VHeadline's Washington DC-based commentarist Chris Herz writes: President Hugo Chavez Frias advised that North Americans should organize a constituent assembly and craft a new democratic constitution for their country. But even in the unlikely event were the totally corrupt US media to mention this suggestion, and then in the still less likely event were the US population to act upon it, the results would hardly be what the Venezuelan president could hope.
Certainly under the present arrangements US society is incapable of becoming anything the rest of the world could live with. But no other possible arrangement of its government could be any better.
Many times in recent decades the US population have been offered the opportunity to turn from militarism and fascism only to contemptuously reject each and every person or program which did not offer total submission to Wall Street, its Pentagon enforcers and to corporate neo-liberalism. Wacky as this governing class of oligarchs have become, they well suit and reflect accurately the views of the overwhelming majority of our citizens. In fact our people express by solid majorities fear and loathing of any modification to the existing order.
Almost all of our citizens understand that should the USA become a normal country which had to make its way in the world by its own labors and use only its own resources, their ability to shop at WalMart or Costco every week would come to a rapid and speedy end. It is the devout hope of every true American that we will somehow yet be able to conquer all that Arab oil. We really like our monster-mobiles.
These people turned against George McGovern for suggesting that the Vietnam War was an act of international piracy. They voted in a landslide for Richard Nixon who promised a crack-down, using all the resources of the State on treasonous and unruly Blacks and hippie-faggot demonstrators. They got what they wanted: The war continued until there was no move left but to evacuate the US Embassy and their hangers on from the roof-tops as the Vietnamese patriotic forces overran the city of Saigon. And they got what they wanted at home: The world's largest police forces and prisons. Therein do we find the sort of affirmative action we prefer for our uppity Blacks. And there too, do the pot-smoking hippies find their place in the sun.
The mere suggestion by Jimmy Carter, that American citizens attend to the realities imposed by then-pending peak oil was met with his decisive defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan. Of course Carter's unwillingness to slaughter Iran had much also to do with his defeat.
Our people were delighted with Reagan, and credit him with the destruction of the hated and feared Communist enemy. They liked the reorganization of our society, turning it into the most economically stratified of all the industrial countries. After all, anyone may win the lottery and wish to defend his winnings from taxation. They enthusiastically voted for Bush I and enjoyed another frission of orgiastic violence in Gulf War I. Then after the abortive attempt at the presidency by H. Ross Perot divided the conservative vote, resulting in the election of Clinton, Slick Willy discovered he could govern only by appropriating from the fascists the program of racism at home and war abroad. Having few principles save the desire to jump on any attractive female in sight, the great liberal Clinton even ended Aid to Dependent Children. And enthusiastically supported and signed the legislation that destroyed government's ability to enforce real accounting on the banks. Hence the news of this last week.
The story of the Bush II regime is too disgusting to be repeated here. Suffice it to say that he was re-elected. And despite the terrible economic news his annointed successor enjoys much more of a chance at the job than he could expect in most other countries.
The structural features of government set up by the constitution of 1789 are no better, but no worse than those established in most other countries. What is unique, or was at the time, to our constitution was its codified protection of various individual liberties from governmental intrusion. But if there is one thing that unites both conservatives and liberals here it is their distrust of constitutional strictures on the police powers of the state. It is their discomfort with rights that suggest women may control their own reproduction. Or worse, suggest their kids are no better than those Black kids in the ghetto: Both deserve nourishment and education equally.
Really, it is ridiculous that constitutional protections apply to the publications of socialists, commies and atheists. Worse yet that the Southern Baptist Church cannot be the established religion of our country. Those, the prohibitions of government assault on liberty, not the right of government to attack other nations, are what would be deleted from any new document. And repeatedly, over the years, the polls bear this out.
If President Chavez wishes to destroy the empire, he should not expect much help from this side of the Rio Grande del Norte. He is best advised to continue the speedy extraction of Venezuela from under the dominion of the dollar. The Bolivar should be pegged to the Renmenbi or the Euro. Oil and other produce of his country should be sold in prices denominated ONLY in those currencies. By so doing he could help best his own country -- and mine.
From the imperial capital
Chris Herz
cdherz44@yahoo.com
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Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.
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There will be socialist revolution in the World, Chris. But the workers of North America simply won't be leading it. They have to suffer first -- and find out what class they really are in, again.
ReplyDeleteThey have to eat crow -- and they have to learn humility. Oh boy, do they have to.