We Don't Work for the Government - the Government Works for Us

Today SO'W is pleased to present another post written by Kevin Estes who provides us with a millennial perspective on the current condition of the US government.

We Don't Work For The Government, The Government Works For Us

by Kevin Estes

Years ago, the US Government actually performed its duty and worked for the people.

Franklin D. Roosevelt is the reason for programs like Social Security.

Dwight Eisenhower is the reason for our highway system, allowing us to travel longer distances in a shorter amount of time.

Lyndon Johnson is the reason for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Food Stamp Program.

Even Richard Nixon, who is most known for the Watergate Scandal, is the reason for Supplemental Security Income, better known as SSI, and for the EPA.

Yes, upon a time Government actually worked for the people (the Democrats were becoming the left wing party, while the Republican party was more moderate). When did it go wrong?

In 1981, Ronald Reagan signed the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, lowering the top income tax rate from 70% to 50%, and then in 1986 signed the Tax Reform Act Of 1986, which lowered the top rate from 50% to 38.5%. After these tax cuts, the economy entered a recession in the late 80s and didn't recover until the time Clinton entered office. Reagan is also known for the Iran Contra Scandal, which involved the sale of weapons to Iran.

Bill Clinton, despite presiding over a strong economy throughout this two terms in office, signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act in 1996, which significantly reduced welfare benefits. He also repealed the Glass Steagall Act in 1999, which lifted strong regulations on the banks that were implemented by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The repeal played a big role in the Great Recession that took place in 2008-2011.

George W. Bush is well known for his two sets of tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, both of which heavily benefited the wealthy, and also played a major role in the 2008 recession, as he refused to raise taxes while two wars were going on. He also signed the Patriot Act into law, suspiciously shortly after 9/11, rightly making people wonder if it was a planned attack for the purpose of suppressing freedom of speech by labeling violators as "terrorists".

Barack Obama is well known for Obamacare, which is a federal mandate to purchase health care, and likely a ponzi scheme to make health care providers richer, as premiums increased under this law.

And Donald Trump recently signed a huge tax cut for the wealthy into law, while taxes will go up for everybody else in 2025.

All of this, in the name of making their donors richer at the expense of the "little people".

How To Fix This

Simple. Get the money out of politics! If it was made illegal for corporations to bribe politicians, politicians wouldn't feel the need to make the rich richer, and have more freedom to govern according to the political indicators in their astrology charts. In Obama and Clinton's charts, the left wing economic and cultural indicators are very strong, so it's very likely that if they didn't have to be owned by multi million dollar corporations in order to get elected, they would have run the country in a much more progressive manner, similar to the likes of Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. As long as big money is involved in politics, the rich will continue to get richer at the expense of the poor.

Pluto in Capricorn

Pluto has been in the sign of Capricorn since 2008, and will be there until shortly after the 2024 election. It is no coincidence that the Great Recession started when Pluto first went into Capricorn, and that the issues regarding money in politics have been at the forefront throughout this transit. The Mueller Investigation, with Trump, Kushner, and many other Republicans being investigated for collusion with Russia, as well as money laundering, is likely a precursor to future laws prohibiting big money from influencing elections. With Pluto, the transformer, in Capricorn, the sign of government and big business, laws making the bribery of politicians illegal will be inevitable.

And these oligarchs know this, which is why the US Government is growing more and more authoritarian every year, in an attempt to slow down these changes, before Pluto enters the humanitarian sign of Aquarius for good in 2024. However, nobody beats astrology in the end, and it's foolish to believe that you can.

Eventually, the government will once again serve its original role, to work in the best interests of its citizens, keep us safe, and ensure us a good quality of life, but that won't happen until the oligarchy that has been in place for close to 40 years collapses.

Thanks Kevin! Perhaps the upcoming August 2018 Solar Eclipse--'The Tower Eclipse' with its theme of existing structures collapsing--will spark such a collapse of oligarchy in the US! After all, the US government was and is meant to be afraid of We the People--not the other way around. jc

The GOP Health Care Bill: Why Health Care Should Be Singlepayer

Here's the latest post by millennial astrologer Kevin Estes which first appeared on his Left Wing Astrology blog:

The GOP Health Care Bill - Why Health Care Should Be Singlepayer

One of the main focuses this summer has been the attempted repeal of Obamacare by the GOP. The current bill would leave millions of people uninsured if it passes, but the biggest eye opener is that Congress would be exempt from the bill if it passes. In what way is Congress making laws that don't apply to them acceptable? While I've been critical of Obamacare in the past, mainly because it's a ponzi scheme to make health care providers richer through a mandate and increased prices, uninsuring millions of Americans is not the answer, as it is only a return to the outdated status quo.

