Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wall Street Kicks Main Street's Ass, Courtesy of Madison Avenue

Last month, Americans were furious that Congress was handing Wall Street $700 billion of future American earnings.

Yesterday, a record turnout of Americans voted for one of the two candidates that had voted for the bailout. 99% of all votes went to Barack Obama or John McCain.

Unbelievable. How did this happen? Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney combined didn't add up to a million voters. How can so many people be so deluded? More people voted for an American theocracy than voted for the Green Party's key values of peace, justice, grassroots democracy and enviromental wisdom.

I canvassed for the Green Party, but not as much as I should have. Although, what's the point? Every Obama voter I talked to seemed to believe that he was for peace and the common man. And I live in Illinois! Clearly, people are not paying attention! Don't confuse Americans with the facts, man, they prefer to believe that Barack Obama will bring peace, prosperity, lollipops and roses.

Naomi Klein talks about advanced capitalism and its promotion of brands. No need for facts or logic or persuasion . Just flash the brand and people bond with it. A slogan "Change you can believe in" that 52% of the country placed their hopes and dreams in and 48% their fears. Less than 1% of us were skeptical enough to point out that the phrase was meaningless, a blank slate that consumers, er, voters, could fill out as these pleased. And then there is "Yes, we can". Am I the only one who remembers those Mobil advertisements - "Do people care? Yes, people do!" (The things that people "cared about" rotated, but they were always worthwhile, much like the things inspiring the "Yes, we can" chanting).

The packaging of this candidate was flawless. We are so far along the road of mindless stimulus/response to empty phrases that 99% of our voting population falls for it. And there were fewer abstainers this election than usual.

So we have people swooning in Grant Park, certain that we have opened the door to a better life. I'm listening to community radio, and the DJs are celebrating the victory as if peace is just around the corner. This for the candidate that promises to send more troops to Afghanistan, where the troops already there just attacked yet another wedding party, killing 90 people. The candidate whose running mate openly called for ethnic cleansing in Iraq, to divide it into three parts. Both candidates threaten Russia.

I'm depressed.

3 comments:

Flimsy Sanity said...

The whole world seems to be rejoicing. I really think it is more a relief that Bush or McCain will not be blowing up the world anytime soon.

I am hoping for the Pygmalion effect - if you tell someone they are great, they may just rise to the occasion.

wagelaborer said...

I get the happiness. Obama is intelligent, well spoken, and seems to be even tempered. Right there he's better than Bush or McCain.
If you don't look at his voting record, you can be persauded that he is going to be a big improvement. If you do, you know that he has gone along with the imperial project without exception.
Less than a million people looked at his record?
I'm depressed.
But thanks for the words of encouragement.

ryk said...

But, but, didn't you hear the righties screaming? He's the most liberal, socialist candidate ever!