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CounterPunch
November
21, 2002
The Dagger of
Futility
by PHILIP FARRUGGIO
Many readers of my online columns have recently
expressed feelings of both anger and resignation. The elections
seemed to "push a dagger" into the heart of progressive
ideals. Many hoped that the public would vote Democratic over
Republican to stop this assault on our civil liberties, our treasury,
and American "fair play" philosophy. Other progressives
shouted before the elections that it was "too late"-
the mainstream Democratic party had already AGREED with the Bushes
on much of the above. What would the elections prove?
Alas, hopelessness fills the air. We
tune in the radio and the boob tube to witness endless talk shows
promoting the "soon to be war". Rarely is dissenting
opposition ever offered. "Showdown with Saddam" has
become television's title of choice. It is no longer "IF"
we go to war, rather "WHEN and "HOW". The only
concerns seem to be "how long will we have to stay",
not "how many soldiers and civilians will die" or "how
many future acts of terrorism will this invasion incite"?
Few debates are aired about "anti terrorism" laws that
allow for random eavesdropping of our e-mails, our phone conversations,
our credit card bills, all without the decades old mandatory
court order. If Big Brother thinks you are "them",
you become targeted. What the media fails to mention is that
activisits and dissenters can easily get "labeled"
as terrorist supporters.
Moving on, the elections did not offer
voters a choice about MONEY, meaning how to take less from column
E and D and C and B, while taking more, much more, from column
A (the super rich). If one reads Kevin Phillips excellent study
"Wealth and Democracy", one sees how much the top 1%
of this nation earns (or controls via inheritance). The "insult
to injury" is that most of the Congress, continually bought
and paid for by the column A's, legislated so that the top bracket
for federal income taxes be capped at around $150k per year.
Someone who earns $150k or $300k per annum is treated the same
as the 1% who may earn $5 or $10 or $50 million--all sharing
the top rate of 39.6% (year 2000). In 1980 it was 70%, in 1970
it was 71.75%, in 1960 it was 91% (capped at $400k per year in
1960 dollars). When you examine Corporate tax rates, it becomes
even more obscene! Many companies no longer even have to pay
a MINIMUM corporate tax, instituted under (of all people) Reagan,
because, through loopholes, they avoid paying taxes completely!
When people like my old Brooklyn pal
Carmine, a usually non political person, come out strongly for
a "Maximum Income", then we know things are bad.
So, progressive thinkers are depressed.
What to do? Putting our heads in the sand won't solve anything.
Taking to the streets will brand us as "crazies" by
the "sleeping majority". The only answer, in this writer's
eyes, is to do what great college coaches have done. Take a guy
like a Rick Pitino. Great basketball mind--great leader, excellent
teacher. Pitino has a history of going into programs in disarray
and "turning them around". Here's the key: the very
fact that the teams were losing gave Pitino the impetus to a)
be hired and b) do as he pleased to turn things around.
Progressive Americans must now take the
gauntlet. We must organize "Progressive Democrat clubs",
advertise and hold meetings locally, and "push" our
way into that decadent and corrupted party. Weeding and pruning
that once proud garden of democratic and economically fairer
ideals- but first pulling out the weeds! They know who they are,
those weeds: they who "slept" with the corporate honchos;
they who sacrificed principles for "posture"; they
who walked out on Sen. Byrd as he held the Constitution in his
arm, cradling it like a precious babe. They who followed, like
lemmings over the cliffs of reason, this shameful administration
and its disregard for the Bill of Rights and Due Process. Finally,
the weeds who turned their heads at calls for Clean Election
Laws, National Health Insurance, fairer taxation and the end
to this "War Economy, War Mentality". Think how much
the reduction of this "arsenal of overkill" weaponry
could accomplish economically? How many new schools a B-1 bomber
can build? How many millions of doctor visits one nuclear warhead
could subsidize? And on and on.
So, true progressives, the choice is
yours. One of my role models, the man from Galilee said: "the
path to salvation is a narrow one, full of turns". I think
he said that. If he didn't then I guess I'll take credit for
it. After all, if I must share my role model with "The Man
Who Would Be President", ya gotta cut me some slack, now
dontcha?
Philip Farruggio
is a baby boomer Brooklyn NY born bred and educated (Brooklyn
College '74), Currently, he resides in Florida and is self employed
as a mfg. rep for an environmental bacteria company. Philip writes
for many publications as a free lance columnist. He can be reached
at brooklynphilly@aol.com
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