Evolution of Consciousness

Chris Hedges on the current state of things: “Ralph Nader Is Tired of Running for President.”

Sirota and Krugman reflect on the 2010 election…

1. “From Uprising to Hostile Takeover … and Back Again“
2. “The Focus Hocus-Pocus“

Well, it was good to see a general rejection of the ever-disappointing Corp-ocrats, but frustrating to see the gains go to the reliably-regressive Corp-icans.

Until Americans find the faith and courage to start voting for the third party candidates that better represent their real views and interests, we will all continue to suffer under the oppressive polarity of this corporate duopoly. Right now, it’s basically the coin flip from Hell: elephants they win, donkeys we lose.

One other thing to remember about yesterday’s results: this is what “democracy” looks like after the Supreme Court removes all spending restraints on political campaigns (Citizens United). I read somewhere that all the new money pouring in went toward Republicans seven to one. Voters are going to have to learn how to ignore political advertising and think for themselves.

Here’s a few good articles to help sort through yesterday’s rubble…

1. “Pundit Sloth: Blaming the Left” by Glenn Greenwald
2. “America the Clueless” by Alexander Cockburn
3. “Y’all Got Spanked” by Trish Kahle

Pornography can be difficult to define, but as Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously stated in his 1964 decision, “I know it when I see it.”

The campaign flyers of Congressman Mike Thompson pass the test. If your mailbox is like mine, we’ve been carpet-bombed with the stuff lately. There’s a photo of Mike in a classroom, clicking a mouse to fix education; wearing a vest, outside, to save the environment; taking scissors to a credit card to balance the budget; donning a hardhat to resuscitate industry (it’s amazing how hackneyed these political poses have become — if governing involved nothing more than set design, we’d be in great shape). By the time his I-support-the-troops circular arrived I found myself anticipating scenes of Mikey throwing himself on a live grenade or holding up the severed head of bin Laden.

Mike Thompson isn’t saving or fixing anything. He’s an entrenched politician of the worst kind, an errand boy for the ruling class, a self-described Blue Dog who gets “fiscally responsible” whenever some public benefit like healthcare or education gets discussed, but has no problem with the astronomical costs of all the excess weaponry and warring this country propagates on the planet. All you need to know about Mike is that he voted to condemn the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, a commendable effort to investigate Israeli warcrimes. This, to me, is real obscenity.

It is an embarrassment that Mike Thompson has been our congressman the past dozen years. Contrast that bland ignominy with Mendocino County passing the nation’s first complete ban on GMOs in 2004, something to truly be proud of. So here’s a voting tip for next week: just think of Mike Thompson as a genetically modified organism, long pickled in a foul brine of alcohol and corruption, something to be avoided.

The sad fact is, barring a miracle of the first magnitude (something akin to Mother Theresa rising from the dead to slap the glass of chardonnay from Mike’s mitt), he’s going to be re-elected. California’s First Congressional District is gerrymandered for Democratic dominance, such that the Republicans don’t even really try. There is no Regressive challenging Mike in the polls, so there is no lesser-of-two-evils dilemma here. Simply put, Thompson doesn’t “need” your vote.

The Press Democrat did a good job of presenting the candidates’ statements online. Read through them, it’s quite illuminating and quickly becomes clear that Carol Wolman is the only one anchored in reality. Mediocre middle managers like Mike Thompson are driving this country into a wall. Fox News Kool-Aid drinkers, like Hanks and Rodrigues, suggest jumping off a cliff instead. Neither option is desirable. We need to stop, take a breath, and go in an entirely new direction. A sensible direction. A humane direction. Carol Wolman understands that. Let’s start sending people like Carol to the Hill instead.

“Do Not Pity the Democrats,” by Chris Hedges, looks at ways to address the deep problems we have in this country.