The United States of America, has within the relatively short span of two years, sunk -- and continues to sink -- to its lowest idealistic, social, political, and economic level thus far in the 21st century. Some attach the blame for this solely to George W. Bush, some attach blame solely to Barack Obama, some to both, referring to Obama’s administration as the “third term of Wubbya.”); and while it is certainly accurate that they are (as this nation’s former and current chief executive) in very large measure responsible for this ongoing catastrophe and quagmire -- they are not alone in this responsibility. Their accomplices include the avaricious corporate Wall Street and military elite of this nation, politicos of both political parties, so-called ‘educational’ institutions, and the ever-willing corporate-stream media. Moreover, it was (and to some extent still is) many of we the people, who like sheep being herded to slaughter, allow[ed] ourselves to be mesmerized and duped by a cynically clever and articulate politician whose skin tone happens to be a shade or two darker than the other politicians to whom we had grown accustomed to and fed up with. So many -- so fervently -- wanted to believe in this Obama politician who (rhetorically at least) seemed to represent a fresh idealism, but who was and is utterly devoid of an actualized vision that uncompromisingly serves everyday people. So many wanted to believe, while so few were willing to critically think and question. Thus, today this nation has moved backwards to a future that is increasingly worse than its past.
While an estimated 450,000 home foreclosures occur nationally every month, joblessness continues to rise, U.S. foreign wars and/or occupations drag on and intensify, corporate hegemony, glut and greed have replaced even the semblance of an egalitarian ‘American’ democracy, political prisoners continue to languish in local, state and federal gulags while prison populations in general bulge at the seams, and the supposed constitutional rights of the people of this nation have been shredded and made essentially null and void, all in the name of combating the very “terroism” that the policies of this nation’s misleaders are constantly fanning, globally. Akin to Ralph Ellison’s ‘Invisible Man,’ the horrible pain, suffering, and legitimate needs and aspirations of everyday Black, White, Brown, Red and Yellow people collectively, are in fact invisible to the cynical and shrewd politicians of this land. Yes, as this nation draws close to the year 2011, it bears reiterating that ‘America’ has indeed moved backwards to a future that is increasingly worse than its past. However, it does not have to remain this way.
It is incumbent upon everyday people to remember that hope and idealism that is devoid of a clear actualized vision is mere fantasy. Nothing else. Moreover, it is also mere fantasy to succumb to the notion that fundamental change, that serves the interests of everyday people, can be brought about without overall systemic change.
It is time to dispense with -- and quickly -- self defeating liberal notions. For example, the election of Barack Obama as president is no more the culmination or fulfillment of the ongoing civil/human rights struggle in this country than was the installment of Clarence Thomas as a justice in the U.S. Supreme Court. We must dispense with these ridiculously dangerous and absurd liberal notions. Those so-called “changes” were merely cosmetic and represent no real or fundamental systemic change. Indeed, if anything, those said changes represent a psychological strengthening of the (Democratic and Republican) two-party dictatorship -- which is precisely the opposite of much-needed, fundamental systemic change. We must dispense with liberal notions, engage in critical thinking, and act accordingly. Otherwise, we will forever be at the mercy of these corporate, bloodsucking political parties and their slimy political puppets; finding ourselves as perpetual political ping-pong balls, supporting perpetual foreign wars at the behest of a greedy and amoral corporate / military elite, even as the quality of life for everyday people is steadily emaciated in this nation.
