Same Con, Better Artist
66DISGUSTING!
Snake Oil Deluxe
Obama has confirmed his intent to make sure that the elite ruling class will suffer as little inconvenience as possible during the unfolding of the crisis for which they are responsible. As ever, it will be those who labor, who produce, and who actually create the wealth that is taken by the elite who do nothing to earn it, that will be required to bear the burden.
From his press conference, Tuesday, 03, 24, 2009.
"The rest of us can't afford to demonize every investor or entrepreneur who seeks to make a profit," he said. "That drive is what has always fueled our prosperity, and it is what will ultimately get these banks lending and our economy moving once more."
Translation: Those who have created this disaster should not be required to suffer any real consequences for their actions. They should not be expected to sacrifice any of the unearned wealth they have stolen from you. In fact, they will be rewarded and provided with more of your wealth to help see them through this difficult time so they will not be required to alter the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.
You of the working class however will be required to make further sacrifices. Capitalism has made these people independently wealthy and, in order to support the capitalist agenda, those of you who have been oppressed by it will need to suffer further impoverishment and marginalization.
Once we have made the necessary adjustments to the system we will be able to resume the practice of usurious lending that has made the elite so obscenely rich and insure that you will be provided the opportunity to continue your lives of unending debt.
A later remark, "our economy only works if we recognize that we're all in this together” clearly reinforces the implication that the blame for this debacle is not to be placed at the feet of those responsible but shifted instead to those who are actually suffering the consequences.
This defense of the capitalist system that is presently hastening the destruction of our life support indicates that a worst-case scenario is indeed continuing to unfold for the people of America and the world.
The “government” and the media have once again found their stride and are playing the public like a well-tuned violin. I’m no longer certain they ever stopped. Just a pinch of “populism” has been added to the recipe to give the masses a slight hint of empowerment. There is enough criticism to give us the sense that our little outburst of righteous indignation over AIG has the business world quaking in fear while Obama and our “representatives” do the partisan dance to convince us that the administration is fighting the good fight against the obdurate “neocons”.
The most painful aspect of this charade is that, as in the mid-terms of 2006, the people of America presented a clear message, even a mandate, to the democrats and the government at large. Working class America has finally realized that our capitalist system works only for a small elite group that cares only for its own interests. They are ready for something really different.
Understanding this sea change in public sentiment, the ruling class presented the voters with a packaged campaign ostensibly tailored to meet their needs. Now, as I feared during the campaign, it would appear we have been provided with a pacifier, a highly skilled and charismatic snake oil salesman who will lead us down the garden path.
Working in concert, as they have become so adept at doing, the administration and the media will lull the populace back into the preferred somnambulistic state. No doubt, a temporary resurgence of consumer delirium madness will be engineered the further to enhance the illusion. How long it will last depends primarily upon the time needed for the elite to secure their personal safety and pilfer whatever wealth remains to be stolen.
Meanwhile, Obama is given high grades in the polls. The public apparently still expects the change he built his campaign upon to materialize at any moment. In fact, he is continuing the policies of rewarding the criminals and blaming the victims. All the while, the voices in the background keep insisting that criticisms of the capitalist system and the likes of AIG are wrong, counterproductive and even unjustified.
Not only will the hard-earned wealth of the American Worker be lining the pockets of the wealthy, it will also be used to keep alive hedge funds and other such speculative instruments as have produced the calamity at hand. The “toxic assets” (isn’t that a non sequitur?) that were a major contributing factor will simply be sold to the people of America. It’s their tax dollars at work after all.
This latest aspect of the bailout did not elicit a single question from the press. I guess it’s just not that important or perhaps it has been determined that the “populist” hysteria must be kept to a minimum.
The amount of money to be allocated for the programs that could actually benefit the country and its population is dwarfed by that being handed to the elite bankers and the Wall Street priesthood.
The richest of the rich are getting richer by the minute while our jobs continue to disappear.
Our homes continue to be foreclosed and the value of real estate plummets daily.
Our human rights continue to be eroded and debt slavery grows unabated.
Our military misadventures continue to escalate while no mention is ever made of reducing the insane war budget to provide the funding needed for the wellbeing of society and the promotion of Peace.
The degradation of the environment goes on unimpeded and the much-vaunted commitment to funding the growth of “green” industry continues to be moved down the priority list.
Detroit continues to promote unsafe, poison spewing, inefficient behemoths while the price of gas begins its inevitable climb. Perhaps we’ll make it to five dollars a gallon this time.
Health care continues to be looked upon as a profit driven business rather than a basic human requirement. What must be found is not a way to provide it for everyone but a way to market it so that everyone will be able to buy some variant of it, however inadequate it may be.
