In most cases satire reveals so many hidden truths. Such is the case with the 1997 Barry Levinson film Wag the Dog. Obviously done as a spoof on the Bill Clinton sexual imbroglio with Ms. Lewinsky and the damage control done to modify it. The inner meaning of the film reveals just how foolish the Amerikan public is and how susceptible many are to well thought out propaganda. Well, isn’t that how we really are folks?
Thirteen years ago a majority of Amerikans fell for the lies and half truths that the White House peddled regarding Iraq. So much so that even now the idea of regime change has become acceptable. The mainstream phony and embedded news media finds ways to justify this extension of our empire for . . . duh humanitarian interventions. We have become too accustomed to the tactic and strategy of being against someone or somethingmore than being for something else.
No need to focus this time on the Republican twin of this two party con job. As the character from the great play Twelve Angry Men said about one of his fellow jurors, a bigot: “He doesn’t hear you . . . and he never will.”
Similarly, I won’t focus on those members of the Democratic voting public who will always vote for a Democrat no matter what. Rather, the real conundrum is about those out there who really want to see clear cut progressive change, since many of them actually refer to themselves as ‘Progressive Democrats’ (After reading Michael Moore’s latest piece that basically said A) Trump must be stopped and B) Hillary is OK with me, one has to place Moore in that same group). ‘Feel the Bern’ let diehard progressive Democrats down by publically supporting Ms. Killary.
Meanwhile, the Green Party has a platform that clearly surpasses Sanders’ platform by a progressive mile! Yet, if you speak one on one with many of these folks they will give you a replay of the famous pragmatist argument used against the Nader campaign of 2000: “We love you Ralph and love your ideas but . . . YOU CANNOT WIN! VOTING FOR YOU IS GIVING A VOTE FOR BUSH.”
As this writer has stated before: A pragmatist is the fellow facing a firing squad who asks for a blindfold! How in the hell can true progressives cast a vote for a person (and party) that has so many neocons supporting it? Have we not learned from Obama’s continued ‘gift,’ a.k.a bailout, to the crooked Wall Street banksters, his increase in military spending (54% of our taxes), attack on Libya in 2011, and now his and Ms. Killary’s attempts at a new Cold War with Russia . . . to name but of few of many terrible non progressive actions?
There is little hope for real change at this time in Amerika. Honestly! The rigged electoral system has finally reached the bottom of the pit of corruption. Either of these two terrible people running for president, along with their terrible running mates, will sink our republic further down in the sea of empire. So, if that is the case, then all good and decent citizens out there should finally make their votes count . . . by voting 3rd party. Those out there referring to themselves as principled conservatives should vote Libertarian. Those who feel they are true progressives should vote for the Green Party. Yes, neither of these two parties and their candidates will win but . . . it may signal the beginning of the end for this two party con job.
Meanwhile, as Chris Hedges has hammered home many times, theoretically voting should count for something but it really doesn’t in this day and age. Yet, voting can and will make a strong statement to the rest of our fellow citizens if more of us refuse to support the two parties and any of their candidates in any race.
History has shown that when a mass of citizens gets out into the public square in support of one key issue, the powers that be cannot control them. Not when the numbers are so great and the voices so loud.
We had an incident in my town of 50,000 a few years ago. The city council decided to put a blockade up on a certain street, one that had a handful of Mom and Pop businesses on it. The residents of an adjoining residential street complained about delivery trucks going thru, stifling their children from playing in the street. Shoppers to the businesses on the other street were now put in harm’s way, because the only new way to and from the stores was onto a dangerous traffic situation. We got a petition drive going and 15 of us met at the next council meeting. Each of us signed up to speak to the council, and one by one we did. After hearing us speak in protest to the blockade, the mayor called for an executive closed door session. Soon after the blockade was ended. In a town of 50,000 a handful of protestors with a few hundred signatures got things done. Imagine what hundreds of thousands of us can do if we stand out there and demand a pull back of our Military Industrial Empire?
Philip A Farruggio is a semi-retired baby boomer born and bred in blue collar Brooklyn, NY. 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.
