Diagnosis: ED (Electoral Dysfunction)
Getting it Up For A Limping Democracy
It’s a SPOOKY time in the USA.
Halloween is in the air. Costumed goblins abound — trick or treat!
Elections next week. Mask-switching candidates troll — trick or trick.
From both sides of the barnyard fence comes the hyperventilating slogan: “This is the most important election of our time!”
Every media talking head regurgitates that cleverly concocted platitude to cover up what we’re really dealing with here — the most deceptive, manipulated, vile, absurd, and shallow presidential election — in four years!
Consider this TERRIFYING fact: television evening “news” is where the majority of Americans get their political information! It’s enough to send you screaming from the theater.
Meanwhile, online, and on hand-held devices, social media algorithms work to echo the same national fantasies and maintain the cultural bubbles required by those flesh-eating monsters—Wall Street and the military-industrial complex.
“A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.”
— Thomas Jefferson
I find myself walking around my city in a dystopian reverie— skyscraping stacks of dark apartments — windows illuminated by the flicker of indoctrinating flatscreens. Pilot lights in highrise ovens.
Billions upon billions are being spent on merchandising the current duo of GMO (Greed Modified Organism) candidates. While spinning hyperbole— exaggeration, distortion, misdirection, and devious character assassination—they top off that devil’s food cake with a dollop of their own virtue signaling.
The audience is all caught up in this sporting event. Celebrities step forward to wave pom-poms cheering on their team—always adding the horrors that will happen to the crowd if the other team wins. Those same fears have been blasted in fancy ads with dramatic music on TV screens for months. The same divisive message—we are righteous, the other side fools.
The choice is presented as a two-sided coin. In fact, it is one currency and it will be spent on the same basic policy—assuring the rich keep getting richer and the poor stay poor—no matter if it lands heads or tails!
The coin is owned by wealthy donors and their corporate interests—and so the insurance companies will not allow single-payer insurance for all, and the weapons manufacturers will always need new wars to keep The War Racket running smoothly.
“ What we have is an electorate under the influence of Stockholm Syndrome — ‘the psychological response to captivity that involves developing positive feelings towards the captor or abuser’ “. — Zĕna Kōan
SCARY.
Elections have become just another of the currently popular immersive experiences being sold to an audience starved for something — another ritual to join the rolling series of consumer holidays and sports tournaments.
The New York Times and the other official narrative creators obviously delight in the theatrics of a close race—advertising revenue skyrockets if the audience is on the edge of their seats, emotions high-pitched because they’ve chosen a dog in the race.
“The Public Sucks. Fuck Hope” — George Carlin
“The well-informed citizenry is in danger of becoming the well-amused audience.” — Al Gore
It is CHILLING how the citizens, Helios bless ’em, in their uninformed desperate way, continue to place their hope in this game—without demanding an investigation of the croupier and the cards that appear from his sleeve.
They’re excited — they keep feeding the slots.
Their short memories of how the roulette wheel always stops on the same numbers do not serve them well.
The casino approves, and the casino always wins.
There is a choice.
Jill Stein/Rudolph Ware.
They are on the ballot in almost all states!
In New York it is a write-in.
I will.
So — what to do?
CONSIDER.
Let’s start with this 1948 instructional high school video about “propaganda”.
Do you see any relevance to what we are facing today?
Has the media simply gotten more effective at manufacturing consent?
Would Leni Reifenshtal be proud of our mass media?
Would they show this to high school students today?
LAUGH.
Next — Comedian Jim Gaffigan responds to the power-elite Republican$ and Democrat$ he is surrounded by at the Al Smith dinner.
George Carlin would approve.
DEBATE.
The Democrats avoided a primary election and refused any debates internally or with third parties.
Smooth move—and their vote-blue constituents bent over and didn’t even ask for lube.
But finally, We the People™ © were granted the grand performative debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Aspersions were cast back and forth, but nothing was revealed.
Cats and “joy” became political truths.
What should a real presidential debate be like?
The one carried out among three independent third-party candidates—Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party), Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party), and Randall Terry (Constitution Party) provided a bit of a clue.
Two hours of conversation and debate. (And some sincere but bland entertainment.)
DENOUNCE.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s extraordinary UN speech.
An extraordinary attack on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for his selective use of the Bible to justify atrocities against Palestinians and Lebanese.
Anxiety is up. We all need distractions to make it through. The system has put the rope around our necks and offered us the opportunity to kick the stool out from beneath ourselves — all with a vote for one of the two evils they have presented.
Perhaps it is time to retreat to some gallows humor.
“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.” — Peter Ustinov
Godwin’s Law proposes that “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches”.
This behavior is constantly exposing itself on Xwitter—as well as in any comment slot open for the populace to express its deepest insights.
Everybody is throwing word-pies at their opposition — filled with claims of “fascism“ and “nazis” and “terrorist” and “anti-semitism” — and of course, everybody’s favorite boogieman, Adolph Hitler.
Meanwhile, Adolph is making phone calls to Donny Trump and Obamala Harris.
Me, I’m going to be glad when this is over. When the raging fear and absurd hype die down. When the next president begins thier particular brand of corrupt war-mongering and serving Wall Street machinations. When the map is colored in even more fierce shades of red and blue.
When most Americans once again put on their pumpkin spice blinders in preparation for Thanksgiving—and begin the countdown for the lockstep consumerism of Xmas.
When it is fully exposed that the current dominant paradigm, driven as it is by proxy wars and genocide, is nothing but a tragedy of mindless greed stampeding towards World War Three.
Maybe when it becomes clear that enough of us stood up and refused to submit to the two evil heads/tails choices, and that the coin has landed on its edge — suggesting that there are possibilities.
When. Just maybe.
Peace.
art/text © AleXander Hirka 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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