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Revolution

January 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
 We desperately need a revolution in the United States.
 
We are kidding ourselves if we think this is all somehow going to turn out okay! Our present leaders are not likely to deal with our most pressing problems in any way other than making them worse. Just pick one or two. How about denying climate change.  Or maybe killing Obamacare.
We may believe in our elected leaders enough to think “naw, if we end Obamacare we’ll replace it with a better program.” What will happen is we’ll trash Obamacare and replace it with an idea that will sound good to the average American but will brutalize those already barely surviving.  One thing for sure is that whatever happens will result in more tax benefits to those making over $200,000.
 
One of the president’s crazy schemes is to double (or quadruple?) our military expenditures. That will only compound the empire-like adventures our military gets us into.

For me the issue is our fervent but not reasonable hope that somehow we can make the present system work. Very simply, it’s not likely that any established politician is going to have the stones to bring about the radical changes needed in our political system as it exists today. And I think that’s a really big problem. Today’s so-called progressive Senators and Representatives turn themselves inside-out just to get re-elected. And after they succeed at that, then what?  They get to stay in D.C. another few years, all the while trying to change a cheap hot dog into a tasty filet mignon, that’s what!

Please permit me (for a minute at least) my perceived reality which is that, even if some amazing sitting Senator–take Elizabeth Warren or Claire McKaskill–were to work her magic and become President next time around…..we may not have that much time! Years ago many of the world’s top climate scientists said that we had reached the maximum sustainable world-wide level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It was 350 ppm at that time. Last March it reached 400 ppm at which point some said we could not recover. I’m no scientist but it seems pretty clear (pun intended) that one of these days these rational but quiet science types are going to have to be believed over the fossil fuel billionaires who say “don’t worry about it.”

One of the many reasons the Donald won is that he threw traditional politics in the trash heap. And the main thing Bernie had going for him was that he represented change in the status quo. Trump was elected for a lot of reasons but most important to his victory was that he represented the change we so desperately need in this country. 

So here’s the deal. What we need is a very wealthy, self-assured, media savvy, radically progressive non-politician to get active. What we need is someone who will get on the morning and evening news, and the talk shows, and grab the same millions of dollars of free advertising Trump got. And beginning right now that person needs to be just as outrageously “liberal” as Trump is “conservative”. That person would need to be assertive, charismatic, and self-assured enough to say: “Folks, we cannot afford any more of this guy. Let’s get rid of him now! And here’s how we’re going to do it.”
Think Ashley Judd and Matt Damon. I’m not saying either of them would be the one, just that it’ll take a person as outside the box with as strong a public persona as each of them has. I don’t know what Matt Damon is thinking right now but watch Ashley Judd’s rant at the women’s march in D.C. to get an idea of what I’m suggesting here.
We need someone to Trump Trump on all the issues he’s wrong on. I’m very afraid our future is dark if he hangs around. His fixes will rapidly hasten our demise. 
 
I know. I’m a dreamer. But I’m genuinely afraid of what’s coming if something like what I’m suggesting doesn’t happen soon.
Back to my original point, no matter how politically astute Claire McKaskill or Elizabeth Warren or some other established politician is, what the US (actually the entire world) is crying out for is radical change. Yes that means revolution and all the messiness and growing pain that kind of change requires. 
But—and I hope you don’t simply reject this as merely histrionics—I sincerely believe trying to bring positive change from our present system is fatal folly.
 
 
Filed Under: Climate Change, Rationalizing Is Not Rational, The Corporate State

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