I've been thinking about Utah Phillips a lot lately, specifically in the context of a fantastic diary by eastern619 which I commented on. We can all agree that not only our nation, but our world is in dire straits. We can agree or disagree on whether the solution to that problem lies in reforming the U.S. political system, changing the world's nonchalance toward climate change, or waking up our friends to our collective indifference toward human rights -- just to name a few of the ills we face as a human nation contemporarily.
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With regard to Utah Phillips -- the late oft-forgotten, outspoken, flawed, brilliant peace and labor activist who I have no qualms about naming my personal hero -- and if you don't believe me, listen to this interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! conducted in 2004 and re-broadcast after Phillips' death -- the man had some extremely relevant points. Beyond the debt ceiling crisis and the potential of unprecedented U.S. default, the left faces its own crisis here. "The left" meant to be as inclusive as possible -- the U.S. Congress, with the exceptions of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), does not qualify.
Phillips' great point, to which he returned often, is that the greatest weapon in the arsenal of reactionary conservatism is forgetting. In other words, if we forget the struggles of our elders and ancestors, we forget what it meant and we cease to care. Take the two-day weekend (if you're fortunate enough to have work) -- people died for that. Glad that your 10-year old daughter doesn't have to work 80 hours a week in a factory? People died for that. When we forget the history of workers' rights, we forget who we are as a nation, as a people, as a movement. History matters.
So whither the left?
Supporting Barack Obama in 2012 is beyond question. Yes, he's the feckless compromiser-in-chief, but better that than a crazy-eyed President Bachmann who sees Satan every time two women fall in love. Or anytime a woman has the temerity to demand control over her own body -- that of course is another diary for another day. The left will support Obama in 2012 because we have no choice. And that, friends, is the problem the left faces.
The problem isn't electing more and better or fewer and better Democrats. The problem is the sclerotic nature of the United States' political system, which allows for only two parties by statute essentially, and the Supreme Court's decision to allow unfettered corporate access to our politicians, nearly half of whom are millionaires.
We live in a "democracy" that deserves those scare quotes. To quote and paraphrase Howard Beale, "There is no America. There is no democracy." There are only multinational corporations intent on maximizing their revenue, to distribute to executives and shareholders, all of whom are already wealthy. Our political system fosters a party that has fallen prey to a motley mix of neo-fascists, Christian dominionists, and flat-earthers -- those are not mutually exclusive. The other party is a moderate-right party practically entirely under the influence of Wall Street. Our Constitution in practice excludes the possibility of a third party making any sort of electoral impact, and our courts (particularly recently) have made sure that we adhere strictly to a privately-funded two-party system.
So the question remains: quo vadimus?
The political system in the United States is closed to progressive change. This is something we all need to think about deeply and consider the implications thereof. Progressives will not win, will not change the economic hierarchy working within the political system propped up by millionaires who grovel for funding from multinational corporations which are unbound by laws or regulations when it comes to campaign contributions. Or from self-financed millionaires who can buy seats in Congress solely by virtue of wealth. Wealth dominates this country -- the Congress is bought and paid for, its former members lobby the Congress for high pay, and its enablers are the executives of the biggest firms in the country.
This is all highly depressing. And it should be. We on the left have let the solution slide too long.
The solution, you might ask? Utah Phillips would ask us to think of our elders and our history, and he'd be right. Their solution? The streets. We cannot win this fight at the ballot box, and we will not win without major -- even extraordinary change -- in the United States. This might sound radical -- and it should -- but to deny that major upheaval here is just around the river bend is to stick your head in the sand. The times are a-changin and the streets are where we stand. No, the mainstream media won't cover it, but who cares? We organize. We march. We stand. We honor the sacrifices of our elders, and we honor their legacy. We fight.
2:28 PM PT: I always forget to do this, but cross-posted at destructiveanachronism.com