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Nothing to worry about. It will all blow over. Yes, I’m sure.
The world is siding into a recession that has no visible bottom. Globalism — the genius plan for exploiting the world’s poorest people to get cheap gadgets for the world’s richest people — has failed. Consumerism — the genius idea that if you just offer people cheap gadgets and credit cards they will keep spending forever and everything will be okay — has failed. Trickle-down economics — the theory that says all will be well so long as the very rich get very richer — has failed. Quantitative easing — the notion that if you create money from nothing and give it to large corporations so they can buy other large corporations, prosperity will ensue — has failed.
And worse than any of these things, Bernie Sanders is closer to the presidency of the United States than he has ever been.
Almost as bad, he is in a pack of candidates that includes Tulsi Gabbard, who is seriously advocating the end of the endless pointless war, and the dismantling of the Global Empire; and Elizabeth Warren who seems to think that financial exploitation of poor people is a crime; and Kamala Harris, who may or may not believe that poor people deserve health care insurance without anyone making a profit. And people are listening to them, and giving them money.
The American Oligarchy is close to panic. They are propping up the lunatic stock market with duct tape and super glue, they are frantically buying armored safe rooms for their houses and remote villas and islands where they can ride out Armageddon (as long as the power stays on and the Internet stays up). And they are spending anything it takes, applying every ounce of the awesome power they wield, to crush the rising voices that accuse them of what they’ve done, and promise to bring them to account.
That simply cannot happen. During the coming year, they will publish any slander, propagate any lie, encourage and if necessary finance any lawless violence, whip up any possible frenzy against people of other colors, religions and countries as the “real” enemies of the people, and in general bear any burden necessary to the survival of the oligarchy.
Unfortunately, when they were looking the other way, one of the dumbest oligarchs who ever inherited slipped into the White House and took over as their nominal leader. But to look on the bright side, while he is chasing his tail on TV, calling his opponents names and praising himself extravagantly, almost no one is watching, let alone talking or thinking about, the things that are spiraling out of control, crashing and burning, or just blowing away.
The Lyin’ King himself is afraid. You can see the large drops of sweat sliding out from under his welded hairdo as he desperately points us away from the impending storm: look over there, two congresscritters on a jaunt to Israel, chatter chatter; look, over there, I’m gonna buy Greenland; whadda ya think, am I a racist or not? Day after day, he rules the twitterverse and the punditocracy, but it gets harder every day and even his dim intellect is grasping the thought that there is reason to be afraid.
His polls are awful, the stock market is showing signs of tanking, the economy is slipping toward the ditch and the sharks are circling his tax returns. He might lose the next election, and if he loses, people are going to be coming to see him with handcuffs.
That must not happen. But it could. And so the fear rises, and the most powerful people on the planet are sweating their sheets at night worrying, and they are not going to go gently into that good night.
Which is why I’m afraid.
Why are you afraid of Bernie becoming president?
He’s not. He’s speaking from the perspective of those in control.
You’re right – it’s sarcasm, which I missed the first time I read it.
Good question. I’m going to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume its sarcasm. If not then very disappointing
Through the experience of modern industrial ‘civilization’ one can see how timely and pertinent the lesson of the story of Faust is. The Devil pays well in the short run, but the long run is now — and Mephistopheles is now knocking impatiently at the door.
It’s interesting that there are two major versions of the Faust legend: one by Marlowe, in which the hero gets dragged to Hell towards the end, and one by Goethe, in which the hero is finally saved and goes to Heaven. One wonders which version will portray with greater fidelity our current collective plight.
“… almost no one is watching, let alone talking or thinking about, the things that are spiraling out of control, crashing and burning, or just blowing away.”
That definitely holds true in my neck of the woods. Excellent piece Tom.
Sums it up simply and fearfully I am afraid Tom. What concerns me more is that the POTUS is in thrall of through probably indifference and fear himself of the cabal of delusional fundamentalist revelationists he has all with their fingers and work it seems to bring about Armageddon (have a look at a map for its purported location and shake) and their place in heaven. Like all delusions it will prove empty but then again, humans might get a clean slate to work with from then on. The whole thing is spiralling into a place we have never been before and actually do not want to be.
Aside from Epstein coverage, most of the videos in my Youtube feed were either about the coming recession or climate crisis. It’s not as though people have no warning, but no candidate will talk about them honestly. It’s likely the Dems will inherit another Great Recession as Obama did, and be equally effective in dealing with it. This time, add in major climate problems.
So probably, the Green New Deal will pick up support because nobody has a better idea (except war, of course – never count that one out). This may boost certain economic sectors, until China shuts off the supply of solar panels and rare earths. Back to windmills and cold frames we go.
I’m a life-long Democrat with solid liberal credentials – I worked on the McGovern campaign way back when. But the Dems lost me when they all raised their hands when asked about providing free medical care for illegal immigrants – hell, I don’t even enjoy that privilege! And what’s with the endless apologies?
