The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
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    In an Era of Super-Villains we need Super-Heroes

    By Ramona on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 5:02pm | Politics
     

    Since the dawn of man there has always been the need for a healthy society to smack down villains.  Villains are the human version of opportunistic rats:  There is no compunction about doing us in if that's what it takes to keep their kind going.  If their population is allowed to grow and thrive, their numbers will take us over.
     



    In this country we're finally waking up to the evidence before us: our home-grown rats have blind-sided an easily distracted population, speedily metastasizing into super-villains.   For over two centuries they've been working on doing us in, taking us over, and now they own us.

    They've commandeered our congress, corrupted our governors, pirated our airwaves, and swayed our elections, recently spending untold millions to create a phony, astro-turfed movement with no real goal except to destroy whatever safeguards are left to keep us safe, civil and healthy.

    They own us.

    Who are they?  We all know who they are.  They know who they are.  They take pleasure in their mischief-making, periodically rubbing our noses in it, lest we forget.  Their goal, as stated, is to destroy Barack Obama and the Democrats so fully there will never, ever be another Democratic majority.  Not ever.  Their goal is to turn all public works over to private interests and to keep it that way for all eternity.  Their goal is to dehumanize the worker bees and make them dependent on the benevolence of their bosses.  Their goal is to lead us into temptation and make sinners of us all.

    They are the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  They are the Heritage Foundation.  They are the Religious Right.  They are Dick Armey and FreedomWorks.  They are the Koch Brothers.  They are Fox's Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes.  They are Grover Norquist and Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove.  They are John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.  They are the same people you knew they would be.   The same bunch we've outed hundreds of times before. The same bunch still moving forward unimpeded, more bloated, more dangerous, less likely to look back.

    The last thing they want or need is the presence of a Super-Hero.  But not to worry.  They're breathing easy, sleeping well at night, knowing there are no Super-Heroes on the horizon.  They're safe from us.  While they've been forming legions of followers, we've been looking in vain for our 21st century redeemers.

    Where are this century's Mother Joneses?  The Walter Reuthers? The Martin Luther Kings?  The larger-than-life figures deep in the trenches, laying down their lives for causes that seem beyond any reasonable hope for success?  Where are the men and women who accept that they'll be jailed or bloodied or both but do what they need to do because it's the right thing at the right time and somebody has to do it?
     

    Martin Luther King - March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, 1963

     
    Where are the leaders who understand that a country can't survive without livelihoods, without dignity, without fairness and justice?  Leaders who understand that there are promises to keep, obligations to fulfill?  Who understand that what is happening in our country is all wrong and something must be done now?

    (There are a few bona fide heroes, such as the good senators Bernie Sanders and Al Franken. They're working hard but they can't do it alone.  They could use a few Super-Heroes.)

    So that's it, then.  Let me know if you find one.  I'll keep looking, too.

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    Topics: 
    Politics

    Comments

    There's no need to fear, Ratman is here ...


    by Donal on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 5:40pm

    It could work.  What's my other choice?


    by Ramona on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 6:04pm

    The Bowler

    Or The Blue Raja


    by cmaukonen on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 10:17pm

    That looks like Janeane Garafalo holding Karl Rove's skull.  I know for a fact she's on our side.  The guy with the forks scares me.  I'm not following him.  No way.


    by Ramona on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 11:00pm

    That looks like Janeane Garafalo holding Karl Rove's skull.

    Oh we can only dream.


    by cmaukonen on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 11:03pm

    Is it possible to get some one bit by a radioactive Chomsky?  Or, can we briong back Howard Zinn as a powerful android?


    by Michael Maiello on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 6:17pm

    Looking for someone who can draw huge crowds.  A charismatic leader who speaks the peoples' language and can cheer-lead them right up Penn. Ave. to someplace like the Mall, where the whole world will be watching and the message is non-stop anti-Super-villains.

    Not asking for much, but there it is.


    by Ramona on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 6:38pm

    Rich Trumka has some potential.


    by Orlando on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 9:35am

    Trumka does have potential if he could get past the image of union leader and become the leader of all labor. 

    In Michigan we had Virg Bernero,  Mayor of Lansing who was a Progressive's dream and labor's choice, but lost the gubernatorial election to Rick Snyder, Republican, who is now in the process of dismantling the state and turning it over to private interests. 

    Bernero had no money and Snyder had the Right Wing GOP machine behind him.  He never had a chance.  But that was then and this is now.  Now the people who missed supporting Bernero are champing at the bit to recall Snyder, but they can't do it until next year, according to Michigan law.

