Jack Burns Lives!

I’ve always found myself fascinated by images that show emerging plant life in landscapes recently burned to crisp by volcanic eruptions. Even out of what appears to be sheer and utter destruction, life abides. Like a snake shedding its skin for a new scaly coat of armament, the earth renews and recreates itself.

For those of us still reeling from the mind blogging Supreme Court decision this week, I offer hope. Yes, hope, that little word Obama used to sway us like a Pied Piper and lead us to believing change was coming to America. We got change, alright. Just not the kind we hoped for.

With this week’s decision, the Supreme Court essentially killed any notion that the United States was a democratic nation and gave full notice that we were in fact a corporate state. A fascist nightmare run by greedy, callous people, mostly Christians, possessing nuclear weapons and guns with Bible verses inscribed on their sights. Their mantra is growth and profit, and for those that can’t keep up, well, you get kicked to the curb to suffer. Shoulda prayed more, I suppose.

It didn’t take a battle or revolution to do it. All it took was five appointed people, people appointed by rich and powerful men, and a few short paragraphs within the context of a nearly 1000 word document to kill America, Land of the Free.

Not a single shot was fired.

The silver lining is this. Perhaps this once unfathomable turn of events will hasten the demise of what we mistakenly believed was representative democracy and give birth to real democracy. Our generation will bear the brunt of the ugliness, as will our children, but perhaps our grandchildren (or for some, great-grandchildren) will live to see a much more democratic, sustainable society. Maybe even a semi-pastoral, anarchistic society based on the egalitarian principle of mutual aid.

I’m one of the few hold outs that still embraces Edward Abbey’s ideals. That anarchism is not a romantic fable but a viable, tried and true alternative for organizing human society.

What’s next? I tend to agree with Keith Olbermann’s assessment on things. The first step is to insert paid for politicians. To a lesser degree, we’ve had that for some time, but we’re entering an age where no one can win without the correct corporate imprimatur. Goodbye Dennis Kucinich. Then, once the whores are in place, their corporate pimps will instruct them to roll back all sorts of environmental regulations, and we’ll see development and industry running amok. The real Dark Ages lie ahead.

As that starts to collapse, violence will erupt. Corporate brutality, state brutality, desperate people roaming the streets. Perhaps not too far from scenarios envisioned by Cormac McCarthy or Edward Abbey. Police forces will be privatized and rule with the cudgel and the boot.

Eventually, however, the corporate toadies will go too far. To help expand their reach, they’ll probably try to privatize parts of the military, but I have faith that wise generals will see through this ruse and draw a line in the sand. One thing about West Point men is they know history. They won’t be fooled by a bunch of necktie wearing power brokers any more than Smedley Butler was fooled. A few will drink (a few have already) from the poison chalice, but not all. So, instead of a Civil War like we had in 1863, you could see a State vs. Corporate war. What’s to keep Lockheed from hiring its own pilots? Blackwater from expanding to unheard of levels? They’ll have their appointed Congress critters to help them! They’ll be oaths of allegiance to the company and to God. I can imagine all sorts of scenarios where this could get beyond butt ugly over the coming years.

Remember, these are people that have already leveled threats like “We’ll bury you with our money.”

Think that’s unimaginable? Who would have thought 25 years ago we’d be dealing with this catastrophe? Emma Goldman, Edward Abbey and a few other marginalized radicals and dissenters probably saw it coming but not too many others. Never underestimate what people will do when billions of dollars are at stake.

I believe we’re at war. I believe we’re fighting to keep freedom alive in our bleeding country. I believe anyone that cares about freedom and that doesn’t want to see our country turned over to corporate, fascist bastards needs to stand up and be heard. We need writers, agitators, creative subversives in art, music and even high tech to wage war against this onslaught of idiocy sweeping the country. Now, more than any time since the time of Jim Crow, we need warriors. People willing to peacefully stand against the tide and refuse to flow with it. We need people to light the way and establish a sound path for future generations.

We need a massive injection of common sense, and we need it now, and if you’re a praying sort, pray these evil bastards hang themselves with their neckties.