We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Masters of hate locked and loaded

by Pepe Escobar from Asia Times Online

After Palin's video release yesterday in which she continues her stupid portrayal of herself as a victim, it appears that the right-wing of the ruling class is preparing to dump her. I believe it is only because she is seen as a rather bumbling "useful idiot" by the right-wing in the US. See this. Clearly her political handlers are not very competent.
For future historians who want to find the moment when Sarah Palin chose life as a culture warrior over life as a legitimate contender for White House, this moment is likely to be it. [from CNN]
It is revealing to note that, although it appears that Palin has lost favor with the ruling class, very little is reported in mainstream media about the rest of the hateful, violence filled rhetoric of the other right-wing pundits supported by the right-wing in the ruling class. 
There's no evidence US hatemongers festering in the politics/talk show crossover swamp are about to be chastised. There's no evidence Republican party leaders will publicly take a stand against the "take out" rhetoric. The Arizona massacre that killed six people and wounded 14 others is already being dismissed en masse in right-wing circles as the usual isolated act of the usual deranged loner.
See also this article from the World Socialist Web Site entitled, "More evidence of right-wing links to Tucson attack".

As for all those "balanced" commentaries in mainstream media that claim both sides are guilty of inflammatory rhetoric, read this.