JULY 14:"LET THEM EAT CAKE" |
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Written by Barry Kowal
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Jul 14, 2015 at 09:30 AM |
JULY 14:"LET THEM EAT CAKE"...ON JULY 14,1789 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IS SET IN MOTION AS THE FRENCH PEOPLE STORM THE BASTILLE IN PARIS

After the Boston Tea Party where Americans were protesting King George III of England,in 1775 Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride through the streets of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts shouting "The British Are Coming" set the American Revolution in motion.
Fourteen years later in 1789 the time was ripe in France.Marie Antoinette the wife of King Louis XVI after being told the people of France do not have bread.She responded saying "Let them eat cake." (not really a good solution). 233 years ago today on Tuesday,July 14,1789 the French people in Paris stormed the Bastille and overthrew the King set the French Revolution in motion.Today this is celebrated as a national holiday in France.King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both subsequently beheaded by the guillotine.
IS THE TIME RIGHT IN THE USA FOR ANOTHER FRENCH REVOLUTION?????
In 2023 we don't have kings,they are now called CEOs.In 1970 the average CEO earned 45 times more than the person at the entry level position.In 2023 the average CEO earns more than 1000 times as much as the person at the entry level position.
Today,Jeff Bezos earns 68 million dollars a day just on the interest from his investments.He earns more money in one hour just on his interest than what most Americans earn in their lifetime.
Ever since Ronald Reagan became President the USA has been slowly going down hill.In 1970,adults in middle-income households accounted for 62% of aggregate income,a share that fell to 42% in 2020.Meanwhile,the share of aggregate income accounted for by upper-income households has increased steadily,from 29% in 1970 to 50% in 2020.
In a recent podcast economist Professor Richard Wolff espoused that the USA is moving from a capitalist society to an authoritarian society.See-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0c5Gfh2ZWY. You can see this happening with recent events other than just the fact of the widening income gap.The minimum wage has not been raised in several years.How the Democrats crushed the railroad strike last December.The large increase in the homeless population (would you believe in Russia people have a constitutional right to a home).Student loan debt is on the rise (in Cuba your education is free to the PHD level).Even after a COVID epidemic the USA still refuses to provide free public health care for their citizens (Since 1996,Russia's constitution has provided citizens and residents with the right to free healthcare). The USA has banned network's that provide a narrative the US Government does not approve.RT (Russian news in English) is banned in the USA while CNN still broadcasts in Russia.Republicans want to abolish social security benefits.That hits home because I am 70 years old.All these measures are just band-aids designed just to keep capitalism viable.The top 1% want to keep the bottom 99% suppressed to avoid another French Revolution.Still there are enough middle class people living a comfortable enough lifestyle now to not want to rise up against the government. However,in my opinion,the oligarchs in the USA are extremely greedy and the way the top 1% have been having wealth shifted to them from bottom 99% for the past 50 years I believe will continue for the foreseeable future.I believe it will continue until most Americans don't have bread and someone in the White House says "Let them eat cake."
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Last Updated ( Jul 15, 2023 at 09:35 AM )
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