Decades of voting for the corporate-controlled neoliberal elite has led to perpetual wars, the complete disintegration of several nations, resulting in millions of dead and millions of refugees on a scale not seen since WWII, to Al Qaeda-turned ISIS, to a situation on the brink of a catastrophic war between NATO and Russia, and to a nearly complete demise of the once vibrant middle class in most advanced economies. This in turn has resulted in extreme political discontent and a polarized political order rejecting the centrist “business as usual” neoliberal order. This rebellion of sorts is manifested by the rise of the ‘radical’ left in Greece, Spain and even the United States, countered by the rise of the far-right with France’s Le Pen, Germany’s AfD, Greece’s Golden Dawn, leading to a trend that has recently resulted in a Brexit vote in the UK and the rise of the Donald Trump phenomenon in the United States.
The far-right isolationist and xenophobic reaction to the demise of the working class is reaching alarming levels.
In this increasingly polarized world fueled by structural and endemic crisis of crony capitalism, another vote for neo-liberals and the status quo will surely result in the shrinking of the middle class almost to non-existence, to an increase of anger and rage of the working class (manifested by more radical polarization both on the right and on the left), resulting, do doubt, in a phenomenon that is far more serious and dangerous than Brexit and Donald Trump. It is therefore the duty of the progressive movement to break the status quo and put real pressure on the globalist and corporate-controlled elite by voting for an alternative to the neoliberal order — any progressive alternative. Otherwise, expect not just more of the same, but a situation that is a lot worse than anyone can now imagine.
Albert Einstein once brilliantly remarked that “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Donald Trump (and his brothers in arms in the UK, France and elsewhere) are not the problem, but are a populist and isolationist reaction to decades of complete indifference of the neoliberal order to the plight of the working class. Thus that order will produce the same results. It is therefore that order that must be fought before the Trump’s and the Le Pen’s of this world gain more ground, fueled by more anger and more discontent among the working class, which will surely see their situation worsen under the same neoliberal order.
Here’s how this logic works: a vote for neoliberal politicians is a vote for the status quo, namely a vote for politicians beholden to the multinational global corporations. Putting all election rhetoric aside, the neoliberal politicians cannot deliver on any program that will benefit the working class, for this will be in clear contradiction with the benefit of the people that put them in office (the bankers and the multinational corporations). This, we know will not happen — just listen to convention speeches for the last 6 or 7 elections and compare that with the state of minorities, the middle class, the environment, and the state of war and peace around the world.
The neoliberal elite will also not deliver on the environment, regardless of all the usual liberal soft-hearted almost teary-eyed love for the environment. Fracking, for example, will continue, because it is cheap and profitable. The neoliberal elite will also beat the drums for more wars: nothing is more profitable, and corporations expect a good return on their campaign contribution investment, and they will get it!
In short, the neoliberal elite will not be able to deliver on any election promise, and the trend of the last three decades will continue: more wars and disintegration of nations — leading to more terrorism, illegal immigration and refugees, more environmental damage, more income and social inequality and the complete demise of the middle class. The anger of the working class will no doubt turn to racial hatred, and the rise of a xenophobic, racist and a more dangerous far-right.
To break this cycle, progressives have a duty to stop delivering their votes for this far more dangerous political order — the corporate-owned neoliberal elite that have hijacked the progressive vote for decades, using the sacre of the far right and a few social issues (including bathrooms and abortion rights and the like!)
Warren Buffett, the Bush circle, the Koch brothers, Henry Kissinger and many others in the billionaire class and the conservative warmongers are all openly for a ‘president Hillary Clinton’. And for a very simple reason: she is the protector of the neoliberal corporate-owned order. Can anyone see themselves casting the same vote as this crowd and call themselves ‘progressive’?
The stakes are too high, as this crisis is becoming much bigger and thus things cannot be left as is any longer.
Cast your protest and your convictions. There’s always a better choice if you are immune to the media brainwashing tactics.