OK this is about as simple as it gets. Millions of us were not misled by the lies that lead up to the war in Iraq. Any member of Congress who uses that as an excuse for their vote to authorize the war was at best stupid, and therefore not fit to hold office now, or they are using it as a convenient excuse now, for what was politically expedient then.
Unestimateable numbers of us protested, wrote to our representatives and otherwise said this war was a bad idea, but we were ignored. Not covered by the media, nor listened to by our represenitives. Our judgment proved to be correct. Our prediciton of the outcome was dead on. Hillary was wrong, so wrong in fact, that we should not trust her with any position of leadership.
Whatever she is doing now, is the same as she was doing in 2002 and 2003. She is being politically expedient, not what serves the best interests of the republic. She is going with the flow, not leading. If she makes decisions based upon expediency and not the possible and what is best, she is unfit to lead. Period.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
Drinking the Same Kool-aid
Al Gore, and I must be drinking the same Kool aid. I wonder what you have heard about his latest book, The Assault on Reason? Probably not much, so great has been the main stream media's suppression of the content. Why is that? Perhaps because the MSM are one of the perpetrators of the assault Gore describes.
The Assault on Reason, is largely an indictment of the Bush-Cheney administration, book ended by essays on political philosophy. How we came to find ourselves in the current state of affairs, and our prospects for extracting ourselves and saving democracy in the United States of America.
I was astounded by this book. Not because it produced any revelations, but because it validated so many of my own feelings on the current state of our political economy. In a way I find this scary because it is often dangerous to have ones ideas validated. One’s thinking becomes less critical. However, in my case, as long time readers of my missives may recognize, my ideas are so far out of the box, so far from the main stream, any validation in any form can be profound, and to find someone as prominent as Gore, espousing thoughts that parallel my own is indeed scary.
I have certain central themes in my ideas about our political economy. Cardinal among these are that conservatives are neo feudalists, intent on dismantling our republic and re establishing an aristocracy, that mass marketing controls the vast majority of Americans, and that the confluence of the above have resulted in a marketplace that is no longer free as described by Adam Smith in Wealth of Nations. These are Gore’s central themes as well.
Prior to the age of enlightenment, European society was controlled by 2 forces, Royalty and the Church. The power of both over the masses was by “divine” right, The relationship was symbiotic and self validating. The Church confirmed the divine right of Kings to rule, and the King confirmed the power of the Church. A convenient concentration of both wealth and power in the hands of very few. The invention of movable type resulted in the broad dissemination of ideas based upon reason. These ideas pushed royalty and organized religion from their preeminent positions in society. The idea that power (political and economic) resides in the individual is the fundamental thesis of the enlightenment.
Gore identifies the 4 members of the reactionary coalition who are the antithesis of the enlightenment. These are: Economic royalists (who fund the whole proposition), foreign policy hawks, a cabal of pundits (who enforce the dogma), and extreme religious conservatives and fundamentalists. Gore goes on the point out how successful this coalition has been. How in just 40 years they have brought us to the brink or past it. To a point where democracy in America no longer really works as the framers of the Constitution intended. From my perspective this is by design and has culminated in the reign of the Bush-Cheney regime.
At this point, I highly doubt very many of my tiny readership have bothered to read, let alone think about the above ideas. We have become so disinterested in civics, let alone political philosophy, that individuals like myself and Mr. Gore are branded as exceedingly strange. Even the best educated among us do not want to think about these issues. They feel their civic obligation begins and ends at the ballot box. Politics and political discourse are fine as infotainment, but taboo if there is any action or thought required. Again I would argue this is by design. This is the manipulation of the electorate through mass marketing to achieve outcome desired by Gore’s economic royalists. “If wealth can easily be exchanged for power, then the concentration of either can double the corrupting potential of both” (Pg. 73)
The bulk of The Assault on Reason, reminds me of the Declaration of Independence. As Jefferson did with George III, in a highly organized manner, Gore lays out the grievances against the George W. and then sets forth an indictment on a charge of violating our Constitution and the principals at the core of our republic.
Gore shows the courage of a leader. Something, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich, lacking in our current crop of Democratic presidential candidates. Gore is very brave indeed. It has long been my contention that had he been president in 2001, the attacks of September 11, would never have happened. Gore concures. Gore states that the failure to connect the dots, pre 911, was due to incompetence rather than design, but in his categorical denial of this being by design, he is brave enough to state this possibility. Anything other than denial, exposure of this dirty secret, would bring down our system and foment revolution. At this time in our history, given the state of the public mind, a revolution would play into the hands of the neo feudalists and religious extremists.
