And I quite agree that our ruling class--which long ago abandoned any loyalty to our country and our people--is most definitely flirting with violent revolution. The thing is, they can, very likely, win against a violent revolution, or at least bloodily put it down temporarily (long enough to get any remaining assets out of the country). But the revolution that they really have inadequate weapons to win would be a peaceful one, if it is big enough.
They have two main weapons against a peaceful revolution: 1) The Corporate Press, as their "Big Lie" propaganda machine, and 2) Diebold/ES&S, that is, a private, far rightwing-connected corporation controlling about 80% of the voting systems in the U.S. with 'TRADE SECRET' code and virtually no audit/recount controls (a coup d'etat that occurred by action of the Anthrax Congress during the 2002-2004 period).
The latter is a lockdown on reform. The former--the Corporate Press--is increasingly empty and discredited. Propaganda can only work for so long, then the inherent creativity and curiosity of the human brain kicks in, and people start thinking for themselves. Also, the Corporate Press is increasingly irrelevant in the Age of the Internet--our substitute for the community-oriented social networks, and peasant and worker organizations, that are transforming Latin America into a democratic and progressive region through electoral politics.
Personally, I think that the Diebold/ES&S situation is the key to a peaceful revolution here. It is both THE blockade to reform AND a perfect symbol of what's wrong: Corporate Rule.
I've done a lot of reading/research on how Latin Americans have been able to elect so many leftist/reformist governments (in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua and other countries). They, too, have rotten Corporate Press--even worse than ours, in some cases. The difference is that they have done their civic homework on honest, transparent elections. The poor majority can create their own networks of information and organization, to bypass and overcome Corporate 'news' propaganda, and can get their new FDRs into office, IF the vote-counting is honest.
Also, the good news is that, currently, there is NO federal law in the U.S. requiring that states and counties use corporate-run, 'TRADE SECRET,' electronic vote-rigging machines. It was all accomplished by corrupt lobbying. The power over the vote-counting system still resides at the local/state level, which means that ordinary citizens still have the chance to RESTORE transparent vote counting without breaking any law (civil disobedience). It will take a widespread citizen movement, in every state and county, and never-say-die pressure on our local officials, but it is DOABLE. (Election reform at the federal level is not doable, in my opinion, and could make things far worse).
It's a great issue--something that almost everybody would agree on, that vote counting should take place in the PUBLIC venue--and having defeated one, private and highly corrupt Corporate Dragon--the one that has actually stolen our election system--we can then turn to the others.
It will take time to overcome the extremely corrupt campaign contribution system and other problems, but we can't even begin to do so, if we don't have transparent vote counting. That is WHY we don't have transparent vote-counting; why it was taken away from us (first, to create a false endorsement for corporate resource wars, in 2004, and now to do what it is doing--robbing us blind unto the hundredth generation and cementing this Corporate/War Profiteer junta in place.)
A peaceful revolution means re-empowering ourselves--"we the people"--and this one way to do it, by regaining public control of the vote-counting.
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