Submitted by: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger
Those who’ve read my comments here through the last two Presidential elections, know that I supported and voted for Barack Obama twice. Yet President Obama has been a disappointment to me throughout his Administration. His continuing support of what I consider extra-Constitutional intelligence gathering is a terrible thing. That Guantanamo Bay is still functioning is a continuing human rights violation. The continued American troop presence in both Iraq and Afghanistan is as disgraceful as the reasons that caused us to be there in the first place. Bradley Manning is an American hero that this country is illegally torturing with this President’s approval. The entire issue of the rising deficit and of a mythical “Fiscal Cliff” is one the President gives credit to, thus making it seem real to the public, while those decrying it merely are using it as a means of destroying America’s already frayed “social safety net”. The escape from criminal prosecution of the Bush Administration for War Crimes time has passed. The financial titans who collapsed our economy with their fraudulent manipulations will not be brought to justice, only become wealthier. The continuance of prosecuting the “War on Drugs” after we’ve seen marvelous public initiatives legalizing marijuana at State Levels, is a cruel hoax that destroys the lives of people in the name of protecting the citizenry. Need I go on to make the point of how disappointing this Administration has been? It would take tens of thousands of more words to do so, but then in this erudite group of those readers of this blog, it would be unnecessary, because so many here could do it on their own and perhaps better than I can.
Where I get confused at times here is in the continuing surprise that is expressed with each new violation of our rights, with each new foreign incursion and with the continued militarization of this country as it “goosesteps” towards the creation of an Empire. I get confused because I fail to understand why people who know better, would think that someone else as President could prevent all of these atrocious occurrences. This confusion is re-enforced by the fact that this blog has continually presented evidence that this country is no longer, if indeed it has been, under the aegis of our beloved Constitution. Leading the evidence presented here was Jonathan Turley’s blog post ”10 Reasons The U.S. Is No Longer The Land Of The Free”. http://jonathanturley.org/2012/01/15/10-reasons-the-u-s-is-no-longer-the-land-of-the-free/ As our esteemed proprietor followed up this post was selected as one of the top ten articles in the Washington Post’s Outlook Section for 2012. At the end of this piece I will give links to my own guest blogs which have also reinforced the idea that we are no longer the country of freedom that our establishment claims we represent. Thus comes my somewhat confused question as to why would we the denizens of this blog think that barring action by the people, that our President, or any other governmental officials could single-highhandedly return us to the ideals of our constitution.
My working for and voting for President Obama had nothing to do with a belief that he could effect anywhere near the change that is needed to make this country free, to level the economic playing field, or finally end our march for world hegemony. I firmly believe that this country is ruled by a Plutocratic Corporatocracy and this has at least been the case since the assassination of JFK. http://jonathanturley.org/2012/03/17/a-real-history-of-the-last-sixty-two-years/
What I wrote about in that guest blog was the JFK murder represented a turning point where the Corporate Military/Industrial Complex assumed control of U.S. foreign affairs and sent the chilling message to all future Presidents that they ought not to interfere with the will of this group in foreign matters. Richard Nixon believed himself to be a foreign policy expert par excellence and demanded to run his own foreign policy and he too was removed from office, albeit less violently, but in my opinion with the same complicity from those who disposed of JFK. As I wrote succinctly about Richard Nixon in the guest blog linked above:
“Nixon further escalates Viet Nam War. He names Poppy Bush Ambassador to China despite lack of qualification. Nixon/Kissinger cut “Experts” out of Foreign Policy and negotiate détente with China, decried by Defense/CIA/”Experts who are all “Cold Warriors”. “Plumbers” unit formed in White House, members all tied to CIA and Poppy Bush. Amateurishly bungled Watergate Burglary performed by intelligence professionals. Nixon reelected but Watergate becomes big deal. Bob Woodward, with past CIA ties, begins investigation with Carl Bernstein. Woodward gains information from “Deep Throat” that is damning. John Dean, who also has ties to Poppy Bush blabs to Congress. Andrew Jaworski, an old friend of Poppy Bush, becomes Special Prosecutor after Cox fired. Poppy Bush becomes head of Republican Party. Poppy Bush advises Nixon to resign for the good of the Party. Gerald Ford becomes President and surprises Poppy Bush by not naming Poppy Bush Vice President. Ford pardons Nixon before full charges are brought and so many details lost as the investigation stops.”
