The Second Coming of Karl Marx

“The great measure of human maturation is the increasing understanding that we move through life in the blink of an eye…” David Whyte

I’m reading Jesmyn Ward’s memoir, Men We Reaped. Ward describes a period in her life when she lost five men who were close to her, including her brother. Violence, drugs, lack of opportunity, the systemic racism of Mississippi. Ward’s family is large and sprawling, full of aunts, uncles, cousins, deeply rooted in the Gulf Coast, and poor. Ward’s family moved around a lot when she was young. Her father was restless, unable to remain faithful to his wife. Ward left for college, but always felt the pull of home, the smells, the rain, the woods and open spaces. It’s a sad memoir, but rings true. 

I also started reading 2666 by Roberto Bolano, the Chilean’s last work, a massive novel. I’ve only started it and can’t draw any conclusions yet. It’s Bolano, so I expect it to be strange, sometimes startling, and full of intelligence. 

Tyranny gains a foothold when good people see what’s happening and remain silent. This is where we stand in the United States, teetering on the edge. Democracy has always been fragile in this country, subject to subversion by wealthy interests when the will of the governed threatens their power and privilege. The Democratic Party mandarins cast Bernie Sanders as the second coming of Karl Marx, malign him in the corporate media, employ scare tactics and hyperbole to turn voters against him. The fact is that Sanders’ policy positions are standard New Deal stuff, but seem radical and foreign because of how far the US has moved to the right -- Democrats included -- since Uncle Ronnie Reagan lived in the White House. Given the backing of the Democratic Party machinery, Sanders would likely trounce Trump in November, which you’d think would be a desirable outcome. But you’d be wrong. The corporate masters of the Democratic Party would much rather run Mayor Pipsqueak from South Bend against Trump, or failing that, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, than support Sanders. Bloomberg has so much money he just might be able to purchase the nomination. 

Who’s the least worst in a Trump-Bloomberg match-up? 

It comes down to money, not ideals; the wealthy don’t donate to candidates -- they invest in candidates in the same way they invest in other instruments that increase their wealth or protect their privilege. Bloomberg himself and his corporate allies will paint Mayor Stop-and-Frisk as a sincere friend of working people. The con from Bloomberg may not be as blatantly transparent as Trump’s, but it will be a con nonetheless. Loaded dice, a marked deck of cards, three-card monty. Rich fucks like Bloomberg and Trump don’t care one whit about the needs and daily struggles of ordinary people. This should be obvious, but unfortunately too many Americans fall for the same trick again and again. We ought to be tired of coming out on the losing end, tired of being lied to, fooled, tricked, conned, and yet, the louder the carnival barker, the more entranced we become. Like typical suckers, we think it will be different this time. 

It won’t be. Out my window the California sun is bright, but in my vision the immediate future looks gray and dim, all color washed out. The American fairy tale still mesmerizes too many of us. We believe we’re in the game, playing on a level field, with rules that apply equally. Up in the luxury boxes the oligarchs laugh at our gullibility. They can’t believe how easy it is to manipulate us.