There are almost ZERO genuine "conservatives" in the present-day USA

The title is one of my hypotheses.  It's based on long experience as an ardent conservative back in the 1960's, and on my continuing interest in all major political and economic philosophies up through today.  From Edmund Burke to Russell Kirk to William F. Buckley, Jr. and beyond, I'm well-versed in the personalities & principles of conservatism.  I haven't been a conservative for decades, but remember it all.  Some people have said, "But conservatism has changed since back then.".  No, and here's why:  the bedrock principles of a philosophy do not change.  The "change" is as follows:  conservatism has been displaced & co-opted by neoconservatism and neoliberalism (there's not a lot of difference between the two), and they have principles totally different from those of conservatism.

The term, "conservative" or "conservatism" once stood for honor, duty, conservation of high values, integrity, truth, acting in a civil manner, and minding your own business.  That's why the co-opters of the Conservative Movement retained the label rather than owning up to their real identity.  They wanted the (mostly) good reputation of being a conservative.

Russell Kirk (R.I.P.) is well known as the Father of American Conservatism.  His iconic book, The Conservative Mind" (1953), had seven editions with total sales over one million copies.  I doubt there are even ten so-called conservatives today (under the age of 50 of so) who know much of anything about him, or about the principles he espoused.

 From Kirk:

"When every person claims to be a power unto himself, then society falls into anarchy. Anarchy never lasts long, being intolerable for everyone, and contrary to the ineluctable fact that some persons are more strong and more clever than their neighbors. To anarchy there succeeds tyranny or oligarchy [emphasis added], in which power is monopolized by a very few."

~  The Russell Kirk Center

[Yes, I also had to look up the definition of "ineluctable".  It's an adjective meaning:  unable to be avoided or resisted, inescapable.  Kirk was an intellectual of the highest order, hence the fancy language.  He laid the philosophical underpinnings for American Conservatism, and did so almost singlehandedly.]

Kirk on civil society and change:

"Conservatives are champions of custom, convention, and continuity [as in the peaceful transition of power] because they prefer the devil they know to the devil they don't know... necessary change, conservatives argue, ought to be gradual and discriminatory, never unfixing old interests at once."

From---

https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2021/07/ten-conservative-principles-russell-kirk.html

No time to go through all ten principles from the link immediately above.  Just from the quotes cited so far, it should be obvious that Trump & Crew (and many others who claim to be Right-Wing) are not conservatives at all.  Some of them think they are, but that's only because they are completely unfamiliar with the founding principles of American Conservatism.  For example, such principles do not support threatening violence to election officials, or to those of us who are exercising the freedom to wear a pandemic mask, or those who believe a woman should have control over her own body, or those who believe human rights violations by Saudi Arabia, or Israel, or any other country disqualify them from being our ally.  Such principles do not support initiating violence or "first strikes" of any kind.  They do not support egregious lying or fraud, nor do they support wanton destruction of Nature in the name of capitalism.

True conservatives conserve good things rather than destroy or damage them for little or no reason.

So, what's my point here?  To those few of you who still are genuine conservatives, I suggest the following.  Politically and philosophically, get as far away as possible from the unprincipled, unethical, uncivil, phony "conservatives" who have co-opted the Conservative Movement.  Their ideology is much closer to fascism than it is to conservatism.  In the long run, History will judge them as either fascists or precursors to such.

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Not only my opinion.   Be Well

Sustainability: Start at the Village/Town/City/COUNTY Level

https://steadystate.org/resisting-the-temptation-of-growth-at-the-county-level/  

and -

https://transitionnetwork.org/

Homo sapiens has been working on sustainability for planet Earth for at least thirty years or so.  Despite some progress (especially in Europe), we aren't close enough to where we should be.  National politicians all around the world seem to get side-tracked by neoliberal influences, which also inundate Main Street with "unlimited growth" propaganda.  So - often there's lots of hopeful talk at the national level, but action mostly becomes limited to kicking the can down the road.

The political Right here (in the USA) was co-opted decades ago, first by neocons, then by neolibs... and most of them on Main Street appear to be completely unaware of the coup.  They seem to think they're still in the "Conservative Movement".  That movement, started by Russell Kirk in the 1950's, is long dead.  The so-called conservatives of today are supporting an ideology which would be anathema to the original modern-day conservatives of the Kirk Era.  That ideology they're supporting is corporatist-globalist-neoliberalism, and it doesn't want to conserve much of anything, except for maybe Plutocratic Rule.  It's against Small Biz, anything rural, anything natural, and is working to utterly destroy Nature by  favoring infinite growth at any cost to our finite habitat.  Its goal is to have the entire world run by Big Biz Elites.  Forget family farms, the mom-and-pop corner store, and any kind of level playing field in the business-financial-economic-labor arena.  In general, neoliberals and the Super-Rich are against all of that.  

The kicker is this:  they finance most national political election campaigns.  That's why, in the USA, we've seen little progress toward sustainability over the past few decades.

The two links above show ways to get things rolling.  [Again, you have to copy and paste; the links are inactive.  As a Low-Tech or No-Tech person, I have no clue as to how to make them active.  Nor do I have the time to find out how.  I'm guessing Blogger makes them inactive in order to discourage people from leaving blogspot.  In my opinion, that's not a good idea.]

If I recall correctly, the Transition Movement (the 2nd link) started in the UK.  It is spreading to countries around the world.  Kudos!  From the ground up is the way to start, rather than from the top down.  The top won't budge much at all until the bottom level starts a groundswell.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

ADDENDUM to "The Coup is Almost Complete"

My friend replied to essentially the post immediately previous to this one (which was an email to him).  In his reply, he pointed out that decades ago the major Parties had an inversion.  They flipped certain beliefs & principles.  The Repubs (in general) went from being anti-slavery to often being basically racist & against the poor today.  The Dems (in general) went from essentially supporting slavery & the Uncle Tom era (some Dems were high up in the KKK) to being anti-racist and supportive of poor people.  He ended by saying he knew what I was talking about in my first reply, but he was referring to the GOP now--- basically a mob-like crime family [at the highest levels], and that America was rotten to its core [again, at the highest levels]...due to unregulated capitalism.  "Sad."
My reply is below.
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Agreed, but the Dems did more than just get rid of racism in their ranks.  The Establishment Dems eventually became Neoliberals, with very little difference between them & NeoCons when it comes to war, the economy, fiscal policy, monetary policy, foreign policy, the Financial Sector, Crony Capitalism, the broken Fed Justice System, the favoring of aristocrats, the War on Drugs, etc.  In other words, the Establishment Dems became Corporatists.  The Corporate Media refer to them as "Moderate Democrats".  They aren't.

 

In reality, there are no Dems, Repubs, Liberals, or Conservatives anymore.  They've been replaced by Neoliberals & NeoCons.  The old terms are used as propaganda by the Corporate Media & the Parties to keep people stuck in the past and to keep them believing that the old values & groups of 60 yrs ago still are in the game.  They aren't, they're gone.  They've been replaced by the Neo- groups...all Corporatists.

Only Libertarians and Progressives have remained in place & true to their original characteristics...and each has little to no power in national electoral politics.