I’m sure there’s a lot I’ve left out.
With each passing day, it becomes more evident that the most important item on the agenda is to guarantee the death-grip of the ruling class upon the wealth of the world will not be broken under any circumstances.
The worship of money and power remains the order of the day.
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Me too Mighty Mom. Me too.
I can't agree with you more on this garbage that is going.
I think we need, over the next two elections, vote everyone in congress out. Every single one! We the people need to talk with our vote!. But places like Massachusett and California, will never get rid of Frank and Pelosi.
But then again, we have to have some one decent to run against them.
Keep on Hubbing!
Seems we're pretty much in agreement this time eovery. But, since we have no voice and even the vote is pretty much meaningless given the choices we're offered, it doesn't make much difference does it?
Just like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, we to appear to moving down the same path. I am holding still hoping and believing that he will pull us through. I didn'r read into his press conference the same as you did apparently. Entrepeneurs do have to make a profit and they have to be successful and he is right we cannot penalize each and every party, but the banks, mortgage brokers and the stock market which was aware of this heinous thing they were doing, should be penalized. He had a Town Hall meeting today on www.whitehouse.gov and he was listening to the people. My husband has the same beliefs you do, but I am going to have to say that he has only been in 64 days and that is really enough time to fix anything, as the mess took 2 terms with Bush and it certainly isn't going to happen in 64 days, although I am a swing voter I am going to put my faith in him for now and see what happens in the coming days, who knows I may just eat my words, but I as an American really have to give him a chance.:)
I've been watching and reading CWB - and though I'm not a part of it, there's still a sense of disappointment - as though the window of hope that was opened not just for the US but for the world is closing slowly again. One hoped that fresh winds of change would blow through the financial world - but it's a closed room with the aircon on - and admits only the chosen few!
AEvans, I think you and I may have a fundamental difference of opinion regarding "profit" and capitalism in general. That's completely OK. We must all make choices and I honor your right to choose as you see fit.
64 days, 64 weeks, it's no longer a question of time. All indications look very bad. He had an opportunity with the full support of the people. He has shown no signs of acting upon it and is clearly determined to see that capitalism will continue to pillage Earth and its people for the foreseeable future.
Shalini, if you live on Earth, you are in fact a "part of it". The window was opened just a bit for just a moment before it was slammed shut with finality. The only course remaining to the people now is to smash the window.
CWB- I look every day to see if anything has changed, I see one sign of hope only to be shown another lie being exposed, well maybe saying it that way isn’t true, maybe what I should say is that I see everyone else admit to the fallacies, the unmentionables and so I am left wondering whether I should be angry, fearful, or hopeful. Its an unfair to ask anyone to live constantly that way, but I have no choices as far as I can see, except to keep taking it one day at a time. I read this first thing today and it stuck in my mind as I try to distract myself from the shit, and try to crack a smile. I know when I am here at work, I have to show confidence and I can’t bring my disappointments to the guys that work underneath me or else they will sink even further. Its shitty. Thanks for the read.
CWB
I so hope you are wrong about this. As AE Evans said earlier, we're still only a little way into this new administration. Like you,I don't believe that throwing unlimited funds at the perpetrators of this debacle will resolve the crisis, but I think that there is more at issue here than these expensive and ill-designed attempts to jump-start the economy via the banks. Ultimately, this plan is destined to fail. The point is that the banks are supposedly primed to start lending again, but will not do so, because they've just (belatedly) re-discovered caution and common-sense.
Well said. I share your dismay and anger. I think Obama is seriously trying to fix this, but it's huge, and anyway he's never been the raging leftist Republicans make him out him to be--he's always been a moderate or even a moderate leaning a bit to the conservative side. He only seems leftist to some people because the Republican party has gone so wack-a-doo right wing bonkers that even Nixon is starting to look like an OK guy by comparison. So I think Obama is trying to work the middle, and he's got about 500 fires to put out all at once. I think it's too big a mess for anyone to fix really. Yeah he's doing some stuff I think is too conciliatory to the rich. But then, that's who he is--like I said, he's never been a revolutionary. He just plays one on TV.
I personally think the BEST case scenario is that we are in a for a totally hellish decade, after which the U.S. will be unrecognizable--we will emerge in some new form no one yet understands. But that's the best case scenario. As you point out so well, the worst case scenarios are many and they are not pretty. Great hub.
goldentoad.
I keep looking for those signs of hope every day. I try to tell myself that the “town hall meetings” he does are great. He’s talking to the people. Then I watch part of one and mostly all I hear is a very skillful evader sidestepping questions with non-answers that somehow sound good.
