Voting Rights in the U.S. have come a long way since this country announced its independence from Britain. Not only white male property owners can now vote but also African Americans and women and of course every other non-white, and non-African American person who is the owner of a “blue passport”. So what about us whose passports have a different color? I have lived here for over 6 years and I don’t get to vote because my passport is red and not blue. Somehow this really upsets me because since I live here, I would like to take my part on American politics as well, even if this is “just” through voting.
The foreign-born population of the United States has reached its highest level since the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1920 and is now estimated to be 33 million, or 11.8 percent of the total population. Today, many communities in New York, Florida, and California have immigrant populations of 40 percent or more. (source: http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=265).
The estimated 12 million legal permanent residents who cannot vote, may work in the US, pay taxes, send their children to school, and even serve in the military.
So basically what this means is that I can live here like a US citizen, and even serve this country in the military and possibly die for this country in a war but I don’t get to vote?
The practice of non-citizen voting has spread to more than 20 countries around the world, including to communities in New Zealand, Chile, Israel, and all Member States of the European Union. So US-citizens with a legal resident status, living in Europe, do get to vote in that country!
I believe that non-citizen voting promotes civic education and civic engagement among future Americans.
People who may argue that all it takes is to apply for citizenship to gain this voting right may want to consider that the biggest reason to hesitate before applying for citizenship is often emotional, not rational; many do not want to take the Oath of Allegiance until they "feel American."
Politicians should really consider these 12 million potential votes hanging in the balance and give us the right to vote.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
American Workers don't need to know everything, do they?
Shamus Cooke, who is a social service worker, trade unionist and writer for Workers Action argues in his blog at http://www.counterpunch.org/cooke10132009.html that Obama is keeping secrets from American Workers.
The author claims that although Obama acknowledges the fact of global economic crisis and talks about a “new world order” he doesn’t explain how this affects the American working class. He lists several examples like the long-term decline of the dollar and the US debt (which was mainly caused by foreign wars and bailing out banks) that seem to give Obama enough reasons to ask for sacrifices which need to be made in other areas.
What the author criticizes the most is that political officials keep it a secret which sacrifices will have to be made here and how. At the recent G-20 summit part of the secret was revealed when Obama pushed a plan that aimed “to reform the global architecture to meet the needs of the 21st century.” “Part of the plan said that “G-20 members with sustained, significant external deficits [the U.S.] pledge to undertake policies to support private savings and undertake fiscal consolidation while maintaining open markets and strengthening export sectors.”
According to Cooke this translates into reducing “domestic consumption” and increasing exports. His audience which is being addressed in this blog is clearly the American working class which seem to suffer the most from this plan. Reducing domestic consumption basically means lowering the standard of living of U.S. workers through lower wages and the elimination of “entitlement programs” so U.S. corporations will be able to export more on the global market.
I do agree with Cooke that some of the changes which are currently being made seem to benefit the higher and better earning class much more than those who really need it. This makes me wonder if the Democrats are slowly but surely becoming an upper class party and the working middle class people are left by themselves with no support from the outside. I do believe though that there is hope for the economy.
The author claims that although Obama acknowledges the fact of global economic crisis and talks about a “new world order” he doesn’t explain how this affects the American working class. He lists several examples like the long-term decline of the dollar and the US debt (which was mainly caused by foreign wars and bailing out banks) that seem to give Obama enough reasons to ask for sacrifices which need to be made in other areas.
What the author criticizes the most is that political officials keep it a secret which sacrifices will have to be made here and how. At the recent G-20 summit part of the secret was revealed when Obama pushed a plan that aimed “to reform the global architecture to meet the needs of the 21st century.” “Part of the plan said that “G-20 members with sustained, significant external deficits [the U.S.] pledge to undertake policies to support private savings and undertake fiscal consolidation while maintaining open markets and strengthening export sectors.”
According to Cooke this translates into reducing “domestic consumption” and increasing exports. His audience which is being addressed in this blog is clearly the American working class which seem to suffer the most from this plan. Reducing domestic consumption basically means lowering the standard of living of U.S. workers through lower wages and the elimination of “entitlement programs” so U.S. corporations will be able to export more on the global market.
I do agree with Cooke that some of the changes which are currently being made seem to benefit the higher and better earning class much more than those who really need it. This makes me wonder if the Democrats are slowly but surely becoming an upper class party and the working middle class people are left by themselves with no support from the outside. I do believe though that there is hope for the economy.
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