Calling the Powers-That-Be either Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, or Conservatives is a huge mistake in my opinion.  Referring to a dog's tail as its fifth leg doesn't make it so.  The only people with any significant power in Office today are either NeoCons or Neoliberals.  They aren't anything like Repubs, Dems, Conservatives, or Liberals.  Saying they are misleads Main Street, and makes Main Street easier to manipulate.  Cognitive dissonance (& similar techniques), by way of Edward Bernays style propaganda--- that's how the Neo-groups have come to power/staged a Coup...by convincing people that they are the true-blue Parties of 60 or so years ago.  

Main Street believes it because literally everyone keeps calling them Repubs, Dems, etc.  They aren't.  [Or, they are in name only.]  It's all Orwellian, political Doublespeak ...& it worked like a charm.  It's not about Repubs & Dems (or Conservatives & Liberals) anymore; they don't exist nowadays.  [Even Chris Hedges has written & lectured about the "Death of the Liberal Class"; and the author of "The Conservative Mind", Russell Kirk, must be turning in his grave...given the people who are called "Conservatives" today.  The same with Robert A. Taft.]  Today, it's all about the Oligarchy & the rest of us.  Until every adult (or at least a vast majority) on Main Street realizes that, we are all shafted.  Sad, indeed.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Only Republicans and Democrats are on Main Street

They certainly aren't holding Office at the Fed level.  Of course, there are a few exceptions to that statement... very few.  Those exceptions all have been marginalized by the Plutocratic System.

The political "Right" and the "Left" on Main Street today are stuck in the Past.  Today's politicians at the highest levels are not Repubs, Dems, Conservatives, or Liberals.  Instead, they are Neoliberals/NeoConservatives/ Corporatists/Oligarchs/Plutocrats (or their puppets) who use those old labels to manipulate the public... to divide and conquer.  This is so obvious that it's sickening.  

The whole political scene here in the USA is a complete sham.  The purpose of it is to facilitate the greatest transfer of wealth (from most of us) to the Upper Crust in the history of Mankind.  And it's continuing under Trump...big-time.  None of it is a grand conspiracy.  Rather, it's people with common interests working sometimes together, but mostly independent of one another, to attain mutual/common goals.

I've been closely following American politics since 1956 (1956 is not a typo).  The pattern is clear:  Edward Bernays style Propaganda has been (& is being) used by those in Power to mold the public mind, to move all of us toward the goals of the Plutocrats.  The Powers-That-Be figured out many decades ago that, in a relatively Free society, brute force generally cannot be used to increase and guarantee their opulence.  Rather, that has to be done by means of ubiquitous Propaganda.

The above thoughts/statements are not original with me.  Over the decades, I've learned these ideas from many, many reputable people... all across the political spectrum.  All of them have been marginalized to a great degree by those in Power.  That has been accomplished by means of unrelenting Propaganda and Rules concocted by the Powers-That-Be... especially in the USA, but largely throughout the Western World as well.  Since 2007, I've given example after example on this venue of the use of Propaganda in this great Land.

Until we stop drinking the Bernays Style Propaganda Kool Aid supplied by the Plutocracy/Oligarchy (which adheres to neither Republican or Democratic philosophy), we have little to no chance of preventing the move to a NeoFeudalistic Society.  If we don't wake up, NeoFeudalism will reign supreme.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well 

The Largest Amount of Borrowed Money in Any Quarter in USA History

In the 1st Quarter of this year, the Fed borrowed $488 billion...the largest amount for any Quarter in our history.  The Treasury Secretary claims that the Bond Market is "robust", and can handle the borrowing.  In fact, that Market has peaked and is trending down.  It's starting to collapse.  Our Debt is a Bubble sitting on a pin. 

That amount of borrowing plus the Repub Tax Cuts plus other factors = a big rise in price inflation, probably within a year or so.  Mnuchin (Treas. Sec.) says it's good to have a little inflation..."We want wages to increase."  Better hope inflation doesn't exceed the increase in wages; and sorry, but most likely it will.  It's almost there already...only .5% away from the last wage increase numbers.

So much for fiscal responsibility.  Those in the Congress and the White House who claim to be "Conservatives"...aren't.  NeoConservatives are a horse of an entirely different color.

Try as they may, the Establishment (including Trump & Crew) cannot avoid the metrics of the overdue Economic/Financial Crash on the horizon.  According to a study by Deutsche Bank, countries that don't properly manage their Debt experience a huge increase in Financial shocks, shocks that can severely damage the economy.  That has been our path every 7-12 years since the 1973-1975 Recession.  You can thank the Fed, the Mega Bank Casino Capitalists, and most of our DC politicians.  It should be obvious that the bombastic Trump & Crew are not significantly changing anything for the better.  They aren't draining the swamp; they're draining the country of a decent future.  Take a look at USDebtClock.org ...not just the upper left corner, but the entire table/chart.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  Another reminder:  I'm not a Democrat or a Republican.

A Review of Some of the Craziness in the Authoritarian, Nonconstitutional USA

The craziness referred to in the title above covers a very broad range.  The text below displays only a few examples of some of it.  I'm calling the USA Gov't "nonconstitutional" (as opposed to unconstitutional) because for many years our leaders have ignored large parts of the Constitution.  It's as though the document doesn't even exist.  Here's some of the craziness, as follows.

1.  Our politicians appear to believe that this also is in the Fourth Amendment:  "...none of the provisions of this Amendment apply if there's a national crisis or any threat to national security...or if Congress passes any Law that contradicts any part of this Amendment...".  Of course, none of that is in the Fourth Amendment, but that fact seems to matter not at all.  Certain parts of the PATRIOT Act and a few other Laws are in direct conflict with the Fourth Amendment.  Crazy.

2.  Once a week (or so), the President meets with others in the Executive Branch to decide which people in other countries are to be murdered with Hellfire missiles from weaponized drones.  Anyone so killed is automatically designated as an EKIA---enemy killed in action.  It doesn't matter if the person is Joe Suspect's grandmother ("collateral" damage) or Joe's ten-year-old son (more "collateral" damage).  They are all EKIA as far as our Gov't is concerned.  This all happens despite the fact that the Executive Branch has no Constitutional authority whatsoever to issue assassination orders.  That authority belongs only to Congress.  The only exception to that is during a war officially declared by Congress.  [We haven't had one of those since WW II.]  Crazy.

3.  According to a portion of the National Defense Authorization Act, our rights to "due process" and "innocent until proven guilty in a Court of Law" are negated if we are suspected of any kind of "terrorism".  [You would be surprised how little it takes to be a suspect in such a case.]  Crazy.

4.  Too many of our militarized Law Enforcement people now do not treat suspects properly.  Instead of innocent until proven guilty, suspects are demeaned, lied to, denied access to rest rooms, or much worse--- sexually abused, shot in the back, beaten or TASED after being handcuffed, or flat-out killed.  No, that isn't rampant in our society, but it's happening way too often.  Here's what's much more common:  nonviolent protesters are pepper-sprayed in the face with no warning, no "order to disperse"...or sometimes their eyelids are held open by one or two officers while another one sprays directly into their eyes... all of this while peacefully exercising their Right to Assembly.  Crazy.