He doesn’t think the jobs we’ve outsourced should come back because they couldn’t pay a decent wage. What kind of bullshit is that? Would this be an issue if corporations were required to pay a living wage? Oh, I forgot, that would mean corporations would have to be satisfied with a little less profit. We can’t have that now, can we?
He doesn’t want to lend directly from government to small business even though he wants small business to be able to borrow. Yeah, from the bank that practices usury by charging interest to take unearned wealth from the borrower. That way it’s certain the business will keep on borrowing and always be burdened by debt.
I was concerned during the campaign, and said so in hubs and comments, that Obama was being installed as a pacifier like pouring oil on rough waters. I was caught in the charade in spite of myself. Not that it would have made a difference to anyone, but I should have voted my conscience. I had planned to write in Cynthia McKinney.
I know you have a role to play at work. That was one of the things that often got me in trouble. I’m incapable of being “politically correct”. Now I’m unemployed so I guess it’s not an issue any more.
All I can say is prepared for the worst. If that’s what comes at least you’ll be expecting it. If I’m wrong then you’ll be pleasantly surprised and have even more to celebrate.
Believe me Amanda, I hope to be proven wrong. I was wrong about dubya. I was pretty sure he would declare martial law before the election.
I don’t think the bankers have learned anything about caution and common sense. I believe that the large institutions are positioning themselves for the next phase of centralization.
There will be fewer, bigger and even more powerful banks when the dust settles. That’s the last thing we need.
There should in fact be NO privately owned banks. Our currency should be issued and controlled by the government and should be circulated only as needed for the exact amount required to conduct commerce.
This is what our constitution originally required. The laws have been so manipulated and perverted over the years by the capitalist agenda that most people don’t even realize that the central bank owns our government by virtue of the currency being issued and controlled by private business.
“Permit me to issue and control the money of the nation and I care not who makes its laws.” — Mayer Amsched Rothchild, a prominent European banker in the eighteenth century
“The One World Government leaders and their ever close bankers have now acquired full control of the money and credit machinery of the U.S. via the creation of the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank.” — Curtis Dall (Franklin D. Roosevelt’s son-in-law), My Exploited Father-in-Law
“This Federal Reserve Act establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President (Wilson) signs this bill the invisible government of the Monetary Power will be legalized.” — Hon. Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr., Dec. 23, 1913
“We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. We are no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominate men. I have unwittingly betrayed my country.” — President Woodrow Wilson, 1916
I don’t want the banks to start lending again as they did in the past. Charging interest is usury and it’s morally wrong even if it’s technically allowed by law. We need to redesign our “economy” entirely so that it serves the commerce of the people and the nation, not just the interests of the elite.
Thank you pgrundy.
The only point upon which I would take issue with you is regarding the degree to which Obama supports the elite rather than the people.
Frankly, I think he’s completely committed to their cause and is using his skills to subdue the population at their behest.
You could be right. Honestly it is all getting pretty overwhelming.
On that we agree completely. Sometimes I feel like I'm overreacting to the extreme, sometimes I think it's much worse than even I can imagine.
Cold War baby, it's worse than you can imagine.
Ivan the Terrible
I am an optimist, I think we can make a difference. I have several guys at work starting to agree with me, who believed different before. We have to get the word out to vote all of them out. I wish I was a good enough writer to do a hub on this, and start a crusade.
All though, as I study history, I think there are always been problems, just we did not hear or see them.
Keep on hubbing.
Welcome to Hub Pages Ivan. I see you're brand new here. I'll refrain from responding until I know more about where you're coming from.
Thanks for reading and offering a comment.
We're on a wheel eovery. It just keeps turning and we just can't seem to get off. It has rolled over every "civilization" that has ever existed. We just can't seem to learn from our mistakes.
Hi CWB - I was particularly disturbed this week to see that Obama has stated a new position on Afghanistan which looks just like Bush's old position on Iraq. First, he's spreading fear (at home) of the Taliban who, nasty as they are, are interested only in imposing their will in their own region. They have no history of international terrorism. They are not Al Qaeda. Second, he's openly said he will take the fight to Pakistan. With new troops and new 'investment' in this war. Pretty sickening.
Paraglider, do you think this is an attempt to divert attention away from what is going on at home?
Amanda, you could be right. But a new war will not make things better if it's one that cannot be won.
As I feared Paraglider, it's to be business as usual once again. War, killing and death spell profit for capitalism and that's all that matters. Make a show of "withdrawing" some troops from Iraq, some of which will be trained to contain "civil unrest" here at home, while increasing military activity elsewhere to keep the war budget higher than ever.
