Politically and culturally this baby boomer feels like the odd man out. Each day it compounds itself as no matter where I look is there any rational thinking. Perhaps I am related to Robert Heinlein’s main character in his 1961 novel ‘ Stranger in a Strange Land’, born on Earth and raised on Mars. Methinks perhaps Pluto or somewhere further out lends to my disposition. Bottom line: Tougher and tougher to take this **** anymore! One surmises that the late George Carlin ( who my buddy Mike refers to as ‘ God’) was really onto something.
Let’s leave the politics till later. Let’s take sports, something I have both played and watched with great enthusiasm and attention since childhood. As a sports fan I am ‘ Losing faith’ in the college and professional sports world. We have players in college that can transfer with no restrictions (it once was a one year sitting out period before becoming eligible), and can earn cash from personal endorsements. Of course, the top players get the Moola and are NOT required to share it with teammates. ‘ Money talks.’ Then we have the pro sports like football , baseball and basketball where almost EVERYONE playing is a mega millionaire. Actually, some of these mega millionaires are earning salaries anywhere from $25 million and up annually… plus extra endorsements from doing commercials. Of course, the owners of these teams are mostly in the Billionaire Class. Then we have the television networks who are ‘Shoveling in the Dineros’ from their sponsors, who then factor in these obscene charges into the prices we consumers pay for their products and services. Everybody makes out ( cable providers too ) except for Joe and Joan Q Public. Watching a football game and seeing the juvenile celebrating by grown men is disgusting! The dancing around, making like Superman flexing muscles or jumping/piling on each other like kids playing in the street sends the worst kind of message to America’s young folks.
When a cop overreacts to an unarmed ‘ Suspect’ and shoots him or her down, and is NOT indicted or convicted… what signal does it send to thousands of other cops nationwide? When Bush Junior and his ‘ handler’ Cheney illegally and immorally created the Iraq disgrace, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians and thousands of US military, all becomes forgiven by so many. Matter of fact, these two war criminals are looked upon as the ‘ Good Republicans’ when in comparison to the equally evil Donald and his party’s minions. The rock group Buffalo Springfield, in their 1967 hit song ‘For What It’s Worth’ said it best: ” Nobody’s right when everybody’s wrong!” Sorry, I promised no politics yet.
Truly, this writer can be looked upon by many of my neighbors under the age of 60 as just plain grumpy. Why not? I have no use for County Music or Heavy Metal, and equally dismiss Hip Hop and Rap. I don’t like seeing white males wearing baseball caps behind the wheel of pick-up trucks replete with Confederate flags and MAGA bumper stickers. When I see and hear young Afro American males speaking some type of Ebonics , with their pants hanging down from their rumps, it rubs me the wrong way. I don’t hate any of the aforementioned groups, they ALL have a right to represent themselves as they choose. Yet, like Heinlein’s character I am caught in this cultural squeeze.
Now we come to politics, or rather ‘ The lack of’. Again, I am caught in this squeeze between these two parties who take turns screwing up our country for the sake of the Super Rich. The Republicans succeed in continually playing the race card along with the gay card, and of course the Anti Socialist AKA Communist card ( imagine their nerve to portray the Democrats, equally attendant Empire stooges, as Socialists?). One can understand how very wealthy people would support the Republicans since they always historically have made it easier for the Super Rich to keep more of their money. Ironically, most of the electorate who vote for that column are usually folks with very little in way of wealth, sometimes even just downright low income. But, they are white and suckers for the propaganda of ‘ The niggers spics, rag heads and fags are making out on your tax dime.’ How sad. Then we have the Democrats, with a man who spent his entire political career serving the interests of the Military Industrial Empire. President Biden was pushed to the head of the line in 2020 by the movers and shakers of his party, with many voices whispering in his ear before they escorted him before the cameras… shades of Bush Junior. The Democrats, since perhaps FDR, do as little as possible for working stiffs economically, and play ‘ I’ll one up ya’ when it comes to foreign policy decisions… always on the side of rattling sabers. They continually join with the other party to keep spending over HALF of our federal taxes on the War Economy.
Finally, with the utter Neo Fascist mindset of the mainstream GOP, bordering on outright Nazism, a crowded elevator in midtown Manhattan cannot squeeze me more than this fact: The Empire got just what it wants. Any levelheaded progressive minded person has really no option but to continue to vote for the phony Democratic Party. Why? Well, read the history of the ascension of the Nazi Party in Weimar Germany, circa 1928-32. That republic had a multiparty system in place, but the Social Democrats and the Communist Party ( the two largest at the time) refused to form a coalition and stop the Nazis in their tracks. Here in our empire’s orchestrated Two Party con job, in order to stop this right wing madness perhaps Chomsky was correct: ” Hold your nose and vote for the Democrats.” Or else learn how to goose step!!
Philip A Farruggio is regular columnist on It’s the Empire… stupid website. He is also frequently posted on Nation of Change, Countercurrents., Smirking Chimp and Independent Australia sites. He is the son and grandson of Brooklyn NYC longshoremen and a graduate of Brooklyn College, class of 1974. Since the 2000 election debacle Philip has written over 400 columns on the Military Industrial Empire and other facets of life in an upside down America. He is also host of the ‘ It’s the Empire… Stupid ‘ radio show, co produced by Chuck Gregory. Philip can be reached at [email protected]