[Bethesda Md, 11/13/08]
Since the election I’ve had some difficulty deciding what sort of tone to take in regards to the state of the Left. I’ll say, I’ve been feeling a little gloomy. However, I think my negative outlook has been colored somewhat by the fact that I’m currently residing in my in-law’s dark, wood-paneled basement and the fact that it seems to be permanently raining. Also, how does one measure the state of the Left exactly? I mean, the only Leftist I will probably see today is when I look in the mirror and say "Hi, me." It’s not like we have the resources to do our own polling or anything. Well then we will have to learn to read between the lines of mainstream media and I’ve got good news: WE ARE WINNING!!
Yes brothers and sisters, I know it’s hard to believe. Before I get into it, let me point out an easily missed fun fact. You know our little slogan "Another World Is Possible"? I know that many of us start to doubt this from time to time. Well kiddies, I happen to know of a group of people that believe, or rather, know that another world is possible. Can you guess?
RICH PEOPLE
That may seem absurd, I know. But think about it for a moment. The capitalist class has an entire global military in place, a global mind-fuck media system, a brain washing education system, global total surveillance apparatus, networks of snitches, organized criminals, assassins, drug gangs and not to mention "legal" organizations like the CIA, FBI, ATF etc. And much more. They have all of this in place for basically one purpose: To prevent Revolution. Period.
Yeah, sure, they use words like "national security" and "spreading democracy" but anyone who has read this far and isn’t a fucking cop knows this is bullshit already. What I’m saying is that all of the above things, the cold war and nearly every action the rich and powerful take is in someway an effort to keep people from their land, unorganized, out of our minds and away from their perceived privilege and "property." Just think about the shear effort, treasure and planning that goes into keeping the public ignorant and afraid. There are whole industries committed to it! In other words, they would not do all the above stuff if they did not fear (and believe) that if given the opportunity to think and act for themselves, the general public would not only find Revolutionary change desirable, they would realize it was doable! And even further: THEY WOULD DO IT!
And for those of you who doubt that ordinary people are incapable of "waking up" well I would like to offer to you exhibit A: me. While I’ve always had something of an anti-authoritarian streak running through me and I’ve had a working class chip on my shoulder the size of freaking Texas since I can remember, I’m still , demographically speaking, the most unlikely Revolutionary activist around! I’m originally from southern Virginia, born into a white, racist working class family, in 1984, my grandfather took me into the voting booth to pull the lever for Reagan (Fuck!) and it’s rumored that said grandfather was in the Klan before I was born! And what do you know, PRESTO, here I am typing for the Revolution.
As a quick aside I must confess that Leftists have always been able to recognize me and me them. Let me explain. You know how in vampire movies the vampires can always recognize each other around non-vampires? For me growing up it was always like that with other Leftists. For example, without me uttering a single direct political word an older acquaintance would always want to slip me some book or pamphlet. The best ever (and this was a turning point because I just happened to be getting into Rage Against the Machine at the time) was when a fellow waiter at Chi Chi’s gave me a Rainbow Push Coalition cassette (what’s a cassette?!) with a Sabina Virgo [sic?] speech. I had never heard words like that spoken so directly. I sensed I was hearing the truth for the first time. It was a good day!
Alright Mr. Self Indulgent, what’s the good news from CNN already?
Oh yeah, and I need to hurry up, because it’s almost time for me to leave this basement and pick up Mrs. Black from the metro (DC speak for subway btw.) Since living in this basement I’ve developed a very unhealthy addiction to CNN. I simply can’t turn it off. I feel like I personally know Rick "Twitter" Sanchez for example. Well I saw something today that literally left me standing in the middle of the room unable to speak. From 2:00-2:22pm. ET I watched George W. Bush desperately defending the very idea of Capitalism itself. Pay no mind to the clips they are showing from the speech, find the whole thing; it’s breath taking! He even defends Capitalism against Socialism. So what does this mean?
Capitalism as an economic model, as an institution and as a belief system is in big, big fucking trouble. And Capitalists know it. We "Americans" are the most polled, studied and spied on population in the "western" world. You think maybe they’re picking up on some rumbles and grumbles from below? You think maybe the spies are starting to notice a lot web surfers poking in on our more, uh, subversive websites? I happen to think that a lot more people are starting to think they might want to consider another world being possible. Soledad O’Brien seems to agree. Why else would she be doing this propaganda piece on Jonestown?
Jonestown? Are they fucking kidding?! I mean I had more or less forgotten about that whole thing and suddenly it’s on CNN like that shit happened last week. What the fuck? I’ll tell ya the fuck, it is a scare piece aimed at the public mind that is starting to imagine living in a different type of society. The fact that the people of Jonestown also believed that "another world was possible" and it ended as a horror show is held up to say, "See what happens. See what happens when you step out of this system. There is no alternative, repeat, there is no alternative."
Another sign of Capitalist distress on the airwaves is this: America the center-right society. I read a great article on Dissident Voice on this subject, that will explain what I’m talking about better, (my cellphone is blowing up so it really is time to go!) My point here is if "we" really are "center-right" and that it’s so self evident why do they have to keep repeating it over and over? The short answer is they want to demoralize people. Furthermore they want people to feel isolated in their aspirations for a more just society. Many of you that come here have your own blogs and websites and probably can attest that the most common note we get goes something like this: "Thank you for doing this. It’s great to see that other people see the world like this. I thought I was alone or that I was crazy or something." Right?! Well note writers, you’re not crazy (however, I actually am!) you are actually becoming sane. And you’re not alone, sisters and brothers, in fact we really are EVERYWHERE!
I want to end with the Obamamania situation. I know there is a lot of concern in the more radical ranks out there that this whole Obama thing is going to take the steam out of our movements and also that Obama supporters are dupes that were fooled by a semi-charismatic politician that is to the right of Nixon. Well, it turns out that you guys are pretty smart, because both of those things are freaking true! But keep in mind everything above and this: those "dupes" thought they were voting for Revolutionary change! Though most would not say it this way, many were in fact voting against capitalism itself. With all of Obama’s late, (and dishonest) "populist" rhetoric about a certain "failed economic philosophy" getting the biggest cheers I think we have something to get excited (and ready) for. He will eventually disappoint his followers and, yes, many will just get discouraged and go back to playing with their Playstations or whatever. Some won’t. Some will get mad. With the coming army of under and unemployed, recently foreclosed families, soon to be radicalized former Obama supporters and millions of people waking up more and more everyday we might just get our Revolution after all. Keep in mind, my generation had it’s false messiah: Bill Clinton. In 1992 I was eighteen, voted for Clinton, was in love with Nirvana and all of that and thought that the Revolution had already happened. Everything was going to be fine. A lot of people did. Most people went back to sleep (including me.) But some people did not. By 1999 we got the Battle in Seattle…
It’s coming back around again.
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