Circus Shenanigans in Tampa: Pretense
Gets Harder To Hide
20 August 2012
By Stephen Lendman
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey calls theirs "the
greatest show on earth." Politics in America combines
sham with show me the money.
Republicans got first dibs. Their version of politics
US-style hits Tampa from August 27 - 30. Mother nature
had first say. Isaac's fury claimed day one. Perhaps
its message was nyet on three days of hype, bombast,
fraud, and promises made to be broken.
The following week, Democrats have their turn.
Charlotte, NC hosts three days from September 4 - 6.
Growing numbers of Americans reject both parties. A
pox on politics serving elite interests only. They're
in lockstep on all issues mattering most. Duopoly
power controls them.
Perhaps one day these charades will be held and no one
notices. Why bother when bipartisan complicity spurns
public concerns. Just scrap 'em, say some.
Bush's 2000 and 2004 chief media advisor, Mark
McKinnon, said "Four days of speeches? No
thanks….Watching the convention is like turning in to
a movie where you already know the plot and ending."
Building consensus perhaps heads them for irrelevance.
It'll happen when most people no longer care.
Ritualistic babble insults more than edifies.
Yammering politicians only address themselves and
deep-pocketed funders. For many, preaching to the
choir no longer cuts it.
US broadcasters used to televise conventions
wall-to-wall. CBS and ABC scheduled one hour only on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Each party gets
equal time.
NBC replicates them for Republicans. For Democrats,
it's one hour Tuesday, football on Wednesday, and two
hours Thursday.
All three networks plan reruns in prime time. Big
money's at stake. Convention mumbo jumbo draws blanks.
Low ratings mean less revenue.
NBC news anchor Brian Williams admitted that audiences
"have had it up to here" and won't watch.
Cable channels plan more. At issue is who cares.
Ringling Bros. entertains. Political versions insult.
US politics are dysfunctional, corrupt, and offensive.
At 10%, congressional approval hit an all-time low.
It's surprising anyone except the top 1% extends
support.
Washington spurns ordinary people. Social benefits are
being destroyed. Bipartisan complicity plans it.
Public resources go for militarism, war making, and
corporate handouts. Tax breaks supplement them.
America's super-rich get plenty. Others are left high
and dry on their own.
A yearend fiscal cliff(hanger) approaches. Around $2.2
trillion in sequestered budget cuts are scheduled.
Trillions more are planned in out years. Social
America is being destroyed. At issue is how much will
be front or back loaded given dire economic conditions
heading south.
Mum's the word from Tampa and Charlotte. Grandiosity
has center stage. Pomp and circumstance substitute for
responsible governance. America most often had
pathetically little and none now.
Both parties believe America's future depends on
greater wealth disparity, ignoring public need, waging
war on humanity, silencing truth, and cracking down
hard on non-believers.
Perhaps Isaac's fury signaled disapproval. Wait till
Nemesis shows up. She's Greek mythology's goddess of
vengeance. She also punishes hubris and arrogance.
She's here unseen. She's unforgiving. She's patiently
stalking and preparing to make her presence known.
She'll announce it saying "only the doomed" see her.
Perhaps she has bankers, war profiteers, and corrupt
politicians in mind.
She has lots on her plate to address. Fixing
longstanding government of, by, and for America's
privileged won't happen easily.
Conventioneers are oblivious. They're cocooned out of
harm's way. They're bought and paid for to scam
others. Political conventions lack legitimacy. Media
scoundrels pretend otherwise. Like elections, they're
theater. They're hype and pre-arranged duplicity. They
mask double-dealing flim flam.
The entire political process is fraudulent. Party
bosses, special interests, and media scoundrels play
lead roles. Everything is pre-scripted. Secrecy and
back room deals substitute for a free, fair and open
process.
Candidates are pre-selected. So are winners in key
races. Big money decides. Privatized elections control
things. Corporate owned, programmed, and operated
electronic machines vote. People have no say.
Issues are unaddressed. Horse race journalism and
trivia substitute. People are left uninformed in the
dark. Media scoundrels manipulate news and
information. A truth emergency leaves everything
mattering most unexplained. Public trust erodes for
good reason.
Partisan politics serve business and privileged
elites. Ordinary people are shut out. Independents are
ignored. America's democracy is the best money can
buy. Duopoly power runs it. Democrats are
interchangeable with Republicans. Differences between
them are minor. Not a dime's worth exists to matter.
Both sides support imperial wars. They endorse the
divine right of capital to exploit workers, gain new
markets, control the world's resources, and rule it
unchallenged. Beneficial social change, independent
voices, and electoral democracy lose out under a
rigged system against them.
The entire process was constitutionally flawed by
design. Over time, things got worse. Today, it mocks
political legitimacy. It's so bad, maybe one day an
election will be held and no one shows up.
Why bother without real choices. Candidates sound like
cardboard cutouts. Rhetoric features focus group
tested pre-packaged slogans, sound bites, double-talk,
and promises made to be broken.
Each side highlights its virtues. Opponents are
denigrated and marginalized. Debates are worse.
Charades avoid issues. Independents aren't invited.
Exclusionary rules bar them.
US-style democracy failed. It's too corrupted to fix.
Presidents and Congress serve monied, not popular
interests. Pretense gets harder to hide.
Direct democracy is an idea whose time has come. It
lets ordinary people decide freely on their own. Maybe
Nemesis will intervene constructively.
It's high time we had final say. Political chicanery
denies it. The only solution is revolution for change.
It's possible by reaching out and grabbing it.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached
at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is
titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his
blog site at
sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge
discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio
Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
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