Take back our country

The economic system of the United States (Capitalism, maximization of shareholder value) has corrupted our system of government (Democracy, government for and by the people). The top 1% and their paid lackeys are running the country. The Koch brothers, for example, contribute heavily to both major parties. The biggest buildings in Washington are filled with paid lobbyists. Our senators and representatives have been reduced to telemarketers spending our time begging for reelection funding. The obstructionist congress has been deadlocked for many years, maintaining the status quo. This is exactly what the top 1% want since their rate of acquisition of wealth and power has never been greater.

The two major parties serve the bidding of the masters. On the right side we have the cruel slave drivers who motivate through fear and intimidation. Keep cutting benefits, keep people running scared for their jobs. On the left side we have the more benevolent slave drivers who believe that keeping the slaves healthy and happy will produce the better result.

People have been reasonably satisfied with this system of controlling their lives. “Panem et circenses” … give us our fast food, big screen TV’s, and NFL football, and we’ll stay fat, dumb, and happy. We’ve got the bestgovernment money can buy. But the signs of unrest are becoming unmistakable.

Our country is ripe for social disruption and revolution. A nazi-esque figure with a populist message is emerging who could lead our country down the path to fascism. This leader doesn’t need to be a person of substance; a spray-tanned reality TV host will do just fine. This is especially dangerous because this person’s populist message is not constrained by moral conviction, reality, or even logic – but is solely driven by his insatiable greed for personal power. He is being supported on the right by some tea-partiers, the KKK, and people who do not have college educations. Unfortunately, he is the presumptive candidate of the Republican party for president.

On the left we have another call for change. This leader has been called a soviet communist style socialist. (But remember that it was the Soviet leader himself who endorsed the other fascist candidate). This leader is a man of substance. He is not advocating soviet style communism, but rather a move toward a more Scandinavian style of democracy that works for all of our people. He is being supported by young and educated voters. Unfortunately, this man of substance does not appear to have the majority vote to be the presumptive candidate of the Democratic party for president.

Bernie Sanders is not the whole answer, but he is part of the answer. We not only need a leader like him as president, we also need to clean house. We need to replace our telemarketing “representatives” with statesmen and stateswomen who will actually work to represent all of the people. We need to empty the buildings in Washington that are filled with paid lobbyists, and fill them with people doing productive work such as job training or scientific research. 

I wish with all my heart that we could get this all done during this election cycle. I believe in miracles, but it appears that Bernie Sanders will not garner a majority. So we need to prepare ourselves to go the polls in November, holding our collective noses, brace for 4 more years of the status quo, and (for the sake of our children and grandchildren) vote for Hillary Clinton (would you rather have Trump holding the nuclear football?). Then use the next four years to prepare for the next election cycle, create a third party that is truly for and by the people, and take back our country.