Res Publica: Public Policy: The twisted, tortured, tormented version of life

The culmination of the efforts of the oligarchs, the captains and kings of life, as we understand it, is “public policy.” Elections merely ensconce its inevitability. Nothing changes.

What we have in America today and have had almost from inception (not to be confused with the movie) is not much different from a monarchy or a dictatorship. Certainly the aught decade a/k/a the naughties (maybe more at naught---it was empty enough) was more totalitarian state, all three branches of government securely controlled by gopers with buy-in from the celebrated “fourth branch of government.” Then again, don’t forget that every major radio station, television station and newspaper is in the hands of four transnational corporations. So, unless you listen to real news (not entertainment) you’ve probably missed that.

Apologists (for whom I do not really know) talk around the fact that the first decade of a new century and millennium was such a throw back to the Middle Ages. America’s own “man who would be king” deigned and had his will. “They” do the same thing about why it is one in four Americans is obese. I don’t know maybe its the steady diet of consumption of super-sized everything laced with corn syrup, salt and fat. “They waltz around that, too. It’s what the cigarette companies have done for years. So very American. So very twisted, tortured and tormented. Not very realistic just twisted, tortured and tormented.

It was Robin Hood in reverse during the aughts as “w” and his merry men (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove and a cast of thousands) pranced around the globe taking the people’s money and giving it to the select handful of rich, corporate oligarchs, rapaciously consuming and sullying the environment, nation and world enabled by a goper dominance of all three branches of government made possible by a mean-spirited, egregious majority intent on keeping things that way.

The founders believed it makes no difference if the tyrant has two hands, as in the case of a king or many hands as in the case of majority rule. If the outcome is that dissent is rendered mute it is tyranny by any other name. Hence, majority rule is tyranny by majority---no different than a monarchy---just less obvious.

The beauty is that the majority folk have their cake and eat it, too! The mean-spirited majority foist their brand of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia and discrimination on the minority and still manage to proclaim that because they and the minority (that didn’t have the chance of an ice-cube in hell) had a vote we are a “democracy.” That’s rich. It’s also the reason the founders stood-up a republic not a democracy.

In a condition such as Texas Red where the pre-dominant worldview of the majority rules because it is a “winner take all election outcome”---then the minority would accomplish as much and spend a lot less money and probabably be more psychologically sound if it exercised its right to stay home. No matter what the minority (the just less than fifty (50%) percent of the folk do they cannot un-do the tyranny of “majority rule.”