    But Bernero is on FOX NEWS as their token liberal, still trying to get the message out.  I can't watch Fox News so I admit I haven't watched him there, but I've blogged about him several times and I could see him up front as a potential leader.

    Howard Dean, as well. 

    What they all have going for them is a deep understanding of the pain millions of people are going through because their needs are not being met in the ways that once separated America from Third World countries.


    by Ramona on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 9:34pm

     

    Oh, Ramona, You know we had him.  We all knew what he was up against, but still there is a disappointment at the deference paid to to those who just want to "Do the Wrong Thing,"  as opposed to "Do the Right Thing."  

    It should have been a no-brainer; he had 70% of the country waiting for him to show that with the right leader we could do it.   Tea Party?   They should have been ridiculed with facts, rather than considered a fair and balanced "opposite view."

    Charisma is great, but more is needed.  Unfortunately the "narrative" is dictated from the MSM:  See Howard Dean, who was our last best hope to have a tough, intelligent person on our ticket.  He lost because he "screamed?"  How lame.

     

    Where do we go from here?  I don't know.


    by CVille Dem on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 7:44pm

    I don't know, either.  But the people I'm looking for will probably be outside government.  I used Mother Jones, Walter Reuther, and MLK as examples because each of them could draw crowds, could rally the troops, could get them motivated to make hard choices and thus make waves leading to permanent change.

    We remember them all today because they were able to alter the way the people of their day viewed themselves -- and in each case their followers were required to make sacrifices in order to move society in the direction it needed to take. 

    They gave people who never had it before a sense of worth and dignity.  They gave them power.   They were super-heroes.


    by Ramona on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 7:50am

    There was no way that African-Americans should have been able to overcome Bull Connors storm-troopers. There is no way that a Southern Democrat like LBJ should have signed the Civil Rights bill. There is no reason that women should have gained the rights to own property and vote. The reason that things happened is because people believed that they could.

    I know that I'm viewed as a rotten apple here because I constantly bash progressives. But, jeez, if you haven't actually engaged the enemy, how can you complain that you're losing? We spend a great deal of time forming circular firing squads about who is the "real" Democrat by mounting the strongest attack on Obama.

    People faced fire hoses, German Shepherds and bombs to gain what we have taken for granted. We don't have the luxury of giving up.

    I commented how depressed I felt about watching a discussion on all the ills of the world called "Metanoia". A laundry list of problems were listed as talking head after talking head lamented how big and bad "The Man" was (grammar not a specialty). It was depressing. No motivation to be found anywhere.

    When I watched a clip of the Black Netroots at netroots nation, I at least heard someone with a plan, even if the plan is to reelect Obama.. When I saw a brief clip of Van Jones on the creation of Rebuild the Dream,  I saw the conference begin with telling those gathered that the country is not broke. Jones went on to deliver a positive message from there. You felt that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

    You can't have MLK Jr's picture up there and give up.

    The Republican Governors are imploding. Paul Ryan is imploding. The Republicans are standing with corporations over people. The GOP is ready to trash the US's bond rating. The GOP is unpatriotic, You have the voters on your side. You are winning.

    Find a group that is organizing to GOTV, help with foreclosures, etc. This battle is winnable.

    In the new version of Superman, Clark Kent is the main character, at least that's what Media Matters' Oliver Willis says. We can be Clark Kent and win.


    by rmrd0000 on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 10:09pm

    What a delightful rant!

    Of course this rant is much more cogent than mine...hahahahah

    Scary scary picture though. hahah


    by Richard Day on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 2:08am

    If you keep doing purity tests instead of engaging the biggest threat, the GOP, you can lose a winnable battle. If you truly believe that there is NO difference between the Democrats and Republicans than you've already lost.

    If you look at how MLK operated, while he attacked segregation/Jim Crow, he did not try to destroy LBJ outright. In fact the only political comment he made, was to say that people of good conscience could not vote for Barry Goldwater because Goldwater was siding with the White Supremacists on the States' Rights issue of the day. MLK knew that the biggest enemy was the GOP and it's sharp turn to the right.

    End of second rant.


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 8:36am

    Addendum: Yes, MLK did become a vocal opponent of Vietnam. I'm putting things in context of threats to citizens rights, which MLK addressed initially.

    LBJ did not run and supported pro-War Hubert Humphrey who was not endorsed by runner-up Eugene McCarthy. Nixon ran as the get out of Vietnam + Southern Strategy candidate. George Wallace ran as the third party segregationist candidate. I did not forget history. I see the GOP's attack on citizens as the bigger threat.

