| One way of grouping Americans has been as the | | | | political influence. |
| haves and have nots. Now there is a new group | | | | Unsympathetic politicians and media types like to |
| many American families belong to. They are the "used | | | | characterize them as an angry mob. But perhaps it is |
| to haves." They used to have jobs, careers, homes, | | | | just their pain that has manifested as urgent pleas for |
| savings, hopes and dreams. Now they are dazed and | | | | help. Attempts to get somebody, anybody, to look at |
| battered, survivors of a destructive financial tsunami. | | | | their plight and make genuine efforts to come up with |
| The destruction came quickly and unexpectedly out of | | | | real solutions devolve into the idiocy of Washington as |
| a supposedly mild economic slow down. The huge | | | | politicians jockey for political position. When media |
| waves of the financial tsunami picked up American | | | | commentators and the political class wink and chuckle |
| jobs and wealth, carried them out to sea, dropping | | | | that it is just "politics as usual" when a Pennsylvania |
| them somewhere in the unknown depths. | | | | politician is offered a Federal job to drop out of a |
| Somehow from the little they have been left with, they | | | | Senate race, it becomes an obvious effort in futility to |
| are expected to gather their strength and use their | | | | catch the hearts and minds of most politicians. They |
| skills and wits to put together some semblance of their | | | | are more focused on their own political concerns, than |
| former lives. To get by on a day to day basis, these | | | | finding solutions to the problems of the used to haves. |
| Americans have to tap into real "hope." Not that hope | | | | The responses that have been going on, and not going |
| used as a marketing gimmick, but true hope that has | | | | on, in response to this man-made financial and |
| to be held onto, lest it slip away in difficult times. | | | | economic disaster, have many Americans concerned |
| Now many of their days are days of pain. They avoid | | | | for their futures. Everyone has now experienced that |
| daylight, waiting for night time to go outside. They wait | | | | Wizard of Oz moment, were the curtain has been |
| for night to get their mail, on the days they dare go to | | | | pulled back. Leaders and institutions have been |
| the mailbox. Having lost jobs, they then lost homes. | | | | revealed as self-serving, impotent, greedy and |
| With money scarce, children who attended private | | | | hypocritical. Sound like hot air? Think BP Oil, "cap and |
| schools due to dangerous public schools, now attend | | | | trade", "Climate-gate" ect. With the national spirit |
| those same dangerous schools. Places where prey | | | | wounded and people hurting badly, our leaders have |
| and predator come together. Pawn shops become | | | | been revealed to be anything but wise, compassionate |
| lenders of last resort, as valuables and belongings not | | | | leaders. Seeming isolated and insulated from the |
| sold in yard sales or on Craigslist, serve as collateral | | | | troubles of the used to haves. |
| for pawn shop loans. "Rare coins and currencies" | | | | With painful disbelief, used to haves see those whose |
| refers to the change and paper money they used to | | | | greedy shady practices caused the disaster getting |
| have in their wallets and purses. | | | | bailed out. Time and time again they listen to Wall |
| The used to haves are being watched by other | | | | Street and corporate leaders; shamelessly, even |
| Americans who are seeing how easily their jobs and | | | | defiantly, justify their obscene bonuses and luxurious |
| everything else could be lost. Fearful that soon it may | | | | lifestyles. Their media buddies and politician friends |
| be their turn to join the group. For the last several | | | | smiling and nodding their heads in agreement. |
| years, in spite of an unending stream of soothing | | | | Holding onto hope, needing solutions that work not just |
| government assurances, they see the number of used | | | | for the wealthy and connected, but also for them. |
| to haves rise. In part, due to these realized fears and a | | | | They are looking for true public servants. Not for |
| perceived lack of urgent concern by corporate and | | | | political power, but simply survival of their families and |
| political elites for the used to haves they have gone | | | | hopefully someday, a return to the normal everyday |
| from almost an afterthought to a group with growing | | | | lives they used to have. |