Coastal
Post Online
January,
2004
Hunting For Democracy
By Frank Scott
We have evolved to a much higher life form than our
hunter-gatherer ancestors. They hunted for meat and gathered vegetation; we
hunt for money and gather merchandise. Progress.
But a new year arrives, and we may be poised for a more highly
evolved focus. Like, maybe, hunting for democracy, and not just money, and
gathering as citizens, and not just consumers. Are we ready? Not if our mind
managers have their way.
The staged production of Saddam Hussein's capture was
propagandized for all it was worth, but the illegal, immoral situation is no
different than before. If Saddam
"confesses" to having flushed anthrax down the toilet, stashed nukes
in Tel Aviv, and WMDs in his BVDs, nothing will change. Even if his show trial
produces evidence of his previously smoochy relationship with the same neo-con
serial killers who now depict him as satan, we will still have to confront our
own problems and our own demons. They are not in Iraq, but here in USrael.
The 2004 election will arrive sooner than many of us would like,
but the issue should have already been
decided. That is, if we were a legitimate democracy. Instead, a regime which
ought to be impeached and jailed for its murderous lies is still in power,
thanks to its spinally challenged opposition. Despite their terminal
wimpinesss, our immediate hopes rest on the nine Democrats running for the
opportunity to defeat the minority president. Why? Because if we donít get rid
of this regime, fast, it may get rid of us, faster.
Three of the nine are progressive, which is the best percentage
ever offered in a Democratic primary. But almost any of them, however bad, is
an improvement over the language abusing war criminal in the white house.
Sharpton and Mosely-Braun offer a first; two black candidates in
one primary. He is the quickest and most articulate wit of the bunch, and she
the most decent and least given to ego posturing. But Kucinich is the foremost
representative of those who want change
that is more than rhetorical or
cosmetic. His progressive positions, especially against the war, make the other
white boys look like what they are; gas
bags, empty until filled by speech writers, poll interpreters and other
political marketeers.
Of course, Kucinich, like the others, wants peace in the middle
east without citing Israel as its worst enemy, deserving an embargo, a cut off
in aid, and other sanctions usually placed on renegade regimes. Don't hang by
your lip waiting for the ruling corporate party to take that position, given
that so few on what is called the left are willing to do it. In fact, Dean made
a rather mild statement that the US should be evenhanded, and he was
politically circumcised for this wimpy transgression of the party line that
says; Israeli racial supremacy is always right, and Palestinians fighting for their homeland are always wrong.
Unfortunately, the zionization of American politics won't end with this
election.
But those who are desperate to defeat Bush are ready to accept almost anything. In
fact, some with stars in their eyes and sawdust in their heads went into a swoon when the Democrats
introduced a professional warrior into the race. But Wesley Clark-Colin Powell
in white face-has been unequal to the task so far, though he could still wind
up as a candidate for vice president. In fact, those Democrats who insist the
party needs a serial killer on the ticket in order to win, may launch a
movement to draft Tony Soprano if Clark fails.
At present, Howard Dean leads the pack. This centrist governor
of a tiny state has become popular, mostly for stating the obvious about Bush,
but doing it in a loud and angry voice. He's depicted as a leftist fiend by
those "new" Democrats who wish to keep the party only slightly less
Republican than the other wing of the ruling corporate cartel. But far more
impressive than the candidate are his supporters, their organization, and its
performance. Some of them may be desperate, but given the reality, they can't
be faulted for that.
Nevertheless, progressives-those who haven't already succumbed to a pre-November form of crackpot realism-owe it to their convictions
to vote for Dennis Kucinich in the primaries, and then hope for the best. And
if they get the worst, they can practice the usual lesser evilism in November,
for once, with good reason.
We are ruled by an intellectual and moral featherweight who lost
the popular vote and since 911 has
moved from that awful beginning to
head the worst regime in American history.
This cabal of murderous fanatics, liars and dimwits has alienated us from the
rest of the world, to a greater extent than ever before. Our economy is in debt
to a wealthy minority of people and
institutions, and it is those forces which control it, and our politics. That
was true long before Bush , but he has made the situation worse, making the
world a more dangerous place, and
bringing it closer to social, environmental and political breakdowns.
This is an occasion when many of us make personal resolutions about what we will do in order to
improve our lives. It's time we think
about social, as well as personal changes. If we have truly evolved, as humans,
we should resolve to dump this
government, as citizens. By any means necessary, with whatever tools are
available. In November, if not sooner. And after putting a temporary new one in, work to create a long
term, permanent democratic expression that deals with issues of peace and
social justice, in deeds, and not just words. We should resolve to at least
start. Happy New Year.