5.  While it isn't yet widespread, small drones have been used by Law Enforcement in lieu of a proper Search Warrant...another violation of our rights supposedly protected by the Fourth Amendment.  Crazy.

6.  Our Executive Branch now bombs other countries, puts combat troops into action in other countries, and in Syria shoots down one of their aircraft...all with no approval of Congress, no involvement of Congress at all, and certainly no declaration of war.  Crazy.

7.  As reported on Democracy Now, since March of this year, U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq have killed about 700 civilians.  All this in a completely unconstitutional war.  Crazy.

8.  Our Military gurus want to send another 5,000 or so ground troops to Afghanistan...to a war with no end in sight...in a land deservedly known as the Graveyard of Empires.  Trump essentially said to Mattis:  go for it.  All ISIS (or the Taliban) has to do is fade back into the woodwork until we leave.  Trump wants to fulfill a campaign promise that's impossible:  "We will exterminate ISIS.".  The Russians couldn't do something similar with 500,000 troops there.  Crazy.
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To any of you reading this who believe you are genuine "Conservatives" (not NeoCons), where is your outrage?  Our country is being destroyed by Militarists, Authoritarians, Corporatists, and Empire thugs...and you appear to be supporting the whole shebang.  Please stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid.  What will it take for you to wake up?  To those of you who believe you are genuine "Progressives", what are you doing in the Democratic Party?  Ever since 1992, that Party is firmly in the Land of Corporatism.  Please wake up.  We need organized, opposing political forces in this country so a Middle Way can be determined...instead of the Corporatist Dem v. Repub sham that we have now.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Farcical Kabuki Theater Election Campaigns Continue

NOTE:  number 3 below was edited on 7-31-16.

1.  It's all about the individual personal traits of the candidates.  There has been close to nothing said about the ISSUES, especially not anything with any semblance of depth.

2.  Trump continues to speak as though he's purposely throwing the election...about hacking Clinton's emails, and wanting to "hit" speakers at the Dem Convention, etc., etc.  The Don is not Presidential.

3.  Clinton continues to say whatever the Main Street Dems want to hear...even though her record is almost totally the opposite of what she is saying.  Hillary is a Neoliberal Corporatist and a Perpetual War Hawk... ask the following people what they think about that statement:  Chris Hedges, John Pilger, Jeremy Scahill, Cornel West, Michael Hudson, Steve Keen, John Perkins, Glenn Greenwald, Julian Assange, Eddie Glaude, Jill Stein, and many others.  They all agree.

4.  As far as can be seen by an examination of a wide variety of news sources, about two million votes STILL have not been counted in the California Primary Election a short while ago.  Clinton "won" over Sanders by 440,000 votes or so.  Well...maybe.  We don't know that for certain.

5.  The Repub Hierarchy continues to ignore (some with disdain) their Party's candidate.  Again, this is highly suggestive of throwing the election.

6.  Kaine has the gall to reference his experiences in Honduras (1980-1981) and what it was like to witness life in a dictatorship, but fails to mention that the dictatorship was installed and supported by the U.S. Gov't.  He says all this on the heels of Clinton supporting a different, 2009 (I think that was the year) military coup and dictatorship in Honduras.  That country keeps getting SSDD from our Gov't, including from former Secretary of State, Clinton.

7.  Some Main Street Repubs (maybe 20% of registered voters), many who are so-called "Conservatives" (which nowadays means NeoCons or Neoliberals), continue to support a guy who is neither Republican or Conservative.  Furthermore, Trump shows little knowledge of or respect for the U.S. Constitution.  [In that respect, he's exactly like most high-level, national, "Establishment" politicians.]

8.  At the Dem Convention, Obama claimed that Hillary was the most qualified candidate for President, man or woman, in our history.  Please, Mr. President...you can't possibly be serious.  Your statement bespeaks a lack of knowledge concerning the history of this Land...or, a deal you made with Clinton back when...or, who knows what.
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Politics in the two major Parties (which really are only one Party) is nothing but the illusion of choice and a distraction from the truly significant issues affecting our country.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well 
 

Trump, the Judge, La Raza, and the Presidency

Again, I emphasize that I'm not a supporter of Clinton, Sanders, or Trump.

Below is a copy of my response to an email from a dear friend; embedded in her email was an article about Trump, Judge Curiel, and the militant protest group, La Raza.  Apparently the Judge has some tenuous association with La Raza...although, that's not quite clear at all.
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Here's what I think:  Trump's comment about the Judge was NOT racist.  Given the Don's stupid remarks about Mexicans, that comment about the Judge was common sense...something Trump rarely ever displays.  Although, he should have said,  "The Judge MIGHT be biased..."; he did say that about a hypothetical Muslim Judge, but I'm pretty sure he made it definite with the other guy.

RE:  La Raza wants "U.S. land ceded to Mexico".  True, but that's because IT WAS MEXICAN LAND decades before the U.S. Gov't stole it from Mexico in the mid-1800's.  Before it was Mexico's, it belonged to Spain.  [Of course, none of this considers the original holders of the land, the American Indians.]  The U.S. Gov't is a latecomer in this line of theft.  So your attached article would be more accurate if it read, "La Raza wants U.S. land ceded BACK to Mexico."  I'm not saying that should be done, but that's why La Raza is "racist" (according to the article) & wants the entire SW back in the hands of Mexico.  We took HALF their country in 1848...half.  So, why would anyone be puzzled over the fact that some Mexican militants want it back?!

The whole Judge thing demonstrates one reason why Trump should never be President.  Almost no one gives a damn about the Trump University issue, or the Judge, or anything about the case.  But Trump keeps harping on it.  The Media didn't bring it up first...he did.  He has little sense of what's important & what's not.

What's even worse, you rarely ever know if he's telling the truth (or what he really believes) or not.  For example, one day he said,  "Wages here are too high; we need to lower wages in this country."...the next day (probably after his campaign manager told him that was a stupid thing to say), he said, "No, we don't need to lower wages in this country."...so, who knows what he believes.

It's sad to me to see so-called "Conservatives" flocking to someone like Trump.  They should have flocked to Rand Paul, but you see, Paul believes in national defense... not national aggression overseas.  Many "Conservatives" are so propagandized nowadays they actually believe that we have to attack everyone FIRST.  That's called naked aggression.  Every dictatorship in history that has done it had the same excuse:  "We're defending our Homeland.".

Donald Trump appears to be purposely saying everything he can think of to guarantee his defeat in November.  His fans think that will get him elected...that's because they believe their numbers are much greater than what they really are:  about 20% of eligible voters.  The Don fans also believe that Independents will join their ranks in massive numbers.  Given Trump's stupid/naive/ridiculous comments on many different topics, they won't.  If they don't like Clinton (& they shouldn't), they simply won't vote...or they'll vote for a 3rd Party.

