©2016 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
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Justin and Barack Head to Head[/caption]
A Political Meltdown?
Really. Let us Cut to the chase: A meltdown. Turmoil. Is a political meltdown of North America in progress state by state? You decide. With political instability, fear, insecurity, anger, social unrest and cracks in once-trusted political and institutional glass towers, can rage and revolution be far behind? As Canadians we shake our heads in wonder at the U.S. primaries.
Gaps
Finding signs of a meltdown is usually not difficult. Major dissension fueled by racism, a stumbling economy and continuously-expanding historical gaps between the obscenely rich— and ordinary , average-Joe, hard-working people. Worth repeating, that would be the hard-working, fully-employed but still, inexplicably poor sector. Equally insatiable and obscene wealth vs. the reality of hard work and poverty in some cities is the status quo. Well, hello, reality.
Why would that be? You ask; the richest country on the globe touts the Great American Dream, supposedly offering "opportunity, prosperity and equality" to all? Does anyone any longer swallow as acceptable the status quo, hook, line and sinker, or do you prefer to face reality? Listen as the same lies are repeated over and over...
In simple observation, surely the same bad joke has been perpetrated for centuries upon slaves. How opportunity is defined may be one "explanation." After all, the "opportunity" to pick up garbage on night shift, deliver flyers, wait tables, or fry hamburgers part-time for two days a week is a far cry from the corporate elitist "opportunities " and others taken by monopolies to walk down Wall St. , gouging consumers ever more deeply for essential services like food, water, electricity, housing, real estate, resource exploitation, transportation, clothing, prescription drugs or medical care. Okay, we're tired, you name the rest.
The Unacknowledged Corporate Socialist-Welfare State
A historical, corporate socialist welfare state is self-evident with subsidies, corporate-written and corporate-enabled 'legislation', off-shore tax tax avoidance, unethical business practices, corporate gouging of consumers and unfettered exploitation of both cheap off-shore labour and natural resources without environmental responsibility all stir the pot. Are we getting the idea yet?
Opportunities for billionaires to outsource North American jobs for ever-greater corporate profits abound. The opportunity to import cheap, shoddy, substitute products has become standard and common practice after outsourcing local jobs. Bulging concentrations of wealth thereby grow in arrogant tax-free coffers of once-millionaires-but-now billionaires , who pride themselves in the shameless gouging of ever more profit from consumers and the government itself— at any cost.
Most notably, a nation-wide, skewed, single-minded view of reality reigns. Perhaps the observable meltdown is adequately demonstrated by the divisive politics evident in both the Democrat and American Republican parties. The 'Let's be-billionaire-politicians-at-any-price club' salts the wounds of American taxpayers in a predictably nasty current presidential race. The sad fact is, political nominations for candidates for the presidency are controlled and funded (at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars for each 'candidate' ) by corporate interests in the Land of the "Not quite free, Not very equal, and the exceptionally greedy".
Which is worse, an uninformed and ridiculous fear of the coming "Big Bern" threat exposing truth and upsetting the 2% apple cart, or the prospect of a completely unconventional protocol proposed by a nattering, brash and outspoken businessman-billionaire?
Enter Bernie Sanders. The melting pot is bubbling.
The challenge of the 'Big Bern' mounted by Bernie has been formidable; few would predict how successfully "Boogie-man socialist Bernie" Sanders has been snapping fiercely at reportedly untrustworthy Democrat Hillary Clinton's corporate-financed bid to go play White House. Realistically Hillary will do everything to satisfy corporate wallpaper-hangers on Wall St.
Reportedly Bernie, on the other hand, has raised campaign money from ordinary people (a dime at a time, or maybe a buck or two ) . Corporate interests, declared supporters of Hillary, are unhappy because Hillary and her old favourite Willie can lose. Why? Guess. Oops..that's not necessary. We will politely speculate it's always about money; corporate types are counting upon their eligibility for yet another giant slice of hog-trough American Dream Pie, which, as usual, will be doled out judiciously by either a new duly-elected Republican President , or Super-Pac-approved 'Billary'. Smack your lips, CEO's, Corporate Pie Day is coming soon. There's not much difference, is there? Go figure. "The taxpayer loses regardless" may be the usual outcome.
