We are living in an empire that takes no prisoners. Sadly, the majority of we working stiffs still follow the hypocrites, thieves and liars like lemmings. These so called leaders play their magic flutes and hypnotize us with hype and false hope, as we fall over the cliff of reason.
I had the strangest dream last night, as vivid as can be. In it, I was spending time with Dwight Eisenhower. I was able to connect one on one with him in this dream, and he was very candid with me regarding the Military Industrial Complex as he referred to it in his January 1961 farewell address. Eisenhower, in the dream, knew that I knew that his hands were not so clean when it came to foreign policy covert ops and such. Yet, he looked at me with this understanding that you cannot go back and change what has been done. Only learn from it. Will my fellow Americans soon come to that realization about our political system?
My friend, fellow activist Ed D., has this sign that he holds when he goes out to demonstrate: Bush = Obama = Bush. How right he is!
If we need validation that this whole two party thing is a charade, follow the news of the Bush Junior Presidential Library. When I turned on C-SPAN and saw jimmy Carter giving a speech at the opening of the library, I shook my head. Here is this guy who has spent his golden years running around and challenging phony elections overseas and challenging the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. Then he goes and attends a library for a man who should be in prison for war crimes, as well as being the primary recipient of not one but two rigged elections!
Sitting on the dais, also as guest speakers, were the other living presidents. Now we know Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton for what they are: servants of this empire. Well, include the latest servant onto that list, Mr. Hope and Change himself! One would think that it was bad enough that Obama refused to allow investigations into the run-up to the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. Then he pushed for the Defense Authorization Act to strip away whatever civil liberties we have left in America, all the while he authorizing 10 times more drone attacks than under the war criminals Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Rice et al.
Folks, we have a Congress that is filled with hacks. We have local and state governments that are ditto. When will the working stiffs out there realize that it is all a charade? Anyone, no matter how noble a person, becomes corrupted once they align themselves with either of these two parties. They have to compromise whatever humanity they have left or they would not be allowed to hold office.
Take Dennis Kucinich, a man I have always admired. He stood up and spoke out for years against the empire. Yet, in 2008 and again in 2012, Kucinich went ahead and publically supported Obama, full well knowing the disgraceful policies Obama advocated.
Both major parties have shoved that lesser of two evils crap at us for generations! The time has come for all true progressives and conservatives to turn your backs on the whole lot of them! Stop supporting the two party charade! Get out and stand in public on the key issues that matter most for our survival. Forget the hot button issues and stick to what matters most: This Military Industrial Empire that is bankrupting our economy and turning America into Amerika the Police State!
Philip A Farruggio is a semi-retired baby boomer born and bred in blue collar Brooklyn NYC. He is the son and grandson of Brooklyn longshoremen, and educated at ‘ free tuition ‘ Brooklyn College, class of ‘ 74. Philip has written over 300 columns since 2001 and his work is found on many fine progressive sites like World News Trust, Nation of Change, Information Clearinghouse, Intrepid Report, Sleuth Journal, Dandelion Salad, Counterpunch and Dissident Voice. He can be reached at paf1222@bellsouth.net.
I hear you, and so do others. But the people who need waking up I think already know how screwed it all is, and that’s why they work harder and stay clear of any engagement, except to vote, grudgingly. I once thought they are unaware, if I tell them somehow, someway, they will see and take sides, but I think they know but don’t want to get involved. To much at stake. The state has become too violent. Look what happened to the 60s generation. I think the people you want to wake up, are awake but either don’t care, think it none of their business, or are too scared of what will happen to them if they take the path of defiance!