It never fails to amaze me. As I watch now, in real time, how the U.S. in engaged in government destabilization campaigns in Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria (The C.I.A. has been involved in that conflict for quite some tine now), and to some extent, Russia (by proxy), just to name a few, all of it happening in the aftermath of over a decade of wars of choice (in Iraq, and Afghanistan) which mainly served as a vehicle to transfer hundreds of billions of dollars to military contractors and war profiteers, at the expense of the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, these forces behind it all seem be more unassailable than ever.
And not only that, after several decades of plying their trade propping brutal dictatorships the world over, and becoming very adept at establishing Banana Republics (in Latin America), these (predatory) folks are now in the process of turning the U.S. into one.
And it is all happening in such lock-step fashion, so organized, predictable. By now we should all be familiar with the plutocrat's script: Buy off the politicians and task them with pushing their policies (union busting, undermining of the commons in favor of private gain, consolidation of corporate power); buy off the media to use it as a propaganda machine (to keep people confused and docile); buy off the security/surveillance apparatus to suppress dissent.
The consequences are predictable, of course... Stagnant (or diminishing) wages; more poverty and homelessness; fast-spreading ignorance as the result of propaganda and the undermining of public education; environmental destruction.
As always, nobody can describe the state of affairs at any given moment as we descend into corporate state totalitarianism, better than Chris Hedges: "Our Sinister Dual State"
We live in what the German political scientist Ernst Fraenkel called “the dual state.” Totalitarian states are always dual states. In the dual state civil liberties are abolished in the name of national security. The political sphere becomes a vacuum “as far as the law is concerned,” Fraenkel wrote. There is no legal check on power. Official bodies operate with impunity outside the law. In the dual state the government can convict citizens on secret evidence in secret courts. It can strip citizens of due process and detain, torture or assassinate them, serving as judge, jury and executioner. It rules according to its own arbitrary whims and prerogatives. The outward forms of democratic participation—voting, competing political parties, judicial oversight and legislation—are hollow, political stagecraft. Fraenkel called those who wield this unchecked power over the citizenry “the prerogative state.”
The masses in a totalitarian structure live in what Fraenkel termed “the normative state.” The normative state, he said, is defenseless against the abuses of the prerogative state. Citizens are subjected to draconian laws and regulations, as well as arbitrary searches and arrests. The police and internal security are omnipotent. The internal workings of power are secret. Free expression and opposition political activity are pushed to the fringes of society or shut down. Those who challenge the abuses of power by the prerogative state, those who, like Snowden, expose the crimes carried out by government, are made into criminals. Totalitarian states always invert the moral order. It is the wicked who rule. It is the just who are damned.
[The emphasis is mine]
But the weird thing is that this is all happening (pretty much) in the open, but as the late George Carlin said in one of his comedic routines, "nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care."
Well, yes, there are many have noticed and do care about this situation. But, is it enough?
We need to take action against the "prerogative state," within the "dual state." That means deconstructing exactly how the shadow government operates: Who are the individuals and organizations controlling the politicians? Where do they get their power from? How can they be by-passed, undermined, defunded?
What actions can we take as individuals, every day, to purposely undermine the corporate state, while propping up democracy, and alternative systems (work, food, housing, education, business)?
Anyways, I'm glad to see that there are indeed many people thinking along those lines... Here are some ideas:
- Wall Street Criminal Racketeering Cartel: Grassroots campaigns against Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and other criminal banks. This could involve ongoing protests, posters, flyers, social media campaigns.
- Boycotts: This is important when it comes to defunding the corporate state. If we know an individual or business organization is actively working against the interests of the people, then it makes sense not to give them our money. So for those who are able to, it would make sense not to support big-box (anti-union) retailers like Walmart, or products related to the Koch Brothers, and instead take active steps to support locally-owned businesses and organizations that promote democratic (with a small d) values, ethics, and fairness.
- Counter-propaganda: The American mainstream media is a monstrous, mind-numbing propaganda machine that uses the most advanced (mass control/psychology) techniques the world has ever known. We need to be fully aware of it, and take steps to counter its effects.
You can take a number of steps against the corporate state (including small steps)...
Here's what I did tonight:
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Democracy Now! is celebrating their 18th year anniversary. I consider my $10 donation money well-spent in support of real journalism. I will also donate $10 to Daily Kos... Yes, there are tough issues here between factions (corporate Democrats vs. Progressives, and all that), but I do spend a lot of time reading really good diaries and interacting with very smart and dedicated people.
Other little things I'm doing include: Stopped patronizing Starbucks (unless I absolutely have to), stopped drinking Coke (and Pepsi). I don't patronize McDonald's, or any of the other main fast food restaurants. Now, every time I'm going to purchase something, I think very deliberately about whether I can by-pass corporations (that support anti-workers and anti-democratic policies).
And one of the most important things I've done is stopped watching cable news (including MSNBC), unless I'm doing research about propaganda. I don't watch ABC, NBC, CBS, and I recently stopped watching PBS or listening to NPR, as they've been putting out more and more pablum and misinformation (in between their good stuff).
I also go to as many protest rallies as I can, and I encourage people to do the same. I also try to be as charitable as possible (within my means).
Anyways, that's just me. That's the way I'm choosing to act against "the machine."
Let's brainstorm... Are you purposely taking some action (even if small) against the corporate state? Which companies do you think deserve to be boycotted, and why?
Share your ideas. Check out PopularResistance.org and Wave of Action to learn about what people are doing to rise in opposition of the corporate state, and to help develop alternative systems (and paradigms).
UPDATE: FRI FEB 21, 2014 AT 08:00 AM PST
I keep thinking that "people on the Left" already know that the U.S. (corporate) mainstream media is a mind-numbing propaganda machine and that one does great damage to cognition when one is exposed to it. But it seems that the "memo" hasn't reached all "people on the Left" yet, and there are still folks whose opinions are still being shaped by the likes of MSNBC, or the other corporate propaganda channels. That's why it didn't occurred to me that stating that the U.S. was involved in a destabilization campaign in Ukraine and Venezuela would be considered "extraordinary claims." But, but that as it may, here's the reference:
Democracy Now!:
A New Cold War? Ukraine Violence Escalates, Leaked Tape Suggests U.S. Was Plotting Coup
Venezuelan Protests: Another Attempt by U.S.-Backed Right-Wing Groups to Oust Elected Government?