Although you've directed your question to Parglider, I think I'll put in my two cents worth Amanda. Diversions seem to be the speciality of our new president. Like all great illusionists, he will distract his audience with a lot of flash and glam so they won't notice what's really going on right in front of their eyes. That's been the MO of politicos for a very long time. Obama has just raise the bar of deception several levels.
Aya, you've addressed Amanda but I think I'll stick my nose in here too.
The military actions in which we're engaged cannot legitimately be considered War.
Iraq in particular is an illegal, immoral invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation, which posed no threat to us beyond the financial.
Saddam had made clear his intention to switch from the dollar to the euro as the preferred method of payment for Iraq oil. He was in the process of converting his accounts from the petrodollar to the petroeuro.
“Although apparently suppressed in the U.S. media, one of the answers to the Iraq enigma is simple yet shocking. The upcoming war in Iraq war is mostly about how the CIA, the Federal Reserve and the Bush/Cheney administration view hydrocarbons at the geo-strategic level, and the unspoken but overarching macroeconomic threats to the U.S. dollar from the euro. The Real Reasons for this upcoming war is this administration's goal of preventing further OPEC momentum towards the euro as an oil transaction currency standard, and to secure control of Iraq's oil before the onset of Peak Oil (predicted to occur around 2010). However, in order to pre-empt OPEC, they need to gain geo-strategic control of Iraq along with its 2nd largest proven oil reserves.”
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/RRiraqWar.html
Afghanistan is likewise a part of our empire-building obsession.
http://www.mediamonitors.net/stephaniekirmer1.html
Colonization of the Middle East has been attempted repeatedly by many great “Empires”. All have failed, as will we. The lessons of history it seems are never learned.
Although these are old references they’re as valid today as they were at the time they were made.
The more we are fed this shite, not only from USA leaders but here in the UK too, the more it become a joke, a farce, a pantomime, a transparent smearing of bullshit over an old cracked and jaded facade. We all know how thouroughly we have been fucked and we are all sort of numbed by the sheer python-esque (monty) flailings of our collective governments to gain any resemblance of control or credibility. Its like youve been hit by the schoolyard bully so many times that you dont really feel it any more and end up looking up from the floor, spitting out bloody teeth and smiling back "is that all you got?"
Great hub.
Nice to meet you danjutsu.
What we have here is a house of cards with the Great Pyramid of Giza sitting on top of it. I have no idea what's holding it up but when it crashes, and it won't be long, the resultant violence and bloodshed will be staggering.
Thanks for the comments, I pretty much agree.
Amanda - what CWB said about diversions. I'd also add that the US presence in Afghanistan is creating more Taliban than it is destroying. And a different kind, too. Substantial numbers of US trained Afghan troops and reservists are changing sides, preferring the Taliban, who are at least of their own kind, to the occupying forces from the other side of the world. And who's to say they are wrong?
There are times in life when I am ecstatic that I am not American.
Too true Paraglider, too true.
We are engaged, once again, in trying to exterminate a creature of our own creation. The Mujaheddin where our gift to the Soviet Union and now all the various creatures they have become, including Al Qaeda, are turning on Dr. Frankenstein.
Can't say I blame you cindyvine! This country has certainly seen better days.
I must warn you though, simply not living here doesn't make you safe from the cancer we've spread around the globe. The tentacles of Capitalism and those who worship profit reach to every corner of Earth.
Sanctions was the best thing America could have done for South Africa as we were forced to develop the technology to extract oil from coal, and then of course, no bank would look at extending credit so the country was forced to set systems in place and have a self-contained anking system, so the global credit crunch hasn't affected SA banks. However, the export market would be affected.
oops spelling and grammar errors above, that's what comes from commenting during some of my students' oral presentations where I have one eye on the smartboard and the other eye on my mac!
The controlled manipulation comes from the powers of money. We will soon cease to be a Nation and become a state of the world. CNN is total bullshit! While the two pit bulls are fighting....the bitch is getting knocked up by a Beagle. We are being blackmailed....they want the constitution erased....the New World Government has made it's move. We are F***ED!
It's nice to hear a good news, positive slant from the troubled continent cindyvine. I wouldn't give the spelling thing a second thought.
You make no mistake when you state the source of the problem Tom, the worship of power and money. Sometimes I'm almost relieved to be nearing the end of my days. I see an awful lot of darkness ahead.
Fantastic hub... I will be using some of your advice.
-Nicki B.
Thank you sophieqd/Nicki B.
I hope it proves useful.
