For the World’s Sake: Revolution in the United States

[marmar]

via truthdig:


For the World’s Sake: Revolution in the United States

Posted on Nov 13, 201
By Garry Leech

This piece first appeared at CounterPunch.

Garry Leech is an independent journalist and author of numerous books including Capitalism: A Structural Genocide (Zed Books, 2012); Beyond Bogota: Diary of a Drug War Journalist in Colombia (Beacon Press, 2009); and Crude Interventions: The United States, Oil and the New World Disorder (Zed Books, 2006). He is also an editor of the Cape Breton Independent and a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Cape Breton University in Canada.

How can it be just that so few dictate the lives of so many? I’m not referring to the 1 percent and the 99 percent. I’m speaking of the voting population in the United States and in its minions Canada and Britain. Meanwhile, the billions of people around the world whose lives are directly impacted by the decisions made by elected officials in these wealthy nations have virtually no voice. The US Empire is far from democratic. It is authoritarian! It is imperialist! It is unjust! And a revolution is needed.

In the 2012 presidential election, 121 million Americans voted, which constituted 57 percent of the voting age population. This voter turnout, while not a significant majority, nevertheless provides legitimacy for the US political system, particularly in the eyes of many Americans.

But the political decisions made by elected US officials reach far beyond that nation’s borders. Through its foreign policy and its dominant role in international institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the United States impacts the lives of virtually everyone on the planet. In other words, the electoral choices of 121 million Americans directly impact the lives of billions of people around the world. How is this democratic?

National borders are repeatedly decimated in the name of ‘free market’ capitalism so that corporations can freely move their capital and profits around the globe to take advantage of cheap labour and natural resources, particularly in the global South. But while the economy is becoming increasingly globalized, democracy remains rooted in the nation-state. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/for_the_worlds_sake_revolution_in_the_united_states_20141113

[HereSince1628]

1. Meh, Foreign money and policy has as much impact on US politics as domestic money

OBVIOUSLY

[Zorra]

2. Let's go. I keep my torches and pitchforks by the front door. nt

[Paka]

3. K&R

Bookmarking for an in-depth read later. Thanks for the post.