It truly would be a miracle if Trump were to win in November.  He has about one chance in a trillion.  His supporters don't appear to get it:  who gets elected at the national level is not determined anymore by voting... not really.  [Most on the Left don't get that, either.]  There are about a dozen ways that the State-Corporate-Financial Complex can derail the will of the People nowadays...at least a dozen.  Barring unforeseen circumstances, the multi-millionaire Corporatist Clinton will win the November election.  That's pretty much guaranteed.  [The Democratic Party now consists of people (at the highest levels) who in the past would have been called Moderate (or even "Neoliberal") Republicans.  Despite Propaganda to the contrary from some quarters, the political hierarchy in the USA---ever since the early 1990's---has moved way over to the Right on the old, now essentially meaningless political spectrum.]

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well 

The Sorry State of USA Politics

Consider the following brief points.

1.  The electorate (in both major Parties) are fed up with politics as usual... the Establishment Game, the Rigged Game.  That's a good thing.  But, the "popularity" of Trump is one result of that... seriously?  Donald Trump IS the Establishment.  To those of you on the political Right--- he's not a Conservative in any sense of the word; he's not even a sincere Republican.  He's a Corporatist.  Corporatists are beyond the old, anachronistic political labels.  Trump is so ignorant of Ethics & Morality that he would "bring back water-boarding, and a helluva lot worse".  [Water-boarding is not just getting someone's face wet; it's suffocation to the point just shy (hopefully) of death.  Too many believe that's not torture.]

2.  The millionaire Ted Cruz, also a Corporatist, sounds like a smooth-talking used car salesman.  He oozes insincerity and phoniness.  He also is not any kind of Conservative.  Like Trump, Cruz IS the Establishment.

3.  Jeb Bush left his service in Florida, became some sort of investment banker, and made millions.  As a politician, he's simply tiresome.  Like his brother Dubya, he's a believer in the NON-Conservative concept of preemptive war... which, by the way, is a violation of Ethics, Morality, and International Law.  Jeb is so desperate that he recently tweeted a photo of a handgun with his name on it... talk about pandering.

4.  I'll say this for Marco Rubio:  he's the only leading candidate who essentially & comparatively is financially broke.  Unfortunately, he's one of many who (from time to time) wears his religion on his sleeve... thus pandering to a certain segment of the Right.  Plus, like several others, he has many foreign policy beliefs that are decidedly NON-Conservative.  [Except for Rand Paul, no longer in the race, the Repub candidates all sound like warmongers... just like Obama, the Absolute King of the Drone Wars.]

5.  Hillary Clinton is a Corporatist posing as a Populist.  She sounds like a really slick, smooth-talking used car salesman... just as does her husband.

6.  Bernie Sanders appears to be genuine, but with politicians, one never knows until it's too late.  In my view, he should have run as an Independent.  He doesn't represent the Corporatist Democrat Party, and should he not get the nomination, he's done.  That would not be the case as an Independent.

7.  The debates this election season are pretty much asinine...completely ridiculous.  From the beginning to the present, debate moderators (most likely at the direction of someone else) obviously focus on certain candidates to the virtual exclusion of others.  Questions should be posed, and then EVERY candidate should be given equal time to respond.  We've seen very, very little of that.

8.  Something fishy is going on with the Democrats... that is, fishier than with the Repubs.  First, the Dems haven't had nearly enough debates; it's almost as though the Party purposely is avoiding debates.  Second, the number of debaters was reduced to three in nothing flat.  What the hell was that?

9.  The Repub debates have devolved to the point of resembling a bunch of spoiled, squabbling, name-calling children at some bizarre gathering.  Not enough discussion of genuine ISSUES, and way too much concentration on social Hot-Button issues... that is, when the candidates are not engaged in personal attacks.  It's almost as if the Party wants to guarantee that Repubs will lose in November.  Immature.

10.  Do a bit of research on unelected superdelegates relative to the nomination process.  They are Party Elites who have unwarranted power.  In NH, for example, Sanders more or less trounced Clinton... but the nomination delegates were split evenly between the two candidates.  That was reported by the Corporate Media, but they didn't explain why the split was even.  It was because the superdelegates favored the Corporatist, Clinton.  Decidedly UNDemocratic... in the Democrat Party.  What a farce.  Superdelegates are one way that the Establishment controls elections... the People be damned.
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As stated several times in the past, I'm not a Repub or a Dem... haven't been for years.  Many moons ago, however, I was a Conservative.  In 1964, I was President of the Colorado State U. Chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF)... worked my butt off for Barry Goldwater's election.  At that time, YAF was the most Conservative organization in America... much more so than the Young Republicans.  I mention this now because in this Blog (for 9 yrs) I've often commented on "Conservatives" and/or "Conservatism"... as in this article.  I consider myself well-versed in the subject.  It's important for people to realize that the high-level, so-called Conservatives of today are not any such thing.  Conservatism was replaced by NeoConservatism, which was replaced by Neoliberalism.  The use of the term, Conservatism, is now a Propaganda ploy.  I would venture to guess that less than 10% of today's high-level, so-called "Conservatives" have read the bible of modern-day Conservatism, The Conservative Mind, by Russell Kirk.  Should Repubs or others ever do so, they will discover that most of the policies supported by the likes of Trump, Cruz, all the Bush Boys, Rubio, Fiorina, etc. are not Conservative in the slightest.  Ron and Rand Paul are the closest thing to genuine Conservatism nowadays; how they are viewed by the so-called "Conservative" leadership of today demonstrates the disappearance of that political Movement.  Genuine Conservatism essentially is no more.  Don't believe the political hacks and pundits of today who refer to themselves as "Conservative"; they either don't know what they're talking about, or they are propagandizing you.

Be Well

What is Donald Trump?

Below is my response to a forwarded email I received from a dear friend.  That email discussed why Trump resonated with some "average" people.  Among many other things, it said that he was a big middle finger to the political and media Establishment.
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Trump certainly is a big middle finger to the political & media Establishment...maybe.  The problem is that most so-called "Conservatives" think that the Establishment is "Liberal" or even "Socialist".  Maybe years ago, but not now.  Now it's Corporatist...and Donald Trump is a Corporatist...through & through.  Just because he appears to be a rebel doesn't mean he is one.  Just because he now resonates with some common folk, doesn't mean he has their best interests at heart.  Examine his corporate record and see how he has treated common people.  It's easy to talk the talk.

Misunderstandings by so-called "Conservatives"---

1.  In 2008, a CORPORATIST was elected Pres., not a Marxist.  His record proves that.  Leftist Think Tanks are against him, self-admitted Socialists are against him, and most high-level Democrats (IF they aren't Corporatists, too) are against him... because they see his Corporatism.  For crying out loud, it's in plain sight.

2.  Trump is not a Populist either, he's a millionaire/billionaire Oligarch.  He will do all he can to enrich the Super-Rich, not help common people.  He would be a worse Pres. than Bush and Obama combined.  Both of them, because of their Corporatism, ruined our economy.  Bill Clinton (another Corporatist) paved the way.

3.  It isn't only Repubs or Conservatives who are fed up.  Everyone is fed up...with CORPORATISM, which is Soft Fascism, which is Neoliberalism... which is the Establishment for years & years now... at the very least, since 1992...some would say, since 1980.  [Some would say, ever since the early 1970's... or even earlier than that.]