The Answer? Single Payer Healthcare

As I have mentioned before, the country and everyone in it has been under the influence of Neptune in Pisces since April 2011 (the kids born with Neptune in Pisces will have this influence for the rest of their lives). This is significant since Neptune is in its own sign, and both Neptune and the sign of Pisces rule compassion and sacrifice. Therefore, it is no coincidence that since 2011, there's been a push for our elected officials to be more compassionate, and sacrificing their own status (which will be a fight, as many congress members and president Donald Trump have Pluto in Leo, the sign that rules status and royalty) for the betterment of all.

After all, it doesn't make sense to have to pay money to be healthy, as that should be a right when you think about it long and hard. Single payer health care, through a Medicare expansion, would have everyone in the country insured. So why is it such a bad idea to the GOP? Because it's "socialist"? The current system, designed to make the rich richer and the country dependent on warfare, has the country trillions of dollars in debt and another economic collapse will likely happen in the next few years. With the middle class declining rapidly and the country being close to another revolution (the US Pluto return will happen in March 2022), change is needed that will ensure a better quality of life for all Americans without being enslaved to the system, and single payer health care (along with Universal Basic Income) will be a change that will provide that.

The better question is: WHY are we so scared of that? Change is good sometimes, and this time it's necessary considering the current Pluto in Capricorn (which rules government, institutions, and big business) and Neptune in Pisces transits, as well as the Uranus in Taurus (which rules money and material possessions) transit that will start next year. With the transformer (Pluto) and the planet of unexpected change and rebellion (Uranus) in the two most materialistic signs, and Neptune, the planet of compassion and sacrifice, in its own sign, the outdated status quo that is not in humanity's best interests cannot continue, and the sooner it changes, the less chaotic it will be.

NASA image: Neptune

Medicare-Medicaid's Mercury 'eclipsed' in August 2017

Republicans Again Target Medicare-Medicaid as the Heavens Blink

by Jude Cowell

The LBJ Library website has details on the signing of the 1965 Medicare Amendment to the Social Security Act on July 30, 1965 in Independence, Missouri at the Truman Library. The Amendment also established Medicaid and in January 1966, President Johnson returned to the Truman Library and presented Harry and Bess Truman with the very first Medicare cards. The website includes black and white footage of the events (audio may be partial).

An Astro-Focus on Medicare-Medicaid's Mercury @29Leo (noon chart)

Chart, below: July 30, 1965 'noon' CST Independence, Missouri; Hour of Mars; Bucket handle = Saturn Rx in compassionate Pisces; Mercury strains (29 degr) to join the Virgo line-up of Venus, Moon (1Vir56--16:47), Uranus, and Pluto; Mercury @29Leo conjoins royal Regulus. LBJ's natal Virgo planets are: Mars (2:03), Sun (3:47), Moon (9:51--his Lunar Return that day perfected at 12:43:59 pm CST) and Mercury (10:25)--all snugged around his natal Ascendant @5Vir41 according to my Solar Fire v9 software, rated A from his mother's memory.

However, the Rodden Rating of LBJ's natal data is C (accuracy in question) and gives him an Ascendant of 26Leo57, the position of Trump's natal Mars rising and basically the same ASC-DESC (Leo-AQ) and MC-IC (Tau-Sco) as Donald Trump (with LBJ's natal Moon @9Vir52). Obviously, with Leo ascending LBJ's natal chart would be ruled by the Sun in Virgo rather than Mercury in Virgo as my Solar Fire v9 software gives. But however we look at him, that's a bunch of Virgo and July 30, 1965 also shows a bunch of Virgo with the first of three Great Conjunction/s of Uranus and Pluto perfecting on October 9, 1965 @17Vir10 (2. April 4, 1966 @16Vir28; 3. June 30, 1966 @16Vir06).

An operative 'societal' midpoint picture of the day denotes the planet of signings, amendments, bills, speeches, agreements, trading, negotiations and such, Mercury @29Leo58, as apex of the Neptune-North Node midpoint which tends toward quite negative qualities such as: a lack of communal spirit, antisocial behavior and/or exploitation (Ebertin). This would likely be financial and political exploitation, one must assume, since Washington DC and Wall Street thrive on exploitative practices.

