There is more than just one Elephant in the living room

No one is really talking about the elephant in the living room: that is unbridled, unregulated capitalism. When the Soviet Empire collapsed, the only recognized alternative to capitalism vanished. In a way the very presence of an alternative system served to soften capitalism. That reality is no longer the case. Where are you going to go?

Now, as Margaret Thatcher said, TINA … “There is no alternative.” And her immediate response was the elimination of 7,000,000 government jobs. And our economic system of unrestrained capitalism is being unleashed full throttle. That means “privatization” of everything from education, to water. The common wealth is shrinking and being eaten up by private wealth. When you realize that anti-government protesters in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt sent pizzas to the protesters in Madison, Wisconsin, you have to know that they get it. Now we have to get it. And the two parties are essentially one party with two right wings. Obama raised $600,000,000 to capture the White House. He will need $1,000,000,000 to repeat the effort in 2012. Where does that money come from? It comes from the ruling elites to whom Obama is currently beholden and will continue to depend upon. We’ve got to do things that will push him to the left. In the meantime, the contradictions build. At some point they will reach a revolutionary tension. Then we can have “change.”