Disturbing premises: "Illusion of Choice"

Email Print posted by MedfordTim 02/04/2008 07:01:26 PM EST

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A lot of this article appeals to my cynical nature, but there is something about it that just doesn't feel...kosher. Maybe I feel uncomfortable finding so much to agree with? Being a cynical optimist, I keep thinking things WILL get better, all evidence to the contrary. I can't deny the truth behind some of his assertions, but I can foresee differing outcomes. Sure, it could be denial, but - dammit! - I still cling to the belief that Americans are good people with the power to make the world a better and safer place through peaceful means and without making the whole world look like our clone. And I still want to believe that the country isn't fundamentally broken beyond repair.

A quick search of his site shows that due to his heritage and history, his focus is on Palestinian/Israeli repercussions, but there are underlying themes which are universal. I found myself focusing on the forest when he got down to tree level. Can't help it, I must process info through my own experiences, and I didn't grow up living with the issues he did.

Illusion of Choice By Mazin Qumsiyeh

The 2008 presidential elections were likened to the World Wrestling Federation matches: take time and energy but obviously fixed/staged. A more apt analogy would go beyond these elections: the whole political system in the US is a theater play with predictable script but different actors.  Yet, the damage caused by elected officials is getting so severe that another four years may finish off the experiment that is otherwise known as the USA (whether those are of a Clinton, McCain, Obama, or Romney administration).



Candidates of both parties are allowed to advance to final rounds whether in congressional or presidential elections only if they are cleared by the real powers to be.  This is evident from issues they can and cannot tackle. The cleared Democratic and the Republican nominees cannot for example tackle the broken system with no proportional representation (rather than winner takes all) and no system to allow instant runoff elections.  Both cleared nominees must believe in maintaining the US Empire by force and are only allowed to differ in tactics of advancing the "white man's burden" of "civilizing" and "improving" the world. They will not be asked about why US troops are stationed in 140 countries. Cleared Candidates of both parties will continue to support pouring billions directly into Israel and many more billions to support conflicts perceived to help Israel (e.g. Iraq and Iran) or help bring money to coffers of wealthy corporations. ExonMobile just set a world record with PROFITS in 2007 exceeding $40 BILLION. Both will ignore (or at best pay lip service to) the racial and economic divides that are growing.  Both will ignore the inability to face-up to the US criminal history (Slavery, Genocide of Native Americans, support of brutal dictators abroad, militarism etc).  

Both have no interest, let alone ideas, in tackling the entrenched military-industrial complex that is bankrupting the US.  They all support the pathetic "stimulus package" (with minor variations) that will give some $600 tax rebates to 117 million Americans so that "they can spend it" and stimulate the economy. Yet the real issues gate keepers will not allow to be addressed:  trill ions in private debts (corporate and individual), $9 trillion in government debt (which means our children will have to pay for it), a multi-trillion dollar mortgage debacle involving large scale fraud, the scandal of a raided/depleted social security safety net, the collapse of the fiat currency otherwise known as the US dollar, and much more. Yes, some candidates maybe allowed to pay lip service to reducing government deficits but the system is now beyond that.  Corporatio ns (e.g. General electric, United Technologies) and governments (e.g. Israel) who sucked up these trillions are getting to a point where they do not need the United States as a functioning or stable economic system but only a military power overseas to guard their interests there.  

Much, much more at the site
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Disturbing premises: "Illusion of Choice" | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
Cynical Optimist here too (none / 0)
There is certainly more than a few grains of truth to what he is saying.  Still, there has to be a MECHANISM that provides the "powers that be" the ability to control and fix elections.  I'm unclear what that mechanism is - other than the obvious - the dumbing of American through the networks, poor education, and creation of wedge issues that keep minorities from focusing on the real game.  This would seem to be a less than reliable mechanism though.  People will become less ignorant if they choose to and everyone can still pull the lever for whatever candidate they choose in primaries.

It's another day in paradise...

by happyhominid on 02/04/2008 07:16:59 PM EST

there is, sorta. (none / 0)
Not sure how much of this will make sense, I haven't processed it all yet.

There IS a mechanism in place - it is the two-party system in it's current form.

Candidates don't just spring up from nowhere fully formed. In each county, there is a party central committee for each party who get together once a month. The local leaders are, for the most part, told how to act by the state & national leaders. Anyone wanting to run as a party representative will be vetted to make sure they follow party lines, As we have seen, some non-robots are able to slip through the cracks, but the vast majority are "keep your head low and vote the party" automatons.

See, you don't have to fix elections if you have fixed candidates.

I have received rebukes (perfectly all right) because my radar tells me that Obama is a corporatist in populist clothing. Certainly Clinton, McCain, and Romney are transparent corporatists. The media and the parties, maybe not in collusion but with at least a common purpose, have yet again kept our choices limited to Star Quality candidates and discounted the Thinkers.

Russ Feingold knew this all too well. He knew he would not be supported by the Dem machine because he is (imho) a true populist and would invoke many root level corrections. This cannot be tolerated by the Powers That Be. It would not do in a democracy to really give power to the people - it's much better business to give them a figurehead. He never had a chance, more's the pity.

Then, if they push the notion that there are huge differences between the candidates, they create the illusion of choice.

by MedfordTim on 02/04/2008 08:06:05 PM EST

[ Parent ]
You make a good case (none / 0)
And if you are correct then you and I might as well toss off our "Optimistic" uniform.  If the "fix" mechanism is the political mechanism ITSELF then there is only one way to overcome it.  Post 9/11 I won't mention the word...

It's another day in paradise...

by happyhominid on 02/04/2008 10:12:13 PM EST

A Scary Short-Term; Better Long-Term (none / 0)
"Being a cynical optimist, I keep thinking things WILL get better, all evidence to the contrary."

All you have to do is to observe that things HAVE gotten better, despite our best efforts otherwise.

One aspect of the fundamental nature of human beings is that we each have our own mind and our own will.  People who attempt tyrannical rule have never been successful for very long.  Sure, a lot of people suffer under them, but eventually things get better.

There are two things I observe that keep me betting on the long-term survival of humanity:

1) The policies of the corporations are self-defeating.  They cannot sustain themselves without oppression and consumption, and eventually they'll either run out of the raw materials they need and the people will rise up against them; or they will become very weak because no one can afford to consume, giving the people motivation to rise up against them; or the people will rise up against them just for the hell of it.

2) The European Union and China are both on the verge of becoming superpowers.  Those folks in Europe are pretty smart, and pretty good at defending their liberties.  And the Chinese aren't going to take any shit from our corporations.  We already see that.  Eventually, they're going to get tired of our arrogant attempts to control the world and they'll find a way to put a stop to us.

And humanity will continue, much happier without the United States.

Why should I care as long as things get better?  Sure, I'd like to find some way to avoid letting the powers-that-be bring about the intervening suffering that hundreds of millions of people will be forced to endure, but if I can't, that's the way it goes.  Eventually, like all previous tyrranies, it will end.

Things just seem to have a way of working out despite what we do.

by Juarez Traveller on 02/05/2008 01:10:23 AM EST

I don't buy it. (none / 0)
That's "evil genius behind the chaos" stuff.  Our system has evolved into the wierd complex dysfunctional organism that it is.  There's too many  components for it to be intentionally created.  It's the same reason that I roll my eyes at the 9/11 conspiracy theorists.  They fantasize that people can somehow contain the actions of thousands (or in this case millions) of people so that things come out a certain way.  That kind of control is just not possible to sustain.  People are too varied and unpredictable.

by bfaul on 02/05/2008 10:38:13 AM EST

Disturbing premises: "Illusion of Choice" | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
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