Surviving Capitalism (Not) : What are the top 10 financial worries of Americans? Two of the most common themes include paying for children’s college and saving enough for retirement.

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, May 1, 2015

What are the top 10 financial worries of Americans? Two of the most common themes include paying for children’s college and saving enough for retirement.

Click here to access article from My Budget 360.

Financial worries are a big concern for many American families. In spite of a booming stock market and a resurgent real estate market, most Americans don’t seem to be feeling financially better. A large reason is that many Americans did not partake in the rise in the investor driven real estate boom and also, many Americans own very little to no stocks at all. Is it their fault? For some, yes. But for many the growing low wage economy simply leaves little left to save after paying for daily expenses. Having enough for retirement is becoming a growing issue since 10,000 Americans per day are hitting retirement age.

The author provides hard data to show how ordinary Americans are most affected by austerity policies. Instead of spending money to upgrade the deteriorating infrastructure and general economy in the US, our ruling masters want to spend more on military weapons and thereby enrich capitalists invested in the military-industrial complex. Our masters have already used our financial resources to construct military bases in many foreign countries, provided military aid to corrupt, oppressive regimes, sponsored terrorist armies like the al-Nusra army in Syria, engaged in costly operations to overthrow governments like Ukraine, and have launched many costly and criminal wars.