Potential Heroes!

Our children are the most important product

The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a [good] purpose.                                                 John Mason Brown

I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me to tremble for the safety of my country...corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow.                                                           Abraham Lincoln

It came to me all of a sudden, a worthwhile suggestion and I am confident would be successful and do wonders for the working people of this country. In addition to a stimulus package there could be addition billions available.

Here are the salaries of the top CEOs in this country per year!

1. Elton Musk. $513. M
2. Brendan Kennedy $250 M
3. [Jeff Bezos only takes a salary of 82 K but is worth 200 billion]

don't be like the above

• #3. Bob Iger. $146.6M.
• #4. Tim Cook. $141.7M.
• #5. Nikesh Arora. $130.7M.
• #6. David Zaslav. $122.1M.
• #7. James Heppelmann. $71.5M.
• #8. Stephen Schwarzman. $69.1M.
• #9. Tony James. $66.2M.
• #10. Stephen Angel. $66.2M.
• 
  

•  Company: AMC Networks (AMCX) • Annual compensation: $29.6 million. ...
• • Company: Expedia Group (EXPE) ...
• • Company: Mattel (MAT) ...
• • Company: Allergan (AGN) ...
• • Company: Weight Watchers International (WTW) ...
• • Company: Wynn Resorts (WYNN) ...
• • Company: United Therapeutics (UTHR) ...
• • Company: Walt Disney (DIS)
•  Company: AMC Networks (AMCX) • Annual compensation: $29.6 million. ...
• • Company: Expedia Group (EXPE) ...
• • Company: Mattel (MAT) ...
• • Company: Allergan (AGN) ...
• • Company: Weight Watchers International (WTW) ...
• • Company: Wynn Resorts (WYNN) ...
• • Company: United Therapeutics (UTHR) ...
• • Company: Walt Disney (DIS)

The above salaries add up to way over a billion dollars especially if you include the first twenty of the top salaries of CEO's. Why not go for broke [ha ha] and include the top fifty CEOs? I'm willing to bet that figure is closer to a trillion dollars. And remember this is just a partial list of the men and what they "earned" for themselves for a year. Let's look realistically at these amounts. Who in their right mind thinks that the "work" that these CEOs do justifies the vast fortunes allotted them?

Let's turn our attention instead to the work of all of our health care workers, the truckers, the grocery employees, the poor unemployed, the laid off laborers, all the teachers, etc. do for their salaries. How many of these good people are having an easy time of life right now. I read that many of these good people have not been able to keep up with their mortgages car payments. Repossession and bankruptcies for these good, hard working people. Not me, but a friend did the math and used Bezos wealth alone and figured out he could donate $20 K to all the families with incomes under $150 K per  year right now without hurting his vast fortune. That's just one person in the illustrious group above.. Instead his workers had to march for a $2 raise. This is the height of nuttiness. Imagine if all of the above men contributed to financing the financial health of the American worker instead of squandering their fortunes. Imagine the thriving economy of people being paid a fair wage. Imagine the thriving start up American businesses. Imagine. No child caged or hungry. Housing problems solved for the homeless. Imagine. 

We can love these very fortunate men and still be amazed that this ridiculous inequity goes on in this country and in many other countries and no one even complains. Well, some do... Let me say there is a method to my madness in suggesting these men could contribute to the good of the country. Let's see. Fifty salaries of a trillion dollars go proportionally to the populations of the fifty states. each year. Honestly, it could make literally a world of difference. A life saving solution that is simple and I, Susan R. Grout am challenging all of those in the lucky top fifty CEO salaries to be a hero. A prize of my choosing will be awarded to the top five winners.

the super moon graces the morning

Bill and Melinda Gates can be used as an example. Their philanthropy is legendary and have made their wealth a mission to literally help the world's people. Hint, hint.  Makes sense doesn't it? Especially now?

Thanks for reading. Join me in these suggestions. Why not?
Feel free to share this post or any other, just acknowledge me as the author.

susansmagicfeather copyright 2020 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved

A Fantasy about the Covid 19 Virus

To live without hope is to cease to live.                                      Fyodor Dostoevsky 

Happiness is not the absence of conflict, but the flexibility and determination to cope with unpleasant circumstances.                                                      Susan R. Grout

So, here we all are, not traveling, not going to a show, not congregating in big churches, not marching in parades, not attending restaurants, not passing the time in crowded buses or trains, keeping a  six foot social distance from our fellow citizens. We are [if we have the good fortune] at home facing weeks of self imposed quarantine. I'm hoping for the best, that there is a quick cessation to the Covid19 virus. Dream on you say! O.K. I will.


Here are the secret fantasies/dreams that I have about the outcomes of Covid19:

