As a nation, are we sleepwalking? Two large business organizations actually rule America: the Republican and the Democratic “political parties.” And political parties are no more mentioned in the constitution than corporations are; they are both man-made contrivances for power and profit. But at what point does the nation say it cannot trust these parties to rule any longer?
Consider the astounding malfeasance the nation tolerates and dismisses among its rulers: terrorists destroy the WTC and damage the Pentagon, a hurricane destroys a major city and the city is left for lost, the banking system fails so badly that the country is thrown into another major depression, and now an oil spill that is an environmental and human disaster. And in all these cases, the two parties have done nothing to protect the nation against these looming threats.
How can this continue to be tolerated? I hope that every incumbent in Washington today loses his seat in November; that is the only way this almost comatose people can ever hope to regain power: fire these malefactors.
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A century of propaganda, of public relations, of marketing 100% Americanism, of convincing us that freedom, self-expression, independence are things manifested by big-ticket consumer purchases, of being sold Hobbes’s war of all against all bloody in tooth and claw as a sign of personal strength, even ultra-chill hipness to disregard other people, in particular our peers, to identify with those who hold us in thrall while looking down on those in the same bindings. Sociopathy is contemporary conformity, it’s only the insane, the marginalized who attempt to practice connectedness and solidarity. All those things make it utterly impossible to organize ourselves outside the strictures of hegemony. We have chosen powerlessness in our pursuit of egotistical self-gratification and self-glorification.
precise and truthful essay.
thanks,
g.
in a state of comatose, or on drugs.
Neat sizing up of the BIG picture. Thank you, Arctor!
with the most toys wins, is the hallucination most people in North America live their lives in.
a sense of individualism that permeates our national personality. If we are poor – must be our fault. If we are less educated than many in Congress or the boardrooms of corporations – or have gone to the wrong schools – or can’t find work – well, that’s our fault because we should have gone to the right schools, picked the right profession, made sacrifices in our youth so we could reap the rewards. Of course, having the right family helps – hence bush and Obama in a sense that he sought out a certain family – successfully along his career path.
Add to that a dangerous religious streak constantly streaming along in our daily culture, politics – not ethics, religion – regional religion with a political agenda of its own. This makes us easily malleable and easily divided. We haven’t worked hard enough, we haven’t studied hard enough. Why are we poor – something must be wrong with us. Certainly there is no patina of success on the ordinary working guy/gal. It’s called respect. We don’t get it and we do it to ourselves as well. There should be great respect for the people currently holding the USA together.
Education hasn’t done its job – we’re not successful because we had the wrong education, lived in the wrong suburb, played the wrong games. And now corporations are getting in the picture – right!
We better do something soon because our vote becomes more and more attenuated, weak, limp as the days go on. And the murder and devestation is played out before our eyes – not behind any screen. That’s the kind of respect we get – this is what you deserve, citizens. Shut up and eat it.
We can’t anymore, can we – eat it, I mean. Ever hear of projectile vomiting.