Our politicians’ rigid and vicious posturing is a result of our precarious economic situation at home, our heritage from and our political and economic ties to Europe, and intensifying resentment against us from others abroad.

In spite of the notion that we are the world’s largest economy with the world’s most powerful military, and have more freedom than any other country, we have become inattentive and negligent to the needs of many of our own people.

We take for granted that we should be able to have whatever we want instantaneously. Therefore, as a mass society, if we do vote, most of the politicians we elect represent their corporate sponsors’ interests rather than the needs of a diverse, multicultural nation. The gaps between the very rich, middle class and the poor continue to deepen rapidly.

Historically, as well as currently, the “corporate class” serves itself by having created the middle class to become the “spending class.” Therefore, the ruling class, if not with the full support, at least with the complicity of the middle class, continues to steal from workers without union and legislative protection in developing countries (the working class).

In the United States, its aim is to destroy unions so it can make enormous profits from the spending class.

This is evidenced by recent posturing of politicians in this country who tied the debt-ceiling to “big-government.” They claim the government wields too much power when it creates legislation, such as health-care reform, or increases taxes that reduce the profit of corporate powers.

Not only do small businesses depend on the corporate giants for their supplies, they are often put out of business by them. Many storefronts on any downtown main street are empty because they have fallen prey to the megacorporations (big box stores) and to chain restaurants and bakeries.

The financial problems that the United States is experiencing, as reflected by the volatility of the stock market, is a clear indication that the world’s economic focus is shifting.

For centuries, Europe was economically and militarily dominant. This dominance was reflected in the choice of foreign languages taught in Maine schools. For many decades, the only languages taught were French and German. Recently, however, German is falling by the wayside, and Spanish and Chinese are being taught in public schools.

Ancient and world history focused almost entirely on European civilization.

Eastern cultures were ignored. They were considered to be third-world countries first, then, more recently, developing nations. Now these countries, such as China and India, are becoming economic megapowers; China, in particular, has a mighty militarily complex as well.

While many of our elected officials blame big government for our economic shortcomings, they continue to aid and abet megacorporations abroad.

We do this under the guise of making nations safe for democracy, such as getting rid of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, or in our fight with those who want to rid the Islamic world of American influence, such as Osama bin Laden.

It is, therefore, imperative that we become more knowledgeable as citizens and elect officials who will genuinely represent the economic and health care needs of our citizens at home, and build our role as a compassionate nation abroad.

David Solmitz, a veteran teacher, is author of “Piecing Scattered Souls: Maine Germany, Mexico, China and Beyond” (2011), a family memoir, and “Schooling for Humanity: When Big Brother Isn’t Watching” (2001) relating to his teaching career in Madison. He can be reached at dsolmitz@gmail.com.

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