Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

American Democracy is seeing its darkest time since the Civil War. A group of extremely wealth, extremely powerful men have, in essence, seized the reigns of our government and our media and are taking control of our voting system. We are faced with a military-industrial-religio us complex that profits off the death of our soldiers in a so-called "Crusade" whose only purpose seems to be to enrich the bank accounts of the wealthiest people in the world, from America to Saudi Arabia.

America has faced many crises. Mostly we have stood firm against those crises and triumphed by sheer force of will. Mostly even though our nation was at risk, our fundamental values seldom have been at risk.

Right now, the very foundations of America's traditional values are being threatened by right wing extremists whose only interest is their own monetary and political benefit. "THESE are the times that try men's souls...and he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and women."

You and I are among those who are standing against modern tyranny. Have no illusions, what is at risk is the American Republic. Like with the Roman Republic, our American freedoms could well be lost quietly without a clear transition to Empire. Our Republic could lapse into tyranny almost without notice. But you and I are the ones who are noticing and we cannot sit idly by as the ideals of 1776 are dismantled by right wing extremists. From freedom of speech to the wall of separation of church and state, our traditional American freedoms are being taken away from us by a Republican party that has lost its soul and, it seems, lost its mind.

How can we celebrate freedom at that very moment when our freedoms are most threatened? How can we be proud of America and its dream when that dream is being abandoned in favor of a thinly veiled tyranny.

I have no illusions about America. The American dream has never been fully achieved. We were founded with slavery as an institution and upon the genocide of the true Native Americans. But despite the fact that we have never achieved that dream, we still were able to conceive of that dream. And that dream that inspired white patriots in 1776 also inspired Martin Luther King, jr. and inspire us know. We conceived for the first time on a national level the IDEA that all people are created equally and deserve equal consideration under the law, even if our society has never fully lived up to that ideal. What we are losing is not a fully achieved dream. We are losing a work in progress. We are losing the potential of achieving that dream. In fact, the right wing extremists are trying to destroy the dream itself. The dream that inspired Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King, jr. is being strangled by a Republican party that is so power hungry and greedy that it will destroy America to further its own wealth and power.

The left in America today, I have often written, is lazy and divided. It can, at times, do great things. But too often it spends more time on infighting than on defending its values. Too often we are distracted and unwilling to commit our precious time and money to this seeming unending fight against tyranny. And yet, as I look at my 21 month old son, I realize that if we do not put in the time and money, my son will have a far worse life than I have had, living in a world with greatly reduced potential, vision and hope than I have lived in. I do not want to bequeath to my son a worse world than I entered. I do not want the dream of 1776, which has never yet even been fully realize, to be lost completely before my son is even aware of what is at stake.

The American Dream is on the brink of failure, the American Experiment almost at an end. Are we ready to lose it?

I am not.

I ask you to join with me in a fight that is no less critical for the survival of the American Dream than was the fight in 1776. Do not allow a handful of greedy, corrupt bastards kill off even our hope. We should be seeking the fruition of the American Dream, not just for those wealthy white males who most often have benefited, but for all Americans. Instead we are faced with the extinction of that Dream. I will not go quietly.

I am Jewish and as such grew up with the Holocaust as a shadow over my world view. American Jews have always asked questions like, "Why did they stay?" and "Why didn't they fight?" I now know enough history to know that for European Jews Germany WAS the safe place, the welcoming place...until the 1930's. There was no place to go. Now here in the US many of us see parallels with the rise of tyranny in Germany. Not that I think Republicans are Nazis. No. But in both cases a Republic was threatened by tyranny and in both cases those who were viewed as "different" suffered the consequences. America is following that path from Republic to tyranny and throughout history, tyranny, particularly when led by angry white Christians, has hurt the Jews. I feel threatened in America today, for the first time in my life.

And of course it isn't just Jews, just like it never was just Jews in Germany either. It is anyone different. Different religiously, ethnically, politically. Anyone who isn't with the tyrants is considered against them and is confined without due process and, if the tyrants think it necessary, tortured and killed.

We face two futures. One is to continue to struggle for the realization of a dream, a hope. The other is to submit to the nascent tyranny, to be "with them" in the hopes that they will leave us alone and take their wrath out on others.

I no not believe they will leave us alone. Being Jewish, being a scientist, being liberal and being a loudmouth makes me unacceptable to them. I have no choice. I have to fight. I ask you to fight with me.

I never like orating without direct calls to action. Under the circumstances it is so hard to know what actions to suggest when every traditional American value is being threatened by the right wing extremists. I will make a few suggestions and you can make some in the comments. But the main thing is that you DO SOMETHING. Today and every chance you get. Make the time, find the money, do what ever it takes. But fight the bastards! Our lives, our values and our hopes are at stake.

First, read Thomas Paine's The American Crisis

Donate your time and money to those organizations that are organizing our nation from the bottom up with the specific goal of beating the nascent tyrants and furthering the American Dream. A handful of these organizations are: Progressive Majority, getting progressives elected on the local and state level; Democracy for America, empowering YOU locally and nationally; NAACP Voter Fund, extending the American Dream to those who were originally forced to be part of America; Kalyn Free's Indigenous Democratic Network extending the American Dream to those who were almost exterminated by America, the real Native Americans.

I also call on you to fight to keep our election integrity sound, by fighting against DRE machines and for bi-partisan or non-partisan election boards.

And even if you just gave, please support some Democratic Candidates. Personally I am pushing for Chris Owens for Congress as well as focusing on Iowa,  Montana, Nevada and New York and would appreciate your help with these efforts.

Please suggest your own ways of fighting for America below. But whatever you do, fight like hell for your country and your dream. Don't let them win!