Are Our Politicians Forcing a Revolution?

The only numbers that seem to matter to politicians are the corporate contributions for their endless election campaigns and the amount of salary those institutions will pay them when they pass back through the revolving door into private sector political careers such as lobbying, running PACs and Super-PACs; or using their political influence on behalf of corporate Boards of Directors that give them a seat in return. This is true of all politicians, regardless of party affiliation.

Even poll numbers that give voice to the desires and demands of the people seem to be ignored, or spun to support existing agendas, in favor of the dictates from corporations, financial institutions, and the other wealthy donors that make up the 1-2% that have been allowed to turn politicians into prostitutes by putting a dollar figure on democracy.

The public, regardless of their past traditional leanings, have become disgusted by the political process that no longer offers them empowerment, but is the mechanism of their disenfranchisement. Ordinary citizens, once pleasantly complacent and ambivalent to the antics of politicians, have become engaged, and subsequently enraged. The advent of social media has yet to be adequately factored into the equation when politicians decide to implement their disingenuous schemes.

The days of 4 channel television, with a single narrative, are gone. Well, they’re not really gone, the main stream networks, and a few of the cable ones as well, are still loyal to either party, or the establishment, depending on the needs of their corporate owners. However, the explosion of independent media has lifted the curtain, and turned on the lights, exposing the truth behind the illusion.

The inept and destructive game that has been played with the wealth of the nations of this world, for the profit of a few, has activated, and ‘radicalized,’ the citizens of the world. The decimation of our environment, as well as entire cultures unfortunate enough to live in areas of natural bounty, has been exposed, and is no longer tolerable. What seemed to be an initial polarization of the populace into competing camps, or parties, is shaping up to be a battle of both ends against the middle.

The supposed polar opposites on the political spectrum are beginning to realize that, despite their differences, they have much more in common than they do with the establishment. While people may differ on how to achieve their ends, the ends themselves are something they can usually agree on. Individual liberty, justice, equality, freedom, sustainable prosperity, and responsible, representative government are goals that unite us. The definitions of these things may differ, and prescriptions for their achievement may vary, but it is becoming widely accepted that we can work these out much better once we are all emancipated from corporate and plutocratic rule.

Both the Democrat and Republican parties, in America are in the middle of a charade that will end with the only winners being their personal bank accounts, their political war-chests, and their financial elite benefactors. Regardless of how the debt ceiling debate turns out, the result will be little different than health care reform. The only ones that will be hurt are the most vulnerable, and the working class as a whole, and the big winners will be the corporations and the politicians. People are no longer willing to be sucked in.

Conservatives and liberals alike, from anarchists to libertarians, are beginning to understand their common cause. We’ve been tricked into a polarized debate filled with distractions and wedge issues while the constitution has been subverted by corruption that has permeated every level of government, including the judiciary.

Wars are being fought that no one wants, or needs. Energy policies are being pursued that are slowly poisoning our planet and all of us that live on it. The wealthiest among us are experiencing the largest growth to their fortunes in history while more of us are homeless, starving, and lacking even basic medical care. Women’s reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, and public funding of social programs are looking like a cinch to solve in comparison.

The need for our collective emancipation from predatory capitalism, and the reinstitution of government by, of, and for the people, is the new rallying cry. The realization that even though our ideologies may be polarized, our fundamental needs and desires are not, is bringing together a community of singular purpose.

If we want to get over our enslavement to this current unsustainable and exploitative system, we must get over ourselves first. We need to stop getting drawn into the distractions. We need to stop wasting our energies on squabbles and small battles, and start focusing on the war that is being waged against us.

October2011.org #Oct6