Freedom
Rider: Democracy is Dead, Its Movement Time (Part 1)
by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret
Kimberley
"The only
hope for America is mass dissent."
The American people are utterly alone and completely
defenseless from the power of an increasingly authoritarian state. The Bush
administration "accidentally" flies nuclear warheads over our cities, seizes
American citizens as enemy combatants who can be tortured and held
indefinitely, and issues orders to seize
assets for "undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and
political reform in Iraq." All of these acts have taken place with the
acquiescence of the Democratic party and the national corporate media.
George Bush has historically low approval ratings and
controls neither house of Congress, yet he is now in a stronger position than
he was just one year ago. His seemingly strange political success should not
come as a surprise. Democracy is dead and gone.
Even progressive pundits and activists are loath to admit
that we have crossed the point of no return. To their credit, they search for
ways to make the Democratic party accountable to voters. They rail and rant
about every traitorous act committed by the American establishment that is
throwing democracy to the winds. Yet in thinking that the Democratic party can
be moved to behave appropriately they too are complicit in ending what is left
of the republic.
"Believing that the Democratic party will act in a
different manner than it has been is truly delusional."
Denial is not a river in Egypt, it is a toxic and dangerous
force, leading to delusional and illogical behavior. Believing that the
Democratic party will act in a different manner than it has been is truly
delusional. The political process has done nothing but abandon the American
people to terror committed by their government.
The only hope for America is mass dissent. Democrats have
shown their hand. They will do nothing but wait out the clock in the hopes of
getting Hillary Clinton elected president in November 2008. During that time,
the U.S. will continue to kill Iraqis and will have begun the process of
killing Iranians. Hillary Clinton will have helped commit those atrocities. It
is insanity to use her presidency as a political tactic against the Bushites.
Not only is November 2008 too late to stop atrocities in
the making, but it is clear that even if they are successful, the Democrats
will do nothing to turn back the Bush tide. Will they undo the Patriot Act,
violations of FISA rules that allowed spying on Americans, or the Military
Commissions Act? Will they rebuild New Orleans or empty the jails of
non-violent offenders? Recent history proves that they will not. Once the
second Clinton presidency is it hand, we will be told to shut up and sit down.
We will be told to rejoice that a Democrat is appointing federal judges, and
ignore the fact that Guantanamo still holds political prisoners known as enemy
combatants.
"Once the second Clinton presidency is it hand, we will
be told to shut up and sit down."
Every major change that took place in the United States came
about because of popular demands. However, the odds of successfully mobilizing
21st century Americans are not good. As Chris Floyd writes
in Empire Burlesque:
"Dissidents will be marginalized - usually by "the
people" themselves. Deprived of historical knowledge by an impoverished
educational system designed to produce complacent consumers, not thoughtful
citizens, and left ignorant of current events by a media devoted solely to
profit, many will internalize the force-fed values of the ruling elite, and act
accordingly. There will be little need for overt methods of control."
The first step in activating those people who are willing to
act is to first tell them the bitter truth. Cooperation with the system,
including the Democratic party, is a recipe for continued warfare, loss of
civil liberties and increased corporate power.
It makes no sense to beg John Conyers to begin an
impeachment investigation. The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee knows
that the constitution demands it. Like every other politician he understands
but one thing, the loss of his job. Conyers must face a challenge when he runs
for re-election next year and he must not be alone.
"The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee knows that
the constitution demands it."
He should be joined by the Democratic politicians in
Washington state who scuttled a state legislator's plan to introduce an
impeachment resolution. Congressmen Jim McDermott and Jay Inslee (*link
Washington) need to join Conyers on the unemployment line and
Washingtonian progressives should commit themselves to making that happen. If
they don't, they can look forward to more inaction as the Bush crimes grow
worse and worse.
Perhaps Democracy has had only a near death experience.
Heroic efforts may bring the patient back to life, but that can only happen if
the doctors, the people, acknowledge that it has flat lined. The call for help
is being made much too late, but late is better than never.
Margaret Kimberley's
Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York
City, and can be reached via e-Mail at
Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com. Ms. Kimberley' maintains an
edifying and frequently updated blog at freedomrider.blogspot.com.
More of her work is also available at her Black Agenda Report archive page.
The kafala system allows residents to bring workers into Lebanon, where they are often abused and overworked with no recourse to protection under labor laws.
Nigerian scholar Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s speech upon acceptance of the African Studies Association’s Distinguished Africanist Award offers an important reminder of the role of racist and sexist hie
The current crisis in Ukraine had its beginnings in 2014, when the U.S. allied itself with right wing, white supremacist forces to overthrow an elected government.
U.S. accusations of human rights abuses elsewhere ring hollow.
A KPFA reporter experienced violent encounters with police in Antioch, California and advocates on behalf of others.
