America’s Predictable Descent into Chaos

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I don’t often go this negative, but after experiencing the continuing breakdown of both complex things like America’s political system and supply chain and even relatively simple things like food and other delivery services and dine-in food service this weekend, I’m inclined to accept Mr. Tanner’s recent analysis in Medium:

“The sad truth is, the United States of America we all thought existed was a myth. There is no true point of unity, no real sense of shared sacrifice and consideration for others that goes beyond petty politics. The political architecture is antiquated and heavily anti-democratic, the history inseparable from slavery and genocide.

More than 50% of the Discretionary portion of the Federal budget — the part paid for by Americans’ federal income taxes — flows to the military. The United States has never transcended its original identity as a brutal settler colony dedicated to extracting every bit of value it can from those lacking the power to resist.

This is why half of Americans live on the verge of falling into poverty, why unlike every other advanced nation it has no universal healthcare system, why when a pandemic strikes people are forced to keep working and spreading a virus.

The American myth is collapsing, and with it, America …

[In the 2020 election] The real breakdown of American voters came out to be:
∙ 40% pro-dictatorship
∙30% pro-Biden
∙30% pro-democracy

That’s a coalition that will not last — and in truth, the characterization isn’t fair. Yes, many Trumpists are fascists — but as many people voted for Trump because they feel he is all that protects their way of life from being obliterated by America’s Disneyfied cultural oligarchy which relegates rural people (who have less money than suburbanites on average) to the same kind of Subaltern, stereotypical existence in the national consciousness as Black Americans.”

— Andrew Tanner, American’s Grim Future

Mr. Tanner’s timeframe for this collapse (10 years) may be debated, but his basic analysis cannot.

This is happening. The clear warning signs have been ignored, and we’re past the tipping point. Find something, and hang on.

Occupy Wall Street Explained … Sort Of

Alan Grayson (D-Orlando) Explains Occupy

Have you seen this YouTube video?  It’s an MSNBC interview with former congressman Alan Grayson (D-Orlando) by Rachel Maddow on 10 Oct, 2011 to discuss the significance of the Occupy Wall Street movement.  It’s being cited and welcomed as a clear explanation that counters the vilification of the Occupy movement by conservatives and “the right”.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth 4:21 (four minutes and 21 seconds) of your time.  But watch and listen carefully.  Very carefully.

Mr. Grayson is absolutely correct that “there is no accountability on Wall Street“. Yes, “they wrecked our economy“, “took a healthy economy and gave us 10% unemployment“, and “destroyed 20% of our national wealth in just 18 months“.

BUT “nobody’s been prosecuted for it, nobody’s been indicted, nobody’s been convicted” *BECAUSE* no laws were broken.

In each case, Grayson ought to add “they were ALLOWED to”. He doesn’t because he is one of the people who allowed Wall Street to do all of these awful things. Don’t lose sight of the “Former Congressman” banner that is displayed throughout the interview.

Yes, “they’ve created a system that’s enormously unequal“, but again, “they were ALLOWED to”. By YOU, sir. By the United States Congress. The executive branch (Dept. of Justice) can’t enforce laws that don’t exist, and yet even after the horrific mismanagement by Wall Street that caused the worldwide financial crisis our Congress has not enacted effective laws to prevent the same things from happening again.

And Grayson has it exactly backward (as do the Occupy protesters). The protesters’ primary occupation choice (Wall Street rather than Capitol Hill) demonstrates this confusion. Grayson’s third “gripe” (that “Wall Street controls and dominates our political system“) ought to be his first because the other two are entirely dependent upon and proceed from it.

It is the CAUSE, and the other two are entirely predictable EFFECTS.

Cause and effect is one of the most basic types of human reasoning. So why does Grayson have it backward? Because he and his legislative partners in crime are COMPLICIT in the looting of America and Americans.

Grayson’s spin is very subtle and sounds reasonable and compassionate. Which is exactly what makes it SO FUCKING EVIL. He is one of them. He’s trying to sound like one of us, but HE IS ONE OF THEM.

By using statements which are absolutely true but arranged out of their logical sequence, he can point out the enemy while keeping any blame from splashing up on politicians like him who either actively (through de-regulation) or passively (through inaction, time wasting, and misdirection) enabled Wall Street and who are still busy playing political games that have fuck all to do with solving the problems of everyday Americans with whom he wants (needs) to identify himself.

Near the end, he absolutely nails all three of our primary policy “drivers”. “Wall Street is running our economic policy“, “Big Oil is determining our energy policy“, and “the Military Industrial Complex is determining our foreign policy and miring us in these endless, costly wars“.  Yes, yes, yes!

But listen very carefully (and skeptically) to what he does with these absolutely true statements. Listen carefully to how he arranges them. Listen carefully for what he does NOT say (subtly but crucially limiting your options). Listen carefully to the conclusions he draws and to the conclusions he subtly leads you away from.

“What is the ONE thing that you can still do as a human being? You can go someplace.” And “that’s what the people on Occupy Wall Street are doing. They’re doing the one last human thing left. They’re going somewhere.”

Hook, line, and sinker.

The “free” and compassionate press played by Rachael Maddow nods knowingly and agrees, “Showing yourself and also finding each other“.

Do not miss this.  It is vitally important that you stop and realize that the press agrees here.  It does not question; it does not challenge.  This outcome (agreement) was pre-determined (scripted) and known ahead of time.  Complete and reasonable agreement = reinforcement. Hell, he even called Glenn Beck a lunatic! Huzzah!  There’s not a dry seat in the house!  Post this gem to YouTube.  Finally, someone gets it! An explanation that seems to make sense. Someone in government cares about me!!!

If you can get the “smarm” out of your ears, you can almost hear the Grayson campaign machine being assembled.

Republicans fear and vilify the Occupy Wall Street protesters as crazy hippies and an anarchist mob.  No one does ad hominem attacks and character assassination as well as the GOP, and no one relies on these tactics more. But Democrats like Grayson are far more subtle.  They understand the protesters.  They identify with the protesters.  And they co-opt the protesters.

Did you see what just happened there?  Did you hear it?

“What is the ONE thing that you can still do as a human being?”  “They’re doing the one last human thing left. They’re going somewhere.”  That is the sound of your options being limited.  To exactly one.  And that should PISS YOU OFF.  Royally.  If it doesn’t, then you, gentle reader, are completely fucked.  Hold still, and the nice man will hold the bolt-driver up to your head.  This won’t hurt a bit.  Oh, all that blood on his overalls?  Don’t mind that.  Just a little shaving accident this morning.  Hold still.  Well, you’re in a chute.  You can’t argue with the facts.  And holding still is really the one last human thing you can do.  If you have completely given up on life.

Whenever someone limits your options to one or two, be wary.  It’s OK to get angry.  You are being lied to.  You are being led by the nose to the slaughter.

Until your last breath actually leaves your body, the actual number of options open to you is always one more than the number that “they” are offering.  You have the option to resist, to fight back, to not go gentle (and mooing) into that good night.

It’s ironic that Grayson actually names perhaps our most viable option while at the same time morphing it into our least effective option.  This is a mastery of political speech that rivals even the silver tongue of Saruman.

“What is the ONE thing that you can still do as a human being? You can go someplace.”  Yes, former Congressman Grayson.  We can go someplace.  But it’s not Wall Street.  It’s actually the polls.  And we can (and must) clear the decks.  We must vote each and every one of you out of office and replace you with elected representatives who will change the way that laws are made, changed, and unmade.  Which is the subject of my next post …

Copyright © Douglas A. Wilson and Point Five Past Lightspeed, 2011.

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