"So What Shall It Be Folks? Republicrat or Demican?"

With the constant din of noise emanating from the various sources of what passes for “news” offered in the name of political discourse, it is easy for rather enlightening tidbits to drift by our sense of awareness, only to fade into the vast labyrinths of the nothingness into which it all flows. If we made even a serious attempt to listen to it all we would surely go stark raving mad. However, the sheer magnitude of all that is beamed into our unsuspecting senses does offer an opportunity for much of what we should know to simply pass unnoticed. All of that missed information accrues to the benefit of the very sources that prefer we not be aware of what is being communicated.

I was reminded of that phenomenon the other day as I was watching a news segment on the presidential race and the forthcoming presidential debates. The candidate for President of the Green Party was being interviewed. Suddenly, I was gripped by one of those “wow” moments when something registered that I had not been consciously aware of. For the first time, I heard that the only candidates permitted to participate in the Presidential Debates are those who are running for President from the Republican and Democratic Parties. All others are excluded. Frankly, that pissed me off. Who in the hell decided, on my behalf, that I was only to be privy to the positions of those seeking election to the Presidency from the two “major” political parties? If that isn’t an infringement on my right to know I don’t know what is! God forbid that one of those lesser candidates might just proffer a resolution to a problem or an issue that might be more beneficial to the broader spectrum of the population, at less cost, and that is more honest and effective than what might spill forth from the mouths of the two heavy-hitters in the debate. I cannot think of more fertile ground for that to occur than within the context of a healthy debate with ALL interests represented. From my perspective, that little twist of the rules is the most egregious and outrageous affront to the American people that could be perpetrated against those casting their vote for the highest office in the land. We have an inherent right to hear all sides of an issue, not just what a bunch of self-serving elites have deemed, in their infinite wisdom, that we SHOULD hear.

I have no idea from where this notion originated, but I rather suspect it was hatched in some backroom by those who want to control the process so it comes as close to an outright monopoly on information as is humanely possible. Think of how ecstatic the oligarchs, the plutocrats, the bankers, the military/industrial complex, the intelligence services, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the political establishment and big corporations in all their manifestations must be with this rather cozy arrangement. With only two points of view on every major issue before the nation, they surely take some satisfaction in knowing that, regardless of who gets elected to office, the outcome for their individual and collective greed and benefit will be something they can live with and from which they can prosper handsomely. After all, what better way of ensuring it all falls into place according to their greater plan for yet more wealth and less regulation at the expense of all those who labor in their service?

Just think, folks, of all we are about to savor. A stage properly set, with the most effective lighting, all created by the mainstream news media in order to elicit the greatest visual appeal from the millions of humanoids who are about to be snookered by bovine scatology, compliments of the “news media.” The anchors from each of the networks, immaculately coiffed, intoning their voices to elicit the greatest possible effect from their perceived individual and collective authority on any issue they are about to present to the candidates. Enough to intimidate the most aggressive among us, don’t you agree?

If we are to be limited to the joys of hearing from just two of the great political minds of our time, why do we need to rely on such discreet labels in order to clearly fix political affiliation and responsibility? Why bother with one being a Republican and the other being a Democrat? Let’s just amalgamate the two into one Republicrat and one Demican? After all, they both feed from the same largesse that buys their loyalties and owns their souls.

In all seriousness, this entire concept is just one more fraud foisted on the American people. If that isn’t treating us like a bunch of mushrooms, I don’t know what is. Incidentally, mushrooms are kept in the dark and fed bull shit. Sounds strangely familiar, don’t you think?

One of the clearest mandates by our Founding Fathers was that we should have a “free and unfettered press,” to serve as a watchdog on government for the people. Why and how that morphed into ABC (Disney), CBS (Westinghouse), NBC (General Electric), MSNBC (General Electric), and CNN (Time-Warner), is beyond me. If that lot of unsavory characters that dominate the electronic news media isn’t a closed system that takes very good care of the dictates and needs of the Corporate Capitalists, I don’t know what is.

I think the time has come for us to insist on the following as the first jump out of the chute toward an unambiguous form of democracy that will serve all the citizens rather than a select and very rich few:

• Get money out of politics.
• Require that all aspects of the news media be independently owned and operated, totally free of any outside investment or absentee ownership.
• Term limits for all elected officials.
• Expansion of and term limits for all Supreme Court Justices.
• No special salaries or perquisites for elected or appointed officials that are not in line with those accorded civil service employees.
• No secret meetings within government or with other governments, unless clearly deemed to be for national security purposes, and only with the approval of the leadership and rendering of a report of any such meetings to the leadership of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
• No military officer or former military officer will be permitted to serve as the head of any defense or intelligence agency. All must be under the leadership of civilian appointees.

Transparency must be the order of the day. Under no circumstances, will it be permitted for any Executive or Legislative Branch of government to engage in secret activities without the expressed knowledge and approval of the President and the leadership of the House and the Senate.

It is the sense of privilege and entitlement that has gotten us into this mess. It is those same notions of exclusivity that has reduced the average American to a second-class citizen. It is time to open the windows, let in the fresh air and restore this nation to its rightful owners – all the citizens of the United States of America. Privilege is the stuff of royalty. We did away with that a long time ago. Time to go back to our roots and regain the respect we once had for ourselves and all we represent to the world. We can do it again, but only at the ballot box and by taking a genuine interest in what goes on in our names, in government, commerce, education and all of the other foundations of a civilized society.

Get interested, get involved and, above all, VOTE!

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
July 19, 2012