I believe the full story is that Nixon overstepped the foreign policy limits of the Presidency, drawn in the sand by JFK’s murder and was removed as punishment. President Obama when he ran in 2008 mad the promise that he would abolish Guantanamo Bay, via Presidential Decree, during his first day in office. I have no reason to doubt he believed this, but I think that after the election when he was being briefed by the Foreign Policy/Military/Intelligence establishment he was given the message as to just how far he could go and today Guantanamo still thrives, we still have troops in Iraq and are still prosecuting a war in Afghanistan. We also see a steady barrage of pressure to attack Iran and intervene in Syria. As we already have done in Libya. Our defense budget is already larger than the defense budgets of all the countries in the rest of the world combined and with all our supposed economic woes nobody with any power dares to question it remaining so high.
Prior to Obama’s 2008 election our economic system was trashed and a hasty bi-partisan coalition backed the moves of our Federal Reserve head, our Treasury Secretary and our putative President to bail out these huge Investment Banks with a blank check. Pro forma efforts at investigation were made, enough details coming out to show that the crisis was the result of their own mismanagement and of indeed outright fraud. Not only were there no major prosecutions, but in fact many responsible for the crisis received even larger bonuses the following years. It’s true that Bernie Madoff was sent to jail for what will be his life, but then Bernie Madoff preyed upon the same class of people who caused the banking crisis. The plain truth is we are powerless when it comes to the Plutocrats of the world and only those who attempt to take from them are the ones who suffer.
While I’ve only scratched the surface above of the President’s impotency in the face of the interlocking power of the Plutocratic class intertwined with the Corporate Military/Industrial Complex, almost all who will read this are already there with their own insights. This devolves into two questions then which I will attempt to answer. The first is of course why did I even bother to support President Obama if I think he lacks the power to change anything substantive?
My answer is simply that I refuse to give up hope that we the people can rise up and make a difference. While I believe we are ruled by a Plutocracy, I also believe that this Plutocracy is not a homogeneous group. There are insatiable egos in play and there is disagreement in how to manage us “the people”. For purposes of ease let me break that up into two groups, although the reality I think is far more diverse. The first group can be called the “let them eat cake” group and they could care less about the lives of us peasants as long as we continue to serve them well. The second group are those that believe in “noblesse oblige” and believe in their power, yet feel that they owe something, though not that much, to the teeming masses yearning to breathe free. Each National election is a reflection between these two theories of social control. In the election past Romney represented the “eat cake” group, while Obama represented the “noblesse oblige” group. Since I refuse to give up hope that we can find a way to overthrow this Plutocracy, for now I must support the “noblesse oblige” group to minimize the effects of the pain being inflicted upon the people.
The second question is what I think can be done to change things. The answer in my mind is so broad that I would have to write a manifesto, which I’m not yet prepared to do. Here then are my ten suggestions for how we can regain our freedom done schematically and in random order.
- Organize opposition to both parties from the ground up by forming a third party willing to build over the span of years and not needing the immediate gratification of instant success.
- Understand that ideology is the enemy of equitable solutions and that humanity’s ills are those of a psychological rather than political basis.
- Do everything in our power to maintain internet freedom, since it has become the only remaining source of information untainted by propaganda (if you look diligently enough).
- Educate people as to the reality of their desperate situations.
- Educate people about how they have been manipulated by mythology and propaganda.
- Stop believing in leaders no matter how attractive and start believing in our own competence.
- Protest injustice wherever you encounter it.
- Understand that you must convince people of your cause, before you can advance your cause.
- Examine your own prejudices and expunge them
- Treat other human beings as you would have yourself treated.