Well said! At this time I am still an Obama supporter, his appearance in our political climate at exactly the right time to act as a pacifier always scared me...I hope his actions make all my suspicions seem silly but its hard not to look at american politics of the last 50 years and think that it wasnt all scripted out in advance.
Thank you sunforged. I think it goes back more than fifty years but, beyond that, we're in complete agreement.
There should be enough google juice coming out of these hubpages about the Obama Government and the meltdown to reach the press by now! I say if all we can do is write and vote it ain't gonna be enough. The press is owned by big money, and they won't run with anything well thought through like this hub. I know they scrape all the headlines and hub names to find stories of interest.
No interest? Or doesn't get past the editor? So nothing left to do but change the Government with a well organized revolt. Maybe the press will cover that!
Wake up America, you have overslept and the weasels have cleaned out the larder.Time to join together again as you did when you got sucked in by Obama.As someone commented above sacking Congress would be a start! And remember to be more analytical. Donald Duck could have looked like Lincoln compared to Bush!
Damn earnestshub! Will you join my militia over here when the time comes.
Oh, wait, the time has already past I think.
How the hell do you organize several million people? Maybe a sort of spontaneous combustion will occur when the masters push the slaves just that one little bit too far.
It's beginning to look like it may come to revolution on a global scale. That would be a first. It might also be the last.
Where this all winds up is anyone's guess.
Cold War baby, I am a veteran who came back from Viet Nam and was called baby killer and then beat up by protestors who didn't like my anti-war views. They told me "America! Love it or leave it!" So I left and went to live in Europe. I now live in Madrid and mingle with people from all political points of view and I find it more refreshing than listening to American news radio & Internet TV. programs.
I have few good words to say about the way America is running its own show and have a particular bone to pick with right wing/religious people who want a theocracy over there.
I was recently in the U.S. to visit what little family I have left over there (most like me have left for better and greener pastures) and was surprised to see how far to the right the place has become. I was really shocked by a thing called Fox News - there wasn't any news on it! Just a bunch of people screaming right wing views as if the whole world should care!
I like your hub, though and I will be reading others as I become more familiar with hubs.
First Ivan, let me offer my deepest and most sincere apologies for the way you were treated. I am a member of the "sixties" generation. I NEVER held the soldiers who suffered through that mess responsible for what happened. I had friends who died there and some who survived and spent years in hell trying to get past it.
I think you're fortunate to have left here and made a life elsewhere. Though the greed and arrogance of this country will have a great impact on the entire world, some places may suffer a bit less. At least you won't be at ground zero when the whole thing blows up.
Thanks for reading and offering your thoughts.
Australia is in bad shape too, we followed America in the bailout. We now have a very leaky boat, and not enough bailers and "She's goin down captain!"
It's a global catastrophe earnestshub. Hopefully it will lead to a global revolution resulting in a global socialist democracy.
True CWB. No country gets to miss this one.
So, maybe we'll finally understand the meaning of "we're all in this together"?
ColdWarBaby, I appreciate you saying that "we're all in this together"
I regard myself as consertive/probably middle, fence sitter if you like. I have in the past considered myself part of the silent majority. However I'm a keen observer, and for once in my longish life I do not like what I am seeing. I see hopelessness, dispair, anger, apathy. Need I go on.?
To use an analogy I see your President as Nero with Bo as his fiddle.
And I cannot for the life of me see an aurgment against anything you have put in this Hub.
I consider your closing remark a high compliment agvulpes. Especially since my last intention, when researching and writing an essay, is to seek or provoke an argument.
As to what you see, it seems we are looking at the same picture because I see very much the same.
Thank you very much for your comment.
Wow - I ended up here because I kinda liked your name and wanted to see what you had to say. I never expected such food for thought. You tackle the hard stuff with clarity and tenacity. I will definitely be back to read more.
Nice to meet you RedElf.
Inspiring people to think critically is really the main reason I write. Dominoes, ripples in a pond.
Thanks for the read and comment.
It is amazing to me how often as a nation we turn with "hope" to a new leader only to find they are just more of the same. The only way we can ever get out of the mess we are in is to turn back to the original ideas that this country was founded on; personal accountability, hard work, and a willingness to act as true humans should towards each other (by this a mean with a modicum of true willingness to see others needs and wants as at least equal to our own and treat them and their needs in this fashion). But...we will probably just rock ourselves back into the sleep of the ignorant masses and follow the same path to destruction we have traveled for some time now.
I regret to say, tdarby, that I'm in complete agreement with you.
Mighty Mom says:
10 months ago
Well said, sir. God, I hope even part of what you say is wrong. MM