The System Isn't Broken

 

Maybe we should junk the whole thing and start over?

The System Isn't Broken

(A Tribute to RBG)  

By Redd Phlagg

You can become overloaded with others' bellyaching at times. You have to tune it out to preserve your sense of sanity. With the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg, a whole new round of neoliberal woe-is-me-ing has begun to get on my nerves. The fact of the matter is it's all for naught and your tears of righteous indignation are just going to circle the proverbial drain, unheeded.

For all intents and purposes, the system is working in the way it is intended. It's efficiently replacing one cog in the pro-corporate, pro-billionaire machine with another. Already the "left wing" of the "same bird" is stepping aside and allowing the "right wing" to replace Justice Ginsberg with the puppet of their choosing. Nothing unusual there. It's business as usual. And it is business as in a "America's business is business" sort of way.

The system isn't broken as many attest and needs to be fixed. It's fixed in place, servicing well those it was meant to serve--the oligarchs, the 1%, the rich, whatever you want to call them. So, stop the crying about how "democracy is at stake" if a pseudo-left-leaning judge isn't appointed to the Supreme Court. How would it make any difference who is picked and placed in that spot? As long as the billionaires are getting their way, Trump could appoint Daffy Duck to the court, and they'd give Daffy their blessing.

Your needs and wishes are not all that important, peons. Get over yourselves!

If you want to use that righteous indignation in a productive way, stop the neolib whinging and start marching to the beat of a different drummer. Try democratic eco-socialism. Face it--we don't live in a democracy. We never have. If we did, all voices would be heard and attended to instead of only white males with tons of wealth.  If this doesn't describe you, then this isn't the system of government for you.

We don't take care of our neighbors as we should--we have our militarized police shoot human beings dead for driving, walking or sleeping while black, or lock them up in ICE detention if they're brown with a Spanish accent. That ain't democracy--that's fascism. Trying to perpetuate this totally f***ed up system with its easily corrupted checks and balances--or "checkbook balances of the rich"--is societal suicide.

And just stop it with the "Saint Obama would have never done such awful things!" bullshit. Who do you think set up the ICE deportation centers in the first place--Trump? Did Obama shut down Gitmo? (Answer: Nope to both questions.) These travesties of justice didn't just materialize overnight because "Trump." Remember, you're living in a fascist failed state. These concepts and anti-democratic institutions have been developed, perfected  and implemented over years, many years.

Now do you understand why replacing one "rubberstamp the corrupt system" justice with another doesn't make one speck of difference? Things are going to run the same way for the benefit of the same folks (the 1%) if we continue to prop up the dirty system we got now.

Solution? Tear it all down and start fresh.

As Thomas Jefferson said:

The system ain't working for you, but it's not "broken" by a long shot. It's just totally and utterly corrupt, and it breeds and nurtures corrupt leadership and creates corrupt practices and then it rewards even more corrupt men with them. That's all it was ever meant to do. Well, that and fool ordinary people into putting up with it.

Don't expect things to change for the better if you're not willing to stop putting up with corruption and fight it. Save your energy for the struggles ahead in tearing the whole system down and replacing it with something that is actually democratic. And while you're at it, can your insipid moping over a dead one-percenter Supreme Court justice. She's resting in a better, safer place than you are currently, right? I think even Ruth would tell you, "Stop whining and get to work!"

BIO: Redd Phlagg has had enough of those who can't see the forest for the trees and easily fall for the latest mainstream media drivel. Redd says, "It's time to grow a pair and think for yourself before it's too late! Our founders would not be proud of how we're handling things. They didn't sit on their butts and complain--they took it to the streets and made some noise and kicked out the bums holding them back. What's holding you back? Worried you'll miss your favorite Netflix show or break a nail? Get over yourselves!"

Here's yet another example of the mainstream media propagating propaganda and writing hit pieces to cover up neoliberal lies and campaign mistakes. Jimmy Dore on the Dems: "How is disenfranchising voters encouraging them to vote for Democrats down ticket? Their voter outreach should be called 'bullying into submission'... If the Democrats understood irony they'd change their name."

https://youtu.be/VBUXTMJSelw

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From Move to Amend:

The system isn't broken. It's fixed. These converging crises -- public health, racist police violence, and ecological collapse -- are laying bare who, and what, matters most in our system. Should we be surprised? Well, no. How can we be surprised that profit and property are consistently prioritized over human beings, when our founding documents -- that still guide our system to this day -- were written to do exactly that? And what would it look like if we had a People's Constitution? Join us for a People's Movement Assembly, where people from all walks of life will come together and envision a country and a world with genuine and vibrant democracy. "Toward a People's Constitution" October 24-25th *RSVP HERE* This conversation might not be for everyone. But if you’re ready to come together with other passionate people and envision together what we would want in a Peoples Constitution -- and figure out how to build towards that vision -- you are invited. This two day event will include art shares, panel discussions, small group breakouts, planning and community building. Move to Amend is partnering with other organizations like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and A Radical Guide to put forth a rich and visionary weekend October 24th and 25th.  Learn more and RSVP at MoveToAmend.org/PMA In Solidarity, Jessica, Greg, Keyan, Joni, Milly, Kaitlin, Shelly, Alfonso, Daniel, Leila, Jason, Tara, George,  - Move to Amend National Team

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From Faithful America:

In a year full of grave racial injustices, this is some of the worst.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement has been forcing women in ICE detention to receive hysterectomies against their will. The horrifying news comes from heroic whistleblower Nurse Dawn Wooten, who worked at ICE's Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia.