Gore sees salvation of or democracy in the displacement of the medium of television by the more interactive medium of the internet. The viability of democracy in the United States is dependent upon the engagement and participation of the governed. Television and mass marketing create a system where influence can be spread far and wide though the use of propaganda based upon an intimate understanding of human psychology. The internet provides a means for individuals to reassert themselves. Time shifting is making television less effective, so the coercion of the the economic royalists has shifted from overt adverts to covert content as in the Fox program 24. As the internet becomes the dominant medium, Gore feels it will be more and more difficult for the neo feudalists to have such a one sided influence on the public. Providing of course that we prevent them from controlling this medium as they do television.
My only criticism of Gore’s work is that it is overly complex. The first step in systemic change is the dissatisfaction of the intellectuals. Perhaps this is Gore’s intended audience. It is certainly not a work that will interest a wider audience. The ideas presented are rooted in the philosophy of the enlightenment. Something it seems, very few people in the United States care to think about, or understand anymore. Again I would argue this is by design.
There is a Persian proverb that one can only be one step ahead of the people to lead them. If someone is two steps ahead the people cannot see the goal and will not follow. The conservatives / economic royalists have been very effective at using deceit and misdirection to push the public consent in a direction that does not serve the public interest. Until we learn to counter those deceits and misdirections in a way more compelling than those currently in control we will never put power back into the hands of the people.
The Assault on Reason, is largely an indictment of the Bush-Cheney administration, book ended by essays on political philosophy. How we came to find ourselves in the current state of affairs, and our prospects for extracting ourselves and saving democracy in the United States of America.
I was astounded by this book. Not because it produced any revelations, but because it validated so many of my own feelings on the current state of our political economy. In a way I find this scary because it is often dangerous to have ones ideas validated. One’s thinking becomes less critical. However, in my case, as long time readers of my missives may recognize, my ideas are so far out of the box, so far from the main stream, any validation in any form can be profound, and to find someone as prominent as Gore, espousing thoughts that parallel my own is indeed scary.
I have certain central themes in my ideas about our political economy. Cardinal among these are that conservatives are neo feudalists, intent on dismantling our republic and re establishing an aristocracy, that mass marketing controls the vast majority of Americans, and that the confluence of the above have resulted in a marketplace that is no longer free as described by Adam Smith in Wealth of Nations. These are Gore’s central themes as well.
Prior to the age of enlightenment, European society was controlled by 2 forces, Royalty and the Church. The power of both over the masses was by “divine” right, The relationship was symbiotic and self validating. The Church confirmed the divine right of Kings to rule, and the King confirmed the power of the Church. A convenient concentration of both wealth and power in the hands of very few. The invention of movable type resulted in the broad dissemination of ideas based upon reason. These ideas pushed royalty and organized religion from their preeminent positions in society. The idea that power (political and economic) resides in the individual is the fundamental thesis of the enlightenment.
Gore identifies the 4 members of the reactionary coalition who are the antithesis of the enlightenment. These are: Economic royalists (who fund the whole proposition), foreign policy hawks, a cabal of pundits (who enforce the dogma), and extreme religious conservatives and fundamentalists. Gore goes on the point out how successful this coalition has been. How in just 40 years they have brought us to the brink or past it. To a point where democracy in America no longer really works as the framers of the Constitution intended. From my perspective this is by design and has culminated in the reign of the Bush-Cheney regime.
At this point, I highly doubt very many of my tiny readership have bothered to read, let alone think about the above ideas. We have become so disinterested in civics, let alone political philosophy, that individuals like myself and Mr. Gore are branded as exceedingly strange. Even the best educated among us do not want to think about these issues. They feel their civic obligation begins and ends at the ballot box. Politics and political discourse are fine as infotainment, but taboo if there is any action or thought required. Again I would argue this is by design. This is the manipulation of the electorate through mass marketing to achieve outcome desired by Gore’s economic royalists. “If wealth can easily be exchanged for power, then the concentration of either can double the corrupting potential of both” (Pg. 73)
The bulk of The Assault on Reason, reminds me of the Declaration of Independence. As Jefferson did with George III, in a highly organized manner, Gore lays out the grievances against the George W. and then sets forth an indictment on a charge of violating our Constitution and the principals at the core of our republic.
Gore shows the courage of a leader. Something, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich, lacking in our current crop of Democratic presidential candidates. Gore is very brave indeed. It has long been my contention that had he been president in 2001, the attacks of September 11, would never have happened. Gore concures. Gore states that the failure to connect the dots, pre 911, was due to incompetence rather than design, but in his categorical denial of this being by design, he is brave enough to state this possibility. Anything other than denial, exposure of this dirty secret, would bring down our system and foment revolution. At this time in our history, given the state of the public mind, a revolution would play into the hands of the neo feudalists and religious extremists.
