This is going to be quite short, since I've been hammering away at this topic in several previous diaries. I've been doing a lot of reading and studying about how right wing thinkers, intellectuals and philosophers, as well as how the corporate ruling elite view the masses, the crowd, the citizenry. It's pretty straight forward: they think of the masses (the population) as being more or less stupid, incapable of critical thinking.
There are many philosophical influences behind this belief, including the writings of Leo Strauss, whom in Leo Strauss and the American Right, author Shadia Drury, argues that he teaches that "perpetual deception of the citizens by those in power is critical because they need to be led, and they need strong rulers to tell them what's good for them."
I guess if there was some true to that and those doing the "deception" or manipulation were benevolent, it wouldn't be so bad, but when their temperament fits more with that of ruthless fascist thugs, as is the case right now in the United States (and Greece, and Italy, and Spain, among other countries), then we have a problem.
And of course, it bears mentioning again the influence of what has come to be known as the Powell Memo.
Historian Kim Phillips-Fein describes how “many who read the memo cited it afterward as inspiration for their political choices.” In fact, Powell’s Memo is widely credited for having helped catalyze a new business activist movement, with numerous conservative family and corporate foundations (e.g. Coors, Olin, Bradley, Scaife, Koch and others) thereafter creating and sustaining powerful new voices to help push the corporate agenda, including the Business Roundtable (1972), the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC - 1973), Heritage Foundation (1973), the Cato Institute (1977), the Manhattan Institute (1978), Citizens for a Sound Economy (1984 - now Americans for Prosperity), Accuracy in Academe (1985), and others.
So, for God's sake, how hard is it to understand that the ruling class is more or less acting in concert motivated by shared interests, and influenced by thinkers and philosophers that rationalize those interests? Does it really take a rocket scientist to realize that?
As a country, we've dealt with these issues/challenges before. The progressive movement that began to build steam in the late 1800's with a bunch of disparate groups around the country wasn't able to build the type of muscle needed to effect change until the early 1900's when, guess what, they found a way to come together with unity of purpose. I'm not going to add historical references here since I want to keep this short, but just Google "The Progressive Movement" and do a little reading about it, and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Must we reinvent the wheel every generation? Don't we know what's going on? Because of the influences (unity of purpose, strategic focus) I describe above, a ruling class made up of corporatist interests and politicians (of both major political parties) on the take are in the process of cementing their power over the population, undermining the economic security and constitutional rights protections of the citizenry. History does indeed repeats itself...
Everything else is Kabuki Theater, including the barrage of fake, manufactured crises like the so-called Sequester, the Fiscal Cliff, etc. Those are the proverbial "shinny objects" meant to keep your eyes off the real source of the socioeconomic and political dysfunction.
You, you individually, I'm trying to reach you, kind of grabbing you by your shoulder and shaking you (gently, not too hard), and ask you to look me in the eyes and acknowledge that much. I just want to make sure we're on the page here. This stuff is, OMG so obvious.
Then, the last question is, "is it true that because the Powers That Be have it in their interests to encourage citizens to be selfish, egotistical, narcissistic, and greedy, that they somehow have been successful in rendering our collective capability for empathy totally diminished?"
Is that why there is no urgency? So if we break down average middle class liberals into income levels, then those living pretty comfortably at let's say $75k to $95k feel less of an urgency, and those between $50k and $75k just a little tiny bit more urgency, and those between $35k and $50k start feeling a little worried, and those below $35k down to homelessness feeling higher urgency as their own condition deteriorates?
Please, for the love of the Goddess, tell me that's now how it works--especially for Liberals and Progressives? If that the way it really works, then we're truly doomed. Here I'm hoping that's not the case.
Okay, it took me 15 minutes to write this screed; I'm going to publish it, and then shut down the browser I use for RP, and open my other browser I use to work on my consulting projects.
You see, I don't feel put out or that it is such a big sacrifice to engage at this level...
People need to unite, come to a clear agreement and understanding about the actual situation on the ground, and then come up with strategies to act in concert nationwide, and even internationally, in solidarity with people in Greece, and Spain, Italy, the U.K., France, and other countries.
I'm doing my little part in this... I've called for people to join a nationwide group of activists interested in developing a cohesive and strategic approach to deal with the corporatist tyrants of today, and that little group has grown to almost 300 so far, but it would be great to see established progressive organizations doing something similar, reaching out to each other, having "her people" contact "his people" to come up with a coordinated approach (free from the influence of the corrupt Democratic party establishment).
Each blue dot on the map below represents a member of a growing nation-wide network of social justice and anti-corruption activists committed to finding the best way forward. Join us in the effort!
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Ray Pensador |
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