We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Global Capitalism & U.S. Militarism

from Free the Land. The author gives an African-American perspective on capitalism and militarism.
...the Obama administration has continued the militaristic policies of the Bush administration by swelling the number of special operations troops in 75 countries compared to 60 at the beginning of last year. This illustrates that Black faces in high places (neocolonialism) doesn’t necessarily mean a change in policy.
Very true. Even more, I think it means that the ruling class is very adept at manipulating the minds of ordinary people. Putting Obama in the lead role of the governing drama has fooled so many people, defused opposition to the wars and the loss of jobs, the robbing of pensions, public services cutbacks, bailing out the banks, and the many other Empire policies.

The ruling class turned racism on its head by giving us a Black face, and by doing so demonstrate that they are far less racist than we generally are. They knew that "blackness" may only be skin deep. They knew after vetting Obama that he was thoroughly indoctrinated in the values of the ruling class. And, why not? He was mostly raised by a successful white banker-grandmother and further indoctrinated at the elite's favorite school, Harvard.

The same applies to women candidates. The Democrats also offered us Hillary Clinton in the last election. The Republicans seem to be grooming Sara Palin. Unless ordinary people wise up to these games, stop confusing image with substance, we are all doomed. Capitalists have refined the art of "the management of consent" through their vast experience with peddling many useless products onto working people via advertising.