4.  The old political labels are nothing but Propaganda nowadays.  Those on the "Right", and many or most on the "Left", just don't get that.  I find it all astounding.

It's in plain sight.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

What the Right and the Left Don't Seem to Understand

The Right Wing in American politics doesn't appear to understand that probably the majority of Americans are fed up to the gills with Corporatism, Financialization, and the de-industrialization of our country.  In addition, we're tired of all the squabbling over divisive, hot-button, social issues.  Finally, we're really tired of  people who say they stand for Freedom, but actually, it's only for the freedoms of which they approve.

The Left Wing doesn't appear to understand that, at the highest levels, almost all their major political players are Corporatist Neoliberals...pretty much the same as in the Right Wing.  This is why, at the highest levels in American politics, the old labels of the past essentially are meaningless.  [By "old labels", I mean all of the following:  Republican, Democrat, Right, Left, Conservative, NeoConservative, Liberal, and Progressive.]

All of the above is true because of Neoliberalism.  The Neoliberals here have staged a coup in our government at the national level.  It wasn't a grand conspiracy of any kind, and it took many years to be successful.  They did it mostly by sheer, dumb luck...and perseverance.  I suspect that many people are totally unaware of it.  Don't think for a moment I'm saying that I discovered it.  I became aware of it over decades by listening to or reading the works of people such as Noam Chomsky, Carroll Quigley, Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Paul Craig Roberts, David Stockman, Jeremy Scahill, Naomi Klein, Lori Wallach, Glenn Greenwald, David Rockefeller, and several others.

I'm aware that all of the above most likely is not accepted as true by many (perhaps most) Americans.  That's unfortunate because, believe it or not, the new political paradigm is the Oligarchy versus the rest of us.  The Oligarchy consists of Corporatist Neoliberals both in and out of government...with a revolving door between the two.  They believe in, support, and work for Globalization, "Free Trade" Agreements, Financialization, the de-industrialization of America, and Mega Corporations.  They have us on a steady and fast path to some form of NeoFeudalism--- with two economic classes:  the relatively poor and the super-rich.

At the street level, Right-Wingers seem to reject this thesis more than do the Left-Wingers.  At the highest level, I'm guessing all of them simply accept it, but don't talk about it much.  At that level, they all are aware that they belong to a special club, one to which street level people will never gain entrance.  I've heard (on news clips) a few CEOs refer to the rest of us as the "little people" or the "small people".  I've also heard prominent politicians (not knowing the microphone was still open) say that the "American people are just stupid".  Those anecdotes don't prove anything, but they do give a person pause to think.

This whole issue is not Right-Left, or Republican-Democrat, or Conservative-Progressive in nature.  It's devastatingly unfortunate that many or most Americans still are thinking in those terms.  That's how the Corporatists beat us:  Distract, Divide, & Conquer.  By the way, Corporatism is Fascism; every historian I've ever read on the subject agrees with that.

It is long past time that we heed the words of the billionaire, Warren Buffett:  "We are in a Class War in this country, and unfortunately, my Class is winning.".

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Whole Political Spectrum is Wrong RE the Constitution - WHY?

From Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution...(in the war- making clause)--- [The following is one of the duties of CONGRESS. Article I enumerates the responsibilities of both Houses of  Congress]--- "...make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water". Last I heard, the CIA, Military Intelligence, the President, or any part of the Pentagon are not members of Congress.  That means Guantanamo, CIA Black Sites,  "enhanced interrogation", etc. were/are all unconstitutional. [Most "Liberals", Democrats,  and Republicans appear to support all of what's below. What's remarkable is that  most so-called "Conservatives"  and "Libertarians" seem to be  the biggest supporters of  those items below.  One would  think they would be the greatest supporters of the Constitution,  the bedrock document of the Republic. Nope, no luck there.] Add the unconstitutionality described above to the fact that, thanks to the PATRIOT Act, FBI Agents now can write their own Search Warrants (no judge required), a clear violation of the 4th Amendment, and U.S. citizens (here, on our soil) now, thanks to the NDAA, can be held indefinitely without trial or  any kind of due process, a clear violation of the 5th Amendment, and several other  blatant violations of the Supreme Law of the Land, and it's plain that the  Republic of the USA exists in  name only. "Conservatives" and "Libertarians" are the most vociferous defenders of these VIOLATIONS of the Constitution. That's quite remarkable, and a testament  to how powerful the Oligarchical Propaganda has been in the last 15 yrs or so. [The two segments of the political spectrum at the beginning of this paragraph are in quotes because: 1. there are no more Conservatives in the USA to my knowledge... only NeoConservatives, a horse of an entirely different color; and 2. Libertarians here are not the original, traditional Libertarians of the past... again, a horse of an entirely different color.]  Not just my opinion.  Be Well p.s.  In talking about any and all members of the groups mentioned above, I'm referring  primarily to those individuals at the highest levels,  not those at street level.

The U.S. Gov't and the Middle East

Again, below is an email I sent to a "Conservative" (nowadays that means Neoconservative, a horse of a different color) friend of mine.

HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM RE: the U.S. Gov't and the Middle East---

From the article you sent, toward the end of it:

"But only a fool would believe weapons of mass destruction were the only reason for the war. The U.S.-led invasion, or liberation, was in fact part of a vision to remake the Middle East..."

Show me ANY portion of the Constitution (the Supreme Law of the Land) which delegates authority from We the People to the Fed Gov't to undertake any such task anywhere in the world.  Seriously.

That quote has the footprint of an unelected Oligarchy all over it.  Who appointed the U.S. Gov't to "remake the Middle East"?  No country has the legitimate right to remake any region.

Think about that; I don't see how any person could disagree, especially one who considers himself a Conservative.

The very concept of remaking a region such as the Middle East fits right in with Bush's apparent belief in some sort of Divine Right to "spread democracy" by force.  I'm sorry, but that's totally un-American.  It's blatant hegemony.  We have no such Right.  No government does.  Our motto should be Zero Aggression; self-defense only.

Be Well

What Happened to the Republic of the USA? Is It a Feudal Society?

Below is a recent email I sent to a "Conservative" friend of mine.  It directly relates to the title of this piece.

Hate to say it, but I fear that it may be too late, Bob... for education, the economy, sound money, politics, the whole ball of wax.  Free Market Capitalism has been almost totally replaced by Crony Capitalism (aka, what FDR & Mussolini said equals Fascism).  The State has now inserted itself into every phase of human affairs.  Whether you see it or not, Mega Business, along with their puppets/cronies of both political parties, are well on their way to transforming this country into a feudal society.

Voting is the opium of the masses in this land.  The Oligarchs don't much care who wins any election.  Most politicians are not beyond their control; the very few who are, easily can be marginalized & made impotent.  [Examples:  Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich]

The "Republic" portion of the USA already is gone, or 90% gone.  Individual Rights matter little anymore.  Voters keep voting in the same type of people (in both parties) who erode our individual sovereignty.  The reasons given for such erosion are swallowed whole by a completely propagandized public who apparently no longer have the ability to think critically.

