Comments on: The Democratic Party and the Infantile Omnipotence of The Ruling Class http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:33 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Useless http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-2328 Useless Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:28:43 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-2328 Pulling plugs on democrats? Wishing for mass suicide on national TV? Such negativity... After all, who cares about these 'elites'? Let them choke on their used string collections... I'm afraid change comes from the bottom up, my friend... Rebuild it, first, within our own communities... Perhaps the 'elites' would not be neccessary if we could take care of our own... And if you are truely righteous, then lead, my friend... Because if there was ever a problem with our beautiful nation, it is the lack thereof... Where are our leaders?... Undermined by the brazen 'Elites'? Conspired against by the their underlings? I fear not... I fear there are none... None true to their word. None truely selfless enough, with a vision broad enough, a heart strong enough or the gut needed to make the sacrifices for the greater good... Or perhaps the environment through which such people are created truely has been irraticated through the 'evolution' of man... Either way, be that man and stop the incessant bitching... Forget the democrates, forget the republican... As far as I can see, they've already forgotten us... Pulling plugs on democrats? Wishing for mass suicide on national TV? Such negativity… After all, who cares about these ‘elites’? Let them choke on their used string collections… I’m afraid change comes from the bottom up, my friend… Rebuild it, first, within our own communities… Perhaps the ‘elites’ would not be neccessary if we could take care of our own… And if you are truely righteous, then lead, my friend… Because if there was ever a problem with our beautiful nation, it is the lack thereof… Where are our leaders?… Undermined by the brazen ‘Elites’? Conspired against by the their underlings? I fear not… I fear there are none… None true to their word. None truely selfless enough, with a vision broad enough, a heart strong enough or the gut needed to make the sacrifices for the greater good… Or perhaps the environment through which such people are created truely has been irraticated through the ‘evolution’ of man… Either way, be that man and stop the incessant bitching… Forget the democrates, forget the republican… As far as I can see, they’ve already forgotten us…

]]> By: rockpicker http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-2050 rockpicker Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:08:02 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-2050 I'm 1oo% in agreement with you Phil. Both parties have now proven themselves irrelevant to the masses. Their single-digit salute of arrogance will surely close into the fist of tyranny if we continue to ignore this abuse. I say let the Dems and the Repubs hang together. Or hang them seperately! Until we break the iron grip of the Corporate State, we are really little more than consumer market share and cannon fodder. I’m 1oo% in agreement with you Phil. Both parties have now proven themselves irrelevant to the masses. Their single-digit salute of arrogance will surely close into the fist of tyranny if we continue to ignore this abuse.

I say let the Dems and the Repubs hang together. Or hang them seperately!

Until we break the iron grip of the Corporate State, we are really little more than consumer market share and cannon fodder.

]]> By: Wally Petrovich http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1985 Wally Petrovich Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:28:53 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1985 The Corporate autocrats who rule both the polituical government and the our places of work..., are also victims of the market system (capitalism) and their actions are of self preservation in a system that rules Profits as the only goal..., no matter at whose expense..., the individual, the society, the Ceo, the corporation..., all expendable in the quest for private profits..., all at the expense of the majority, working class electorate whose labaor power is both essential and expendable, whataever suits the immediate conditions in the pursuit of private profits. We need a new system, a democracy in both our government and in our economy..., an ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY..., in which We, the People, have a direct voice and vote in ALL matters which affect our lives...., which includes all aspects of civics as well as all aspects of our industrial institutions. Anything less is not in keeping with how we know DEMOCRACY can be practiced. Check out this model as a real democratic alternative to this present corporatocracy... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewSystem/ The Corporate autocrats who rule both the polituical government and the our places of work…, are also victims of the market system (capitalism) and their actions are of self preservation in a system that rules Profits as the only goal…, no matter at whose expense…, the individual, the society, the Ceo, the corporation…, all expendable in the quest for private profits…, all at the expense of the majority, working class electorate whose labaor power is both essential and expendable, whataever suits the immediate conditions in the pursuit of private profits.