Those are my ten as counter point to the ten ways we are no longer free. What are yours? First though let me give my own “political” views succinctly:
Every human being shall have the right to adequate: Food; Water; Shelter; Clothing; Free Education and the means to find meaningful occupations. They should have freedom of speech, thought and movement. This is what needs to be accomplished for the Human Race to evolve to its full potential. The mechanisms for this should be developed pragmatically, not through political philosophy. The sociopaths, the psychopaths and the narcissists must somehow be segregated from the rest of humanity, or at least denied meaningful power.
Submitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/11/17/democracy-in-america-what-does-it-mean/
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/11/10/selling-out-middle-class-america/
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/10/27/murder-at-kent-state/
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/10/13/manipulated-america-one-theory-of-how-they-control-us/
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/10/06/american-dream-not-american-reality/
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/09/30/portents-of-the-new-feudalism/
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/07/07/mythology-and-the-new-feudalism/
Cameron,
“1. Noble suggestions but literally hundreds of millions of dollars helps to buy election results and, until you change that system dramatically, a 3rd party will be just as subjugated to the embeded vested interests that paid for them as are the current parties. Very obvious I would have thought.”
I wrote about this one year ago: http://jonathanturley.org/2012/01/07/americas-transcendent-issue/
“2. Then 10% of the population would be virtually unable to read what you have written. Another 45% are so dumb and poorly educated they would have great difficulty comprehending much of what you have written even if they were interested and another 20% could, but are apathetic and so they really don’t care that much.”
I do not have as much negative opinion of the intelligence of the population as you do. However, this is what I believe is the root cause of the problem you are trying to limn: http://jonathanturley.org/2012/01/21/the-authoritarians-a-book-review-and-book/
“3. What all the zombies understand really well is what free stuff they can get from Government and that is what influences and can change election results. They love to vote themselves free stuff paid for by others (just like the top end of town) and parties like to offer it to get elected.”
I’m always skeptical about people who would think 75% of the population is illiterate, dumb, uneducated and/or apathetic. That is an attitude that is not borne out by my life experience, rather it has the underlying assumption that its source is somehow on a rarefied intellectual plain and we have enough of those in power already to really screw things up. The people are never as dumb as those with intellectual pretensions would make them out to be. The problem is that most people are struggling to keep their heads above water and so lack the leisure to contemplate their navels.
Excellent column, Mike, but since I’m one of the ones not surprised and think the Founder’s ideal of a democratic representative Constitutional republic has fallen to not just a corporatist plutocracy but a fascist corporatist plutocracy, I’m just going to let this play out some more before saying more than that.
TonyC,
Excellent…..
Mike S,
You know some folks just like to make it personal…. If you can’t debate on the facts or your argument is subject to different conclusions based on the same data…. Attack the person….. With more hyperbole….
Points:
1. Organize opposition to both parties from the ground up by forming a third party willing to build over the span of years and not needing the immediate gratification of instant success.
How, exactly? “Forming a third party” has been advocated since I have been voting, I do not think that will ever happen. There is no plausible mechanism I know of to do this. I will also say I have had epic discourse on this blog advocating for postponed gratification and refusing the strategy of voting for the lesser of two evils or “not wasting your vote,” with little agreement by these erudite readers, including you. There is a fundamental psychological problem with creating a third party, especially if the third party is going to resemble either existing party, because people are not stupid and realize that splitting the vote of the existing party they like, in order to vote for a third party that is bound to lose, is going to elect the greater of two evils (in their mind), so they contribute $5 to the new party but zero votes, and the third party dies.
2. Understand that ideology is the enemy of equitable solutions and that humanity’s ills are those of a psychological rather than political basis.
Funny stuff from a guy that rejects anything that does not fit his ideology.
4. Educate people as to the reality of their desperate situations.
This has been tried and failed as well. People just do not believe their situation is desperate, OR they do not believe they can do anything about it, because the choice of politicians is severely limited and it has proven impossible to find one that, as you assert, does not cave in and give the Corpocracy what they want, presumably upon penalty of death or disgrace for refusing, like JFK or Nixon. Obama had the best rhetoric EVER, people (including me) believed him, and he turned out to be a liar. Why should we believe some leader of a “third party” will be any better? Once elected we have zero control over them, by law and by design, and it is a mistake to think they will give us what we want in order to get a second term, when they can set themselves for life in a single term.
