We Have a Dysfunctional Government
By Joe Clifford
May 09, 2015 "Information
Clearing House" - Americans lag way behind
the rest of the world in political thinking, but it may not be entirely
their fault. We have a corporate media that merely acts as a mouthpiece for
the official government line and champions the cause of corporatism in this
country, so Americans never really get to hear or see what is going on.
Because their media is not so controlled, Europeans on the other hand, are
more politically informed, In any case because Europeans are more
informed, they are ahead of us in figuring out the political landscape.
Three examples illustrate.
In Greece, after years of suffering at the hands of the
international banks and being ruled by two major political parties that did
absolutely nothing to alleviate the economic misery, the Greek people left
their parties. Greeks in mass finally saw the light, gave up on their two
major parties, and simply walked away from them and jumped on the bandwagon
of a formerly obscure political party, Syriza. That party, in less than one
year, has risen to be the majority party and ever since the election, polls
indicate that Greeks are even more excited about their new found party than
prior to the last election. Greeks have enthusiastically supported Syriza
because they figured out that Syriza, unlike the major parties, supports the
Greek people and will fight to improve their lot. The other two parties in
Greece have been abandoned by the population because they were part of the
establishment and used rhetoric and empty promises, but never did anything
to gain relief for the people of Greece. It should be noted that the Greek
people have suffered great financial hardship with economic figures in
Greece more severe than were our numbers in the Great Depression. The
establishment in Europe, led by the big banks, is petrified of this change
and have done their best to gang up along with corporate media outlets, to
cast Syriza in an unfavorable light. The financial interests in Europe have
worked very hard to destroy Syriza, as is sets a very dangerous precedent
for curbing the power of corporations and banks. Here the corporate media
has not discussed the happenings in Greece. It is intentionally a well-kept
secret in this country. So far the Greek people have seen through the anti
Syriza propaganda and have continued to rally to Syriza.
In Spain, almost a carbon copy of the rise of Syriza has
occurred, with the rising party being called Podemos. Podemos, like Syriza,
has risen from obscurity to, according to the latest polls, the majority
party in Spain. The Spanish finally realized that neither of their major
political parties really do anything to help the lot of the Spanish people.
Their parties, like ours, are merely tools of the banks, corporations and
special interest groups. At long last the Spanish people, just like the
Greeks, saw the light; that is they would never get relief from the major
parties as they are corrupt and unrepresentative of the masses. Spaniards
did the same thing as the Greeks; they just gave up on the major parties and
walked away from them, and have rallied behind Podemos, a Syriza like party
in Spain. Once again the corporate world and the banking world is
frightened, and have done what they can to sabotage Podemos, but once again,
like in Greece, the Spanish people have seen through the propaganda war by
the upper class. Polls indicate that Podemos will win the next national
election in Spain. The remarkable rise of Podemos in Spain has been kept
from the US public.
A third example is Iceland. Like Greece and Spain, the people
of Iceland finally have seen the light. The political establishment in
Iceland is too corrupt and unrepresentative to bring any substantial change
to the people of Iceland, and so you have the emergence of another formerly
obscure political party. Polls indicate the new “Pirate Party” has grown
dramatically with its support doubled in recent months, and now the most
popular party in the country. Once again the people of Iceland finally “got
it”. The light went on and they just left their major parties out of
disgust, and flocked to the Pirate Party.
Meanwhile back in the US there might be some hope. Perhaps
Americans are finally waking up to the realization that neither party will
really do anything substantial to help the masses. We have a dysfunctional
political system that is corrupt with politicians from both sides selling
themselves to special interest groups and large corporations. A recent
comprehensive study of the major political parties and the US government
told us what some already knew; that the average and the poor have no voice
in government, while the rich and powerful control it, an can get pretty
much whatever they want. In our last election almost 70% of eligible voters
stayed home out of disgust.So the presidential season is now beginning to
get under way, and so far it appears both parties are sticking with the
status quo. Republicans have dusted off Jeb Bush and he seems to be their
leading candidate, while Democrats have offered the status quo in Hillary
Clinton, who loves war and is owned by the financial interests and
corporations. Once again voters are presented with the “lesser of two
evils”. But wait! Bernie Sanders jumped in as a candidate, and while he
represents a major party, he is a maverick and not in the graces of his
parties establishment. His emergence shocked and freighted some observers
as he raised over one million dollars in one day from small donors all
around the country. Sanders is not the answer however. He is certainly anti
big bank, and for workers’ rights, however on the biggest issue of the day,
that of war and peace, he is a mainstream candidate, only critical of the
way we have fought and pursued our policy of endless war. While he is not
the answer to our needs, his early success indicates the US public is
willing to embrace someone other than the two establishment parties who do
not represent the US public. Is it time for a Syriza, Podemos, or a Pirate
Party to rise in the US? Have Americans finally begun to see the light and
have they finally concluded that neither or the two major parties will ever
bring them relief and representation? Let’s hope, so as it appears to be
our very last hope.
Joe Clifford lives in Rhode Island.