This whole scenario is nothing new to History.  Persia, Athens, Rome, etc. all went the same way... oligarchical, imperial decay... caused by the super-rich, and allowed by bamboozled commoners.  The USA is doing pretty much the same thing those empires did--- taking away individual rights in the name of "security/defense", and over-reaching in terms of imperial control...thus bankrupting their economies and their reputations.  But while Middle Class incomes essentially stagnate, the super-rich increase their incomes by 700% in 10 years.  Welcome to 2014.

But the world will continue after the collapse.  The only question is, after the Fall of the Republic of the USA (sooner or later), will We the People finally have learned that politicians & the super-rich as a whole are not to be trusted?  Or will we again be propagandized into supporting another political arrangement that results in a feudal society and an empire-building, aggressive, and hegemonic government?

For the sake of your kids & my grandkids, my hope is that Americans will wake up to a few facts:

1.  the super-rich usually do not care who wins most elections... they control the winners, whoever they are;

2.  thus, "voting" will not solve our problems;

3.  public & private Institutions, for the most part, are not on our side... they mostly favor Oligarchs.

4.  both Republicans and Democrats (at the highest levels) almost constantly spew out propaganda favoring the super-rich;

5.  we are almost at the point of being a feudal society;

6.  American politics is a complete farce;

7.  for the most part, the Constitution has been abandoned;

8.  we are living in a soft Fascist State;

9.  the new political paradigm is the Oligarchy v. the rest of us;

10.  radical but peaceful action is required to regain our freedom and sovereignty;

11.  what the Oligarchy dreads is people organizing around just causes... and such organization is our best hope...not politics, not voting, not Republicans v. Democrats or Conservatives v. Liberals (those labels are completely outdated);

12.  the Corporate Media (Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, etc.) all are propaganda tools of the Oligarchs.  Ignore them.  The differences you think you see amongst them are phony.  It's all part of rigging the Game.  The super-rich long ago learned how important it is for them to control the "Press".  They've been doing it for decades and decades... and it's not a "conspiracy"; it's mostly in plain sight.  To them, it's just good business practice.

Be Well

The Third Iraq War for America, & the Constitution

Here we go again.  The first Iraq War was in the early '90s.  Just prior to that one, the Fed Gov't supplied weapons to Saddam for his war against Iran.  The second Iraq War started in 2003, I believe, and went on seemingly forever; however, it did eventually end (for the U.S.).  Now we're beginning the third Iraq War for America.  [For those who may not know, when one country drops bombs or shoots missiles from aircraft into another country, that's war.  Even if you're not bombing, say, the forces of Iraq, it's still war.]

My point here is this:  apparently I missed the preludes to those three wars---  the part where the U.S. Congress, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, issues a Declaration of War.  Some time ago, John McCain in response to a question from Congressman  Jesse Jackson Jr. on this very subject, essentially stated that such a Declaration of War was not necessary because the War Powers Act gave the President (with the approval of Congress) the authority to go to war at his discretion.  In his defense, McCain is not the only DC Crony who uses that reasoning.  What they all appear to be ignoring is that no law supercedes the Constitution.  That means, despite what McCain and others tell us, Congress must declare war before troops (or war planes, or war ships) are sent into battle against some enemy.  I challenge any politician (or anyone) to disprove that.

For decades now, the Fed Gov't has been ignoring the restraints of the Constitution whenever it suits politicians or their Mega Business Cronies.  They use Laws to justify their war actions; there is nary a peep about the requirements and restraints imposed on the Fed Gov't by the Supreme Law of the Land regarding war and the proper use of the military.  I find it exceptionally strange that the U.S. public appears to accept this scenario.  Perhaps that is due to propaganda, or disinterest, or poverty, or being super-rich, or being too busy, or feeling helpless, or something else.  Maybe people don't believe that the Constitution does require a Declaration of War; or perhaps they believe that Laws actually can alter the requirements stated in the Constitution.  It especially puzzles me that "Conservatives" (nowadays that means Neoconservatives) accept this travesty against Constitutional Gov't.

Perhaps we as a People have forgotten the primary purpose of the Constitution:  it is to restrain the Fed Gov't.  For that to work, the requirements of the document cannot be ignored.  Simple logic.

Be Well

Lies, the Elites, the Corporate Media, and Class War

Recently on Democracy Now!, Glenn Greenwald (a major player on a journalistic team that just won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service) characterized the Corporate Media in America as "impotent, neutered, and obsolete".  I agree; however, it's important to recognize that they were created to be that way.  Their major function, as mega corporations, is to distract the public and support the soft despotism (in America) and the fascist intervention (abroad) by the central government.  A long time ago, Walter Lippmann---the "Dean of American Journalism" and a so-called "Liberal"---stated that the American public consisted of people who were "meddlesome outsiders" (relative to gov't) and made up the "bewildered herd".  He also believed, along with Edward Bernays (the Father of Public Relations), that controlling the public mind was especially important in a democratic society, and that public "consent" must be "manufactured".

In 1975, Crisis in Democracy was published by the Trilateral Commission, an elite, "Liberal" think tank founded by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski.  The book-length report, which was authored by elite so-called "Liberals", stated the proposition that America had a huge problem, a crisis--- ordinary people were organizing (which is anathema to Oligarchies) and demanding a place at the political table.  These insurgents actually wanted to determine their own destinies...and the policies of their servant gov't.  According to the "Liberal" elite authors, the solution to the "crisis" was to somehow return what Lippmann called the "meddlesome outsiders" and "bewildered herd" to their proper state of apathy and obedience.  Thus began another cyclic push by the Oligarchy in general to manufacture or engineer the consent of the public to allow things to be run by the "smart" people, the Meritocracy.  The process continues right up to the present day.  [The so-called "Conservatives" operate in the same manner.]

We still live in a relatively free society here in the USA.  Because of that, the Oligarchy cannot resort to brute force (in most cases) in order to get us to tow the NeoImperialist, Corporatist line.  They wouldn't get away with it.  The method used by the State-Corporate Complex to gain our "consent" is Edward Bernays style Propaganda, which is instrumental in their strategy of Distract-Divide-Conquer.  [To any new visitors to this Blog--- none of this is a "conspiracy".  It's right out in the open, but one must pay attention in order to see it.]

The biggest threat to the Crony Capitalist, State-Corporate, State-Capitalist, Mega Corporate Oligarchy in America is not communists, or terrorists, or narco-kingpins, or any other boogie-man...the biggest threat is ordinary people organizing around a just cause.  None of us can do much individually to obtain and secure a fair and just society; but with solidarity in a group, much can be accomplished peacefully.  That's what the Oligarchy fears most.

Because of that fear, you will notice (if you're not totally distracted) that the Elites and their Institutions will either completely ignore or almost instantly attack, smear, or marginalize any group (or individual, for that matter) that proposes or supports any egalitarian issue or project.  Whistleblowers are criminalized, labor unions are crushed, environmental groups are ridiculed or marginalized, alternative media are ignored, workers protesting poverty-level wages are ignored or marginalized or fired, alternative energy proponents are ridiculed or ignored, health care reform advocates are deemed "socialists", constitutionalists are ignored, poor people in any organization protesting almost anything are deemed "unworthy", opponents of so-called "Globalization" (which really means mega corporate tyranny) are deemed "behind the times", and on & on.

