Open Forum: Is that the way the ball bounces?

The Bouncing Ball, stuffed with U.S. tax dollars (called a "distraction), is very confusing to follow as it pops out of the "Big Beautiful Bilk," whacks Medicaid and health insurance subsidies, caroms off of the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford, spirals around a gilded ballroom, dribbles through DHS, and skids through an oil slick — only to land conveniently in the president's well-lined pocket. Of course we are confused — that's the plan.

However, if we keep an eye on the POTUS' pocket, we see that the U.S. money in that pocket are being allocated to pay for fat government contracts to companies and individuals friendly to the administration, tax breaks to billionaire campaign donors and their companies, pardons to convicted crypto contributors among others, and very expensive deployment of our military to foreign countries to seize their resources for the benefit of the wealthiest people in our country.

All of this is paid for with our taxes; money sent by Americans to the U.S. Treasury in the form of a federal sales tax (tariff), and a federal income tax. Both the tariffs and the income tax are now disproportionately assessed on the lower and middle income earners due to the billionaire tax breaks now in effect, thanks to the " Big Beautiful Bilk."

Meanwhile, we are told that the tariffs are making "us" richer, when our lived experience is that the prices of almost everything we buy have risen noticeably, our health insurance premiums are spiking while providing less coverage, and the president has made clear that he will control the income derived from peddling the commandeered Venezuelan oil. The "us" that benefits from these policies (tagged by the bouncing ball) is actually "them," the richest 1%. They are using our money to enrich themselves, plain to see if you are looking.

As long as they can keep us diverted from exposing their corruption by ie: stalling the Epstein file release; prosecuting or threatening to prosecute those who stand in the way of their illegal wealth accumulation; flooding the streets with gestapo-like troops (now also being recruited at gun shows!) — they calculate that we won't figure out that their bottom line is to stay in power by hook or by crook, so they can continue their self-aggrandizement program at our expense.

Discounting the billionaires, we are all victims of these policies, no matter our party, ethnicity, gender or religion. We can either meekly accept being the subjects of a kleptocratic king and his courtiers, or stand up and resist; by joining a peaceful protest, boycotting compliant companies, uniting with our neighbors against the common enemy, and VOTING!!

It is only human for us to be diverted by the antics of that bouncing ball, but if you follow the money, the citizens' money, it is pretty obvious where it is ending up.

What's in your pocket??

Wingate Mackay-Smith is a resident of White Post.