We need a new system, a democracy in both our government and in our economy…, an ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY…, in which We, the People, have a direct voice and vote in ALL matters which affect our lives…., which includes all aspects of civics as well as all aspects of our industrial institutions.

Anything less is not in keeping with how we know DEMOCRACY can be
practiced.

Check out this model as a real democratic alternative to this present corporatocracy… http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewSystem/

]]> By: Worst. President. Ever. http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1913 Worst. President. Ever. Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:36:18 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1913 Goddamit, I usually love your columns, Phil, but I hate this let's-all-go-slash-our-wrists type stuff, no matter who writes it. Look, I have no illusions that the Dems aren't a fully-funded corporate sockpuppet, and often not a hell of a lot better than the opposition corporate sockpuppets, but at least progressives do have SOME kind of influence over the Dems, and NO influence over the wingnut maniacs. We owe it to ourselves to keep positive about the future...and we owe it to past and future generations of progressives. We've got to keep the Dems' ass over the fire. If they figure we've already checked out, they'll be even less likely to do anything worth a damn. Although I am still a US citizen, I live in Canada and am also a Canadian citizen. For the past 25 years, I've been active as a supporter, election volunteer and ten years ago, even a candidate for the NDP, Canada's leftwing party. Believe me, having your own progressive party is no panacea either. And in the US, I'm afraid it would be even less effective than it is here. Have no illusions about the Dems, yes, but don't totally give up on them either. Goddamit, I usually love your columns, Phil, but I hate this let’s-all-go-slash-our-wrists type stuff, no matter who writes it.

Look, I have no illusions that the Dems aren’t a fully-funded corporate sockpuppet, and often not a hell of a lot better than the opposition corporate sockpuppets, but at least progressives do have SOME kind of influence over the Dems, and NO influence over the wingnut maniacs.

We owe it to ourselves to keep positive about the future…and we owe it to past and future generations of progressives. We’ve got to keep the Dems’ ass over the fire. If they figure we’ve already checked out, they’ll be even less likely to do anything worth a damn.

Although I am still a US citizen, I live in Canada and am also a Canadian citizen. For the past 25 years, I’ve been active as a supporter, election volunteer and ten years ago, even a candidate for the NDP, Canada’s leftwing party.

Believe me, having your own progressive party is no panacea either. And in the US, I’m afraid it would be even less effective than it is here.

Have no illusions about the Dems, yes, but don’t totally give up on them either.

]]> By: Gary Corseri http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1829 Gary Corseri Sun, 24 Jun 2007 04:37:13 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1829 Our elite's belief in their superiority is at least as old as the Hebrews' "Chosen People" myth, and, more pertinently for this Republic-cum-Empire, Calvinism's Prelapsarian doctrine of selected salvation. These nonsensical notions are deeply ingrained in our conquistador-DNA: they help elucidate the elite's attitude to the "groundlings" and the groundlings' disposition to bear their "fate." Belligerence from those who questioned Rockstroh's stance on the 06 election should not surprise. Back in 04, I concluded it was useless, senseless to vote in a rigged election from which the only real candidate for change and anti-corporatism--Ralph Nader--had been systematically neutered. I committed my convictions to sterling prose and was metaphorically torn limb from limb by lambasting, true-believer apologists. Worst, of course, were the Democrats, who will maintain until the Apocalypse that they are a viable, opposition party, unsullied by our lobby-driven politics, sordidly distorted economic system, and mass-media mayhem. Rockstroh's point about freedom being the awakening from illusions shows he is already thinking beyond the political hackery of these later days, that he is reaching deeper than the horse-race touts. He is a man of gravitas, worth heeding in this errant, heedless land. Our elite’s belief in their superiority is at least as old as the Hebrews’ “Chosen People” myth, and, more pertinently for this Republic-cum-Empire, Calvinism’s Prelapsarian doctrine of selected salvation. These nonsensical notions are deeply ingrained in our conquistador-DNA: they help elucidate the elite’s attitude to the “groundlings” and the groundlings’ disposition to bear their “fate.”