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Wag the Donkey
Posted on August 30, 2016 by Philip A Farruggio
In most cases satire reveals so many hidden truths. Such is the case with the 1997 Barry Levinson film Wag the Dog. Obviously done as a spoof on the Bill Clinton sexual imbroglio with Ms. Lewinsky and the damage control done to modify it. The inner meaning of the film reveals just how foolish the Amerikan public is and how susceptible many are to well thought out propaganda. Well, isn’t that how we really are folks?
Thirteen years ago a majority of Amerikans fell for the lies and half truths that the White House peddled regarding Iraq. So much so that even now the idea of regime change has become acceptable. The mainstream phony and embedded news media finds ways to justify this extension of our empire for . . . duh humanitarian interventions. We have become too accustomed to the tactic and strategy of being against someone or something more than being for something else.
No need to focus this time on the Republican twin of this two party con job. As the character from the great play Twelve Angry Men said about one of his fellow jurors, a bigot: “He doesn’t hear you . . . and he never will.”
Similarly, I won’t focus on those members of the Democratic voting public who will always vote for a Democrat no matter what. Rather, the real conundrum is about those out there who really want to see clear cut progressive change, since many of them actually refer to themselves as ‘Progressive Democrats’ (After reading Michael Moore’s latest piece that basically said A) Trump must be stopped and B) Hillary is OK with me, one has to place Moore in that same group). ‘Feel the Bern’ let diehard progressive Democrats down by publically supporting Ms. Killary.
Meanwhile, the Green Party has a platform that clearly surpasses Sanders’ platform by a progressive mile! Yet, if you speak one on one with many of these folks they will give you a replay of the famous pragmatist argument used against the Nader campaign of 2000: “We love you Ralph and love your ideas but . . . YOU CANNOT WIN! VOTING FOR YOU IS GIVING A VOTE FOR BUSH.”
As this writer has stated before: A pragmatist is the fellow facing a firing squad who asks for a blindfold! How in the hell can true progressives cast a vote for a person (and party) that has so many neocons supporting it? Have we not learned from Obama’s continued ‘gift,’ a.k.a bailout, to the crooked Wall Street banksters, his increase in military spending (54% of our taxes), attack on Libya in 2011, and now his and Ms. Killary’s attempts at a new Cold War with Russia . . . to name but of few of many terrible non progressive actions?
There is little hope for real change at this time in Amerika. Honestly! The rigged electoral system has finally reached the bottom of the pit of corruption. Either of these two terrible people running for president, along with their terrible running mates, will sink our republic further down in the sea of empire. So, if that is the case, then all good and decent citizens out there should finally make their votes count . . . by voting 3rd party. Those out there referring to themselves as principled conservatives should vote Libertarian. Those who feel they are true progressives should vote for the Green Party. Yes, neither of these two parties and their candidates will win but . . . it may signal the beginning of the end for this two party con job.
Meanwhile, as Chris Hedges has hammered home many times, theoretically voting should count for something but it really doesn’t in this day and age. Yet, voting can and will make a strong statement to the rest of our fellow citizens if more of us refuse to support the two parties and any of their candidates in any race.
History has shown that when a mass of citizens gets out into the public square in support of one key issue, the powers that be cannot control them. Not when the numbers are so great and the voices so loud.
We had an incident in my town of 50,000 a few years ago. The city council decided to put a blockade up on a certain street, one that had a handful of Mom and Pop businesses on it. The residents of an adjoining residential street complained about delivery trucks going thru, stifling their children from playing in the street. Shoppers to the businesses on the other street were now put in harm’s way, because the only new way to and from the stores was onto a dangerous traffic situation. We got a petition drive going and 15 of us met at the next council meeting. Each of us signed up to speak to the council, and one by one we did. After hearing us speak in protest to the blockade, the mayor called for an executive closed door session. Soon after the blockade was ended. In a town of 50,000 a handful of protestors with a few hundred signatures got things done. Imagine what hundreds of thousands of us can do if we stand out there and demand a pull back of our Military Industrial Empire?
Philip A Farruggio is a semi-retired baby boomer born and bred in blue collar Brooklyn, NY. 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.