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January, 2001






2001: A Race Odyssey?
 by Frank Scott


The new year  begins with a relatively unpopular president, and a need
to rethink our  economic dictatorship and its fake democracy, rather
than  grumble about one or another corporate flunky in the white house .

The new American CEO  represents less than 25% of the electorate. More
than 100 million citizens didn’t bother with a charade of democracy that
offered them a no-choice set of corporadoes. That majority seems to
understand what a  confused  minority still needs to learn.

Because consciousness controllers convinced them that Bush would  change
america to a 19th century nation, and that he stole the election to do
so,  some near hysterics have missed an unescapable fact:  there has
been no change at all. Corporate wealth is still in control of
everything .

The Constitution  some see as  holy scripture defiled by an evil court
is in reality a legal tool, for use within a political  structure
organized around private control of a political economy. The court did
exactly what the constitution - and the electoral college - enables it
to do: it maintained that control.

Now, a new intellectual lightweight will  preside over an executive
committee of crooks who support affirmative action for corporate
conservatives, instead of for corporate liberals. And the  opposition
will  approve most of his  appointees, displaying  the unity of
capital’s hired hands.

Mass murderer Colin Powell, a supporter of affirmative action, will
replace mass murderer Madeline Albright,  a supporter of affirmative
action. A  feminist cheering section will be replaced by a  civil
rights  cheering section. White America’s favorite black man will be
treated even more heroically than in the past, as spineless and
brainless Democrats join in his praises.

And Condaleeza Rice will fill Bush’s  mental echo-chamber  with national
in-security advice , and please those women and african americans who
suffer from a moral dementia that transcends sex or race.

Identity politics and the diversity buzzword  are clarified in their
corporate  meaning:  minority tokens on the  executive board , to show
that there is  equality in America.  Sure.

All who accept the system of war, pollution and poverty, can be seated
near power, no matter what their race , sex , religious or sexual
persuasion. This administration has a gay in the family, and
multi-racial killers and thieves in its extended family. One cheer for
“diversity”.

And two hollow cheers for the  xmas season of disappointed sellers ,
though happy consumers found bargains for things they didn't really need
. Sales were off during the  shopping orgy on which thousands depend for
their profits, and in which millions incur more debt . Not this year, as
on Wall Street, where the  dot-com fabric has begun to unravel. The new
president  will see  an over-inflated economic balloon that may not be
bursting, but is rapidly losing air .


Hysteria over allegedly stolen elections, and unawareness of the theft
that happened long before any vote was cast, is an example of our
bewildered state of mind . Kept rich in fiction but poor in information
, our  mental shortcomings  were never more clear to a global population
we dominate with our weapons, while believing it is  our system of
democracy that makes us strong. The world giggles, but this no laughing
matter for us.

Even with our problems, we  begin the year with more social action for
change than before, even if some  of it may seem misguided . We need to
read the signs of reality with a clear focus, unclouded by mind
managers, and gain control of our senses, if we would ever control our
country.

Here are figures from  the Federal Reserve that tell us more about our
nation than any alleged electoral irregularity:

Between 1977 and 1999, the after-tax income of the top fifth of
americans increased 43 percent, while that of the top 1 percent
increased 115 percent. At the same time, the majority of all households
lost  economic ground or struggled to maintain the same level.

Between 1983 and 1998, the wealth of the top 1 percent grew by 42
percent, while the bottom 40 percent saw their net worth fall by 76
percent.

The top 1% now own 34% of total national wealth, up from 30% in 1992.
That is more than is owned by the bottom 90%.

During the 1990s , If the minimum wage had risen as fast as  top CEO pay
, it would now be $24.13  an hour instead of $5.15.

And personal  debt  keeps rising , as  Americans  spend more than they
make.  Millions of consumers are buying "on credit", which is why
millions of other Americans are working to make the goods and perform
the services being purchased. As a result, the economy seems healthy ,
but it is getting sicker every day.

Consumer credit is growing at a staggering 9% annual rate . In 1994,
780,000 Americans filed for bankruptcy. By 1999, the number  had soared
to 1,281,000.  Solution? Corporate congress is working to make it harder
for ordinary citizens to file for bankruptcy.

And hunger in america grows, as millions of families needed charity to
feed themselves in the midst of the  excess of gluttony we call a
holiday season.


These  intimations of inequality should make clear  what is happening to
our political economic system , controlled by a corporate mafia with two
sets of mobsters,  two standards of morality, but one  ruling set of
capitalist values.

It is time to rethink the state of our nation, and those controlling
values which thrive on pollution, waste, unequal wealth and human
misery. We don’t need grumbling over personalities, or which  corporate
gang is in charge. We need  social actions  that  move us away from
continued loss and despair for so many, and toward material and
spiritual progress  for all.  Far more important than a president or a
party, we need substantial change in our  political economic system.
Happy New Year.

Copyright (c) 2001 by Frank Scott. All rights reserved.

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frank scott
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