dregs from the refining process was dumped into the river. As kids we had to move our swimming hole upstream of the discharge because strings of thick oil dregs were ruining our swimming. The other refinery had a settling pond on their property where they would burn off these dregs. One time the fire was so hot that it expanded two rails of the nearby railroad track into “S” shapes and scorched our apple tree a half block away. We had to wet our house roof because the fire was so hot.
Regulations were necessary. Environmental laws were enacted in the 1970s by a then-sensible Congress. Today the regulations coming from Washington are being used as political tools by special interests that cost you and I and WASTE our natural resources. One need look no further then the recent ARBITRARY rule by the federal EPA calling for a 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from our existing power plants. Think of the natural resources consumed and pollution caused just to manufacture and install these political regulations.
The shipment needed because of using cheap global labor in manufacturing is consuming non-replaceable natural resources everywhere. The near shutdown of logging that provided a renewable resource from the national forests help fostered the growth of non-renewable plastic products. Sensible laws have been morphed into assets for huge corporations and the one world order advocates.
It is disheartening to hear of the growing homelessness and the increased need by food banks and temporary shelters. It would be nice to again see America become a self-sustaining nation and see the middle income class of people grow with full time jobs available to all who were willing and able to work. But that can’t happen if the one world order continues to calls the shots.
Our Constitution is in tatters and the answers are not going to come from looking to any of the three branches of federal government. Will the outcome of the next election result from listening to the national news media and electing another Bush or Clinton or another Washington insider thereby maintaining the status quo?
Even though Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are opposite politically, they do offer change, which is better than having America follow its present course. —Bob Hafferman, Kalispell