... or when Madison Avenue meets American politics.
The entire Iraq effort is seemingly a gigantic exercise in 'spin'... or the Art of Lying While Avoiding Being Dragged Into Court.
Lets examine a few elements of the current Neo-conservative agenda and it's attending propaganda.
To avoid being tagged as someone who is unpatriotic, the right wing would have us believe that we must 'support the mission' in Iraq without questioning the awesome wisdom of the Oval Office (ignore the man behind the curtain, listen to the Wizard of Oz).
The challenge is to accurately define 'the mission' in terms that justify the destruction of the American military and the draining of the American economy. In other words what can the military do, that is within their defined roles in our society, to 'Win in Iraq'? Secondary question is what has the current Administration, including the Commander in Chief (when did he stop being the President of the United States) done to make a military solution possible (if it is possible)?
The attacks of the far Right also invokes the mantra of 'embolden the enemy' as a knee-jerk reply to silence any questioning or dissent of anyone who questions what is going on in Iraq, or Afghanistan for that matter (roughly 70% of the American population). So here's the second challenge: Properly define the 'enemy' as a valid military force, that can be readily identified and neutralized without collateral damage, and define precisely who the enemy is, by demonstrating with verifiable documention (or at least credible sources) what proportion of the Iraqi population is the 'enemy' (please bear in mind that if more than 50% of the Iraqi population is the 'enemy' then America IS an occupying aggressor). Should be fairly simple, if what we've recieved from the White House and Department of Defense is accurate, reliable and... here's the hard part... logical.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
Winning the Lottery
I've considered in the past what could possibly motivate working class American citizens to repeatedly vote into power, people and parties whose philosophy and platforms are totally counter to their own best interests. As a people we elect politicians to Federal and state positions who have shown over and over that they will protect those at the top of the economic ladder. These servants of corporate wealth, and oligopolies that the largest corporate entities have become consistently pass laws, regulations, and measures to benefit Big Business over the working American. Since there are, and probably always will be, more low and middle income people than the small elite at the lofty top of the money pyramid, why do people buy into the confused and muddled rhetoric of pandering politicians in the pockets of Big Money. Logically the average worker should be politically leaning toward socialist policies.
One night over a few glasses of homemade wine with some friends it hit me. The Middle Class Myth in America is bought into by the average blue/white/pink collared worker on the same basis that Lottery tickets are bought. Now before you dismiss this idea think about it. The average lottery ticket buyer knows that the odds are incredibly high against actually winning, yet the hope is there that they will win (after all somebody has to... right?). Compare this to the realities of the typical 'rags to riches' fable we've all been raised on.
The moral of most of the stories are that if one works hard, plays by the rules, and doesn't upset the status quo that one "may" rise to the top, into that lofty altitude where all of ones financial needs are met, where the "disposable" part of income is much greater than the part needed to keep body and soul together. It's an inspiring legend, on the same level as the Arthurian legends, Beowulf, or the classic American western movie, and about as accurate and relevant. Yet it serves a useful purpose, to those select few who already control the mass of wealth. It's always implied, in every retelling of the legend, that unless one adopts the mannerisms, viewpoint, and goals of the "Winners" at the top of the heap, one can never succeed. To succeed one must develop an aggressive, narrowly channeled and focused pursuit of profit, and thus add to ones position, prestige, and personal wealth. In other words the road to fabulous success and wealth is a simple formula that only needs to be followed (to the benefit of the upper echelon when you examine it closely).
The effect is to isolate workers from each other, for also implied, and is obvious to even the most casual observer, only a few can rise to the top. Bear in mind that there are various versions of the Myth. The typical blue collar version is that after years of loyal, productive service to The Company one will rise to well paid management position, with a cushy basket of benefits. This concept always reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
The politics of fear are just as real in the workplace as any other arena of life in America. Workers are led to believe, rightly or wrongly, that they have no power what-so-ever against the people on the top floor. Organized labor is lumped into the same dark, fear tinged realm of all organized entities outside the purview of Officially Sanctioned groups, such as the the two main American political parties, various 'safe' churches, and various toothless social clubs who accomplish nothing more than a melancholy shaking of their heads over the plight of the poor.
