You Didn't Build That

No, you didn't.  You really didn't.  No one is begrudging anyone their success or their fortune, except in the case of Vulture Capitalists like Mitt Romney, who made his money not through hard work or the sweat of his brow, but through manipulating finances and causing other people suffering.  No, what we are saying is, that in this country, we have something called The Commons.  The Commons are those things that we built together, that we support together through our tax dollars; things like roads, bridges, an education and court system, police and fire departments, regulatory and enforcement agencies such as the FDA and  the Department of Agriculture that keep products safe for consumers, agencies such as the EPA, which looks out for the environment that we must all live in, the Army Corps of Engineers, which does things like build levees to keep low-lying areas safe for citizens and businesses, etc.  You get the picture.  Without these things, "job-creators" wouldn't have workers educated enough or healthy enough to show up at work each day and perform the tasks necessary to earn profits for a business.  Without police and fire protection, businesses would either be raided by bandits or burned down by arsonists, or spend a pretty penny for private protection.  Without a Government-funded court system, there would be no one to mediate contract disputes, patent infringements, unfair practices and the like.  Without the Interstate Highway System, the railroads (built by the Evil Government) and the FAA, there would be no means by which to get products to market. This does not even include things like Federally-insured bank accounts, college loans, or help to small businesses. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

Contrary to what assholes like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will tell you, there is NO ONE who has been successful in this country without having taken advantage of at least some part of The Commons.  No. One.  Whether you are a one-man operation or a Fortune 500 company, you have benefitted from the efforts of others.  If you employ people, your profits depend on them.  I am sick and goddamned tired of hearing The Commons villified.  The Commons are what make this country unique, they are what enable people to work hard and be successful, and they are what make, and keep, this country strong.  To deny the fact that we are all interdependent is to deny the very basis of our Constitution and our way of life.  So, FUCKING STOP IT, ALREADY.

Everyone likes to imagine him/herself as the Lone Wolf, struggling against adversity and overcoming it, all on their own, with no help from anyone, but I'm here to tell you that this just isn't so.  Whether you like it or not, we're all in this together.