Reactionary
Today's activity in the House of Representatives of the U.S. is reactionary. Playing to the tantrum-throwing mob of middle class businessmen who organized the Tea Party, the Republican members of the House will symbolically vote to repeal the recent Health Care Reform Act, which was a first attempt at establishing universal access to health care in the U.S..
This is not simply reactionary ritual. It is test of the majority of the American citizenry, who can only benefit from the Health Care Reform Act. The Republican leadership wants to see how much can be taken away from the majority of Americans to favor the elite. How easily can they manipulate the voters? How effective is their tactic of fear-mongering in this post-911 time? How effective is their use of anti-Liberal, anti-government propaganda?
This is an era of reactionary politics at a time when the U.S. and the world desperately need proactive governance. Recent events in Tunisia illustrate clearly where corrupt, reactionary politics lead. The Arab world, acutely aware of the challenges caused by environmental deterioration and overpopulation, is struggling against reactionary potentates and dictators, whose alliances are forged with their elite to protect their hold on the greater majority of wealth in those countries. History is not linear. It is cyclic.Today's democracy can become tomorrow's dictatorship just as today's dictatorship can become tomorrow's democracy.
Human rights and economic justice are never guaranteed without a struggle, even in America. Those who have wealth and power become corrupted inevitably. This is ancient wisdom. Rather than falling into the trap of shrugging at politics as irrelevant to your life, it is wise to pay close attention to what is being done in the name of democracy. Repealing increased health benefits for Americans is an obvious attack on human progress. If those who make that attack see that the people are not paying attention, it will only embolden them. This is how bullies operate.
I believe being a humanist in society entails actively participating in the society. This includes participating in representative democracy. Voting, writing to politicians and speaking out are essentially American. Viewing politicians with disdain as long as what they do does not directly effect you is not, in my opinion, a humanist attitude. You can find the tools to getting more involved at Congress.org.
This is not simply reactionary ritual. It is test of the majority of the American citizenry, who can only benefit from the Health Care Reform Act. The Republican leadership wants to see how much can be taken away from the majority of Americans to favor the elite. How easily can they manipulate the voters? How effective is their tactic of fear-mongering in this post-911 time? How effective is their use of anti-Liberal, anti-government propaganda?This is an era of reactionary politics at a time when the U.S. and the world desperately need proactive governance. Recent events in Tunisia illustrate clearly where corrupt, reactionary politics lead. The Arab world, acutely aware of the challenges caused by environmental deterioration and overpopulation, is struggling against reactionary potentates and dictators, whose alliances are forged with their elite to protect their hold on the greater majority of wealth in those countries. History is not linear. It is cyclic.Today's democracy can become tomorrow's dictatorship just as today's dictatorship can become tomorrow's democracy.
Human rights and economic justice are never guaranteed without a struggle, even in America. Those who have wealth and power become corrupted inevitably. This is ancient wisdom. Rather than falling into the trap of shrugging at politics as irrelevant to your life, it is wise to pay close attention to what is being done in the name of democracy. Repealing increased health benefits for Americans is an obvious attack on human progress. If those who make that attack see that the people are not paying attention, it will only embolden them. This is how bullies operate.
I believe being a humanist in society entails actively participating in the society. This includes participating in representative democracy. Voting, writing to politicians and speaking out are essentially American. Viewing politicians with disdain as long as what they do does not directly effect you is not, in my opinion, a humanist attitude. You can find the tools to getting more involved at Congress.org.
Amen brother Paul - we have a responsibility to participate in our democracy, otherwise it isn't a democracy. The reason 20% of the population can dictate to the remaining 80% is because only 40 - 50% of eligible voters actually vote. If we all voted, that 20% wouldn't make up 1/2 of the votes anymore. They would only make up 20%. Simple math - we want our democracy to stay a democracy we have to be active participants in our democracy.
ReplyDelete