If most American workers had a lick of common sense, and sense of self-preservation, they would be actively organizing into collective bargaining units. Yes, I know, many will fire back at this position with the jaded, worn-out cliche about labor union corruption. To that I only need point to the special interest cesspool in Washington, D.C. and ask "Could it actually be any worse? At least Joe Average would have a fighting chance to gain a real living wage, real benefits, and some small amount of security." It has been pointed out time after time over many years that Capitalism has no real connection to Democracy, in fact the less democratic an country is, the more Capitalism flourishes. One need only to look to mainland China in recent years to see the proof of this. The ruling elite in Chinese society are NOT against capitalism, as long as they are controlling and benefiting from it.
It's time to wake from the dream, open our eyes and minds, and start making noise and waves. There is nothing inherently wrong with capitalistic practices, as long as it is regulated to do the least harm to the society in which it thrives and profits. Despite it protestations to the contrary Commerce does have a moral obligation to the nation in which it thrives and profits. If Capital will not fund the processes necessary for the well being of it's workers on it's own, then the Government must step in to insure the overall welfare of the nation including its workers, requiring higher taxes on those who most benefit from Commerce and who can logically pay the share necessary to insure a productive and secure populace. When Capital uses it's wealth to control the very entity that should be regulating and prohibiting its most dangerous and damaging practices then it becomes a moral battle of money against numbers, of a selfish aristocracy against the welfare of the people. Without Labor there can be no Capital. Without the consent of the governed, there can be no legitimate government.
One night over a few glasses of homemade wine with some friends it hit me. The Middle Class Myth in America is bought into by the average blue/white/pink collared worker on the same basis that Lottery tickets are bought. Now before you dismiss this idea think about it. The average lottery ticket buyer knows that the odds are incredibly high against actually winning, yet the hope is there that they will win (after all somebody has to... right?). Compare this to the realities of the typical 'rags to riches' fable we've all been raised on.
The moral of most of the stories are that if one works hard, plays by the rules, and doesn't upset the status quo that one "may" rise to the top, into that lofty altitude where all of ones financial needs are met, where the "disposable" part of income is much greater than the part needed to keep body and soul together. It's an inspiring legend, on the same level as the Arthurian legends, Beowulf, or the classic American western movie, and about as accurate and relevant. Yet it serves a useful purpose, to those select few who already control the mass of wealth. It's always implied, in every retelling of the legend, that unless one adopts the mannerisms, viewpoint, and goals of the "Winners" at the top of the heap, one can never succeed. To succeed one must develop an aggressive, narrowly channeled and focused pursuit of profit, and thus add to ones position, prestige, and personal wealth. In other words the road to fabulous success and wealth is a simple formula that only needs to be followed (to the benefit of the upper echelon when you examine it closely).
The effect is to isolate workers from each other, for also implied, and is obvious to even the most casual observer, only a few can rise to the top. Bear in mind that there are various versions of the Myth. The typical blue collar version is that after years of loyal, productive service to The Company one will rise to well paid management position, with a cushy basket of benefits. This concept always reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone. - John Maynard KeynesAdd to the legend the aggressive anti-union practices of corporate management and again, the workers are isolated from each other, and in fact must daily deal with a gnawing fear that some uncomplimentary comment on management, company policy, or working conditions will land them in the unemployment line.
The politics of fear are just as real in the workplace as any other arena of life in America. Workers are led to believe, rightly or wrongly, that they have no power what-so-ever against the people on the top floor. Organized labor is lumped into the same dark, fear tinged realm of all organized entities outside the purview of Officially Sanctioned groups, such as the the two main American political parties, various 'safe' churches, and various toothless social clubs who accomplish nothing more than a melancholy shaking of their heads over the plight of the poor.
If most American workers had a lick of common sense, and sense of self-preservation, they would be actively organizing into collective bargaining units. Yes, I know, many will fire back at this position with the jaded, worn-out cliche about labor union corruption. To that I only need point to the special interest cesspool in Washington, D.C. and ask "Could it actually be any worse? At least Joe Average would have a fighting chance to gain a real living wage, real benefits, and some small amount of security." It has been pointed out time after time over many years that Capitalism has no real connection to Democracy, in fact the less democratic an country is, the more Capitalism flourishes. One need only to look to mainland China in recent years to see the proof of this. The ruling elite in Chinese society are NOT against capitalism, as long as they are controlling and benefiting from it.