Elite Propaganda in America comes from a diverse array of sources--- the highest levels of the Fed Gov't, "Conservative" groups, "Liberal" groups, the Corporate Media, various public Institutions, various private Institutions, think tanks, etc.  It usually originates at the very highest levels, but no matter the source, the message almost always amounts to some variation of this:  the State-Corporate Complex knows what is best for you and our country; you should leave it to us, no matter how unfair, unjust, or illegal it might seem.  We know best.  You should accept on its face anything we say.

The major offenders are those at the highest levels of the Fed Gov't (no matter which Party holds majority power) and those at the highest levels of the Corporate Media... a close third would be those elites in the large, private political organizations supporting "Conservatives" or "Liberals", Republicans or Democrats.  In fairness to the last group, I should say that maybe some of them promulgate propaganda without knowing that the Game is rigged.  The two major political parties in America mean virtually nothing anymore...they're strictly meant to serve as distractions from the mega corporate agenda.  Anyone with even half a political eye surely can see that they're merely two branches of the Mega Corporation Party.

Our Fed Gov't (and Mega Corporations) now, without probable cause or a proper warrant, spies on all of us.  Our Gov't now spies on our allies, and even individual Heads of State (e.g., Merkel in Germany) who are our allies.  In his new book, Nowhere to Hide, Glenn Greenwald reveals an NSA training document (from Snowden) which instructs gov't operatives basically to get it all, all the digital info it can from everyone...not just those suspected of terrorism.  After all, anyone in the world possibly could be a "terrorist".  These are not the actions of a moral, ethical, just Gov't.  Instead, this is Soft Fascism...or what de Tocqueville called Mild Despotism.  As long as the People are distracted, divided, and thus conquered, the Gov't gets away with it; no brute force is involved.  It's all unconstitutional.

Obama was at a WalMart the other day, praising that company in a speech.  WalMart, the biggest employer in the USA, and the biggest corporate destroyer of the American economy (not counting the mega banks)...and also, in terms of how its workers are treated, possibly the shabbiest employer in the country.  But that mega corporation fits right in with the Elites' view of how Globalization is good for everyone.  Republicans, Democrats, "Conservatives", "Liberals" (all at the highest levels) appear to take that as an axiom.  They all also appear to support the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, and "Free Trade" Agreements--- all of which are not favorable to poor people, or even to Middle Class people.  But the rich become the super-rich.

The lies promulgated by our Fed Gov't (again, no matter who is in power), the Corporate Media, and various public and private Institutions are so numerous and egregious as to boggle the mind.  Propaganda does work if it's repeated enough times.  Elites in supposedly democratic societies do rely extensively on propaganda to mold the public mind.  I do see the beginnings of an awakening to those axioms.

Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails 

The Biggest Lie

Let's begin with the premise that what I'm about to say is a generality.  There are always exceptions (usually minor) to any general truism; however, exceptions don't disprove the overall general statement... if the general statement is true.  This one is true.  We also need to accept the premise that this piece is an essay, not a scholarly research paper.  Even though I've done the research, you won't find footnotes and a bibliography; they're simply too time-consuming.  You may take my word for the accuracy of the info, or not.  In either case, you certainly can do your own research... and you'll come to the same conclusions.

So, what is the biggest lie currently being told by Oligarchs in the Fed Gov't of the USA, the Corporate Media, and the advertising depts of mega corporations (Goldman Sachs is probably the most egregious offender in that last category)???  It's not that we're in a legitimate, constitutional "war" with someone.  No, that's not it, but that was a close second.  It's not that the fairly recent bailout of health insurance companies, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, improved health CARE in the U.S.  Nope, that's not it.  It's not that "inflation" is low and unemployment is decreasing.  Although those all are lies, not one of them is the biggest lie.

The biggest lie (in my estimation) is that the U.S. economy is slowly improving.  You see, when Oligarchs talk about the "economy", they're NOT talking about manufacturing, or jobs that have worth, or the expansion of the shrinking Middle Class, or an increase in the quality of life for the average American (which would be a reversal of the current situation).  No, no, no.  What they're talking about is this:  the incomes of the super-rich are continuing to increase, and the whole process of Financialization is causing the GDP to grow...while manufacturing and decent jobs for the "little people" continue to shrink.  That's the reality of our "improving" economy.  Financialization does not produce anything except wealth for insiders.  It's paper creation and paper shuffling.  The idea began to take hold in the '70s, grew tremendously in the '80s and '90s (helped by deregulation of financial institutions), and exploded in terms of growth since the Millenium.  AT THE SAME TIME, wages stagnated, manufacturing and jobs were exported, the Middle Class decreased in size, and oligarchical propaganda increased exponentially.  It all continues today.

Along with "the biggest lie" is the associated lie/propaganda that the super-rich "create jobs".  In general, that's simply not true; perhaps it was decades ago, but no longer.  In this day & age, they ship manufacturing & jobs to Third World countries or China, they buy companies here and downsize them, and they merge companies and downsize them.  They take some of their money and invest in bizarre financial instruments (securitized bundles) that are shuffled around by insiders and result in no production and no jobs.  Worse, they've turned our economy (such as it is) into a giant casino.

All of the above has happened because of the fraudulent politics of both Republicans and Democrats at the highest levels.  None of it is a "conspiracy".  It's simply due to the common interests and objectives of the Oligarchs, their short-sightedness, and their greed.  To them, it's just good business.  Making it all possible has been the Edward Bernays style propaganda with which we've been bombarded for well over half a century.  There's no question whatsoever that it has been wildly successful.  Union busting, unconstitutional wars, deregulation (especially of financial institutions), so-called Free Trade agreements, our China Trade Policy, mega corporation lobbyists, Legislative Absolutism, Executive Absolutism (including Executive Orders), Judicial changing of the Constitution in place of Amendments, the Fed Reserve manipulating our currency, fractional reserve banking, the WTO, the IMF, etc., etc., ad nauseum all have contributed to not only the marginalizing of our system of gov't, but also to the ruination of our economy.

There is a better way, but first we must stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.  Oligarchs rule this country; that's an axiom, accept it.  More axioms:  Republicans v. Democrats or "Conservatives" v. "Liberals" is a farce; Oligarchs choose, groom, and finance probably 99% of national political candidates; Oligarchs usually don't care who wins an election...they basically own any winner...through various means; the State-Corporate Complex essentially castrates or otherwise marginalizes any politician who isn't on board with the Oligarchs; the Game is rigged...and not in your favor; voting doesn't matter at all...there is no "lesser evil" anymore; those at the highest level in the Fed Gov't lie almost every day; those at the highest level in mega corporations lie every day; the Middle Class continues to shrink; we're rapidly moving to an economic Feudal Society; and finally, American politics is an utter fraud.

