Why don’t the Democrats do anything to stop it? This is what pisses me off and frustrates me the most. I can think of a few reasons which I’ll present here. The first one is political calculation. If they keep feeding Bush more rope, he will keep hanging himself higher and higher. By allowing him to go on looking bad, they make it more likely that a Democrat will win the 2008 election. This is a pure calculation that may actually pay off, but will not do anything to make their base happier. It also doesn’t take into account the damage that Bush can still do in the next 18 months. They are hoping that Bush will just sit and wait until he has to leave office. That ignores history. This administration has shown no signs of humility or wisdom, and they will continue to do as they please as long as they are able.

Next, I really believe the Democrats are spineless. With a few notable exceptions, this group simply does not have the gastric fortitude to stand up to the Bush administration. These people are scared to exercise their constitutionally mandated powers. If the congress does not hold this administration accountable and stand up and say NO MORE, they will surely go down in history as the worst congress in US history. You can’t have the worst president unless you have the worst congress to go with him. It’s understandable that the Republican controlled congress would go along with things (that’s not to say it’s right, just that I wouldn’t expect anything different). The Democrats did nothing to stop Bush when they were the minority (they could have filibustered if they wanted), because they were scared of looking bad.

Politicians all have this same issue nowadays. They are scared to take a principled stand if they feel it may hurt their re-election chances. Pelosi gave away any power she had when she took impeachment off the table. They have nothing else to hold over this administration’s collective head. They don’t have enough of a majority to override a veto, and if they are not willing to discuss impeachment, then Bush does not need to pay any attention to them at all. They gave away the only power they have, and one that is their constitutional responsible to wield. Republicans love to grab power they don’t have, and Democrats are too scared to use the power that they do. To me, this Democratic congress is just as damaging as the Republicans they replaced.

Finally, Democrats really believe that they will win the White House in 2008. Maybe they don’t want to dilute that power before they get a chance to use it? They are willing to let us all suffer until January 2009 so they can get their chance. I think this may backfire on them. Many Americans would rather vote for someone they perceive as strong but wrong then someone who is weak and right. More precisely, most Americans don’t have the capacity to figure out who is wrong, so they vote for who looks best. Right now, the Democrats look weak. Truthfully, I think most of them are rather weak. As are the rank and file Republicans. There is something in most politicians’ makeup that makes them too scared to take a stand. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s the age we live in. It terrifies me.

There is another aspect of what has been perpetrated on the American people. We are witnessing a growing divide between top and the bottom economically. I recently heard a term called de-growth. It’s a great term which explains a lot of how the stock market and corporate profits can be growing while the average American is poorer then they were 6 years ago. There is a good write up at the website www.mondaymorningeconomist.com. It is easier for a corporation to increase profits by decreasing its expenses then it is to increase revenue. If a company cuts 1000 workers and thereby trims about 40 million from its expense column, but its revenues only drop by 20 million, it has increased its profits by 20 million. This is de-growth. It increases profits at the expense of its workers, and the economy in general. Where does this money go? The guy who decided to lay off 1000 workers just got a 10 million dollar bonus. But how long can this last? Who is left to buy the products eventually? Where does the money come from when consumers don’t have any left to spend?

There is an aspect to this that very much favors the political powers that be. First, corporations are very heavy political donors, so it takes a lot more fortitude then most politicians have to go against the money. Second, if people are just trying to earn enough money to survive, how much time do they have to be politically active? It’s a modern form of indentured servitude. The common person works so hard just to get by that they don’t have time or energy to pay attention to the world, and therefore enable the people creating the system that oppresses them. It’s self perpetuating, and it works much too well to be a complete accident.

What can we do to change things? I don’t really know, and that’s the most frustrating thing. I see people saying that Americans need to be more educated. I agree, but I don’t think most are willing to be. Power comes from the bottom, not the top. Change has to start with the people. We need education that teaches kids to be analytical and observant, not simply repeaters of memorized information. We need a media that will report the truth, and not have to have this BS notion of balance that requires a tit for tat right vs. left mentality on every issue. We need people to get off their butts and make sure their politicians respect their wishes. We need honest elections and voting machines that can not be hacked so easily. Will any of this happen? I don’t know. Our systems are so undermined right now, that I can’t see how it will improve. To misquote Timothy Leary, most people have decided to “Tune out, turn off and drop out.”