We've been tricked (again). - Democratic Underground

branders seine

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Sat Oct-31-09 12:15 PM
Original message

We've been tricked (again).

Edited on Sat Oct-31-09 12:19 PM by branders seine

Last Halloween, many of us were working, giving our blood, sweat and tears to get the current Democratic domination of the House, the Senate and the White House. Barely less than a year ago, we voted en masse for change--real change--change we believed in. And we finally overcame the republican tricks and got the biggest treat of the last 30 years--victory. Sweeping victory. A real mandate. For the first time in 30 years, we had our once-in-a-generation opportunity to mold the future of this country in a positive way. We gave our all. For what?

We bought and paid for the full seven-course meal. What they are giving us is a moldy half-eaten Big Mac they scavenged from a dumpster. Better than starving, you say? Don't dare complain, because they and their blogosphere sock puppets will accuse you of being an idealistic ingrate.

Banks and Wall Street speculators are more out of control than ever, rewarding themselves lavishly on our money and our chilren's and grandchildren's money, all the while (as Michael Moore said) relentlessly making the world worse with every second they work. There has been no substantive regulation of banks or speculators, no change in bushian tax policy, and Goldman Sachs continues to own our Treasury. Obama relinquished any leadership role in this arena the day he chose Larry Summers to be part of his team.

We are getting no real health care reform. That should be clear by now to everyone with one working brain cell. As warned here again and again, we are getting the least possible re-arrangement of doomed deck chairs that the politicians can pretend is "reform." Obama, as soon as he killed single payer back back in February, relinquished any leadership role on this issue. Congress, with a scant handful of exceptions, is openly owned by the insurance lobby, so the outcome was inevitable I suppose.

We still occupy Iraq, and now seem destined to escalate our occupation of Vietghanistan. Obama looks good and noble and humble while somberly saluting on the tarmac at Dover, but Petraeus and his boy McChrystal, not Obama, are leading this agenda.

The "recovery" is a falsely optimistic measure of a temporary re-inflation of the phony Wall Street bubble of the last eight years. It won't last. Unemployment--even the grossly understated government propaganda number--shows zero sign of improving. Middle class jobs are gone, and they aren't coming back. Ever. The disparity between the haves and the have-nots widens with every passing second. The job-creation statistics from the paltry "stimulus" have been shown to be wildly exaggerated. Those of us who aren't already soon will be peasants in the largest third-world country since the collapsing Soviet Union.

But let's look on the bright side! The Obamas are beautiful. UFC is free on cable. We still have Dancing with the Stars, the Daily Show and Democratic Underground. KO and Rachel give 'em hell five nights a week. Woo hoo!

The politicians have carried out a fine masquerade, putting on a spirited school play, complete with demagogic (if over-acted) monologues, hyped-up psuedo-drama, and well-designed disguises. But the season of pretending now draws to a close, the masks come off, and we find that our trick or treat bag is empty. Except for that moldy bit of Big Mac. Happy fucking Halloween.