July 28, 2016
The proletariat are ready for revolt. They've been drained of power and purpose, bit by bit, for going on 40 years. Reaction has been slow to form as they have become increasingly dependent on state benefits, while their earning potential diminished. It's been Huxley's dystopia Brave New World, keeping their minds awash with sports, entertainment, celebrity worship. Not to mention some insanely biased news reporting that had them bobbling their heads in agreement, but not offering critical discussion nor presenting alternatives outside of "there oughta be a law." A consumer economy marketing system shamelessly flattering a fattening population with "you deserve" and "why put up with" etc. didn't help bring on soul searching and proactivity either. It's always beneficial to those in power to set people at each other's throats with divisive ideologies, from religion to race to culture.
The political system has been appropriated with neither party serving the constituents with much more than platitudes and cosmetic gestures. The foundation machinery of infrastructure, education, health, military doctrine, environment, communications, commerce, etc. are obscured by ISIS, Obamacare, abortion, transgender bathrooms, gun rights. These are all emotional issues, but don't really help run the country. The voting population doesn't have a prayer of understanding how the country really runs, so they pick their causes based on the selection brought before them. Once elected, the gestures will continue, but the decision making will be based on influences that come from organized interest groups that include corporations, industries, wealthy individuals who want tax shelters, and foreign governments.
Elected legislators have been performing to the behest of their owners to the point that the constituent population is finally aware of the betrayal. Sadly, they are completely unable to rectify the situation by ousting incumbents and electing competent leaders who will serve their interests because of the
Gordian knot of cultural and cognitive disagreement. This has been so well manipulated that people will no longer compromise. It's a function of a system in decline that there is no abundance on the horizon to motivate working together with the promise of something for everyone. Elites have used their advantage to plunder and increase their grip on the population, and let corruption increase its grip on them. They are the ones in control, and are not living up to any obligation to benefit the people.
A dissipated empire with "legitimate" voted in leadership must revert to a totalitarian state to hold itself together. We are manifesting this destiny. It's shaking out right now, starting with the peasant revolt of the rise of Trump. He's the only demagogue that everyone knows. Taking him as leader is like putting a chip on your shoulder and daring someone to knock it off. It's spoiling for a fight. Making matters worse, the other side has nominated an individual almost as bad; reviled and divisive. How is it that neither party of our two party system nominated someone qualified?
If either one is elected, the unraveling will begin. Future scenarios are beyond me. There is no way I could have predicted Trump. I just know that the emergence of a one party system is on the horizon.
What has followed this in history has been war. What is unprecedented at this point is a global politico-economic structure, weapons of mutual and assured destruction, and a severely compromised biosphere. The fragility of stability, and consequences of rupture can't be understated.
Ideology and euphoria, the vision of a brave new world will provide the optimism to drive the restructuring, but it will happen violently and all will suffer. Revolutions by the working class have never ever gone well for them. If they had the sophistication and unity to establish a new order that benefits them, they would have no need for a change in the first place. At least with a revolt, all, not just the rabble, are fucked.