A political rant

This morning I got another email from a Democratic group outraged at what Republicans are doing. I unsubscribed, saying:

Democrats no longer stand for anything different than Republicans--results in Congress show that both bow to big corporations. All the shouting and bluster between the parties is, in the end, a smoke screen to hide the fact that democracy no longer exists in America (if it ever did). Participating in such a corrupt process is a waste of precious energy best spent in taking local actions to address how to survive when the nation takes its final plunge toward economic collapse.

I used to be active in the Democratic party, attending caucuses and pushing for changes to make the leadership in this country more responsive to the needs and priorities of living, breathing human beings and the planet we live on instead of big corporations and the military. I believed I could make a difference.

That began to change in 2000 when the country was held hostage to a radical agenda and blatently sold lock, stock, and barrel to the wealthy and to powerful corporate interests. These interests controlled the halls of power and wrote the code for voting machines to ensure that no one could get in office who wasn't pre-approved by the ruling "elite."

The outrages piled up as the country I grew up in changed in unrecognizeable, horrific ways. It embraced torture, effectively eliminated the Constitutional right to a fair trial, began illegal and immoral wars for oil, crushed the middle class by rewarding corporate thieves, got hyped up on fear, and mocked actions that might have saved our children from the worst of climate change. The nation became ugly, coarse, and arrogant, making civil discourse and true progress toward common goals impossible. Just as the powerful intended, we became demoralized and unable to band together to confront social, economic, and political issues. Numb, we embraced passivity.

The political corruption continues with President Obama. Elected by a country desperate to change direction and roll back previous outrages, in nearly every instance he continues the policies of his predecessor. My conclusion is that change is not coming from the political sector--it has to come from each of us working where we are, on the local level. To continue to participate in a rigged system to create change is a waste of vital life force.

Fortunately there is a solution coming, though it will be wrenching and painful for all of us. From the information I've seen, the economy will take its next plunge toward total collapse within the next year and the corrupt political and economic structures are going to implode along with it. We'll be able to start anew, from the ground up. If there is any hope in this situation, this is it.