Breathing Life into a Corpse

“Explicitly rejecting capitalism is essential for movement-builders today – capitalism has no answers to the crises we face, and zombie capitalism, casino capitalism, Wizard-of-Oz capitalism is in fact the root of the problem.” Bill Ayers, Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto

I had no intention of watching the second Trump-Clinton “debate,” but after the recording of Trump’s Access Hollywood performance hit the media, and Wikileaks dumped e-mails related to Clinton’s speeches to bankers and others she was trying to court for future campaign contributions, my wife wanted to see how The Donald and Hillary would comport themselves, and I admit that once the show began, I was morbidly fascinated.

The first thing I noticed was that Clinton was not attired in one of her Kim Jong-Un pantsuits.  

So much for the highlight of the evening. 

Trump was his usual creepy and arrogant self and did his best to jab at Clinton over trade and the economy and her e-mails and the misdeeds of her husband, but he was ineffective for the most part, and -- if by stalking around the stage like a caged wolverine Trump thought he could rattle Clinton and knock her off balance -- he failed as well. Clinton may be one of the most dishonest political figures of recent times, but she’s never unprepared and she fabricates with elan. That’s a lawyer for you.

I want this cursed election to be over. I want Donald Trump to fade away and never be heard from again; I don’t want to see his offspring or his mail-order bride, and I don’t want to hear the Access Hollywood recording again. Trump was a pig from the jump, but the American media conglomerates quickly learned that covering The Donald’s every bigoted utterance, gaffe, falsehood and outrage was pure bank. So Trump got coverage and people alienated by politics-as-usual tuned in, and the risible field of GOP candidates fell by the wayside, one by one, until only Trump was left. The media played a critical role in creating Trump, and when it looked last week like his campaign would implode, they were all over him like white on rice. 

Even after Sunday’s debate some of our most renowned blabbers on corporate TV cling to the fantasy that Trump remains viable and the great American horserace has another month to run. Talk about trying to breathe life into a corpse. I doubt Trump will do the honorable thing and withdraw; slim chance of an egomaniacal narcissist doing that. No, I assume Trump will flail around for another three weeks, spouting gibberish and bizarre threats, anything to keep his diehard supporters interested.  You can bet that the corporate media will insist to the bitter end that the election is too close to call, and that Trump might still have a path to victory.

Better faux drama than no drama.

The System is the only clear winner in this terrible political year. By that I mean the two-party duopoly, the corporate media, the pollsters and campaign strategists, the PR flacks, and the rest of the parasites who profit from the disgraceful sham that is American democracy. The issues that threaten our very survival go unaddressed, and regardless of who wins the White House, property and profit will remain our nation’s primary organizing principles. The commons will continue to be sold to the most politically-connected bidder; the rich will become richer; our imperial wars will stumble on and may even intensify; the planet will send us even stronger warning signs that our time is running out. A President Trump would be a disaster, but let’s not kid ourselves – Clinton II will not be a stroll down the lane. Trump is dangerous because he’s clueless and reckless; Clinton is dangerous because she’s wedded to Wall Street banks, fossil fuel extractors, and the military-industrial complex.