5. Educate people about how they have been manipulated by mythology and propaganda.
Again, people do not believe it, and do not have time to be “educated.” 85% to 95% of this country believes in mythology and propaganda as the way to run their life and relationships. How in the world is this an executable goal?
6. Stop believing in leaders no matter how attractive and start believing in our own competence.
That is virtually impossible; it is contrary to human psychology (as I think you well know). I do not know what “believing in our own competence” is supposed to do, we are presented every four years with a choice of precisely two candidates with any chance of winning. I do not get to vote for myself and my own competence.
7. Protest injustice wherever you encounter it.
I do not think protest works very well, certainly the Occupy movement has not effected any positive changes of which I am aware. I would recommend, instead of protest, contributing $10 to a fund for prosecution or defense, whichever is on the side of justice.
8. Understand that you must convince people of your cause, before you can advance your cause.
Based upon approval ratings of the House and Senate, I believe most people are already convinced there is a problem. Based upon the 2012 election, I believe most people are already firmly rooted in one of two camps, as you do. Converting a Republican to a Democrat is like asking me to grab hold of a redwood and uproot it. Again, I think this advice defies human psychology, if your cause is basically (as expounded at the end of the article) the half-socialist, social-libertarian, regulated-capitalist outcome to which I also subscribe, how do we convince people that is a worthy cause? People convince themselves, if their emotions do not already lie on the side of “we are all in this together,” they won’t be convinced by any rhetoric. Speaking for a moment as an atheist, it is like trying to convince a devout religionist that God does not exist. All the logic, analogies, metaphors and hard real-world evidence one can muster will not convince them. This is because they have a large emotional investment in their belief they cannot bring themselves to abandon. The same is true for ideologies, they do not have to be rational, they have a foundation in a person’s emotional identity, and getting through that is like scratching your way through a concrete wall with a paper clip.
9. Examine your own prejudices and expunge them.
Easier said than done. I did it though, in advocating for Ron Paul. Funny how you were unable to overcome your prejudice against him, and then your prejudice against me for not agreeing with your prejudiced view of him.
10. Treat other human beings as you would have yourself treated.
The Ayn Rand acolytes truly want everybody to be on their own in an unregulated, zero-tax environment. I have detailed the faults of that system, but they truly want it, for themselves and others, because they mistakenly believe they would somehow be richer for it, and by some magic everybody would be. Are you sure you want to tell them to treat you as they want to be treated?
The golden rule presumes a uniformity of morality and regard for others that does not exist in reality. Many a religious zealot believes that infidels should be put to death, and sincerely claims they themselves or even their children should be put to death should they ever become an infidel, that such an action could save their soul. If a person believes that their own death is preferable to continuing a life of sin, are you sure you want to tell them to treat you as they would like to be treated?
“The author should get over the fact that Romney lost and Obama will be in for another term.”
ConLawDog,
Just a suggestion, but perhaps your perusal should go further than looking at the title and then making up your own story. Perhaps then you could disagree, or agree with the author with some sense of what is being discussed.
@RWL
> Are we more of a Oligarchy than a “Plutocractic Corporatocracy”?
I have some thoughts about that:
http://telesio.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/plutocracy-oligarchy-and-the-myth-of-free-markets/
The post has a lot of detail you may find useful.
The word “surprize” in the title of the topic has its relevance. I was surprized that Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 so effectively. I was not surprized that the “scion” of the “rugged individual” Joseph Kennedy had no effort and no success in those two well needed pieces of legislation. I was surprized that Lyndon Johnson got us sucked so deep into the swamps of Vietnam after Ike and Kennedy had treaded us in. In War the Democrats sometimes follow the footsteps of those tough guy RepubliCons who are owned by Blackwater.
The topic omits the fact that Obama has removed us from Iraq and is moving us out of Afghanistan. The author wants all things quicker. While we are at it, lets pull our troops out of Europe, Korea and Japan. We have too many of our men and women in the military. Let them learn to be “a man” in some other fashion.
The author should get over the fact that Romney lost and Obama will be in for another term. Then it will be Biden or Hillary. In four years many of the old fart Republicons will have died off and the new voters are not so stupid as to vote for the likes of Rubio, Jindhal, or Jeb.
