Conservative Talking To A Nationalist

 As I was listening to Dave Brubeck's"Time Changes",recorded in 1963,I began to think of a conversation I had yesterday with a man who I hired to do "tree work" for my property. Trees have grown in and around my electrical wires and I needed an expert to take some  down for the wires to pass properly. The man was sixty-seven and still working at this strenuous,dangerous job.His son-in -law worked with him but he had trouble finding young people to work at his rate of pay.He wanted to sell the business but he didn't think anyone would buy it.Business was steady but he no longer wanted to work this late in life. He said he gets tired easily, especially last summer when it was very hot in the Hudson Valley. He also stated that he wants to move from NYS but he really didn't say why(I've been told this by numerous conservatives..move to Texas,Florida for lower tax rates) He complained about gas prices and that his mother only received $94 a month on Social Security. He said he got $900 but that just about paid his mortgage. As he was telling me this information,I knew he was also talking about taxes and the "government" that was changing his lifestyle in a time when he shouldn't have any financial worries.He did mention,angrily, that he only received a cost of living increase on his social security.I believe this man has been independent his whole life and doesn't like government interference at any level except the Health/ Social Security system that he and his mother participates in.Many rural citizens vote Republican because they have been very self-sufficient for generations.They had small farms,worked independently and bartered for the various necessities they needed. In the last two generations,they were more dependent on others for work as the small farms went out of business due to the mega farms and purchasing monopolies throughout America.This Republican,rural citizen became dependent on many economic interchanges but has psychologically adhered to the conservative dogma of small government.

As we were talking,I had compassion for his mother and his situation even if I didn't have all the facts regarding his/her finances. I did notice,he did have a shinny new pick-up to work from(wonder if he is reporting income over $14,000).I still felt for him because he shouldn't be doing that type of work at his age. Down the road,carpenters are putting on a large roof on a house(old Catholic Church) and I wonder if anyone over fifty is working on that dangerous job.I also had to laugh to myself and wonder what he would say if he knew I wanted to raise gas prices,taxes and expand government to the point of nationalizing the energy,food,health care,transportation,and the housing sectors of our economy.I also want the government to create jobs by producing mandated products for state citizens.He was face to face with a person who wanted to help his situation in a different way(income equality,democratic control of life's necessities) than his conservative(free market fundamentalists) leaders who want to cut taxes(very small percentage of income,majority going to rich,increasing federal deficit),privatize social security(he might be receiving less than $900 month if the market tanks,rewarding Wall St. who care little for lower,middle class),keep gas prices low(keep oil companies in the business by buying from middle east,avoiding renewable energy),support the monopolistic food industry who take away jobs from NYS farmers and exploit workers and the pharmaceutical/health industry who are charging him more each year for his and his mother's drugs/services to stay healthy.

I see this man as a brother in a battle against those who have and don't care about their actions.He may never understand my logic against a common foe but I will continue to support those who want a better life for their children.