I have a son who I believe is becoming entrenched into what I see as a “permanent underclass” of disenchanted young Americans who are not able to process why things seem so hopeless.  He’s not the “cookie cutter” young person who’s going to find the socially acceptable “pathway” (which is way too narrow as it is) appealing at all and, despite my efforts to explain what’s “happening” as I see it, motivating him to participate in “society”  is extremely difficult.  He’s one of the MILLIONS of young people in today’s world who gain their satisfaction in the world of video games and obscenely provocative graphic presentations (movies, games, music, etc.) and shows no sign of wanting to join the “mainstream.”  Government, to him, is a misnomer.  It’s true he brings much of his dilemma upon himself, but as a parent, it’s frustrating to feel as if I’m climbing a steep uphill battle as I attempt to convince him he has a part in the future of this great nation.

In our latest conversation he commented that when he goes back to school (I really hope he does that) he wants to learn a foreign language so he can move to a different country.  I’m formulating in my mind how to address this (underneath it all, he’s a very gifted young man – someone who should be able to find a place in our society) when I get an email about how Jeff Merkley, the US Senator from Oregon – one of the few members of the Senate in Washington I feel my son might be able to look up to – got redressed by HARRY REID because of his (Merkley’s) aggressive push to get the senate rules regarding the filibuster changed.  That one was almost too much for me – not only was Merkley attacked (and probably disciplined) by the democratic leadership, but the filibuster essentially was NOT CHANGED!  This news is beyond discouraging, it’s DEPRESSING.

I’ve written piece after piece about the damage being done to our political system by the right wing republican party, but there’s always been the undertone of democrats who lack the spine to do anything about it.  And, now Reid has publicly told us all that if anyone else in the Democratic party wants to push for REAL progressive change, this is what they can expect.  The reality is that Reid is every bit the Washington insider who’s been bought and paid for by the corporate elite many times over.  Just as in 2008, for me, the election of 2012 is immediately being followed by a series of red flags suggesting that the democratic party is not “up to the task” of changing the environment in Washington.  When you think about it, why would they.  Democratic congresspersons are just as likely to hold lucrative lobbying positions once they’ve been “outed” as are republicans.  It just kind of gives all of us who are naive enough to think there might really be a change of direction in this nation a quick dose of REALITY.

Division and dysfunction are proving to be very profitable to everyone who’s got a place on the inside.  Think about it, in the last election media companies were the recipients of BILLIONS in spending on political advertisements – do you really think they want that to stop?  And, the dysfunction seems to be driving America’s wealthiest individuals and corporations to be willing to spend unlimited amounts to protect their interests (no matter whether their interests are in the interest of the rest of us).  Where is that money going?  Well, aside from the political advertising (which is a sufficient threat to people like Merkley because of the enormity of the potential “backlash” as punishment for being truly “progressive” – just ask Sherrod Brown who was hit by almost $50 MILLION in “attack ads” during his previous senatorial campaign as a “reward” for standing up against “big oil” and standing for “single payer” health care in America – the reality of the situation here is sick) which can work for or against different politicians depending on what kind of “stand” they’re willing to take it’s also going straight into the campaign “coffers” of those congresspersons who “cooperate.”  Republicans are very COVERT in their expectation that EVERYONE  in their caucus “toes the line,” (unless, of course, you want a “primary challenge”) but I don’t see the democrats as much better.  We’ll see how this plays out for Senator Merkley, but the clear message is – don’t challenge the party leadership – even if they’re clearly “stuck in the mud.”

Think about the 3+ BILLION spent on lobbying for the “Affordable Care Act.”  Where do you think that money went?  I can guarantee you that if you look closely at the “coffers” of the congress people in the center of that fiasco (republicans OR democrats)  A LOT OF MONEY went from corporate interests into the campaign treasure chests of the people voting up or down on the legislation.  Here’s the bigger rub:  We all KNOW what’s going on, many of us want this corrupt system CLEANED UP, yet this crap just keeps happening OVER AND OVER.  Now, not only do those of us who consider ourselves “liberal” feel we have no one to turn to (the republican response to Reid’s actions regarding the filibuster was: we’ve defeated the liberals again!), but we’ve got another two years of watching republicans block EVERY attempt to move America back toward the New Deal with one filibuster after another.  The word I used earlier is still appropriate:  DEPRESSING!  (here’s another part of this that just shows how sick our “system” is – as with the so-called “public option” element in the Affordable Care Act the repeal of the filibuster garners public support from about 3 out of every 4 American voters – yet. our congress doesn’t hesitate to thumb their noses at “we the people”)

