I and millions of other supporters of this Obama moment in history have been puzzling over the strange events of the last few months. We’ve seen health care reform abandoned by a party and president both elected with a clear mandate to pass it.
As I wrote last time, William Greider explained early in the game that Democrats were probably too bought, with too much money, for them to embrace their classical values.
Now Glenn Greenwald takes this to its obvious conclusion, and nails the Democrats – both party and president – as playing a deliberate game of deception.
See if this dynamic introduced by Greenwald resonates with your experience of the last few months:
The primary tactic in this game is Villain Rotation. They always have a handful of Democratic Senators announce that they will be the ones to deviate this time from the ostensible party position and impede success, but the designated Villain constantly shifts, so the Party itself can claim it supports these measures while an always-changing handful of their members invariably prevent it.
- The Democratic Party’s deceitful game
Greenwald’s analysis is devastating and final. You should read it, and click some links. He cites many commentaries, and several previous of his own. I especially recommend his linked post from December 16 which summarized several months of his analysis of the White House’s own deceitful strategy: White House as helpless victim on healthcare
Greenwald’s analysis explains why we didn’t see a rush of “liberal revenge” with the change in administration. I don’t believe the country really made a sharp turn left, but it seems clear enough to me that the nation as a majority wanted to see some leftish extremism in action for a period of time simply to redress some of the rightish extremism of the previous administration. But it never happened.
I had started to understand that the Democrats will actually be relieved to lose badly in the 2010 elections, so they no longer feel pressured to perform to an agenda they no longer support. But Greenwald’s work now makes it crystal clear to me that this has been the case since the 2008 landslide.
Damn.
We’ve been gamed. We voted these people into office, trusting them to deliver on one last hopeful throw of the political dice. They’ve thrown away the entire possibility of our ever believing in trustworthy representation again. This fine moment in history that could have shone so brightly is dulled and smeared, ultimately cast away in betrayal, sold for pieces of silver.
And the Democrats seem so insulated in their political compromise that they fail even to understand how badly they themselves are about to be abandoned for their treachery.
Because none of this means that the Republicans are fit to govern this country. It just means the answer to the troubles of America and the world cannot be addressed by any of the commonplace political members. It means the answer lies outside of the business-as-usual machinery.
The answer must lie with individual representatives who will cleave to an agenda more powerful than their party affiliation, and more powerful than the ocean of money existing to defeat it.
It would be naive to expect this kind of strength in representation to come from any individual’s character, the forces of corruption are far too strong. Undeviating representation can only come from a compact made with the agenda itself. It’s time to elect people who swear to follow a path laid down clearly in advance.
We’re not going to be able to root out this corrupted nest of politicians for any cause less than sustainable world. If the inhabitable biological world were not dying, none of this would matter much. As things stand however, political corruption is in the way, and has to go. Nothing less than excellent accountability will suffice now. The crisis itself forms the agenda and lends strength to its executives.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Now that the Supreme Court has classified corporations as having the rights of people, it is incumbent in my view to charge corporations with humanitarian responsibilities as well. Under present law corporations are charged with maximizing shareholder profits first. Consequently, actively denying AGW becomes a fiduciary “least cost option” to pursue. In my eyes, the Supreme Court has created a “Robot” with a license to kill. (Perhaps unwittingly an escape avenue as well.) The only option that I see now for humanity is to charge those same corporations with the humanitarian responsibilities and goals of long term sustainability/survivability first and foremost and shareholder profits secondary. Without a long term survivability clause, corporations will end up with all the money in a dead world. A dubious victory. It is unconscionable that capitalism, corporations and humanity cannot pursue long term survivability with shared enthusiasm.
The very fact that capitalism and corporations are at cross purposes with humanity and sustainability needs to be acknowledged and corrected forthwith. It is obvious, to any that care to look, that short term profits are not compatible with long term survivability. Time is of the essence.
Well said. I agree with every word.
The question is how: by what mechanism or legal theory does one change the accountability of corporations?
I need to go back and read the original Supreme Court ruling that gave artificial person status to corporations – I read it many years ago and it made sense at the time.
Thanks for coming by – you’re Leif from Climate Progress, right? I’ve always admired your comments over there.
Hi Ross: Yes, one and the same. Thank you for the complement. There are so many great commentates on CP that set the bar so damn high that it is always a struggle. At times altered states of mental acuity take there toll however. Everyone seams to be forgiving though.
If I knew how to change the status quo of capitalism and corporations I would do so in a heartbeat. So far the best I have been able to come up with is sights like CP and this that I have just found.
I have not given up on the Democratic party even though it does look to be pissing in the wind for the most part. Lately I have been entertaining the roll to be played by the Military now that National Security is in play. Yet another hopeful avenue is legal intervention.
A modern day Scopes Trial with humanity against capitalism and corporations. The pace is painfully slow however on both fronts.