    One consequence of the GOP win is that Republicans have doubled down on the Southern Strategy ever since.

     


    by rmrd0000 on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 9:04am

    I believe that you are in search of something that doesn't exist Ramona. See, all change comes from within, all change. What you are asking from one person is to take the mantle of change and do it for you.

    The point of the original Obama campaign was for people to recognize the power to change the government is within them, within each individual. Certainly, we all noticed how Mubarak was deposed, and it wasn't one person, but so many people that participated.

    It is like America needs one giant AA meeting. And I personally am disappointed that even now, so many people don't realize that they have the power to change this whole thing if they continue to work together to get it done. There are no super hero's who can do what you ask. None.

    So you keep looking for that one guy, but I am going to tell you, if you aren't actively seeking change yourself, then there will be no change.  You can impact people to do thing, to be active, which can spread, unfortunately there are far to many people in this country who just want someone else to do it for them. That will never happen.


    by tmccarthy0 on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 9:27am

    T, I think you've misunderstood my meaning here.  Or I've muddied it for you.  Of course we all have to do this together, but the fact is, we're not able to do it,  no matter how hard we try.  I can't do it alone and neither can you.  And neither can any of us individually.

    My theme here is wishful thinking, perhaps, but I'm thinking of past moments of unbelievable change, such as the labor movement and the civil rights movement.  They were as successful as they were because charismatic leaders were able to take the people to places of power. The people were inspired and took it from there.  Every movement needs leaders.  Someone has to organize and motivate.  There is power in numbers but it has to be organized.  We can't all flounder around,  fighting for the same things but never joining together in any effective way.  There has to be direction and concerted effort.

    Otherwise what happens is what's happening now:  All sound and fury, signifying nothing. 

    I HATE that I said that.  I really do.  That's why I wouldn't make a good leader.  Cliches are my bugaboo.  :(

     


    by Ramona on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 8:31pm

    Super-heroes come in all shapes and sizes. This coming election may define Super-heroes as teams of two or three people, (one of them a notary public), going into poor and minority neighborhoods and setting up photo ID booths on the sidewalk, enabling as many people as possible to obtain the photo IDs that the new voter laws require.      


    by MrSmith1 on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 1:35pm

    Yes, and they need to be recognized  And applauded.  And helped in every way possible.  We need to make heroes out of everyone who gets it and does something about it.


    by Ramona on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 10:47pm

    I think a Super-Hero can also be like a Chuck Close painting.  You see it from a distance and it looks like your typical Super-Hero, then as you get closer, you realize that the Super-Hero is made up of thousands upon thousands of ordinary individuals making contributions in any way that they can. 


    by MrSmith1 on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 12:26am

    Beautiful image.  But what (or who) drew those thousands upon thousands of people together?  They had to be motivated, they had to be organized.  Sometimes it's a single voice starting out as a whisper and growing into a righteous howl , as it was with MLK, and sometimes it's a concerted effort to focus and energize, as it was with Gompers, Mother Jones and the Reuthers, who had the ability to convince workers they deserved better..

      And at least once it was a president who pledged to help the people he signed on to represent and did the right thing, however reluctantly, as it was with FDR.


    by Ramona on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 8:15am

    The thousands were drawn together simply by the shared desire to do what's right and good for America. (This is a Capra movie, isn't it?)  A bunch of common working Joes and Jills, who love this country and are willing to give their all to help their neighbors because they know that we, as a country, don't truly succeed unless and until we ALL succeed ... (cue the fade-in of patriotic music, which swells as we cross-fade to a full screen image of the American flag waving against the bluest of blue skies. Hundreds of US fighter jets fly by in formation as the music swells and climaxes as the camera pulls back from the individuals to reveal that they are the mosaic that makes up the American Super-Hero, who is standing triumphantly astride the 21st century, his (or her) eyes fixed on the bright future that lies ahead for America ... and his (or her) left foot standing on the throat of the defeated oligarchy of evil corporate interests ... and ... fade to black. On the black screen a slogan in white lettering fades in:  "We the People are the Super-Heroes we've been waiting for!" )  (Sounds of cheering crowds and the Liberty bell ringing in the distance.)

    The End.


    by MrSmith1 on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 5:44pm

    Hmmm.  Doesn't sound at all like real life.  Too bad.


    by Ramona on Sat, 07/09/2011 - 9:14am