Disempowerment and disillusionment. Those seem to be the two concurrent emotional states of disheartened progressives these days. However, as we will see, the disillusionment -- the release of illusory hope in favor of a realistic and positive focus for action -- is the source of genuine empowerment.
When the mainstream media is finally held accountable for its role in the American devolution (or, if you will, “devil-ution”), the highest crime will be “willful failure to contextualize.” Fortunately, the dots are being connected so that the Democrats’ roll-over act and the media’s stonewalling of truth becomes understandable.
Let’s begin with this column from Robert Scheer week that offers an intriguing clue about the missing CIA interrogation tapes. While initially, the issue might seem to be that the CIA doesn’t want Americans to see what they do in the privacy of rendition camps, Scheer suggests something more insidious: The CIA and the Administration don’t want Americans to know what these interrogations yielded about what really happened on 9/11.
Says Scheer, “When the CIA destroyed those prisoner interrogation videotapes, was it also destroying the truth about 9/11? After all, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, the basic narrative of what happened on that day—and the definition of the enemy in this war on terror that George W. Bush launched in response to the tragedy—comes from the CIA’s account of what those prisoners told their torturers. The commission was never allowed to interview the prisoners, or speak with those who did, and was instead forced to rely on what the CIA was willing to relay.“
Regardless of whether you’re a conspiracy theorist who suspects our government had something to do with the 9/11 attacks or merely a “coincidence theorist” marveling at what an amazing coincidence it was that our government was conducting a simulated airplane attack the very moment the terrorists were perpetrating their real one, one thing seems undeniable: Even if 9/11 wasn’t the Bush Administration’s Reichstag fire, it was sure used that way.
If we permit ourselves to suspect that something dark and devastating is being hidden, then we must face two disturbing conclusions:
1. A regime capable of perpetrating or allowing an attack on its own civilians is capable of doing the same or worse again.
2. The need for secrecy is even more understandable, and we begin to see that the quest for truth in any form threatens the survival of the Bush Administration, and anyone who has enabled their abuse of power.
So, if we disabuse ourselves of any illusion, and come from the understanding -- as I suggested last week -- that their greatest weapon is fear and their greatest fear is the truth, we the people hold far, far more power than we could have imagined. If we don’t buy the fear and we don’t buy their story, we create the field for the truth to be told. If we continue the helpless lament of powerlessness, that too will become the self-fulfilling prophecy. The greatest and most evolutionary task we face this coming year is to invite our fellow citizens to step outside the political matrix and stand for the core values that 90% or more of us share. If we do this, we have a good chance to retake our country and offer the world an inspiring example.
The Greater of Two Goods
At the same time we step outside the matrix of the puppet show of electoral politics, we must operate inside as well and exercise the power we do have. First of all, we must remember that “nobody” won the past two Presidential elections. In each case, just over 50% of Americans qualified to vote did so. This means that George Bush was elected by about 25% of American voters. Apparently, so many people have been so disheartened by electoral politics that they’ve just given up. How convenient for the powers in power. Less work for them. Our disheartenment feeds their abusive power. They eat it for lunch.
So ... the first step in taking our country back is making sure that you and anyone else you know who is working or praying for a better world take the simple step and register to vote, and plan to vote in the primaries. Since way fewer people vote in the primaries than the regular election, each vote can count as much as six votes! Here are the main reasons to register to vote THIS WEEK if you are not yet registered, and make plans to vote in the primaries in your state:
1. Increased registration will signal the awakened will of we the people. This signal will make it less dangerous for those in high places who have not been “ethically-cleansed” to blow the whistle.
2. Increased registration will empower “the greater of two goods” in each party. (More about that below.)
3. Increased registration will empower a third party possibility, should that become necessary.
Steve Bhaerman is a writer, humorist and uncommontator who's been posing as cosmic comic Swami Beyondananda for the past 20 years. As the Swami, Steve is the author of four books including his latest, Swami for Precedent: A 7-Step Plan to Heal the Body Politic and Cure Electile Dysfunction. His website is www.wakeuplaughing.com.
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