The $$$$$-Face Behind the Mask of Diversity
I was reading a book, "Winner-Take-All Politics." It's basic thematic thrust was to statistically show how the US economy has skewed since the 1970's toward the super rich, much to the dereliction of the poor and even more strikingly, to the middle class. It accuses the Rupublicans for actively forstering and encouraging this trend, but also accuses the Democrats for allowing this a "drift" to occur. In effect, it accuses the entire political system, the media, and the political class in general for allowing this disarming trend of economic concentration to occur.
When I finished, I was reminded of many years ago writing about a cycnical opinion of mine: that the white male power structure in this country, when it was first being attacked (circa 1965) for racism, homophobia and genderism in keeping woman, gays and people of color off the ballot and out of elective office, they (the white male moneyed power structure) seemingly retreated and accepted the inevitable wider distribution of political power in the US." I wrote "seemingly;" because my thesis was that while the white male hetrosexual power structure "seemed" to accede, in reality they simply changed tactics. They would, as in John Edwards wonderful phrase when he withdrew from his attempt to run for President and capitulated to Barack Obama, "get out of the way of history" and let women, gays and people of color into the political arena, but in reality the power structure would become wolves in sheep's clothing: maintaining their stranglehold on the money arena...which they knew was the true source of political power in America. So while after Women, gays and blacks and browns would be able to now attain many more political offices, but in order to do so, they would have to come begging to the white, male power structure--who still controlled the money arena--for $$$$ to run for office. Ms. Senator, Gay congressman, and black and brown Governor would be a mask of power, where none really existed. These now culturally diverse officials would still do the bidding of the white power structure...as dictated by their paid lobbyists.
Perhaps that is the reason the American public has so little respect for the contamporary political class. They know the seeming power structure are really powerless; beards, women/gays/non-white fronts for the money people behind them. The people in office don't represent the people; they represent the white, moneyed--and may I say greedy--power structure behind them. And as long as $$$$ is required to get elected to office, as long as office-seekers are more and more beholden to campaign contributors to get elected to office, the neuetering of the political class will remain; the 'new' political class, while on the social, sexual and cultural surface more "representative" of the US population, will be in truth puppets on a string, ineffective pawns in dealing with the problems of anybody but the moneyed class.
When I finished, I was reminded of many years ago writing about a cycnical opinion of mine: that the white male power structure in this country, when it was first being attacked (circa 1965) for racism, homophobia and genderism in keeping woman, gays and people of color off the ballot and out of elective office, they (the white male moneyed power structure) seemingly retreated and accepted the inevitable wider distribution of political power in the US." I wrote "seemingly;" because my thesis was that while the white male hetrosexual power structure "seemed" to accede, in reality they simply changed tactics. They would, as in John Edwards wonderful phrase when he withdrew from his attempt to run for President and capitulated to Barack Obama, "get out of the way of history" and let women, gays and people of color into the political arena, but in reality the power structure would become wolves in sheep's clothing: maintaining their stranglehold on the money arena...which they knew was the true source of political power in America. So while after Women, gays and blacks and browns would be able to now attain many more political offices, but in order to do so, they would have to come begging to the white, male power structure--who still controlled the money arena--for $$$$ to run for office. Ms. Senator, Gay congressman, and black and brown Governor would be a mask of power, where none really existed. These now culturally diverse officials would still do the bidding of the white power structure...as dictated by their paid lobbyists.
Perhaps that is the reason the American public has so little respect for the contamporary political class. They know the seeming power structure are really powerless; beards, women/gays/non-white fronts for the money people behind them. The people in office don't represent the people; they represent the white, moneyed--and may I say greedy--power structure behind them. And as long as $$$$ is required to get elected to office, as long as office-seekers are more and more beholden to campaign contributors to get elected to office, the neuetering of the political class will remain; the 'new' political class, while on the social, sexual and cultural surface more "representative" of the US population, will be in truth puppets on a string, ineffective pawns in dealing with the problems of anybody but the moneyed class.
posted by Cliff Osmond at 4:28 PM
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