A bad economy— but "Welfare" is "Socialism"
—If the boogie man strikes. Sadly, many Americans shun Bernie because they traditionally and incorrectly equate honesty in government, reasonable, responsible, just, social policy, universal health care and welfare for the needy with "evil socialism" —and even call it Communism. Is that because of lack of understanding, or is it because Americans have been 'conditioned' to prefer not to display any weakness inferred by encouraging welfare for the needy, social responsibility, justice, protection of the weak and economic fairness which collectively interfere in the "survival of the fittest and greediest grab-all no-holds-barred " American Dream? You decide, I'm Canadian.
The Corporate Welfare State
The same Americans frightened to death by Bernie —arrogantly, and knowingly) contradict themselves , encouraging taxpayer bailouts of the private, financial sector and auto industries because "profit is good." With equal gusto, they nobly pay billions in profits into insurance companies for the outrageous, $800.00-per-aspirin corporate-run health care system, one of the greediest, silliest, worst and most ridiculously-expensive health care systems in the world. Remind us again how HMO profits and multi-million-dollar CEO bonuses reduce health care costs.
The status quo similarly ensures endless subsidies for the petroleum industry, —and allows friendly tax loopholes for the richest, off-shore tax havens and all, more mega-million dollar 'bonuses' for CEO's who, realistically are the same corporate traitors greedy individuals who endlessly and shamelessly exploit resources and outsource American—and btw...Canadian jobs.
The same willful arrogance has historically enabled a corporate-purchased political system --which historically assures the continuation of self-entitlement of corporate interests and ensures an elitist, socialist corporate welfare state.
With a few notable exceptions, rich, powerful and self-entitled hypocrites arrogantly whine about any and all forms of government social assistance, and social security and welfare, since those are 'scary boogie-man socialism' — including food stamps for the most desperate families, the homeless, and veterans.
Enter Trump: The Elephant in the Room
Turmoil and anger with a bogged-down, antiquated political system is amassing amazing support for Donald Trump, a hybrid "( an almost-Republican hated by many Republicans ) candidate, an outspoken, at times brash, apparently racist, hate-inducing, and controversial billionaire ideologue. Trump has instinctively and cleverly recognized opportunity in the divisive, foolish politics of failing governments and the Republican party, a meltdown of the system—and big-haired showman Donald certainly knows how t0 push the buttons of angry, disillusioned voters —leaving other Republican candidates typically-covered with presidential star-spangled mud-in-your-face. Everyman's pet elephant Trump " is not going to be removed from the room by Republicans easily,— if ever. He is gaining momentum and the lead in a very visceral, ugly race without honour.
At this date, Donald Trump can, and may very well WIN the Republican nomination and move on to win the Presidency of the United States of America. Unbelievable. Things are about to get a lot worse as Republican naysayers and conspirators do what they all do best--conspire —to defeat the Donald.
You're fired.
Loading up and heading for Canada, anyone? North of the Canadian border, recently-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "bright and sunny ways" may also be the biggest snow job (and biggest deficit) in Canadian history, or not. Perhaps the new P.M.K. (Prime Ministerial kid) will pull it off, take some more selfies, garner more attention from screaming young ladies than Justin Bieber, and expand the refugee system to include disillusioned, angry Americans. Justin may actually make a difference. How about this coup? He's already been off visiting Barack and Michelle at the White House for a steak dinner and ceremonial conflab. More selfies were taken at a truly- impressive party at the expense of trusty old taxpayers. O.P. (Old Pierre— his late daddy and an either hated or beloved master of political manipulation),(depending upon who you talk to) would have been proud.
Do tell.
Meanwhile back in Davey Crockett-land, with outgoing President Barack, tension mounts as the meltdown persists. Who will decorate the White House next is a sketchy bet at best, with big upsets in store. Which is it to be, let's see, a motif of severed elephant tails and leopard skins, adverts for a new Trump reality show, or the newest secret email wallpaper designed by Hillary?
Btw, all of you anti-Republicans, worrisome anti-Trump types, and anti-Hillary Yankees, —you may wish to line up at the Canadian border when the Big Bern picks up steam, —just in case. Bernie may offer his own distinctive wallpaper as he redesigns the U.S. of A.
Relax, we Canadians are sympathetic to the pain of American politics and polite to boot, we really are...and we have 6% beer and popcorn ready for the show too... eh? ...There, that ought to help... Keep watching.
Is that Incoming I hear?
Justin and Barack Head to Head[/caption]