Bread and Circuses
By Morton Skorodin
20/01/08 “ICH” — — The Roman emperors provided bread and circuses for their people. The American empire does the same, though lately with less bread. They’re making up for it in the circuses department. I’m talking about the election charade.
It’s so sad to see otherwise intelligent people falling prey to this circus.
The election campaign began on the heels of the November 2006 election, a year earlier than prior custom. For about four days the mainstream corporate media admitted election results reflected the American people’s desire for a prompt end to the Iraq war and occupation. Then the war was dropped like a hot potato. The media under-report it and the election is a great way to change the subject.
The owners and rulers of America are timid about who they feel they can allow to be president. They are OK with war hawk H. Clinton, though she’s not their first choice. They tried but failed to manufacture Fred Thompson out of thin air.
TV debates are controlled to the last degree. Talking heads ask the official questions all of which are carefully screened. A striking example is the question to Clinton about the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site that was changed to asking her if she likes to wear fur. You can’t make up this stuff.
The TV networks sidelined candidates who are too threatening. No Kucinich, Paul or Gravel. Can’t have any anti-war candidates they just represent 75 percent of the people on this most important issue.
The circus goes on; something to dull the mind of us “great unwashed.” No point in reminding us of the mass killings of the innocents the brown-skinned victims of American planes, bombs and taxes. The ruination of our boys and girls ” killed or injured in body and spirit. For example, on Jan. 10, the Associated Press reported: “U.S. bombers and jet fighters unleashed 40,000 pounds of explosives on the southern outskirts of Baghdad within 10 minutes Thursday in one of the biggest air strikes of the war.”
The election campaign is big business. It’s good for the economy. So this will go on until fall.
In the meantime all the legal, military, intelligence and police props are in place “ for martial law, with a president who said the Constitution is a g——-d piece of paper. (Nice talk.) What if there is a terrorist attack in October or November, after all the profit is taken from the election business? If there is an emergency, there just may not be an election.
This should be seen as a possibility by intelligent and progressive commentators, if not corporate media prostitutes. How disappointed I am Ralph Nader, who saved my wife’s life when our car was totaled, by having forced seat belts and air bags on the auto industry, is jumping into the fray. He should be warning the people about further war and frank dictatorship.
It’s a lot like Germany in the 1930s.
In the meantime, avert your eyes from the TV. Close them and listen. Listen with your heart. You will hear the screams of the dead ones and the injured. Stop them! Stop them from killing us!
Morton Skorodin, M.D. e-mail mortonskorodin@sbcglobal.net.