Here and There, the Truth

Looking around the Internet I come across mentions of the falsity of the Presidential elections of 2000 and 2004. One is not overwhelmed with such references to be sure. Yet for the inquisitive, the information is there.

I bring this up because of the high election season we are now in. Many people have put a tremendous amount of energy into getting one candidate or another nominated. Yet research shows elections, while important, are essentially used by the corporate structure to offer legitimacy for its own ends. Neither Clinton, nor Obama, nor McCain have eschewed donations from corporations, even if indirectly; so the reports say.

For a good summary I highly recommend Hidden Election by Charles Derber which proclaims the U.S. to now be in its third "corpocracy." The hopefulness of the present moment is the failure of the profit system as some of the stalwarts of American capitalism -- once unassailable giants such as General Motors and CitiBank (now CitiGroup) -- have faced serious problems. While such a failure brings with it great pain, the weakness of our economic system is becoming plainer to people.

So I am glad to end on a note of hope.