Belligerence from those who questioned Rockstroh’s stance on the 06 election should not surprise. Back in 04, I concluded it was useless, senseless to vote in a rigged election from which the only real candidate for change and anti-corporatism–Ralph Nader–had been systematically neutered. I committed my convictions to sterling prose and was metaphorically torn limb from limb by lambasting, true-believer apologists. Worst, of course, were the Democrats, who will maintain until the Apocalypse that they are a viable, opposition party, unsullied by our lobby-driven politics, sordidly distorted economic system, and mass-media mayhem.

Rockstroh’s point about freedom being the awakening from illusions shows he is already thinking beyond the political hackery of these later days, that he is reaching deeper than the horse-race touts. He is a man of gravitas, worth heeding in this errant, heedless land.

]]> By: Bobby http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1828 Bobby Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:54:23 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1828 Amen, brother. Amen, brother.

]]> By: BRUCE TYLER WICK http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1814 BRUCE TYLER WICK Sat, 23 Jun 2007 22:47:44 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1814 As Franklin feared would one day occur, the rot has spread far beyond our professional politicians. Corruption now infects a sizable proportion of the voting age population. Who rigged the voting in Ohio in 2004, utilizing every means of electoral fraud known to humankind? There must have been THOUSANDS involved in voter suppression efforts, alone. Sad to say, but there is now a massive Fifth Column in the US, who do NOT believe in free and fair elections and an honest count--which is to say, they do NOT believe in democracy. How then, can citizens possibly sustain a government which depends upon elections, if MILLIONS no longer believe in elections; that is, no longer believe in free and fair elections and an honest count.? As Franklin feared would one day occur, the rot has spread far beyond our professional politicians. Corruption now infects a sizable proportion of the voting age population. Who rigged the voting in Ohio in 2004, utilizing every means of electoral fraud known to humankind? There must have been THOUSANDS involved in voter suppression efforts, alone. Sad to say, but there is now a massive Fifth Column in the US, who do NOT believe in free and fair elections and an honest count–which is to say, they do NOT believe in democracy. How then, can citizens possibly sustain a government which depends upon elections, if MILLIONS no longer believe in elections; that is, no longer believe in free and fair elections and an honest count.?

]]> By: s h a r o n http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1811 s h a r o n Sat, 23 Jun 2007 20:05:20 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1811 Not to deflect the attention (and well-deserved praise for Phil's article here), but I have a question for George: "We will be undone by the apathy of the common man and woman’s infantile, incessant craving for amusement and distraction. Rampant individualism, no less, will bring us to our knees." Actually, it seems to me that these assertions "beg" the question: that is, why? Why or what is the origin of this attitude, these preferences, this rampant individualism? Obviously, for some, these characteristics/attitudes/infantile cravings in many are recognizable as egregious by other, more highly evolved representatives of our species--such as George. [I feel exactly the same, and yes, sometimes, I feel I am more highly evolved; but I want to exert significant checks on this tendency...] Can anyone help? Why? What impels/draws so many toward these attitudes and preferences and individualism? [awaiting breathlessly and anxiously for enlightenment...] Not to deflect the attention (and well-deserved praise for Phil’s article here), but I have a question for George:

“We will be undone by the apathy of the common man and woman’s infantile, incessant craving for amusement and distraction. Rampant individualism, no less, will bring us to our knees.”

Actually, it seems to me that these assertions “beg” the question: that is, why? Why or what is the origin of this attitude, these preferences, this rampant individualism?

Obviously, for some, these characteristics/attitudes/infantile cravings in many are recognizable as egregious by other, more highly evolved representatives of our species–such as George. [I feel exactly the same, and yes, sometimes, I feel I am more highly evolved; but I want to exert significant checks on this tendency...]

