How will this economic disaster we face affect America?
Naomi Klein has written about disaster capitalism, in her book, The Shock Doctrine. Economic disaster is often accompanied by shocks inflicted upon the nervous system that cause a person or a society to forget who her or her or it is. This takes the will to maintain the values, the standards that define a sense of self.
We've already seen this, as Republicans and Democrats alike, in congress, have sold out civil liberties, democracy, free speech, prohibitions against inhumane acts, like torture. We see that disaster economics and the shock doctrine allows the worst aspects of human nature to rise to power. We see that the fall of American integrity, in terms of liberties, democracy and respect for human rights and decency, has been reflected in worsening of freedoms, democracy, human rights and increases in frequency of torture and atrocities in other countries.
As things get worse, we will see fear drive policy. Where principle should rule and set standards, we will see "reasonable compromise" grease the American slide downwards, into third world instability, economic weakness, failed democracy, worsening of our status as a surveillance state and further failure of the nation to protect and take care of the most vulnerable.
We will not see the leadership we need come from DLC Democrats. They are the compromisers who sell out democracy, sell out our freedoms to make deals with no longer American supercorporations.
This election will be a bellweather for America's future. If a Republican wins, the US will, in the next five to ten years, become, like a rotted husk that has been infested by a parasite-- in this case corporate parasitism. The philosophy of drowning government will be institutionalized and by 2020, the US will be a subsidiary of China, Russia or India-- probably China, with a huge percentage of US assets-- roads, buildings, water, minerals, oil, energy delivery-- all owned by extra-national entities. And let's not forget oil megawealthy states like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela...
If a populist democrat wins, and then finds his vision thing (sorry, no populist females are running) there may be hope, IF, the congress supports and encourages the visionary action it will take to pull the US out of its economic tsunami. There WERE indonesians who, saw the warnings and saved themselves by finding higher ground. There were New Orleans residents who drowned, doing the ordinary, climbing to their attics and rooftops, only to drown, when ordinary solutions failed.
Will Americans see the signs and vote for a leader who will lead towards a path to higher ground? That's what it will take to survive the economic disaster we face.
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