1. because billions of people are not flying and not driving their cars during this quarantine, our poor Earth will literally get a breather,
2. because the Earth is getting a breather people can see the vast array of stars in the sky at night,
3. because the Earth will get a breather the pollution will be lessened and several million people who have lung sensitivities to pollution will breather freer,
4. because several million people will breathe more easily, their will health improve, they will be able to help the people and children in great need,
5. because people have cared and helped, the people in greater need will prosper and be enriched,
6. because the people are prospering and are in less need themselves, they will reach out to those less fortunate than themselves,
7. because there is less pollution we will all see and hear more birds singing and see the animals thriving,
8. because people are spending more time attempting to thrive at home they are rediscovering cooking and cleaning and love making, 
9. because people are rediscovering love making there will be an unprecedented number of babies being born in 2021, 
10. because of the huge number of babies families start to take seriously the climate change crisis for their newborns sake and ramp up the need to support others less fortunate than themselves,
11. because new babies are welcomed into families the millionaires and the billionaires of the world finally step up to help those less fortunate than themselves. 
12. because those less fortunate includes the homeless and the immigrants, they will reach out to their leaders to apply resources to this group and demand all silly wastefulness stop,
13. because silly wastefulness is underscored by a wall that is tearing apart habitat for animals, destroying the Native American burial sites, costing in the billions of dollars and tearing up historic sites they will demand stoppage,
14. because the leaders have been positively affected by this reasonable request they will stop the wasteful, destructive wall,
15. because the wall is stopped the billions of dollars will go to helping all people, including those who are fleeing dangerous countries,
16. because the people will finally realize that this administration is prejudice against immigrants,
17. because there is compassion for the immigrants people realize that all the old, homeless and vulnerable people are in danger of the Covid19 virus and the Trump administration is responsible,
18. because the people know that the current GOP Administration almost destroyed the CDC, disbanded the Pandemic governmental agency and left the U.S. totally unprepared for this Pandemic they will be voted out, 
19. because the elected Republican leaders will pout and whine and try to blame us, we will laugh in their faces and tell them the time is for caring and compassion, 'out you go', 
20. because it is time for compassion, people will use their time to reconnect in positive ways, 
21. because people are connecting in positive ways, sharing goodwill is admired again and hatred is a thing of the past, 
22. because the people have woken to good will for all, they will want the best for all people and vote for science and intelligent programs, 
23. because intelligence and science are embraced, our children, grandchildren and our country flourishes, 
24. because we are flourishing there is a Renaissance and an appreciation of all the arts, America becomes ground zero for hope and beauty.

Amen.

susansmagicfeather 2020 copyright Susan R. Grout all rights reserved

Trickle Down Stupidity, It's Working!

Back in the era of the Ronald Reagan administration most people in the US bought the scam of the "Trickle Down Economics".  Look it up, it made the richest people richer and did virtually nothing for the vast majority of the country. It failed miserably and left the middle class behind, the workers got little value, the poorer citizens poorer and the CEOs enormously richer.

As most of you know, there has been a decidedly anti-science, anti-intellectual leaning coming from the highest office in the country since 2017. As repulsive as that statement is I never realized just how dangerous being anti-science could be. Then the pandemic hit this country with a POW!

The above is the man, Mr. Anti-Science himself, who refuses to take responsibility:

for disbanding the pandemic office,
for delaying the response to the virus,
for refusing help from the World Health Organization with test kits and masks,
for repeatedly referring to he virus as a hoax perpetuated by the Democrats,
for de-funding, by $30 million dollars, our Center for Disease control,
for continuing to fund his [stupid] wall,
for giving a tax break, to the wealthiest individuals in this country [more incredible stupidity]
for whining we don't have enough money to do what is necessary to help this crisis.

Whew. Now his Republican toadies are trying to defend his actions and more unbelievable 45% of the American public thinks this man is doing a good job. Let that sink in. You see don't you, his Trickle Down Stupidity works! Deprive people of money, mock people who are intelligent [eg. Obama], put a toadie to disrupt our educational system, put unqualified people in the highest offices, tell people to distrust the newspapers, then lie to them constantly and voila! You get elected.

This is an administration that has contributed to fouling: our air, our waters, our environment. The are actively trying to sell off our National Parks and would be successful if it weren't for a handful of lawyers suiting the pants off these awful people with their egregious attempts. Thank goodness the lawsuits have overwhelmingly been successful.  With enormous effort the good guys are winning in court. Also, the GOP administration is stacking the courts with judges who specifically want to destroy women's rights to privacy with their doctors, rape the environment, stop the separation of church and state, etc. We, the U.S., as a respectable country made promises and treaties with the world. Now, due to the withdrawal of treaties and promises [plus all the lies and deceits] we are  undermining our once good standing in the world as being trustworthy. This is serious.

Today, through the extreme bungling of the Covid19 pandemic, Mr. anti-science, and his professional toadies have put our lives and the lives of our loved ones in danger. Even though the administration knew about the epidemic in China [and the extreme measures they had to take to quarantine the out break], our GOP administration failed us again and again with denial and delays.  The Republicans are the people, who despite T's repeated lies and self aggrandizing, supported the President in all his foolishness. [see above political cartoon] Charles Blow said, "his lies held no sway with a virus."  This is costing us the lives--- of  American citizens,  beloved people we know and care about.

Does your President care about you? I shouldn't have to even point this out, but this not about you--- it is all about power and money. When the stock market started falling precipitously, oh dear!, our president's bank account threatened! When all who are actively in the stock market reacted, then he acted. Appropriately? No. Granted in a news conference, he mouthed the words to the effect: we should all work together, this is not a political issue it affects us all.  That sentiment evaporated moments later when tweeted that it wasn't his fault, and the Obama administration had not done a good job with the swine flu [untrue]. So much for this not being a political issue. Makes me sick.

I want to put an end to the 'Trickle Down Stupidity' campaign. I urge all of those who are still believing every word mouthed by the Fox "News" [toadies] to question the TV show's stance. I encourage all of the ones you know that think this president has made America even a smidgen better to look at what is actually happening. Supposedly everyone agrees that we want a better future for our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Unless we stop the slide into stupidity it cannot be a rosy one. Keep American thinking and reading again. Talk with kindness and compassion to those who want better but are being lied to on a daily basis.

susansmagicfeather 2020 copyright Susan R. Grout all rights reserved