I keep telling my son that this corporate raid on our government is nothing new.  It happened in the late 1800’s, the parallels with what’s going on in America today and what was happening in the 1920’s are startling, and I believe we will, as a society, evolve past this and end up in a better direction.  It’s just that we also have histories of “lost generations” and I’m trying to get him to understand he’s got to fight his way out of the depressing state where you feel as if you have no future.  I just can’t bring myself to believe America will ultimately choose the way of Ayn Rand over the way of Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln.  And, no, I haven’t read “Atlas Shrugged” beyond brief summaries, but I don’t see America as a “me” society.

In the 1980’s I could see this present dilemma  on the horizon.  Even though Ronald Reagan was far from what I guess you’d call a “Randian” he ushered in the “Young Republicans” who have evolved into today’s Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, Jack Abramoff, and others who seem willing to do or say anything provided it moves the selfish interests of their wealthy donors forward.  I remember thinking back then, “these people are all about ‘me’ and turned off by ‘we’ when they talk about the role government should play in a society. (One thing I’ve found very curious over the years is that – from what I’ve read – Ayn Rand was an atheist – yet, many of my acquaintances who seem to have leanings toward her thinking are Christians)  In fact, Rove and Norquist seem to be the leaders of the group that professes to hate government – yet, wants to control it.  The only thing I can take from that is they want to make sure they squeeze as much wealth out of the “system” as they can “while the gettin’s good.”

Here’s another part of the scenario that makes it seem depressing.  These republicans just lost another national election – they’ve lost 5 of the last 6 national elections (remember Bush v Gore – Gore won a substantial majority of the vote) – this despite a HUGE advantage from the money standpoint.  But, the people behind this movement have been losing elections for many many years (we’re talking now about the Koch Brothers and some of their peers).  They won’t even slow down to take a breath.  The amount of financial resources at their disposal is unending.  And, they’ve got sufficient control of the “liberal media” that it’s unlikely the general public will wise up to what they’re doing anytime soon. Additionally, they’ve become EXTREMELY sophisticated.   They’re not only making a play in the national scene, but they’ve got their fingerprints all the way down to local municipal governments.  The damage being done across the nation to unions from right wing governors who are working somewhat covertly from the nation’s attention (except for Wisconsin and Ohio) could be damaging for many years.  I even went to a “free” presentation on the economics of poverty – presented as professional development by my school district – designed for teachers to take back into the classroom – that was put on by one of the offshoots of the Koch’s Heritage Institute.  I was the only person in the room of about 35 teachers (mostly high school) who even questioned the reliability of the presentation – which came across to me as propaganda.  The Kochs (and others of their ilk) are finding very creative ways to get their message out on an unsuspecting public.  I would have had no problem with what they were doing had they only been willing to be up front with who they were representing (according to the presentation, there is essentially no poverty in America – because our “poor” are so much better off than, say, the poor in Africa).

As stated above, unfortunately, those of us who want this LIBERAL push-back to the previous right wing movement America has experienced in the past 30+ years have to depend on people like Harry Reid to make it happen – and, that’s not an encouraging thought.  It’s like everyone in Washington DC espouses “change” but they all seem terrified of it.  I’ll end this by saying:  Harry Reid’s reluctance to end the filibuster is just a symptom of the bigger problem.  And, the “bigger problem” is very complicated and will never get resolved with intransigence on one side and fear on the other.  The saddest part to me is watching so many gifted young Americans essentially saying screw it – there’s no place in this society for me.  Without a concerted effort to fight back from the “left” the Ayn Rand thinkers will continually get closer to their goal and there will be more “riff raff” thrown away along the road.  What I don’t think they realize is that eventually their philosophy will be in direct conflict with Marxism.  And, eventually, people like my son will be saying “there’s way more of us than there are of them” and the “lid” could “blow off.”  I hope it never gets to that but people like Harry Reid need to figure out who’s side they’re on.