That leaves justifying my existence and not dropping off the edge.
Leif
Forgive me for reposting a comment that I made on CP but it is getting late and I have a date with my lady.
This is from my Gray Panther mode.
If the Senate fails to enact meaningful reforms, then I fear I see only two roads out. I believe that the Military is expected to defend the Nation from all viable harmful threats from outside our boarders but from within as well. The evidence is clear, to all but a delusional few, that AGW, global climatic disruption, and related life-support system collapse qualifies on every level for Military involvement. At this point, it may take the military to keep the Tin-hats in check. One of the Militaries’ agenda is to keep themselves funded and relevant. You got to love saving the Nation, but saving the human race as an aside, what a rush. All they have to do is transpose from a “Killing Machine” to a Benevolent Organization. They have adapted to women, G & Ls, surely “nice” is not too big a stretch. They could even do it kind of slow, (not too slow or we are toast) 1/3 this year, 1/3 next and they could keep a third in the “Killing Mode” for old time sake. (Still about three times larger than China defense budget.)
That would even get the support of this life long Pacifist. Business loves a war posture, the GOP love it, hell people even love it if no one is getting killed. Who is left?
I forgot the second road.
Yes I’ve seen that said, the possibility of the military taking some kind of action – but I look at this as being maybe 20 years from now. Things would have to become apocalyptic enough for their cohesive culture to be the tightest culture in play. And as we know, 20 years from now will be long past any tipping points we think of today – anything could be possible then.
But I suppose as this time comes closer the Pentagon will begin to influence the politicans. I tend to think the generals will choose to defend the enclaves of the privileged. But there will probably be a rift within the military too, just as with everywhere else, as to its correct role within civil society.
I think what we’re doing in thinking the unthinkable is crucial to these times we live in. I think it makes a difference what we examine, what we debate, what we advocate. I think by our actions and deliberations we change the balance of opinion within the military, within the political arena, even within the rich.
Have you read Paul Hawken’s “Blessed Unrest?” I find it a great source of hope – actually the only source.
From Hawken’s thinking I understand our role in this world as part of the immune response to the disease that’s killing us. In disease the patient may die, and often does, but the immune responders must do their things regardless, and usually without even knowing about the other players in the response.
Hawken points out that we’ve had industrialism for maybe 500 years, and the response is only about 50 years old – not a bad start, long way to go. And of course now it’s a race, with the planet burning.
Keep faith in reason – I believe reason is the answer. When everything else has crashed and burned, reason is the only thing left.
Ross: Thank you for the heads up on “Blessed Unrest.” Watched the video, will get the book. No doubt that “uppers” are needed. One of the main reasons I like CP is in spite of all the grim realities out there, there is a positive tone to all. I live in a small, but progressive, town and am by nature anti-social. It has been great crossing trails with folks like you and the others.
Two Palms up,
Leif
Ross: I was in Seattle all day today and managed to acquire a copy of “Blessed Unrest.”
That’s great. I’ve been meaning to write a post about that book, and the new paradigm he introduces into the world – i.e. of the millions of disparate groups all being connected, without knowing or even agreeing with each other, simply by being agents of humanity’s immune response to the illness that’s killing us.
I’m not very young, and in my time I’ve seen very few actual new paradigms appear, but that one is brand new, unthought of, and wonderful, to me anyway.
Listen, let’s stay in touch. I’ll see you over at Climate Progress, but I’m kind of scattered still, and trying to funnel my interests into some regular appearances somewhere. Would you like to join Wiser Earth and keep in touch over there?
I’m here:
http://www.wiserearth.org/user/rosshunter/
I’m thinking this is where I want to do my collaborations with people and create the actionable plans for change. It’s early days there for me but please join in if it strikes a chord in you.
- Ross
ps..I looked at your site – you’re living the life, far as I can tell
Hi Ross
You say that you are not very young but you look like you are at least a year or three behind me. I turn 69 this summer. But as a friend of mine says, “There is nothing you can do about growing old but it beats the hell out of the alternative.
My web page is dated as I have not upgraded anything for a couple of years. I do not have the skills to do it my self and my past help is not available. Babies, family, jobs, etc.
My efforts for a better world have been focused on bringing a fuel efficient work vessel to the costal First Nation People. I have extensive experience working in the work boat repair sector, both white and Native, from southern Oregon to False Pass, Alaska and know what the fishing industry needs. It is a time of transition so most of the fisherman do not even know what the future has in store and bringing a new product to market needs much patience. I hope to break the ice before I check out. It appears to be nip and tuck.
There is a huge discrepancy between what is used and what is needed that works both fore and against me. People are loathed to change a life time of learning on the one hand and on the other I am the only designer that has made a systematic effort to design for the future for this faction. People are beginning to take notice of my products however which keeps me energized. As with most others on the forefront lack of working capital is always a challenge. So in the mean time it is CP, net working, gardening and domestic chores.