Aug 22 2007
The Power, But Not the Sense?
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“Pageantry like some ridiculous game show churns along stronger than ever, where the likes of Mitt Romney spend $1000 per vote in straw polls.”
By Rand Clifford
8/22/07
“Never smarten up a chump, and never give a sucker an even break.”
—W.C. Fields
Government of, by and for corporations (CorpoGov) is closing the noose, while recourse for The People in post 9-11 America lie eviscerated to the point of simple dissent becoming a crime. So how might we temper CorpoGov’s assault on our Constitution, us, the world’s people—even the natural systems that support life on Earth? Have we any chance of nudging CorpoGov toward a revolution in clean alternative energies and away from obsession with controlling most of the world’s remaining fossil energy? Could any example of CorpoGov’s character shout louder than all the murder and destruction to dominate a resource that is destroying us?
“If our nation is ever taken over, it will be taken over from within.”
—President James Madison
Might we vote our way back to reason? Astonishingly, a majority of Americans still imagine their vote has influence on the federal level—an illusion vast resources are squandered to maintain. Pageantry like some ridiculous game show churns along stronger than ever, where the likes of Mitt Romney spend $1000 per vote in straw polls. But when the lying and posturing, spending and manipulation recede for some deep breaths of AIPAC before the next election show, those same elite responsible for handing occupation of the White House to another of the Bush Crime Family for two terms will have long before made our choice. Voters clearly rejected W, twice, but look at what has happened.
“The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists.”
—J. Edgar Hoover
True power of our votes glares from effects of the last mid-term elections. The GOP got cocky, putting the fix in several weeks too early—even their massive vote fraud couldn’t stop a lot of GOP rumps from getting the boot in an overwhelming demand by voters for an end to U.S. war crimes in Iraq. But look what we really got. Escalation in Iraq, imminent bombings of Iran, increased global U.S. pugnacity—precisely what we voted against. Democrats and Republicans squeeze in at the same enabler trough, so as long as enough suckers think “electing” a new president or other politico puppetry will make any difference, decay of the USA will keep accelerating. As long as enough suckers think our corporate mainstream media (CorpoMedia) has any mission more important than cheerleading for CorpoGov, the river of CorpoGov propaganda, celebrity sewage, sports, scandals and mind-emptying consumer entertainment will remain at flood stage. Don’t expect CorpoMedia to even mention that Osama bin Laden has almost certainly been dead for at least 5 years. Even long-dead boogeymen can still sting a chump.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
—Voltaire
Nearly all of our options have been thwarted, and for those remaining we may not have time. But an option bandied around the Internet that is finally coming to fruition among the aware minority is that of a general strike.
Anthony St. Martin, founder of pledgetoimpeach.org, is a central energy in the proposition and organization of a General Strike on Tuesday, 9/11/07. Their literature shines statements such as: “The Time Has Come to Stand Up—no work, no school, buy nothing, hit the streets” and, “Say NO to ENDLESS WAR, TORTURE, SURVEILLANCE, LIES and TYRANNY” plus, “DEMAND IMPEACHMENT AND TREASON TRIALS”, “END THE WAR”, “RESTORE THE BILL OF RIGHTS”, “A NEW 9/11 INVESTIGATION….” Certainly a list of the very best ideas.
“The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself…. Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable.”
—H.L. Menken
Such comprehensive abuse has flowed from this illegitimate administration, there’s fear that a widespread General Strike could, at least, expedite CorpoGov’s identification of dissidents. 800 forced labor camps already beg for dissidents [Google: FEMA’s Rex 84], while CorpoGov itches to play the martial law wildcard. Another false flag terror extravaganza such as 9-11…blowback from the imminent bombing of Iran, financial meltdown assured by general effects of years of fiscal malfeasance—whatever they say justifies declaration of a national emergency, and they’ll play the card. Even a General Strike, if greatly successful, may trigger martial law. Assessment of what CorpoGov has already done indicates that few if any infamies should be considered “off the table.”
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who didn’t do anything about it.”
—Albert Einstein
Since the only languages spoken by CorpoGov are money, and power, perhaps money is our ultimate option for influence. Consumer spending represents an enormous bulk of the American economy—in itself a clear indication of how far CorpoGov has sunk our country. Our backbone of manufacturing base with all of its good jobs has been outsourced to lands of cheap labor and lax regulation. Many goods we depend upon are not even made in America anymore…evidenced by how few things in our mega stores are not made in China. Of course the issue is very complicated, but how complicated is demanding that we get back some of the millions of good jobs outsourced for profit’s sake? Everything from terminating endless war to transcending fossil fuels to recapturing our government from the elite—not complicated demands. All that might be left to give us any real voice are our spending decisions. We still have great power to influence CorpoGov, all we lack is information and coordination, and time. If this country ends up where the current path leads, what a horrible shame that We The People had the power to save America, but not the sense.
Rand Clifford is a novelist and essayist living in Spokane, Washington, with his wife Mary Ann, and their Chesapeake Bay retriever, Mink. His novels CASTLING and TIMING are published by StarChief Press: http://www.starchiefpress.com
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Good analysis. Thanks.