Lighting the Fuse, Part Two

 BIDEN'S TAKING the country in the right direction, at long last, by basically "Detrumping" i t, being the "anti-Trump". Exactly what the good doctor ordered. But Biden, much like Clinton and Obama, is nonetheless another corporate puppet, a faithful servant of the ultra wealthy who knows exactly where is bread is buttered.Which is too bad, because of all the guys have a sincere progressive reformist spirit, but are constrained economic reality. They are all bought and paid for by our corporate masters, as Gore Vidal called the elite oligarchy. But rather than thinking in terms of progressive versus conservative, Democrat versus Republican, it might be best to think in terms of country versus wealthy elite corporate ruling oligarchy. In other words, the ninety nine point nine nine percent versus the one one hundredth of one percent, the billionaires club. The numbers are staggering, whichever numbers you choose to us; the concentration of wealth and power in America is totally undemocratic,, and, as Justice Brandeis famously said, you can have one or the other, but you cannot have both concentration of wealth and power and a democracy. The reason why the elite few have s much wealth and political power is that they have cleverly arranged the system to suit this arrangement, to benefit themselves, with the passive acquiescence and compliance of a large majority of the working poor people, who remains politically inert, by choice. If the Americans poor working class were sufficiently motivated, it could take over the country, and rearrange the power and economic structure to suit poor working people. But instead, they buy into the conservative free market clap trap. To be a good American one should demand raising income taxes on the wealthy corporations, instituting a wealth tax, raising minimum wage, and eliminate all private spending on political campaigns and replace it with publicly financed campaigns for national offices. Strong environmental regulation and regulation of the financial industry is essential, as well as using anti-trust law to break up the monopolies which exist in every area of the American economy. let's replace corporate oligarchy with competitive capitalism. An excellent new book by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich "The System" is a must read for any American wanting to understand the scope of our corrupt political and economic system, in which big money rules all. He details the problems associated with hugely concentrated wealth, unlimited corporate power, and the destruction of American democracy, and what can, should, and must be done about it. We can't afford to wait much longer, and, like journalist Chris hedges points out in his seminal book "The Wages of Rebellion" the conditions necessary for a fundamental revolution of American institutions are here.