Can anyone help? Why? What impels/draws so many toward these attitudes and preferences and individualism?

[awaiting breathlessly and anxiously for enlightenment...]

]]> By: George Thompson http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1754 George Thompson Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:56:22 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1754 This is a great article, not because it is so articulate and well written. It is simply because it is so true. What else thinking people need to know escapes me but that is the problem indeed. Works of art are only recognized as such by those capable of that recognition. The average man is trapped within the cocoon of his own limited mental sphere which makes him and her completely vulnerable to the ploys and malefactions of the fooling class, pun intended. Race, religion and the rat race are so perfectly intertwined against the common man that they actually perceive them as distinct entities. Americans spend so much time trying to entertain themselves and protect their own interests that many could care less about any of this breakdown of their republic. I speak to people everyday that scorn the very existence of politics because it is boring and they want to be entertained or they say it is too complicated buying into the "we're too stupid so please lie to us" argument above. When it comes down to it we will not be undone by the idiots nor the geniuses of this world. We will be undone by the apathy of the common man and woman's infantile, incessant craving for amusement and distraction. Rampant individualism, no less, will bring us to our knees. Actually we are well past the kneeling phase and well on our way to final repose. This is a great article, not because it is so articulate and well written. It is simply because it is so true. What else thinking people need to know escapes me but that is the problem indeed. Works of art are only recognized as such by those capable of that recognition. The average man is trapped within the cocoon of his own limited mental sphere which makes him and her completely vulnerable to the ploys and malefactions of the fooling class, pun intended. Race, religion and the rat race are so perfectly intertwined against the common man that they actually perceive them as distinct entities. Americans spend so much time trying to entertain themselves and protect their own interests that many could care less about any of this breakdown of their republic. I speak to people everyday that scorn the very existence of politics because it is boring and they want to be entertained or they say it is too complicated buying into the “we’re too stupid so please lie to us” argument above. When it comes down to it we will not be undone by the idiots nor the geniuses of this world. We will be undone by the apathy of the common man and woman’s infantile, incessant craving for amusement and distraction. Rampant individualism, no less, will bring us to our knees. Actually we are well past the kneeling phase and well on our way to final repose.

]]> By: rosemarie jackowski http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1721 rosemarie jackowski Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:51:48 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/within-the-architecture-of-denial-and-duplicity-the-democratic-party-and-the-infantile-omnipotence-of-the-ruling-class/#comment-1721 Phil...Thank you for this great article. I agreed with most of it but have an opposing view about the value of life. I disagree with your view about Terry Schiavo. Most of my friends disagree with me. That's OK. When it comes to pulling the plug on anyone, well I think that should never happen unless the person who is "plugged in" has left very specific instructions. That's just not the kind of a decision that anyone should make for someone else. I have heard all of the arguments about the cost of keeping people alive. In my view, if this country can spend billions to kill people all around the world, we should spend a little to keep people alive. A frightening scenario played out in a hospital a while back. A transient was hospitalized. The secret "Ethics Committee" of the hospital decided to pull the plug. A local clergy man somehow found out about it and intervened. The man's life was saved and he went on to live in another area. I agree that the plug should be pulled on both political parties. Phil…Thank you for this great article. I agreed with most of it but have an opposing view about the value of life. I disagree with your view about Terry Schiavo. Most of my friends disagree with me. That’s OK. When it comes to pulling the plug on anyone, well I think that should never happen unless the person who is “plugged in” has left very specific instructions. That’s just not the kind of a decision that anyone should make for someone else.
I have heard all of the arguments about the cost of keeping people alive. In my view, if this country can spend billions to kill people all around the world, we should spend a little to keep people alive.
A frightening scenario played out in a hospital a while back. A transient was hospitalized. The secret “Ethics Committee” of the hospital decided to pull the plug. A local clergy man somehow found out about it and intervened. The man’s life was saved and he went on to live in another area.
I agree that the plug should be pulled on both political parties.

]]>