Leona Helmsley's Dog 'Trouble', RIP

Leona Helmsley’s Dog ‘Trouble', RIP

Last week, Leona Helmsley’s dog “Trouble” passed away. Leona had given Twelve Million dollars to the Dog in her will; the Trouble had the distinction of being world’s richest dog. This brought out the memory of the following infamous saying of Leona.
In Leona’s tax evasion trial, her house keeper had testified that in answer to her question ‘You must pay a lot of taxes’, Leona saying ‘We don’t pay taxes, only the little people do’.
Leona must be a role model for the right wing Tea Party, although unlike their order giver Glenn Beck, most of them could only dream of having her dog’s fortune. Over the last 30 years, the top one percent have quadrupled their wealth where as Ninety percent below have been losers of their wealth. Tea Party is working hard to squeeze more out of the ninety percent of Americans, and making it difficult for Americans to get world class education.
Unlike Parliamentary democracies where simple majority has executive and financial powers, American democracy is based on compromises between parties and with no compromise attitude of Tea party, we will have an impasse. Look at the vicious circle! If we don’t have a one party rule, we will continue to have the shutdown of government because of no compromise policy. That will ensure government failing. The voting public will vote out the party in power. Will the new opposition pay back the former opposition in the same way ensuring repeat of the same? Who is the loser in this game? Is it not the public?
American Innovativeness has been a beacon to the world because of opportunity it provides to its citizens to get education and the fact that researchers and innovators from all over the world compete in the institutions of Higher Education here. If that opportunity is on a downward path, it will no longer be the keeper of largest number of patents in the world.
So often you hear politicians say I want my country back. The world and the economy have changed so much. You will not have late 1940s scenario back ever. George Bush’s trickle down economic policy has now worked and has taken so much oxygen out of the system that it would not be easy to restore the growth that we once had. There is no silver bullet.
Ultimately, the voters of our great democracy will have to use their power to control their destiny. Regardless of brainwashing attempted through ‘Anger show of Right Wing Radio’, the independent public will have to ask themselves, “Don’t I deserve to have a voice as much as Top one percent wealthy people do?” And make that as the basis of their vote. Simply, as in last week’s CNN poll confirm their belief known that more than two third of Americans believe that elections are for sale is not enough. So next time when you hear a Rush Limbaugh exhorting you to bring the country down so that his promoters have a better chance of controlling your future by capitalizing on voter anger at election time, say it out loud that his agenda is not in the national interest.
The national heroes have to change. It is time to let the Tea Party know that their hero Leona Helmsley is not a role model for America of today. Just because some fast talking salesperson can build a real estate empire due to real estate bubble does not make then national hero. The true heroes are the innovators who invest new technologies, the researchers who discover new processes, new cures, and new solutions. Our schools have to drive young children to compete and see a prestige that comes from being an innovator. The nation has to support this. Just getting elected and reelected to Congress with the use of sound bites and bumper stickers will not get us greatness. The road to greatness is through education.
And Trouble was a much better living being than his master Leona, Tea Party logic notwithstanding. Trouble did not hurt other living beings.
Trouble, may you Rest in Peace.