#OurRevolution

#29 Our democracy is broken and it’s dangerous to pretend it isn’t. Money has replaced our votes.  Election fraud, voter suppression, media collusion with one of the major parties - proof of the Democratic National Committee actively sabotaging Bernie Sanders’ campaign and American people are not just requested, but expected to close their submissive eyes and whisper that the revolution has to wait.

As we debate the question of Russia’s role in the DNC email leak without debating the indisputable substance of the emails themselves, we have learned from people like former DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz that those who get caught, will get promoted. And
I would love to heel and tell Bernie, “You got it big guy. If you say to vote for the person and institution that broke federal election laws in order to be on that ballot in November - OK.” But the problem is that the revolution doesn’t belong to Bernie Sanders. Thank you so much for everything, Bernie. We know you gave it your best, but when you offer that tainted olive branch of the DNC to us - thanks, but no thanks. This is #OurRevolution. It was always #UsNotMe.

Let’s assume for a minute that you’re aware that Hillary Clinton, if not criminally liable, and if not morally perverse, just continues the Washington DC strategy of “business as usual…” Increased fossil fuel extraction, increased deportations, increased outsourcing, increased incarceration, endless war. Some people hate liberals which is funny, because we haven’t had mainstream power in fucking decades. We’re talking about a system of neoliberal policies. Which brings us to the question of where exactly does a Donald Trump comes from?

The “donalds” of the world gain power through failed neoliberal policies. The kinds of policies that put profits over people, imprisoning the population as it closes factories and schools, and capitulate to a war profit-machine that benefits very few at the top at the very real cost to millions of civilians, women and children, and mother earth herself.

The “donalds” of the world gain power when corrupted capitalism enriches banks and billionaires while frustrated and desperate families starve from a lack of good, reliable information and livable wages. As idealistic, failed wars on terror and drugs, corrupted trade deals, and transnational companies create real incentives for poor and desperate people to immigrate, precious resources become even fewer in a place like the rust belt, and soon xenophobia and paranoia coupled with a failed mainstream media, once pledged to keep us informed, now sworn to keep us distracted, provide the kindling for nativist wildfire.

Imagine a “trumpier Trump”. Like a Donald Trump on crack or meth, and think of how much worse it could get. The Trump we know today just wants the title and the long term financial benefits that come with being president. You’re actually voting for vice president nominee, Mike Pence, also a d-bag. When asked what role Pence would have, Trump’s response was that he would be in charge of foreign and domestic policy. That’s the whole ground game, folks! That’s because Trump has no ideology, no clear, concise goals. Racist, yes, but fascist he is not. Realistically, he is not smart enough. The scary truth is Trump is neofascist-light, and upon remembering the conservative freak-out after a black man went into the White House (Oh dear!), imagine the neofascist stir it will cause if Hillary Clinton is elected - arguably the one person conservatives hate more than President Barack Hussein Obama. Unfortunately, as Clinton would be sure to go on enacting yet more neoliberal policies, more kindling will be added to the dry forest floors of “Whitelandia”.

So for me? I will be voting for the greater good. I will be voting #JillNotHill, #GreenIn2016. Many will fret about Green’s infrastructure for American politics. This challenge is certainly real, but remember Greece’s Syriza, now in office, polled at the same dismal numbers just a few short years ago. Antithetically, nazi-groups like Greece’s Golden Dawn have also sprung up around the world in direct response to - you guessed it, neoliberal policies. Critics will also hark back to Ralph Nader’s “spoiling” of the 2000 election, but if I have 100 apples and all but three are bad, I do not call the three good apples “spoiled”. Furthermore, in other countries third, fourth, and fifth parties are collaborated with and alliances are formed, something our Democrats and Republicans know nothing about. Talk about “spoiled”. Furthermore, Ralph Nader had nothing to do with George Bush’s election, in the fact that despite Al Gore’s winning the popular vote still couldn’t win his own home state of Tennessee, little brother Jeb Bush played an outrageously heavy hand in Florida, and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia more or less hand-delivered the presidency to “W”.

Speaking of Scalia, Hillary supporters are quick to point out that the next president will certainly appoint at least one justice, and the real fears of an ongoing conservative legacy in the Supreme Court has many saying that we need a Democrat to make that appointment. Have we forgotten Merrick Garland? Obama’s choice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy is a man who thinks Citizens United was a good ruling. Again, money has replaced speech. Profits are more important than people, and the DNC email leak shows us again that “staying in the system and fighting for incremental change” is becoming nothing short of pure fantasy.

Naturally, anybody voting for Donald Trump has no concept of how stupid and dangerous that really is, and truly need to have their head examined. We’re worried about your health. BUT, any one who thinks Hillary will not in the long run stir up more fascist rhetoric while simultaneously taking us far off course from where we need to be going needs to check their own Kool Aid.

• Music provided by Evil Bear Boris and Blue Dot Sessions through Creative Commons Licensing via the FreeMusicArchive.org. Special thanks to Chris Hedges, for assisting greatly in shaping the language and discourse of #OurRevolution.