It's time to wake from the dream, open our eyes and minds, and start making noise and waves. There is nothing inherently wrong with capitalistic practices, as long as it is regulated to do the least harm to the society in which it thrives and profits. Despite it protestations to the contrary Commerce does have a moral obligation to the nation in which it thrives and profits. If Capital will not fund the processes necessary for the well being of it's workers on it's own, then the Government must step in to insure the overall welfare of the nation including its workers, requiring higher taxes on those who most benefit from Commerce and who can logically pay the share necessary to insure a productive and secure populace. When Capital uses it's wealth to control the very entity that should be regulating and prohibiting its most dangerous and damaging practices then it becomes a moral battle of money against numbers, of a selfish aristocracy against the welfare of the people. Without Labor there can be no Capital. Without the consent of the governed, there can be no legitimate government.
A Song That Says So Much
If you haven't heard this yet, check it out.
We Can't Make It Here Anymore - by James Mcmurtry
Class warfare has been going on in this country for a very long time. Why do average, working-class Americans accept leadership that has, and will continue, to cheat them out of political power, economic security, and the basic needs of life? More to follow. Meanwhile, listen and try to enjoy, and don't forget to think.
We Can't Make It Here Anymore - by James Mcmurtry
Class warfare has been going on in this country for a very long time. Why do average, working-class Americans accept leadership that has, and will continue, to cheat them out of political power, economic security, and the basic needs of life? More to follow. Meanwhile, listen and try to enjoy, and don't forget to think.
Friday, March 2, 2007
An introduction would be in order here.
I find myself at an odd crossroad in life. Having lived my teens and twenties during the late 60s and 70s I embraced a social consciousness that was based on Equality, Liberty, and Justice. Over the years I joined the American workforce, married, had children and became a 'productive member of society'. It seems during that period my political fire turned to barely glowing embers. Lately I find myself enraged by the senseless, self-centered, and ethically indifferent society that has seemed to grow up around me. Like some abandoned lot now overgrown with weeds and pests, which we have to navigate through every day of our lives. Most people I encounter are actually decent human beings, though insulated from the tragedies and perils surrounding us by inattention to the bigger picture and the scams going on behind the scenes. The media tells us things are OK, so does our government at all levels, and we have lots of new cheap toys to keep us entertained... and unquestioning of the fact that our reality is shrinking, growing colder, and becoming ever harder to maintain.
What caused the re-awakening of my political and social consciousness? Like most people trapped in the fantasy of the American Way of Life it took having the comfy bed of my life yanked out from under me. After years of working in the technical support field, which I found both challenging and rewarding, I was replaced by offshore workers. In fact part of my duties in the last six months involved helping train them. I can't fault them for the decisions made at the corporate level, based entirely on the (short-sighted) principles of Cost Effectiveness and Enhanced Profitability. I found offshore workers spoke reasonably good English, were polite to a fault, eager to adapt new methods, and for the most part technically clueless (and absolutely terrified of losing their $3/hr job).
As I and my fellow employees started looking for new jobs we discovered that the bulk of our industry was already based offshore. This was my wakeup call, and the start of my re-awakening of how far my own country had devolved. I looked back over my own history in the labor force and was surprised when reviewing it. When I entered the work force full-time it was in a job paying roughly $.50 over minimum wage, with retirement and health benefits. On that single wage, without a college degree, in the retail industry, a family of four lived comfortably though not luxuriously with some degree of financial security. Thirty five years later I find myself working for the ultimate big-box entity and barely able to support a very frugal lifestyle, with no real benefits, and no security (staffing is already squeezed to the minimums handed down from Corporate policy makers, but further downsizing is always implied).
On a side note; consider the next time you're irritated at "poor service" in one of these stores that the department which should have 8 full time employees is probably being handled by 6 people, all working at more than 'minimum wage' but less than a real 'living wage'. In fact the frustrated, detached attitude of the employees may very well be a result of constant worry over how to pay $1,000 dollar worth of bills on $800, or they're exhausted from having to work two jobs just to meet living expenses. Don't expect $12 an hour service from someone making less than $8 an hour.
