What the ruling elite fears the most is for a large enough segment of the population to suddenly become aware about the actual nature of the system: A corrupt oligarchy made up of super-wealthy individuals and a totally debased political class on the take, colluding to subjugate and exploit the American people in the name of rapacious greed.
That is why they (Koch brothers, Pete Peterson, ALEC, Heritage, CATO, six media mega-conglomerates) spend such an extraordinary amount of resources in propping up the most effective and powerful propaganda apparatus the world has ever known: the U.S. mainstream media.
And that is why they turned the surveillance police state security apparatus onto peaceful Occupy movement activists, with unusual brutality.
They fear direct action by the citizenry. Because that’s the only thing that breaks the incredible level of control they have over us.
As corporate-infused fascism continues to engulf the country, the ruling elite counts on the social stratification dynamics that historically prevent the citizenry in every era to become aware of the rise of tyranny.
At the upper social strata, it is very unlikely that people will even notice that there is anything wrong with the system: “It’s easy for a man not to understand something when his salary depends on him not understanding.”
In the meantime, much of the citizenry is being controlled or influenced by a mind-numbing amount of propaganda that spreads false narratives, misinformation, fear, and lies.
Under these circumstances is where the brutal effects of the fascistic system go unnoticed by those in the upper social strata, as those at the bottom suffer the consequences of the pillaging and looting by the ruling class.
Once people fall, they lose any leverage to be able to effect any change; as they fall into despair, poverty, and squalor, nobody else seems to notice–until it happens to them. But by that time, it’s too late. The cycle of powerlessness continues.
So at the top echelons of the social strata people are controlled with contentment. At the lower echelons, people are controlled by being exposed to mind-numbing propaganda (watching MSNBC, FoxNews, etc.). And at the lower echelons, people are marginalized and brutalized, left with no real power or influence to effect any changes.
This works perfectly for the fascist ruling elite that now dominates all the levers of power in the United States.
We need to break that pattern. And nothing else speaks louder to oppressive ruling elites that when people take to the streets in solidarity, to in a very public way, protest against the brutality, illegality, criminality, and exploitation of the system.
Remember the man that set himself on fire in Tunisia, sparking the Arab Spring?
Well, self-immolation is not a thing we do here in the States. Here, when faced with the consequences of the brutality and criminality of the current exploitative system, what many thousands of people choose to do is to put a bullet through their heads.
Others break down mentally, and take down family members with them.
That’s also just fine and dandy with the fascist ruling elite, as those things don’t affect them directly, by and large. You never see anybody walking into a bankers conference trying to exact vigilante justice.
They are protected. They set up surveillance cameras in their neighborhoods to track every single car that drives through their beautiful streets. They live in enclaves of wealth and privilege, as the horrific consequences of their actions are suffered by others.
Yes, the work social justice activists and organizations are doing across the country is commendable; it is to be admired and supported. There are people advocating for many just causes, including the environment, gay rights, economic justice, homelessness, etc. Others are fully engage in the political system, focused on electing honest and ethical politicians.
But unfortunately, those efforts are not enough. They are not going to make a dent against the rigidity of an increasingly fascistic and Orwellian system.
We need to take direct action. We need to rise up (united, in solidarity) in a very public manner in peaceful opposition and resistance against this brutal system.
All the other efforts for social justice need to be complemented by street-level direct action.
But the effort also needs to be accompany by a massive counter-propaganda effort.
I’ve raised this issue many times, and I’m truly surprised at the level of fear people feel. It is almost as if people have come to accept the proposition that a police officer can just walk up to any citizen and punch them in the face and arrest them.
I will never accept that proposition. Not because I’m not aware about those types of things happening, but because I will never acquiesce to it.
And so, tomorrow I will embark in a effort, a project I’ve been calling
