The government shutdown, whether it causes a minor economic bleep or major economic explosion, is another indicator of the larger crisis of global capital. This emergency is especially critical at its U.S. headquarters where a deteriorating situation has factions fighting for control and calling upon the gods of creation, madness or both in backing their efforts. This is a further sign of what international events—and some public response—may be showing more clearly.
The American people finally said no to an attack on a foreign country, Syria, and in the process added to the well-deserved decline in reputation of their president. This expression of the public’s opposition to its usual knee-jerk support of murderous foreign policy may not seem like much to pessimists who never see anything but doom and defeat, thus playing into the hands of ruling power. But that power is worried far more than they are by current events and it may be closer to the truth.
Present matters are causing great concern for the ruling minority and should bring great hope to the potential democratic majority they most fear.
The stature of the USA has been sinking for a long time but foreign policy failures are coming closer together and involve nations and their leaders not only standing up to American threats but doing so very openly and on a global stage. Putin of Russia seemed to rebuke a spoiled child when he admonished Obama for his weak imitation of Reagan/Bush in referring to America as an exception among nations, and while his takedown of our master race/chosen people place in the world may have shocked the few remaining fans of the president, it helped the real international community to see the former imperial dominator, as well as its flip-flopping leader, with new eyes. And to understand that his bipolar performance, one moment bragging bully the next pleading victim, was not just driven by personal shortcomings but far more by the contradictions of the failing empire he has been employed to maintain. It’s no longer possible for even a more competent employee of capital to do that job.
Given much less publicity but even more stern a dismissal of American arrogance was Brazilian President Rouseff’s justifiable trashing of the U.S. policy of disrespect towards her people and government in the NSA eavesdropping case. And while refusing to meet with diplomatic protocol by canceling a visit with the fading leader of a fading empire, she also articulated global desires for a better life not just her nation’s but also the world’s poor. Her words were dismissed by media lapdogs here as a “tirade” against America, but rest assured that the global community to which she really spoke was more than receptive and even jubilant at a national leader getting into America’s face and expressing open disgust with its policies and attitudes.
Even the new Iranian president, who has political stenographers madly tweeting about how moderate he is compared to Ahmadinejad, often seemed to be speaking to a child when addressing America. Fully aware that whether he was talking to an infantile idiot or a senile simpleton, the creature was armed with enough weapons and political warheads to destroy much of the planet, he still not only supported Syria ridding itself of chemical weapons but also called for Israel to dump its unmentioned-in-polite-international-hypocritical-circles nuclear weapons. In fact, nothing Rouhani said was different in essence from anything Ahmadinejad had ever said; only the slant and spin of mind control media made him sound different, in its usual fashion of taking quotes out of context or excluding the most substantial quotes entirely.
And while the Israeli president of America’s Israeli caucus hectored his underlings to continue support for destruction of Iran, the newly weakened USA leadership has been forced by circumstance to move diplomatically and for the first time openly act in opposition—however limply—to its Zionist sub-government.
Perhaps most in line with a newer and more general stance of open defiance, the Venezuelan president, who western profiteers thought would bring relief from Hugo Chavez, accused American diplomats in his nation of consorting with its internal enemies and plotting insurrection. He boldly tossed them out of his country, publicly shouting, “Yankee go home” in English as he slammed the door. The tumultuous applause from a global majority may not have been heard in America but likely resonated in the ears of a few billion other inhabitants of the planet.
This growing attitude around the world is another sign of a sinking empire, but actions for radical change at home need to become even more urgent to truly make a difference. The expression of opposition to the incredibly hypocritical charges against Syria were a sign that attitudes are changing here in America. Unfortunately, they need to change at a quicker pace. While many joke that the wretched Democratic Party secretly finances the Republican Party in an attempt to look good by comparison to something, the public wisely seems to be losing any faith in either of the two parties of capital.
But many still worship at the throne of wealth and power having been force-fed since childhood the myths of pleasure for everyone, with market control in the hands of small minorities and public control of anything meaning pain and suffering. The Ayn Rand worshipping market fundamentalists and others who become sexually aroused watching films of money piling on top of money are not really that different from those who ridicule them, while extolling the virtues of private control of markets which make small minorities wealthy beyond belief, while millions sink into despair and poverty in order to finance those private profits with their enormous social loss.
It is the minority rule of capital that must be changed, not the particular servants and stylists it employs to carry out its policies. Whether those employees wear suits, dresses, dishdashas or saris, if they adhere to the domination of the market under private minority control, they are against democracy and part of the problem. The rest of the world seems to be getting closer to that fact and we in America need to join them.
Frank Scott writes political commentary and satire which is available online at Legalienate. Email: fpscott@gmail.com.
Brilliant article!