Then with 1965 Mercury as apex planet of the Neptune-NN midpoint there were potentials for any, all, or none of: false expectations, unreliability, being let down by occurrences, secret arrangements made with others and/or deceit (Ebertin/Tyl) as President Johnson added to the benefits that FDR's New Deal programs had provided. Now in 2017, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society is again under siege by opponents of the conservative persuasion. Yet many Americans would prefer that Mr. Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan and actions uphold LBJ's Great Society programs rather than undermine them against the wishes of the majority.

August 2017: a 'Cosmic Blink' from a Solar Eclipse

Medicare-Medicaid's Mercury @29Leo will be 'eclipsed' by The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 in the 1 North Saros Series, the 'King of Alarm' series now repeating for the first time since its Book of Revelation Fixed Grand Cross manifestation of August 11, 1999 @18Leo. You know the one, The Mother of All Eclipses (One North) which begins a new 18.6-year cycle which will end with the 19 North and 19 South eclipses of 2034 and 2035 (Virgo-Pisces).

Besides, Medicare-Medicaid's Mercury and as previously noted, the August 2017 Total eclipse @29Leo, conjoins the natal Ascendant of Donald Trump and affects his rising Mars as well while activating royal star Regulus @00Virgo, the Zodiacal sign of health and dedicated work (see chart, upper right). Quite a cosmic blink! The primary theme of Regulus has been discussed in previous posts and remains: success if revenge is avoided. All four royal stars contain cautions to be avoided or their gifts will be taken away. One example is the adage pride comes before the fall and the sort of delusion America has suffered from since World War II's victory and the much-touted belief that Washington DC can force the world into America's image.

Plus, as you know, Paul Ryan (R-WI) has dreamed of "slashing Medicaid" since his "kegger days". Best to be cautious about taking revenge, Mr. Speaker, for the law of karma will have you reaping what you sow. And being drunk is no excuse!

So here's a related video of a 2015 interview segment from the Thom Hartmann Program asking Why Do Republicans Want to Destroy Medicare?, an ideological and a financial goal which they often attempt to hide via echo chamber assertions of "saving" our social safety net programs. Because they think the American public is that stupid.

Check the above horoscope, lower right, for a bit about the Mars-Saturn inconjunct (quincunx, 150 degr) for it denotes a public welfare program (although Republicans and their wealthy donors are not their brother's keepers, y'know) but this may also be exploited and/or used as leverage in political and financial negotiations. Wealthy corporatist, banker and politician Jupiter @22Gem12 is in Corporate 8th house of Insurance, Credit and Debt and in 1965 conjoins US natal Mars...and also happens to conjoin Mr. Trump's radical 10th house Gemini trio of Uranus-NN-Sun (17--23 Gemini).

August 21, 2017 Independence, Missouri 1:30:07 pm CDT; 1965 Neptune @17Sco13 Rising

When we relocate The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 to Independence, Missouri we find Medicare-Medicaid's earliest Moon position (1Vir56) at Midheaven (MC; 1Vir21), the Goal Point of the chart, and with 1965 Mercury (and the Total eclipse) there along with LBJ's natal Sun and Mars (2--4 Virgo). An additional factor in play now is the zealotry, one-sided views, and conflicts of the waxing Jupiter-Uranus opposition which times and reveals the ideological divide concerning America's social safety net programs established during FDR's and LBJ's presidencies as Jupiterian expansion and Uranian disruption tussle for control of the money via massive tax breaks for the wealthy if the Republicans and their donors have their way.

So as you see, there are many more worthwhile chart factors we could discuss but for the sake of brevity, let's not. Besides, I trust you to check them out if and as you're so inclined and share this or any SO'W posts if you will. Better yet, join the fight and do your part to save Medicare and Medicaid, programs that working and middle class Americans have come to rely upon!

For as a certain anti-LBJ 1964 presidential candidate reminds us:

"A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away." Barry Goldwater.

Was and is that a threat or a promise?

Social Program Cuts? Republicans Can't Shoot Butter

Republicans to Slash Needed Domestic Programs to Fund More War and Conquest

by Jude Cowell

Since Mr. Trump and the Republicans have their knives out intending to gut social programs for the weak, ill, and aging among us while massive tax cuts are put in place for the wealthy class, a review of the History of Medicare and Medicaid seems timely. And as you know, in 1972 (under Nixon) an expansion of the social safety net was enacted to include coverage for the disabled, end-stage renal disease patients needing dialysis or a kidney transplant, and citizens age 65 and older.

