DEAR FRIEND

by Noel Shank

You asked me to write to you a brief summary of my political thinking these days. First and foremost, I am baffled. I have read many news reports, political articles both in newspapers and the Web, including some of the well-known political blogs. The common thread, is how could G.W. Bush get re-elected on a program of more of the same policies that he gave us in his first term? Following the election there was fairly obvious despair, although some bloggers have regained their tone of defiance. I wonder, however, are we seeing the beginning of the end of democracy in America? Usually a turning point is only obvious in retrospect, when historians look back and analyze events. I believe a democratic system is based on an informed electorate, making decisions based on enlightened self-interest, which means concern about the society as well as what benefits the individual. Have we finally come to the point that modern communication methods, with finely honed modes of information, misinformation, and disinformation, can literally fool all the people, all of the time? Well, maybe so.

The American media, for one thing, seems to have been brought into line with the Republican narrative to an extraordinary degree. “Coordination”, the National Socialists in Germany used to call it, bringing all public institutions into an agreed set of assertions. It’s not so much that Bush scandals aren’t reported- they are, but in a curiously matter-of-fact manner, without much evaluation or judgement. Then, the right wing commentators and pundits get busy deflecting blame, explaining problems away, or sometimes just blatantly denying that there is anything wrong. The 2000 election, WMD’s in Iraq, prison scandals, financial corruption: the pattern always holds. I am reminded of a Steve Earle lyric: “they said, God made us in His image, and it’s in God that we trust-when asked about the men that had died by their hands, they said ‘ashes to ashes and dust to dust.” G.W. Bush is reportedly one of the greatest presidents ever. Like Stalin, he never makes a mistake, so reality is changed to reaffirm his greatness. As Eric Hoffer observed, “absolute faith corrupts as absolutely as absolute power.”

The Republican party, in contrast to the Democratic, seems increasingly comfortable with authoritarian values and contemptuous of democratic ideals. Smearing of opponents, biased drawing of legislative districts, bribed journalists, using government agencies for partisan political purposes are all methods previously used in American politics. The difference this time, it seems to me, is the highly organized and coordinated national effort by the Republican right. One by one, state legislatures, governors, Congress, and court systems become organs of the party. A compliant press ratifies their actions. Any individual who opposes them is increasingly isolated and vulnerable. Not a very pleasant prospect, is it? There seems to be fear in the nation, as Warren Zevon sang: “it’s the home of the brave and the land of the free-where the less you know, the better off you’ll be.”

I doubt very much that the United States will become the stereotypical dictatorship state, with one party and one leader-for-life. A weak opposition party will probably be tolerated, both as a “straw man” to rally support to the ruling party and to keep up the pretense of a democratic, two party system. Our current president may even step down after 2 terms as current law dictates, to enjoy a lucrative retirement while his replacement from among conservative ranks carries on his tradition of smashing social programs in favor of giveaways to the rich. Remember, the ruling class that can choose its successors remains the ruling class.

So, is this all in the process of happening? I honestly don’t know. Certainly, there have been many times in American political history when abuses occurred. I would like to think that the current situation would pass, as well. What scares me is that modern communication allied with a highly organized and motivated power group may be something relatively new to American politics. These people know what they want, and it’s unlimited power. Enough powerful leaders in our past nevertheless believed in democracy to some extent, enough to eventually right our course away from the extreme. I’m not sure that’s the case now. I still scan the news daily, looking for any sign of encouraging news. I haven’t seen any for a long time now. Ending Social Security, massive deficits, the war in Iraq- it just goes on and on. The latest war casualties are reported, in an article on page 15, while the front page shows trivial headlines designed not to disturb the average American from his long nap. He is in a political slumber from which we may never awaken. The United States has been a democratic republic for about 240 years now, not that long as world history goes. If it is indeed going down under a tide of repression and red ink, it won’t be as obvious to us as it will to future historians. I’ll close with another Steve Earle quote I find appropriate: “someday, even man’s best laid plans will lie twisted and covered in rust-when we’ve done all that we can but it slipped through our hands, and it’s ashes to ashes and dust to dust.”