Come Together!

I’ve often said that we live in extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures.  Although I don’t like to get into political races in this column, what is happening now is truly extraordinary and deserves some attention.

In 2008, some of us rallied around a basically good man that was espousing real change.  He expressed his support for single payer universal health care, holding Wall St accountable, ending the wars, ending the subsidies to the fossil fuel industry and leading the transition to renewable energy.  My state of political understanding at that time told me that a president elected with a mandate would be enough to change things.  My first mistake was to assume that he was in fact in command.  We all knew that he had received substantial funding from Wall St. but felt that the popular will would prevail.  My first doubts arose when he selected Wall St. veterans to Treasury and his Board of Economic Advisors.  Then there were the Big Ag and Big Pharma appointments to the Dept. of Agriculture and the FDA.  (Okay, just bringing everybody to the table.)  Then he started his talks on reforming health care by taking single payer off the table.  Wasn’t this our goal?  Didn’t we at least want to have a public debate about it?  It was then that I realized who was running the show.

It is generally agreed by most of us that our government has been coopted by the wealthy special interests, mostly known as “Wall St.,” or the “upper 1%.”  How did this happen?  Well, we really hadn’t been minding the store because things were generally good and we had much more fun and interesting things to do.  Some business tycoons realized that a little campaign funding could result in business-favorable legislation that could reap profits far in excess of the funds invested.  A relatively minor investment in campaign funds and a few other percs appeared to be enough to keep the government in line.

Through the years, we have all seen how this disease has spread.  Laws meant to limit and regulate campaign contributions have been swept aside, while safeguards to our voting rights are being eroded.  Big business-friendly free trade agreements that are eroding not only our individual rights but national sovereignty as well have been proliferating.  Seeing how badly we are losing the fight to govern ourselves, I had not been looking forward to the election of 2016.  Soon after Obama won reelection, it was apparent that what our major Parties  had in store for us was a classic matchup of two thoroughly establishment representatives of American aristocracy:  Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.  Electing Clinton promised a seamless continuation of what was to me the vast disappointment of the Obama administration.

What amazes me now is the way that our society, like any organism, has risen to its own defense.  What the invading body of corporate usurpers didn’t count on was that their subject organism/electorate would develop a fever.  Much to almost everybody’s consternation, the Republican electorate sabotaged Bush and got behind two anti-establishment candidates.  They must be manifesting the pain, swelling, and delirium of the fever because these two candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson, are potentially highly divisive and destructive personalities.  These two have the controlling elite, the responsible Republicans, and the progressives too, all shaking in their boots.  Something this whole motley crew agrees on is that these two could not possibly continue to prevail into the nominating convention.  Or could they?

On the other side, Bernie Sanders has arisen in response to the fever.  I would venture to say that those who are convinced that there is a foreign body attacking our body politic would agree that Mr. Sander’s approach represents a far more logical and focused effort to neutralize the foreign body and bring us back to health.  The problem is the remedy will require active commitment on all our parts to enter unknown territory and rebuild a healthier society.  As in abusive relationships, it is sometimes easier to put up with the devil you know than to face the insecurity of an unknown future.  

Mr. Sanders has made us a proposition.  If we show the courage and imagination to get out and vote to put ourselves back in charge of our country, he will lead us in that effort.  That is a promise that he makes to both Democrats and Republicans.  It’s fairly simple.  If we have the resolve, we will get him nominated and elect him to the presidency.  If we don’t have the resolve, we will probably have President Clinton and a harder path towards empowering ourselves.  Since Bernie Sanders entered the race, Hillary has certainly noticed what resonates with the enthusiastic crowds that Bernie has drawn.  Consequently, she has adopted many of the positions that Bernie has championed.  In the end, it will be business as usual.   Hillary, who will ultimately defer to Wall St., will win concessions to relieve popular pressure for change.  However, those concessions will not be won, but rather granted by the wealthy special interests that will continue to rule.

What Bernie is offering us now is a tidy revolution within the guidelines of our laws and Constitution.  In the words of John Lennon, he is saying:  “Come together, RIGHT NOW!...over me. “

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terry@vashonloop.com