My best guess is that about 50% of our adult population already believes the above.  I'm guessing that the 25% fanatical "Conservatives" (which means Neoconservatives nowadays) and the 25% fanatical "Liberals" (both of whom are still in a dead political paradigm strictly because of propaganda) don't believe any of it...or at least, don't believe most of it.  Furthermore, they never will.  Myopic on their part.  The 50% of us who do believe it probably mostly feel that the situation is hopeless, that there's nothing significant to be done about it.  I no longer think that.  I now believe that it's possible to correct the situation with peaceful means...in big ways and in tiny ways.  Unfortunately, it will take a tremendous, sustained effort...over a significant time period.   Remember, no institutional system is carved in stone (so to speak).  One doesn't have to be a fanatic to contribute to the peaceful change of an institution; one only has to want something better and be willing to work toward it...to whatever degree with which you're comfortable.  As an East Indian activist once said, "...we be many, and they be few."...a big Amen to that.  :)

Partly just my opinion.
Happy Trails

The Big, Meaningless Squabble

As a Libertarian, it is often amusing to watch "Conservatives" & "Liberals" squabble. It's so meaningless---there's almost nothing left of the Republic of the United States to squabble about. It has been taken from us while well-intentioned folks argue over which side of an obsolete political spectrum is best for the country. And it has been taken from us by people who think way beyond those outdated labels---Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat.

I've mostly given up hope that Americans who believe in the Republic will ever get out of the purposefully distracting Conservative-Liberal rut. Until they do so, there is no chance whatsoever for this country to once again be a free society...the way our liberal Founders intended it to be.

Machiavelli (whose works are greatly admired by Ledeen, Pearl, Feith, & other once prominent NeoConservative strategists), Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Goebbels, and other Totalitarians all had a formula for the State being able to control the masses: give the People an Enemy (Capitalism, Communism, Hunger, Terrorism, Lack of Health Care, etc.), promote fear of that Enemy, and then take away unalienable rights in the name of Protection and Safety. Both modern-day Conservatives and Liberals do exactly that, although sometimes in completely different ways. The end result is: the State is the Master; the People are the servants.

Wake up, Amerika.

Distraction from Globalization

The promulgation of the battle between "Liberals" (a greatly misused word) and Conservatives is nothing but a Machiavellian distraction from the fact that Elites (both Republican & Democrat, "Liberal" & Conservative) are dismantling this Republic via Globalization...and getting rich in the process. It's not the "Liberals v. Conservatives" today; instead, it's the Elites v. the rest of us. Some of the Elites are "Liberal" and some are "Conservative". The old paradigm is long dead, but the Elites use it to mislead and distract us from the fact that they are in the process of "globalizing" the U.S.

There is no hope whatsoever for this country as long as people continue to believe that the battle is between Liberals & Conservatives, or Democrats & Republicans. That may have been true in the past, but today it is a complete charade...a farce. It keeps the masses placated and distracts them from the fact that Republican and Democrat Elites are dismantling our Republic...and getting super-rich in the process. Meanwhile, sincere but misled Americans continue to squabble over issues that pale in comparison to the issue of Globalization.

A worldwide, mega economic structure is being created via Globalization, and in terms of destroying the U.S., it is a gazillion times more important than ALL the so-called "Liberal or Conservative" issues combined. We will be a Third World country relatively soon, and whether it's a Conservative or "Liberal" country won't matter one iota. There will be only the super-rich Elites and the rest of us---the poor.

It breaks my heart to see sincere Americans arguing over things like whether or not the word "God" should be on our money when, at the same time, Globalization (promoted by both Republicans & Democrats, "Liberals" & Conservatives) is completely destroying our country, way of life, and form of government.

For the most part, Americans are asleep at the wheel.

Ask yourself: why do BOTH the Clintons AND the Bush Family support NAFTA? Why do BOTH Republicans AND Democrats support: the World Trade Organization, the concept of a North American Union, the concept of a global currency, the export of American jobs overseas, tax breaks and loans for multi-national companies that move manufacturing facilities out of this country, foreign aid to countries where the "aid" rarely reaches the people, bailouts for companies (and especially CEOs) who don't know how to run a business, and on & on?

Ask yourself: why do BOTH Republicans AND Democrats continue to devalue the dollar with deficifit spending? Why do they not address our HUGE trade imbalance with China?

Ask yourself: why do BOTH Liberals AND Conservatives completely ignore parts of the Constitution when it comes to money, the legal authority of the Fed Govt, and things such as bailouts for private companies?

The fact is, the movers & shakers of both major political parties are on the same team. They are doing everything possible to bring about Globalization, which will be the end of this country as we once knew it. And they are getting rich doing it. Meanwhile, American voters argue about whether or not the Ten Commandments should be displayed in a public building...and think that they can save the country by "voting".

The Constitution is ignored at will by both "Liberals" & Conservatives. [Direct quote: "Stop telling me about the Constitution. The Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper." ~ George W. Bush (former King of the U.S.)] The dollar is being devalued at an unprecedented rate by both Republicans & Democrats---during the first 7 years or so of the King George Administration alone (during which Republicans controlled Congress), the dollar lost 40% of its value via deficit spending and the pumping of cash into the system through interest rate manipulation by the Fed Reserve.

Mega, multi-national companies contribute equally to national Democrat and Republican candidates...and they get a big bang for their bucks. These same mega companies are steamrolling this country down the path toward complete Globalization, and their Crony national politicians are the vehicle.

Do some research on David Rockefeller, a prominent Republican Elite. He has stated flat out that the Elites know what is best for the rest of us...and that is (according to him): unelected CEOs of multi-national companies and Foundations running the government of this country, whether the Administration is Repub or Dem, it doesn't matter. He said that Americans are now "sophisticated enough" to realize the value of that setup.

If Americans don't wake up to the fact that we are being bamboozled with the myth of the battle between "Liberals" and Conservatives, within your (not my) lifetime here's what you'll see:
1. the disappearance of our national sovereignty (the name will still be the USA, but it will be meaningless);
2. adoption of a global currency;
3. for all practical purposes, the elimination of our national borders;
4. more & more manufacturing moved overseas;
5. mandatory "national" service for all "citizens";
6. "political correctness" (i.e., conformism) on a global scale;
7. the importation of even more foreign workers;
8. the importation of even more foreign goods and services;
9. economic and monetary policy dictated by an unelected global body composed of the CEOs of mega multi-national companies; and,
10. totally unconstitutional surveillance of commoners.

And it will all be approved of, and brought about by, the Republican and Democrat (Conservative and "Liberal") Crony, Elite political establishment. That is David Rockefeller's vision---he has admitted to it publicly. He is well on his way to accomplishing that goal.

It is, in one sense, Mega Corporate Socialism. But according to Mussolini, it is Fascism: "the perfect marriage of Corporations and the State". The name of the Game nowadays is very plainly: the best way for the Elites to get even richer---and that is through Globalization. Democrats, Republicans, "Liberals", Conservatives---these are all anachronisms to the Elites of today. They think WAY ABOVE any such labels. And they are in the process of totally eliminating the Republic of the United States of America.

In my opinion, pundits such as Coulter, Limbaugh, and any "Liberal" pundit you can name are either in on the scam (through investments in the Mega Corps), totally ignorant, or complete fools. The old paradigm is long gone, and apparently they can't see that.

If it weren't so tragic, the whole thing would be comical.

[I keep putting the word "Liberal" in quotes because all of the Founders of this country were liberal; plus, the word is an adjective, not a noun.]