“Buddy, can you spare some change?”

 

We're on our own. You and I __ the vast majority of Americans __ have no one else to turn to.

Not our leaders, not our pundits, not our spokespersons, not so-called "job creators", not our teachers or ministers. Not the Clintons or Bushes, not the Trumps or Romneys. Certainly not the Kochs or the Murdochs or Bloombergs, Adelsons or Gates. Not the Dimons or the Blankfeins.

Most of them are on the other team, or at very least play for the other team. That other team is one that you and I will never get to join. It is an isolated, insular, impudent, incomprehensibly wealthy club __ a very tiny slice of our 300+ million __ who have so much, want even more, and will never be satisfied until they have it all. We are just more items on their shopping list. Welcome to capitalism run amok! Welcome to a country where everything has a price and there are some who are so possessed by greed, they see human beings as servants, chattel, minions, serfs, and __ if they can get us for free __ slaves.

What's this got to do with us? History has shown that in every society there is always an elite which sees itself as superior to the swarming mob, a cut above the unwashed masses, members of an aristocratic class, living in its own exclusive world of privilege. It's just an unpleasant side of human nature. There's nothing new about snobbery.

Why should we be concerned?

If it's not obvious, it's this . . .

They now own and control our elected representatives, including whoever holds the office of President. You doubt this? Look at Obama's aggressively embracing and promoting the worst, most onerous trade bills in the history of the world, TPP and TPIP. This one master stroke by the ruling oligarchs will enslave nearly half of the world's population. National borders will mean nothing. Corporations and the oligarchs who own them will exercise absolute imperial rule over wealth, resources __ our lives, and those of our children.

This whole TPP/TPIP issue should be a warning! There's a message in this treachery we need to remind ourselves of every waking minute:  Even some of those who claim to be "one of us" or "on our side" are owned by that tiny .1% of America who truly have the power __ the ones who are actually running things.

So . . . it's just us. It's you and me against them.

My strategy for radical electoral reform, as described in my book Candidate Contracts: Taking Back Our Democracy, is not elitist. Nor does it pander to the elite. It does not crawl to the rich and powerful and beg them to show us some mercy.

As a matter of fact, my plan is the essence of populist activism. For it to be successfully implemented requires participation by average citizens, across the political spectrum.

I will admit, I did send the book gratis to hundreds of thinkers in academia, think tanks, pundit pools, a host of well-known and not so well-known spokespersons for the "liberal establishment". While many of these prominent individuals are part of __ often lead __ the national conversation on all things germane to the running of our country, most of them are very much a part of the system. But their endorsement of my ideas might give them credibility, or at least draw some attention to a plan which regular citizens need to know about and actively support.

I'm not sure what to expect of these thinker types.

Frankly, I'm not expecting much.

Most of them are busy, and more inimically, tightly locked into their own methodologies for what they peddle as activism. They often neglect to notice that despite their best and allegedly noble efforts, things continue to deteriorate. The only change is that as each day passes, things deteriorate more quickly.

I must say, there sure are an abundance of people commenting on the problems.

But not many solving the problems.

It's a fundamental distinction, which is often missed.

What if you had a horrible flesh-eating disease?

Medical experts come in and declare: "We have analyzed all of the data and come to the conclusion that you are in big trouble, clearly in horrible pain, the victim of a terrible disease. It is very tragic! Have a nice day."

Do we need to bring in several more teams of experts to tell you the same thing?

I assume this is more what you'd hope for: "We have analyzed the data on your condition. While your situation is serious, we have come up with a detailed plan involving a host of drugs, some surgical procedures, and a program for rehabilitation. We can cure this and once we are done, you should be able to live a long and fulfilling life."

The difference should be apparent.

My book is not more whining. It offers a step-by-step, highly detailed plan for challenging the corruption of our current politicos, and for reversing the destruction of representative democracy in America.

Let me just mention this in closing . . .

There are a few highly visible figures who are on our side, demonstrated by their own writings and activism for our team, by their dedication to making a better life for every American. Once the printed books are out, I will be sending copies to Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Robert Reich, Michael Moore, and several others who are to varying degrees in the national spotlight, and whose support would be valuable.

We'll see what comes of that.

I can't force anyone to pay attention. I can only put my ideas out there.

Change doesn't just magically happen.

People need to believe it's possible.

Then they need to make room in their hearts and time in their day to make it happen.

__________________________________________________________


"Candidate Contracts: Taking Back Our Democracy" is now available . . .

Amazon (Kindle) . . . amzn.to/1QJRiNZ
Apple (iBook) . . . apple.co/1BXnPcy
Amazon (Paperback) . . . [ TBA ]
Barnes & Noble . . . bit.ly/1GpTTLq
Smashwords . . . bit.ly/1B4DQCp
Direct from printer . . . bit.ly/1MGjDnN



[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

Between a Rock and a Hard Place?

 

After the 2000 election, I had a neighbor who wouldn't speak to me for several months. He was an ardent Democrat, a supporter of Al Gore, who knew that I voted for Ralph Nader. In his view, people of my ilk had cost Gore the election by frivolously voting our consciences.

Put aside the fact the abundant evidence that in Florida alone there was massive election fraud, the disenfranchisement of over 30,000 voters by a scrubbing of the voting rosters, a huge preponderance of which would have voted Democratic. Ignore the fact that Gore, or at least his legal team, proved to be spineless and just caved to the absurd Supreme Court ruling on the recount. Discount the role played by Kathleen Harris, the Secretary of State in Florida at the time responsible for certifying the results of the election, who was a hard core Republican and made no attempt to hide her bias. Overlook the obvious irregularities in the recount itself.

It was all my fault that King George was installed on the presidential throne.

So here we are again, confronted by a "clear choice" between an enlightened, gentile and beneficent Barack Obama and the crude, barbaric, corporate predator, Mitt Romney.

What to do?

People warn, "Too much is at stake. Don't throw your vote away!"

I agree. This is not the time to throw our vote away. This is not the time to vote for more of the same and none of what the country needs and deserves.

What does this mean?

Simple . . .

Barack Obama has done some good things over the past three years. Hey! So have I. Does that mean you want me as your president? The ugly truth is, if you look at the big picture, Mr. Obama has done as much to push the too-big-to-fail big bank, Wall Street, corporate agenda than his notorious predecessor. Maybe more.

What does this specifically mean for the coming election?

It means we're again forced to make a choice between Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, as Nader colorfully put it back in 2000. The truth is that under a Romney presidency, we will see a merciless, full-steam plundering of America by corporate interests and the turning of the vast majority of Americans into surf-slaves, and a relentless and thorough destruction of the middle class and America as we know it.

Under another term of Obama as president, we'll see the same thing but cloaked in charm and doublespeak platitudes, more of Michelle's fine taste in clothes and her organic plants in the White House garden, and certainly the humor and eloquence that has established Mr. Obama as one of the most charismatic bullshitters in American history.

In this next presidential election, America doesn't find itself between a rock and a hard place. It finds itself under the rubble. The rubble of deception, hypocrisy, manipulation, and the potential final death rattles of American democracy.

This is a historic juncture. It's time to let the "powers" know we've had enough. We won't be fooled again. Time to cast a vote which sends a message.

Who to vote for? Jim Hightower or Bernie Sanders on a write-in come first to mind.

But the important thing is ABROO . . . anyone but Romney or Obama. And let that anyone be a person of integrity who treats the American voting public like adults, respects them and is not afraid to tell the truth, who has the courage to stand up to the corporate imperialist agenda.

Cast your vote. Send a message.

Then take to the streets.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]