You said:
“Here then are my ten suggestions for how we can regain our freedom done schematically and in random order.
Organize opposition to both parties from the ground up by forming a third party willing to build over the span of years and not needing the immediate gratification of instant success.
Understand that ideology is the enemy of equitable solutions and that humanity’s ills are those of a psychological rather than political basis.
Do everything in our power to maintain internet freedom, since it has become the only remaining source of information untainted by propaganda (if you look diligently enough).
Educate people as to the reality of their desperate situations.
Educate people about how they have been manipulated by mythology and propaganda.
Stop believing in leaders no matter how attractive and start believing in our own competence.
Protest injustice wherever you encounter it.
Understand that you must convince people of your cause, before you can advance your cause.
Examine your own prejudices and expunge them
Treat other human beings as you would have yourself treated.”
1. Noble suggestions but literally hundreds of millions of dollars helps to buy election results and, until you change that system dramatically, a 3rd party will be just as subjugated to the embeded vested interests that paid for them as are the current parties. Very obvious I would have thought.
2. Then 10% of the population would be virtually unable to read what you have written. Another 45% are so dumb and poorly educated they would have great difficulty comprehending much of what you have written even if they were interested and another 20% could, but are apathetic and so they really don’t care that much.
3. What all the zombies understand really well is what free stuff they can get from Government and that is what influences and can change election results. They love to vote themselves free stuff paid for by others (just like the top end of town) and parties like to offer it to get elected.
“. . . with the continued militarization of this country as it “goosesteps” towards the creation of an Empire.”
The creation of Pax Americana is long complete. The sustainment of, or not, is up to us.
Looking back at our Presidents I find myself disappointed in many of the ones whom I have put on the high echelon list. George Washington could have crossed the Delaware a little sooner. Abe Lincoln could have issued the Emancipation Proclamation sooner. Truman could have given them more hell. Clinton could have kept his paws to himself. Those are some of my favorites. Obama is unique. He is likeable and smart. And yet we have these wars and human rights offenses that are criminal.
Free Bradley Manning!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/12/aaron-swartz-heroism-suicide1 (link related to previous comment)
The inspiring heroism of Aaron Swartz
by Glenn Greenwald
Saturday 12 January 2013
“I always found it genuinely inspiring to watch Swartz exude this courage and commitment at such a young age. His death had better prompt some serious examination of the DOJ’s behavior – both in his case and its warped administration of justice generally. But his death will also hopefully strengthen the inspirational effects of thinking about and understanding the extraordinary acts he undertook in his short life.
…
This sort of unrestrained prosecutorial abuse is, unfortunately, far from uncommon. It usually destroys people without attention or notice. Let’s hope – and work to ensure that – the attention generated by Swartz’s case prompts some movement toward accountability and reform.”
Family Of Aaron Swartz Blames MIT, Prosecutors For His Death
The family of Aaron Swartz, along with his partner, Taren Stinebricker-Kaufmann, have released a statement about his death and announced plans for a funeral on Tuesday, January 15.
Swartz committed suicide by hanging himself on Friday, according to the statement.
In the statement, the family blamed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and federal prosecutors, who pressed criminal hacking charges which carried a potential sentence of more than 30 years in jail against Swartz for an incident in which he downloaded a large number of academic papers over MIT’s network, for his death.
“Aaron’s death is not simply a personal tragedy,” they wrote. “It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office and at MIT contributed to his death.”
That echoes a criticism made by Swartz’s friend Larry Lessig, the Harvard University professor and well-known authority on Internet law, who called the government prosecutor in the case a “bully” and said that Swartz had been “driven to the edge” by the government’s aggressive handling of the legal case.
Here’s the full statement, which was also published on a site the family created to memorialize Aaron, rememberaaronsw.com:
Our beloved brother, son, friend, and partner Aaron Swartz hanged himself on Friday in his Brooklyn apartment. We are in shock, and have not yet come to terms with his passing.
