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

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Trump's Worse Than Bush and Obama Because You Think He Isn't

Click here to access article by Tony Cartalucci from Land Destroyer Report

The title of this article may be a bit confusing while so many young people have taken to the streets to protest Trump's election to the presidency. Cartalucci is focused on international affairs (probably because he lives in Thailand) and many Americans believe that Trump will be more accommodating with Russia and China than his predecessors, that the US's foreign policies will be less aggressive in interfering in other countries affairs, and that that he will bring back all the US corporations in foreign lands to offer jobs to Americans to rebuild America--like he said in some of his campaign appearances. That is the "you" in the title. Even astute observers such as Bernhard of Moon of Alabama have been duped--read his piece entitled "Nusra On The Run - Trump Induces First Major Policy Change On Syria".

Once again, class, repeat after me: "If elections could change anything, they would be illegal". And don't believe everything that your TeeeVeee, school teachers, text books, movies, and the other brainwashed authority figures and sources tell you about political reality. In fact, be skeptical about everything you've been told. The show election that you have just experienced is another prop our masters in the capitalist ruling class use to create the illusion that "we the people" decide who our representatives will be in the government, and that they will promote our interests. Haven't you ever noticed that you are always given only two choices? But the secret is that the two are always approved by our masters. Please, let go of these childish illusions much like you stopped believing in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus long ago.

We know that Hillary Clinton would have continued to represent the ruling class's imperialist and neoliberal policies, because we know that she has already done so. But many of us believe that Trump will pursue more peaceful, collaborative, less aggressive foreign policies, more nationalist policies...merely because he said so during the political circus campaign. Trump was permitted to win because he very likely made a deal with our ruling class masters, or he will be forced to make one very soon. My god, students, grow up! 

People that are allowed into the government serve masters in the deep state who own all the major resources of our country, own the places where we work, issue our money, own the banks that lend this money to us, own all the media corporations which furnish us news and views about the world, and even own those corporations that entertain us. Likely your favorite sports team is owned by one of them. 

The major owners in this system, in order to perpetuate their power and tremendous advantages, have had to erect massive structures to insure that you don't see who really runs the show. They want you to believe that you run the show. Thus they have organized elaborate elections and massive campaigns in which their carefully selected candidates make all kinds of extravagant promises to you. But haven't you noticed that once these people get into office that nothing really changes much? Yes, I acknowledge that some things change such as greater tolerance and opportunities have been extended to minorities and women, that they will now permit you to smoke pot in some states, that you can sexually play with and marry people of your own gender, and that some cross-gender people can use any bathroom they want. But such concessions don't really cost our masters anything, and I very much doubt that Trump's administration will significantly interfere with any of these changes.

Trump, even with all of his riches, must also obey these capitalist masters because they are very powerful. If he doesn't, he knows very well that he would be removed from office one way or another. The Kennedys failed to follow orders and they were both assassinated. So, at the present time we don't precisely know what our masters have in store for us, but what is certain is that very little will actually change. Cartalucci thinks that they are preparing us for even more aggressive foreign policies. But this is the direction we've already been heading in--or haven't you noticed? 

Only you can bring about change, but you must be aware of political realities and organized with others to bring about a change of system--not merely reforms to the existing one! Your ancestors in this country brought about some of the latter changes by being organized. Otherwise we would still have literal slave labor (but could prison labor be the same thing?), women would not be allowed to vote, you would be working 12 hour days (maybe you are if you are one of those who hold more than one job to survive), children except those with rich parents would be forced to work (but isn't this already happening in higher education which is likely essential to survive in reasonable security?), those without property and minorities would not be allowed to vote, etc. But notice that with all these gains, we still have poverty, extreme inequality, wars, a massive prison population, a growing "security state", etc. 

The moral of this reality story is that we, the people, can't really substantially change anything until we destroy the system that permits a tiny group of people to own and control the economy, the essential sector of any society. And, we can't begin to do that until we free ourselves of all the illusions and deceptions that are masters in this capitalist class feed us.