The Message of Hope
So, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve tried to spend more time on Abbey related topics or things related to the Southwest. Not totally, but it’s really why I created this blog, and it’s frankly more enjoyable.
More enjoyable that politics, certainly, except that our current national mess surely has us headed the right direction. Toward a collapse of the current oppressive system and the birth of something better. Or at least we can hope.
Recent news from Salon.com and Democracy Now illustrates my point and proves, once again, why you’re wasting your time counting on Washington to right the ship.
Enthralled by the “message of hope,” or “change?”
This is, of course, the oft repeated message of the Obama Campaign and the Democratic Party. It’s ambiguous and repeated over and over again like those corporate slogans that get burned into your brain, especially if you watch too much tee-vee or listen to bad radio.
The GOP wishes it could use it as well, but that would be too insulting to the dingleberry in the White House.
It’s ambiguous and for good reason, because the true platform of the DNC is not one of “change” but of continue course.
It’s corporate sounding because the entire Democratic Party has become a corporate controlled dead end. Just like the GOP.
Salon.com and Democracy Now recently released photos of the DNC convention handbag that will be given out to attendees. It’s pictured above. Of great interest is AT&T’s logo and the fact that Obama recently voted with conservatives to grant phone companies immunity from prosecution from wiretapping. Strangely similar to 2004, when Teddy Kennedy softened his stance on federal regulation of pharmaceuticals after the pharmaceutical industry was heavily recruited by Teddy to contribute big bucks at the last convention.
It’s as blatant and brazen as someone shagging your wife (in your bed) while you’re out working in the yard.
Most people falsely believe we have rigid laws restricting financial contributions to politicians from corporations. Thanks to a nice little exemption enacted by the Federal Election Commission, which incidentally is comprised of representatives from the two major parties, unlimited funds can be given to the host committee under the bogus pretense of “promoting the convention city.” And since the last national selection, corporations have given $1.1 billion to the conventions of both parties.
The end result? Corporate executives get almost unlimited access to politicians at every level. They have booths and lavish parties, and now they get to plaster their fucking names all over the tawdry cheap plastic shit at the giveaway table. (Coca-Cola is on the back of the bag, btw.) And in the case of the telecom legislation, telecom executives and lawyers more or less wrote the bill, while representatives from the ACLU were completely excluded.
How’s that for infiltration?
It’s complete rubbish and yet another example of how complete and invasive corporate influence is in the Federal government.
Had enough yet?
What’s it going to take, seeing Air Force One covered in corporate logos like something in NASCAR? Renaming of the Presidency? “The United States Presidency, Brought To You By Halliburton.”
Kick ‘em all out. Close the doors on Washington and get involved with your local Green Party. Local governance, local economies, local food and energy production. That’s the only message of hope.
Back to the trail and to the fire tower…over and out.
And also don’t forget:
“brew your own beer; kick in your Tee Vee;kill your own beef;build your own cabin and piss off the front porch whenever you bloody fell like it.” Vox