Each subject I researched in my quest to figure out "What the heck happened?", led me to another subject. Each discovery of how far the rot in our society had spread made me angrier and more determined to do something... even if only to rant and rail against the untenable situation that most Americans now find themselves in. I refuse to crawl back into the bed of sweet dreams we've been conned into accepting over the last quarter of a century.
In the posts I intend to put here in the future I'll touch on many subjects but they all have the same motivating seed at the core. The seed is that we have lost our way and our sense of empowerment, by blindly accepting what the media, the government, and the corporatocracy pushes at us as reality. We the People are the force that powers this society, but we've been intentionally distracted and lied to in order to support a comfortable status quo for the small sector at the top.
Who would do such a thing to a society based on a political system intentionally created to keep power out of the hands of an elite? Follow the money. Our nation, America, is being subverted and steered by a small group of people who firmly believe that they have a God-given right to control the government and the people, simply because they have amassed the biggest piles of money (while totally ignoring the fact that without the labor force they'd be unable to increase or even sustain their wealth). The trends are alarming, even horrifying when followed to their logical ends.
Wealth Inequality in 21st Century Threatens Economy and Democracy
What caused the re-awakening of my political and social consciousness? Like most people trapped in the fantasy of the American Way of Life it took having the comfy bed of my life yanked out from under me. After years of working in the technical support field, which I found both challenging and rewarding, I was replaced by offshore workers. In fact part of my duties in the last six months involved helping train them. I can't fault them for the decisions made at the corporate level, based entirely on the (short-sighted) principles of Cost Effectiveness and Enhanced Profitability. I found offshore workers spoke reasonably good English, were polite to a fault, eager to adapt new methods, and for the most part technically clueless (and absolutely terrified of losing their $3/hr job).
As I and my fellow employees started looking for new jobs we discovered that the bulk of our industry was already based offshore. This was my wakeup call, and the start of my re-awakening of how far my own country had devolved. I looked back over my own history in the labor force and was surprised when reviewing it. When I entered the work force full-time it was in a job paying roughly $.50 over minimum wage, with retirement and health benefits. On that single wage, without a college degree, in the retail industry, a family of four lived comfortably though not luxuriously with some degree of financial security. Thirty five years later I find myself working for the ultimate big-box entity and barely able to support a very frugal lifestyle, with no real benefits, and no security (staffing is already squeezed to the minimums handed down from Corporate policy makers, but further downsizing is always implied).
On a side note; consider the next time you're irritated at "poor service" in one of these stores that the department which should have 8 full time employees is probably being handled by 6 people, all working at more than 'minimum wage' but less than a real 'living wage'. In fact the frustrated, detached attitude of the employees may very well be a result of constant worry over how to pay $1,000 dollar worth of bills on $800, or they're exhausted from having to work two jobs just to meet living expenses. Don't expect $12 an hour service from someone making less than $8 an hour.
Each subject I researched in my quest to figure out "What the heck happened?", led me to another subject. Each discovery of how far the rot in our society had spread made me angrier and more determined to do something... even if only to rant and rail against the untenable situation that most Americans now find themselves in. I refuse to crawl back into the bed of sweet dreams we've been conned into accepting over the last quarter of a century.
In the posts I intend to put here in the future I'll touch on many subjects but they all have the same motivating seed at the core. The seed is that we have lost our way and our sense of empowerment, by blindly accepting what the media, the government, and the corporatocracy pushes at us as reality. We the People are the force that powers this society, but we've been intentionally distracted and lied to in order to support a comfortable status quo for the small sector at the top.
Who would do such a thing to a society based on a political system intentionally created to keep power out of the hands of an elite? Follow the money. Our nation, America, is being subverted and steered by a small group of people who firmly believe that they have a God-given right to control the government and the people, simply because they have amassed the biggest piles of money (while totally ignoring the fact that without the labor force they'd be unable to increase or even sustain their wealth). The trends are alarming, even horrifying when followed to their logical ends.
Wealth Inequality in 21st Century Threatens Economy and Democracy
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