Let that sink in: The days of the Tuskegee experiment, when our government intentionally let Black Americans suffer from syphilis, are not over. Violent, state-sanctioned medical abuse against women of color is still rampant in the United States.

When Jesus' mother Mary sang of bringing down the powerful from their thrones, it was surely with abusive governments like this in mind. A fundamentally racist system must be changed, and the corrupt authorities who have enabled it -- including Donald Trump and his allies -- must be swept from power.

The first step is to put our faith into action by supporting the calls of local organizers to permanently shut down Irwin.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

This is forced sterilization – and it fits the broader pattern of racist abuse that has characterized the U.S. immigration system for decades. Immigration officials have been repeatedly accused of rape inside detention cells, filming women as they showered, shackling pregnant women, ignoring miscarriages, and threatening victims with deportation if they speak out. The problems have only grown worse in recent years, emboldened by Donald Trump's hatred.

It is not surprising to learn of such atrocities from an administration also guilty of separating families, rejecting refugees, teargassing those who protest for racial justice, banning Muslims, desecrating sacred Native lands, and supporting white supremacists.

Yet some have been brave enough to speak out. In Georgia, organizers and attorneys have been taking complaints of medical neglect for a long time. In Texas in late February, Cameroonian women at an ICE facility staged a sit-in to protest their lack of medical care. What's different this time is the courage shown by whistleblower Dawn Wooten.

Nurse Dawn is a Black woman, and Black women have often been the bedrock of social change. She will likely be the subject of racist attacks herself, which makes it all the more important that we believe her, support her, amplify her complaint, and condemn racism whenever and wherever we see it.

Tell Congress: Shut Down ICE's Irwin Detention Center >>

Thank you for everything you do to love your neighbor, welcome immigrants, and oppose both racism and sexism. After you sign this petition, we'll send you several next steps you can take in the fight against injustice.

In peace,
Rev. Nathan and the Faithful America team

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From Color of Change:

Prosecutors have failed to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the decision we were all fearing he’d make: No murder charges will be filed against the police officers who murdered Breonna Taylor in her home. Just one officer was charged with "wanton endangerment," and it was NOT for shooting Bre.¹

After 194 days.

2.3 million petition signatures.

100,000 phone calls.

And a global uprising demanding justice for our sister, Breonna Taylor.

No justice was served.

By failing to bring murder charges in the brutal killing of Breonna Taylor, Attorney General Cameron has failed to deliver justice for Bre. Instead, after more than six months, all we’ve received is a second injustice as Bre’s killers — Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove — walk free with no murder charges. 

Elected officials at every level — from Mayor Greg Fischer and Commonwealth’s Attorney Tomas Wine to AG Daniel Cameron — all failed Breonna, her family, and the millions of people like you who demanded justice. 

Cindy, this moment is more than disheartening — it’s infuriating. And while you may be thinking, “what more must we do to get justice for a Black woman murdered by police?”, don’t forget what we’ve made possible since March: After millions demanded #JusticeforBre, the phony charge against her boyfriend Kenneth Walker was dropped. Louisville voted to ban no-knock warrants. Audio of the 911 call was released, and one of the police officers involved was removed from the force. None — and I repeat, none — of this would have happened had we not exercised our voices to stand up for Bre.

Color Of Change won’t stop fighting. Black Lives Matter Louisville won’t stop fighting. And you can’t stop fighting either. 

Here’s what you can do right now to continue demanding #JusticeforBre:

• Sign the petition to uplift Breonna Taylor’s family’s demands in calling for the city council to divest from the LMPD.

• Tweet at the Louisville city council president to divest from the LMPD. 

Millions, if not billions, of people worldwide have joined the movement to say her name and demand justice for Breonna Taylor. Black kids across the country have recognized their power to effect change. Our white allies are having the much-needed tough conversations at their dinner tables. And so many local organizers now have the resources they need to keep the fight going. 

Breonna Taylor changed the world. And this is not the end. 

We can’t be deterred. Because folks like Tamika Palmer, Breonna’s mom, are still on the ground fighting relentlessly to secure justice for our people.

We stand with Breonna’s family, BLM Louisville, and local organizers and activists in demanding the Louisville City Council take immediate action to divest from the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department and invest in communities.

Today is a hard day. But although we may be discouraged by this announcement, we will never stop fighting for Black people. 

Until justice is real,

Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Marybeth, Malachi, Leonard, Ernie, McKayla, Ana, Ariel, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

Reference:

1. "Police officer indicted in Breonna Taylor case." CNN.