Soul of America?

The return to a feudal society is fast on the way in the United States.

My acupuncturist (being provided by the VA) and I talked about this very thing today.  He has young children and is worried about the future.  Most people know the score but want to blame others (immigrants, people of color, etc) which reminds me that the oligarchy remains successful pitting us one against the other.

One thing that gripes me is how partisan much of the 'resistance' appears to be.  Currently here in Maine we've heard strong outrage from liberals against our Republican Sen. Susan Collins for supporting Trump's tax bill giveaway to the rich.  It's devastating and people ought to be angry.

But the interesting thing in my own community is that many of these same outraged grassroots Democrats are finding it hard to speak out publicly to their own local party leaders who are the ones that will introduce the $60 million corporate welfare giveaway to General Dynamics (GD) which owns the Bath Iron Works shipyard.

While they may privately grouse about the bill (to be introduced in the next legislative session in Augusta in January) few, if any, of the local Democratic party loyalists are willing to Collins-ize their leaders.  It's really very sad to watch.

I consider it hypocrisy and I can very well imagine stalwart Republicans calling out liberals for such behavior.  I'm afraid that I wouldn't disagree with the right-wingers on this one.

Do you oppose corporate welfare only when it is done in Washington by a Republican administration and Congress?  In our own hometown of Bath we witness a well-endowed weapons maker (5th largest in the world) be able to neutralize opposition by getting our local Democratic Party state representative and senator to be primary co-sponsors of the tax subsidy bill.  It freezes grassroots 'progressives' and local Republicans will mostly support the bill.  Great strategy.

This is a key reason that I've lost faith in political 'parties' anymore because eventually they get frozen by the contradictions of the sausage making process inside the so-called 'people's assemblies'.

I think you can only escape being a captive of any party by maintaining your independence of will and thought.  Without freedom of action then judgment, truth, and accountability suffer badly. You can't be a true citizen unless you are able to publicly challenge all the political leadership - no matter their party affiliation.

The American political experiment is over - we've been hijacked by the big corporate masters like GD.  They have undue influence (they are helping to write the tax subsidy bill being drafted by Rep. Jennifer DeChant from Bath) and unless stopped we will see even greater erosion of democracy and social stability.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for the Dems - it's time to fish or cut bait.

Bruce