The campaigns of the Democratic candidates seem to revolve around a combination of fear of various splinter constituencies, and resentment of white male heterosexuals.
Verily I say unto you, if it is to succeed, the Democratic campaign must be made of sterner stuff!
“The campaigns of the Democratic candidates seem to revolve around a combination of fear of various splinter constituencies, and resentment of white male heterosexuals. ”
Yes that well-known straight white male resentment of giving “illegal” immigrants citizenship and access to healthcare!
If the avg suburban boomer thinks like you the Dems should just call it a day and rename themselves the Corporate Autocracy PR Wing.
Two points:
(1) As an adult, I have NEVER lived in a suburb. For the last 55 years, I’ve resided in ‘urban homesteader’ neighborhoods in some fairly rough settings – and enjoyed the hell out of it!
(2) I have nothing against granting citizenship status to immigrants. I only ask that they follow the procedure set up to facilitate same. American immigration laws are, after all, reasonably liberal by world standards. After an individual is granted US citizenship, he can fight the good fight for decent medical care along with the rest of us.
Yes, I think they are very afraid their strategies for eliminating the majority of the human population could well backfire, as fires are known to do sometimes. However, most of them have probably calculated that the greater danger is inaction. The oligarchs as a class are men of action; they did not get to their positions of power by following someone else. They do, and things happen. So, they make plans and execute them. They would be in the best position to evaluate their chances for surviving. If you were in their shoes, would you try a somewhat controlled burn to eliminate the excess now, or take your chances that a population of, say double today’s figure would be easier to manage in the near future?
I want to see Trump go, but a Democrat POTUS likely has to contend with a recession in 2020 that may well spiral into full-blown depression in 2021.
How would she or he take on the combined might of US finance capital or eviscerate the Pentagon when these things are organically bound up with the functioning of industrial civilisation?
All I know is that any genuine reform of the current global order has to be *far* more radical than anything being seriously discussed at present.
“…genuine reform of the current global order has to be *far* more radical than anything being seriously discussed…”
Cheer up, radical reform of the “system,” world wide, is already baked into the cake. I’ve been saying for nigh-on 2 decades that there are WTMSP and there is only 1 way it ends. Thus, Ron White will be proven wrong when he claimed, “You can’t fix stupid.” However, the “fix” won’t bring ANY joy to Mudville… or anywhere else and that fix is much, much closer and “far more radical” than most suspect.
What is “WTMSP”?
Here’s a clue that only scratches the surface!
The Lyin’ King! I love it! As a Pete person, I have to agree, “we don’t have much time.”
Lots to be afraid of, no doubt. However, the discussion here mistakenly approaches these matters as a political problem when they’re more civilizational and sadly inherent in human nature, if not nature and life in general. Comparisons with yeast come to mind. Humans have done a lot of damage to the biosphere over the past 5K+ years, but it wasn’t until we discovered fossil fuels and sparked industrial civilization roughly 250 years ago that we became planet killers. Some recognize that and believe they can outlast the masses to be king(s) of the shitpile. I think all bets are off once collapse begins in earnest.
Look out kid it something you did, don’t know when but you’re doin it again. Dylan
Thank you Mr. Lewis, man you got a set!!
An example of one of those stories of looming catastrophe that are being blithely ignored by the mainstream: Wildfires are burning around the world, and the most alarming one is in the Amazon rainforest
From personal experience I am going to put in a good word for “Globalism”, at least how it started. The late 60’s and early 70’s: there were concerns about the growing power of multinational corporations–Muller, Richard Barnet, William Greider, etc. Transnational actors meant inter-coutry manipulation by large companies. I interviewed at IPS and I worked for a DC think tank called ODC with Ted Hesburgh, Jim Grant, and David Rockefeller on the Board and the objective was assisting developing countries with well conceived education, health care, and women empowerment projects. We were NOT economic hit men. International trade was only 10% of US economy at that time and Globalism meant not just AID handed out to countries(corrupt dictators) but country investments that would improve p/c income in poor countries. We were hopeful of including poor countries in the international trading system with supportive trade arrangements-not outsourcing US jobs. The objective was finding the BEST way to help poor countries–not exploit them. If the poorest 4th world countries could increase education, life expectancy, and lower infant mortality, then poverty and population pressures might be relieved. If the power of multinational companies twisted this effort into a self serving improvement to their own bottom line it was not due to government and NGO’s trying to “help”. But if it is claimed that these WorldWatch style investments in NGO’s and State Dept assistance were just cover for exploitation then I can testify that I never heard a peep about it. I sat at the table with David Rockefeller for our annual board meeting in 1977 and the focus was on effectiveness of our efforts in persuading Congress to devote more resources to true development assistance. As for the result–I will plead naivete and I quit in 1980 to pursue a healthcare career.
Yes, a lot of us thought we were going to make a better world in the 1970s. We were rolled like a cheap rug, weren’t we.