But waging perpetual war for the sake of Empire is a very costly endeavor and it isn't as if the disabled, ill, and aging can or would enlist in the military, right? So did the GOP finally accept Trump as their 'outsider' president because they knew that an unprincipled man would agree to cut whatever programs they targeted? And that, after spouting campaign rhetoric that he would not cut the very programs now under the GOP knife! Not that I believed him, of course. Did you?

By Ricard Canals (1876--1931) {Sick Child, Octavi, the artist's son} circa 1903; Barcelona. Details of artist on Google Art Project [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Always the Tiresome Trade-Off: Guns vs Butter

Photo: Paul Ryan: "We've Been Dreaming of Slashing Medicaid Since My Kegger Days"...a drunken dream? Now he's drunk with power.

Yes, with dreamy Neptune rising in his natal chart, Speaker Paul Ryan is quite a big dreamer. But do the current GOP austerity measures against the American people put you in mind of Republican President Eisenhower's famous Chance for Peace speech of 1953? Here's an excerpt:

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children." Theft. He said theft. To give the wealthy more tax cuts while harming little children.

Now Eisenhower's words contain way too vast a concept for a subjective man like Mr. Trump to grasp although certainly some Republican congress members have the mental and emotional capacity to understand that such theft from We the People will result in millions of Americans ill and starving on the streets and infecting everyone else. Plus, the US economy will suffer from the additional financial burden placed upon our families. (No, churches cannot do it all). But that's where lack of conscience and principles come in--when politicians plainly show that no, they are not their brother's keepers.

Now I don't mean that the US isn't worse off economically than we've been led to believe these last decades and my suspicion is that this is very much the case. 'White collar' theft abounds, as you know, and as noted, waging global war and acting as World Cop takes a whole lot of filthy lucre.

However, the austerity path of heartlessness the GOP demands for America is not the only path to take. Even if it's the global bankers' * 'big picture commands a certain course of action, little option to do otherwise' offer-they-can't-refuse situation that our compromised, bribed, and threatened 'representatives' on Capitol Hill are following because the 'otherwise' involves too much risk for their own hides to take. Apparently the extra added 'benefit' of population control (a la Ayn Rand) seems to suit the Republicans (and their enablers) just fine--as long as they and their loved ones remain unaffected. (They hope!)

Well, thanks for letting me vent. The current news on Medicaid and other financial cuts enrages me on behalf of the common good and for the sake of my native country (which I'm very partial to!) I must vehemently dissent against the Republican austerity agenda and sorry-a**ed war economy which are suggested by the cruelty and hardship potentials of year 2020.

~:~

Here's an audio excerpt (under 3 mins) of Eisenhower himself delivering his Chance for Peace speech on April 16, 1953. Now that soup lines across America will come into vogue again, it's obvious that someone didn't listen to Ike's counsel and preferred to sell out our nation to the highest bidder.

* the oh-so-rational 'new world order' planets of The Enlightenment, Uranus and Neptune, met three times in Great Conjunction all through 1993 at or near '18 Capricorn' so that a current midpoint picture has formed via transiting Pluto: the big picture commands a certain course of action, very little option to do otherwise.' (Noel Tyl, Solar Arcs). And that's no matter who must pay the price--saboteur Pluto of the Underworld doesn't care.

Sign Deficit Super Committee Petition: No Safety Net Cuts!

This 'just in' to my inbox--if you care about our social safety net programs and know someone who depends on them, perhaps you'll add your John Hancock, too:

Dear Friend,

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are in danger. But the biggest threat isn't driven by economics, it's driven by politics.

Twelve members of Congress from the House and Senate have been newly empowered to force both chambers of Congress to vote on a deficit reduction bill that can neither be amended nor filibustered.

Unfortunately many members of this new bipartisan, bicameral deficit super committee have Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security squarely in their sights.

In essence, they think it's better to let seniors fall into poverty, or deny needed health care to the poor and elderly, than to raise taxes on people who can comfortably afford to pay more.

I just signed a petition telling the members of the deficit super committee not to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security benefits. I hope you do too.

You can take action at CREDO Action.com.

~:~

Stop America's imperial wars and fund the needs of we-the-people! jc