Changeless Change: The Law of Politics
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The Unmentionables Is it me, or has anyone else noticed that during this so-called presidential race that there is a large group of people within this country who are never spoken of? They are the largest group of people in this country, and even the most important, yet you don’t hear Clinton or Obama talk about them. You might think that if anybody would talk about these people it would be the so-called Democrats. The Republicans most definitely do not speak about them. Nor does the mainstream news media ever ask questions as to why these people aren’t spoken of. You hear about the other people all the time—the upper class and the middle class—but you never hear about the working class. I remember reading and learning that once in this country, way back when it first was being formed, there were only two classes of people: the rich and the poor. They hated each other so much that a new group of people became a buffer between those two groups or classes of people. This new group was the middle class. The people at the bottom of the totem pole do most of the backbreaking work in this society. They are exploited. They are dishwashers, toilet cleaners, grade school teachers, janitors, sweat shop workers, fast food workers, construction workers, autoworkers, and the other working poor, just to name a few. These people are the backbone of this society, yet you never hear them mentioned in any of the political talk, speeches, debates or commercials. This is the truth, and a shameful truth at that! Instead of acknowledging them, politicians act like they don’t exist! Why? Part of the reason is because it is these poor people that fill up the prisons in this country. It’s the lower class of people who are tortured and executed in death houses in this country. It’s the working poor who are the victims and scapegoats of this society.
Kevin Cooper is an innocent prisoner on San Quentin’s death row, appealing court decisions, fighting for his life and freedom, and educating himself in prison. |
True change doesn’t come through the ballot box—even though we’re all taught that it does. For voting was instituted to insure stability, not change.
I know this may seem somewhat sacrilegious to many entranced during this current political season, for it certainly looks like change.
But if we look deeper, we see how the very process itself—the campaign—is an exercise in conformity. People come to political campaigns to reassure themselves that their politicians won’t bring too much change.
In essence, our political campaigns are little more than slick popularity contests: who looks best? Who makes me feel most comfortable? Who would I like to have a brew with?
John Kerry lost in 2004 not because large parts of Ohio were stolen, nor that he was successfully swift-boated by lies about his tour in Vietnam; he lost because his opponents launched a stealth campaign against him branding him as an intellectual, an egghead with advanced degrees who even spoke French!
Americans, especially in this age of anti-intellectualism, aren’t comfortable with eggheads. So, they comfortably “elected” a blockhead.
Therein lies the current contrast between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton—neither race, nor gender—but popularity.
At bottom, our politics is 95 percent beauty contest.
On issues, the two are almost inseparable.
And truth be told (despite right wing propaganda to the contrary) neither are actually liberals; both are neo-liberals, who are, at heart, globalists of the NAFTA type.
Neither wants to repeal NAFTA—they want to “re-negotiate” it (not really surprising considering that both are also lawyers.)
They are vying for who will become Chief Manager of the Empire, after the Bush wrecking crew is done.
Neither are anti-imperialists—they just want better, smarter management of it—empire, with a smile.
(John McCain promises he won’t smile.)
How could it be otherwise with the almost obscene amounts of money in play? How could it be other than this with the hundreds of millions of dollars that have sloshed through all of the presidential campaigns, most of it for media ad buys?
That doesn’t mean that people aren’t interested, or even desperate for change. But what kind of change will they get?
When’s the last time you’ve heard any presidential candidate mention the words imperialism, poor people, or—heavens forbid! —Capitalism? If they mention capitalism, it’s almost like a religion that needs defending—for no “viable” candidate criticizes capitalism. For, like a religion, it must be believed in.
Just like politicians are believed in until they inevitably betray those who voted for them.
Who do you think they ultimately owe their loyalty to—those who voted for them? Or, those who gave them millions of dollars to run?
—Prisonradio.org, April 5, 2008