It is hard to imagine any scenario more
ludicrous than the one unfolding in America's nascent presidential
campaign. Even more surreal is that the election itself is still
sixteen months away, making it hard to imagine that anything
happening now is relevant. But it must be since one of these clowns
will be on the ballot for the next POTUS. It appears, at least on
the Republican side, a competition between the worst excuses for
human beings that one could possibly assemble. At the moment the
very worst of the bunch is actually polling as the favorite. There
could be no better proof that the American political system is broken
almost beyond repair.
Which is an improvement over my normal
view that the system was broken a long time ago and is now way past
the point of being salvaged. An improvement due to a single fact, a
Democratic Socialist is running for the Democratic nomination, and is
making some real waves in the process. Unfortunately he is a 72 year
old white guy trying to derail the Clinton political machine. He is
also, already, facing down the entire military / industrial /
fundamentalist / neo-liberal junta who know a threat to their
domination when they see one. His chances of making to the White
House likely bounce between zero and none.
And yet, could it be that the American
people are not quite as brain dead as the ruling elite believe? They
did spend nearly a billion dollars to get Obama defeated the last
time, and all that money bought them was a landslide loss. Certainly
they did a lot better in the mid-terms, now controlling the House and
Senate, and mostly controlling the SC. (The Chief Justice goes rogue on them once in a while for reasons no one quite understands, but
only on social issues. When it comes to the demands of the the rich
and powerful he is bought and paid for, 100% prime cut, and ready to
serve without question.) Truth be known – and someday it will be –
Obama is as much a war loving, Wall Street serving, neo-liberal as
any Republican. Most state and local governments have fallen in line
as well, so it certainly seems that the conservative / neo-liberal
train is still on track to ruin the world.
And yet, could it be that the American
People are not quite as brain dead as the ruling elite believe?
Maybe, but my skepticism will not be that easy to abandon. The
Republican party is utterly hopeless and basically evil, but has a
secure following among the religious fanatics and wealthy. There are
some small indications that it may finally collapse into dithering,
drooling, collection of irrelevancy; the current Front Runner being a
good example. Still, unless the Front Runner flames out in such a
spectacular manner as to set fire to the entire Republican brand,
the indications will remain small and inconsequential.
And yet, could it be?
The openly oppressive and hateful are
in some small retreat. Their favorite rallying symbol of the Stars
and Bars is being lowered. The LGBT community has forced the
religious fanatics out of their closet of phobia, fear, and
ignorance. Civil rights have returned to the forefront of public
debate, dragging income inequality into the spotlight as well.
Police brutality, an unjust justice system, and America's hidden
slavery / prisoner abuse pipeline are also cringing under the
scrutiny. All of which is provoking the expected backlash. The abusive and the hateful are rarely converted. They are, eventually, rendered impotent and inconsequential, fall silent, and then quietly
die off mostly forgotten. The world moves forward without them.
Still, there is very little talk of
the massive corruption that has crippled our democracy. If there is
any real anti-war sentiment brewing, it has yet to show itself.
Denying simple facts and worshiping mythology are perfectly
acceptable positions to hold. And no one is talking openly about the
very foundation of our society, rampant consumerism driven by the
continued, flagrant, wasting of finite resources, as being
unsustainable.
And yet, there sparks the faintest
hope that all is not lost.