Aaron’s insatiable curiosity, creativity, and brilliance; his reflexive empathy and capacity for selfless, boundless love; his refusal to accept injustice as inevitable—these gifts made the world, and our lives, far brighter. We’re grateful for our time with him, to those who loved him and stood with him, and to all of those who continue his work for a better world.
Aaron’s commitment to social justice was profound, and defined his life. He was instrumental to the defeat of an Internet censorship bill; he fought for a more democratic, open, and accountable political system; and he helped to create, build, and preserve a dizzying range of scholarly projects that extended the scope and accessibility of human knowledge. He used his prodigious skills as a programmer and technologist not to enrich himself but to make the Internet and the world a fairer, better place. His deeply humane writing touched minds and hearts across generations and continents. He earned the friendship of thousands and the respect and support of millions more.
Aaron’s death is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office and at MIT contributed to his death. The US Attorney’s office pursued an exceptionally harsh array of charges, carrying potentially over 30 years in prison, to punish an alleged crime that had no victims. Meanwhile, unlike JSTOR, MIT refused to stand up for Aaron and its own community’s most cherished principles.
Today, we grieve for the extraordinary and irreplaceable man that we have lost.
_____
Aaron’s funeral will be held on Tuesday, January 15 at Central Avenue Synagogue, 874 Central Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois 60035. Further details, including the specific time, will be posted at http://rememberaaronsw.com, along with announcements about memorial services to be held in other cities in coming weeks.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Family-Of-Aaron-Swartz-Blames-MIT-Prosecutors-4189406.php#ixzz2HoXx6QrO
Well stated John. But the issue will be having people not be afraid to do the right thing.
Thanks for that, Shano.
Until we get over the Dem’s VS Rep’s nothing will get done….after watching Obama run Bush’s third term, I realized that they are just figureheads and big oil, big banks (& the fed), war contractors, wall st, & a corrupt click in the CIA is actually running the country.
And I have already switched to the Libertarian Party…. do I agree with all of their platform, of course not….but as you say they are a LOT better than the two (actually one) main choices.
I used to think Jobs should be #1 priority, but I can see now Corruption needs to be…because until THAT is fixed, nothing else will get done.
Statement (partial from family of Aaron:
“Aaron’s death is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office and at MIT contributed to his death. The US Attorney’s office pursued an exceptionally harsh array of charges, carrying potentially over 30 years in prison, to punish an alleged crime that had no victims. Meanwhile, unlike JSTOR, MIT refused to stand up for Aaron and its own community’s most cherished principles.
Today, we grieve for the extraordinary and irreplaceable man that we have lost.”
I just read the comment. I was out in a sailboat all day with half blind guy. He puts the tiller through my collar and he adjusts the main halyard and jib halyard. We ran over a buoy and it was my fault. So, I am late to chimne in.
I voted for Obama twice. Twice this year and twice in 2008. Well, blind dogs have their trickes at the ballot box. But I agree with much of the article.
The torture of Bradley Manning is one war crime that needs to be scrutinized worldwide and the commanding officers prosecuted at the International War Crimes Court.
Why are we “at war” in Afghanistan? To keep six guys with box cutters from boarding airplanes? The former Soviets who were soldiers in that territory are laughing at us. Here we were paying Muslim Brothers to go there to become anti Soviet rebels and now they are all al qaeda.
Central to this debacle is the military industrial complex and guys like Romney, Cheney, Bushies, Fox News fair and balanced talking heads.
It would be good if the Vietnam anti war generation would get off their arses and talk to grandkiddos. The difference between Nam and Afghanistan is in latitude. Changes in latitude, changes in atitude. Obama: Pull out now like your father should have. Make that a bumper sticker.
AY, Like you. I was a bit dismayed Speilberg chose to focus on basically one aspect, the passage of the 13th Amendment. If I had a choice of a sweeping bio pic covering his whole life or focusing on a key issue, I would pick the latter. However, Speilberg could have expanded the time frame to cover the entire Civil War, including the passage of the 13th Amendment..show Lincoln as a war time president and handling domestic affairs @ the same time. Show more on how his generals and admirals got fed up w/ him often times. That said, who the hell am I to question Speilberg in moviemaking.