Take Back Your Coop, Your Government, Your Country
“In this country, broad-based prosperity has never trickled down from the success of a wealthy few,” the president said. “It has always come from the success of a strong and growing middle class. That’s how a generation who went to college on the G.I. Bill, including my grandfather, helped build the most prosperous economy the world has ever known.” –Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, President Obama criticized Republicans, the latest in a string of combative speeches. (By MARK LANDLER, Published: April 3, 2012, NYT)
The coup d’etat by the corporate paymasters and their cops, judges, and congressmen, continues. The U.S. Supremes have approved policies aimed at strip searching culprits, even if only subject to misdemeanor traffic charges—unpaid parking tickets–or cases of mistaken identity. Humiliate the populace by letting jail guards abuse them. By encouraging divisiveness among members of the same working or middle class, the elites keep the hoi polloi (the many) from ganging up on their puppet masters, who reside on Park Avenue in Manhattan or behind the high walls of Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Trayvon Martin shooting is typical: Encourage ethnic bigotry and reap the profits of discord. The recent health care debate about mandating health-care coverage is seen as a threat to corporate profits by the Insurance companies and their lackeys on the court and in congress. Talk about the ultimate death panel: The U.S. Supreme Court has risen from the depths of the Inferno to dominate public discourse–See Citizen’s United.
Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in a presidential election and chose W over Gore—despite the latter winning the popular vote—the US of A has accelerated into a lawless spiral—a descent into cultural and political fascism. Today elected officials and business interests beholden to each other dictate public policy. Meanwhile the many pay for the few to gamble with tax revenue on Wall Street.
At the end of the 19th Century during the gilded age and subsequently during the 1920s, the bankers and the barons of finance ran away up the debt and crashed the economy. Instead of being crucified on a 19th Century cross of gold, today average Americans are being bullied by so-called financial derivatives—a form of gambler’s IOU backed by nothing but bailouts from the Congress to support the “fixed” market.
Reports of domestic spying and the elimination of due process dot the news in the National Security State. They curtail civil liberties and cover-up official law breaking by both the FBI and CIA so that the National Security State, as ultimate arbiter, can hand out private government contracts behind closed doors. The culture of the jackboot encourages cops to wield batons on women, students, and those who feed the hungry. Even in Taos the cops break the necks and arms of women or taser them when they are face down drunk. But who pays the price for the actions of the bullies? Eh? You do.
Adbusters has announced a new popular offensive:
“Hey you nimble dreamers, wild cats and horizontals out there, Our Spring offensive is building toward a climactic May uprising… time to come out of winter hibernation and play jazz like we’ve never played it before. May 1 we leap into the new world with a mighty multinational General Strike. Wherever you are, No Work; No School; No Shopping. No illusions. No apologies. No business as usual. Into The Streets!” On May 12, jammers will intensify the protest with three days of global action in Europe and Canada.
Here in Taos, on May 8, members of the KCEC Coop vote. Currently, a gang of coop trustees has co-opted the council and mayor at the Town of Taos by doling out public money to be used by private contractors so that they can get a slice of taxpayer money for their ill-conceived Command Center. Back door deals substitute for the public bid process. Every time it storms, the lights blink, trees collapse and Taosenos are reminded of why the Coop needs new management. Meanwhile, trees and limbs turn into firewood for the trustees and their supporters.
Currently, a number of candidates are running for magistrate and district judge. When they come to ask for your vote, ask them if they have the courage to confront public corruption? The corruption of so-called community leaders has been highlighted in news reports and confessed to in public by elected leaders, who don’t understand the age old notion of “conflict of interest.” The corrupt acts of the elected officials have been documented ad nauseam by activists.
Like democracy activists in Syria or among the Occupy Wall Streeters of Zucotti Park, we Taosenos are on our own. The elites in the community parcel out the money and firewood for family members and supporters, while the excluded suck eggs. Turn out on May 8 and occupy the KCEC Coop. We have entered a “post-hope” society and must become a “take action” society. It’s time.