Gore sees salvation of or democracy in the displacement of the medium of television by the more interactive medium of the internet. The viability of democracy in the United States is dependent upon the engagement and participation of the governed. Television and mass marketing create a system where influence can be spread far and wide though the use of propaganda based upon an intimate understanding of human psychology. The internet provides a means for individuals to reassert themselves. Time shifting is making television less effective, so the coercion of the the economic royalists has shifted from overt adverts to covert content as in the Fox program 24. As the internet becomes the dominant medium, Gore feels it will be more and more difficult for the neo feudalists to have such a one sided influence on the public. Providing of course that we prevent them from controlling this medium as they do television.
My only criticism of Gore’s work is that it is overly complex. The first step in systemic change is the dissatisfaction of the intellectuals. Perhaps this is Gore’s intended audience. It is certainly not a work that will interest a wider audience. The ideas presented are rooted in the philosophy of the enlightenment. Something it seems, very few people in the United States care to think about, or understand anymore. Again I would argue this is by design.
There is a Persian proverb that one can only be one step ahead of the people to lead them. If someone is two steps ahead the people cannot see the goal and will not follow. The conservatives / economic royalists have been very effective at using deceit and misdirection to push the public consent in a direction that does not serve the public interest. Until we learn to counter those deceits and misdirections in a way more compelling than those currently in control we will never put power back into the hands of the people.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
We are All "Sicko"
I applaud Michael Moore. His latest movie "Sicko" is undoubtedly his best. In showing how our lousy health care system costs us more, and does not provide the treatment we need, Moore is able to demonstrate how we are more oppressed and less free than people of any other industrialized nation.
But we will not stand for this! We are brainwashed from birth to believe that the United States is the best. That our system provides the best for everyone. That in other countries people are far worse off. They pay higher taxes, wait in line, suffer rationing. Yes we do not want to hear anything that will contradict what we want to believe.
We want to believe that in Europe, because there is a mandatory 4 weeks of vacation, plus an additional 18 paid holidays per year they suffer high unemployment. We want to believe that because taxes are so high to pay for health care and other social services, people in Europe cannot afford decent housing, cars, or consumer goods. We want to believe that in Europe there is less opportunity to better oneself. In spite of free secondary education
We are delusional.
In a subtle way, Moore shows how our system is run for the benefit of the elites. The elites have been very clever with their propaganda. Because they control our elected officials with their campaign contributions, and control our media with their ownership, we only hear what they want us to hear. We want to believe we live in the greatest place on Earth. We want to believe we cannot make it better by changing the system, because that is the crap we are sold. Day in and day out.
We are the victims of a con game. We are the perfect marks, because in confidence games, the mark never wants to believe they have been conned. That would make them feel stupid, and no one wants to feel stupid, do they?
I applaud Michael Moore. Everyone should see his latest film. Change only comes with awareness. Sicko, provides 2 hours outside the conservative mind control beam.
Will it have any effect? Will it create a critical mass needed to effect change? I don’t think so. We are such sheep it is disgusting. We don’t what to think about this because it conflicts with what we want to believe. It makes our little heads hurt.
There is an old expression: “My country right or wrong.” The United States is my country and I love it even when it is so very wrong. What can I do to make it right? What can I do to change it? We should all be asking ourselves that question every day. Instead we do exactly what we are told to do. We are all Sicko.
But we will not stand for this! We are brainwashed from birth to believe that the United States is the best. That our system provides the best for everyone. That in other countries people are far worse off. They pay higher taxes, wait in line, suffer rationing. Yes we do not want to hear anything that will contradict what we want to believe.
We want to believe that in Europe, because there is a mandatory 4 weeks of vacation, plus an additional 18 paid holidays per year they suffer high unemployment. We want to believe that because taxes are so high to pay for health care and other social services, people in Europe cannot afford decent housing, cars, or consumer goods. We want to believe that in Europe there is less opportunity to better oneself. In spite of free secondary education
We are delusional.
In a subtle way, Moore shows how our system is run for the benefit of the elites. The elites have been very clever with their propaganda. Because they control our elected officials with their campaign contributions, and control our media with their ownership, we only hear what they want us to hear. We want to believe we live in the greatest place on Earth. We want to believe we cannot make it better by changing the system, because that is the crap we are sold. Day in and day out.
We are the victims of a con game. We are the perfect marks, because in confidence games, the mark never wants to believe they have been conned. That would make them feel stupid, and no one wants to feel stupid, do they?
I applaud Michael Moore. Everyone should see his latest film. Change only comes with awareness. Sicko, provides 2 hours outside the conservative mind control beam.
Will it have any effect? Will it create a critical mass needed to effect change? I don’t think so. We are such sheep it is disgusting. We don’t what to think about this because it conflicts with what we want to believe. It makes our little heads hurt.
There is an old expression: “My country right or wrong.” The United States is my country and I love it even when it is so very wrong. What can I do to make it right? What can I do to change it? We should all be asking ourselves that question every day. Instead we do exactly what we are told to do. We are all Sicko.
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