Alien nation

What happens to a person to turn him so sour on the land of his birth? What happened to the starry-eyed notions I had even in my late 30’s? Lisa told Bart Simpson one time that knowing things was not necessarily a good thing. Bart knows better than to know anything. Most Americans simply don’t know anything.

It’s not mere knowledge, but also an intransigent American population, heavily managed and deeply indoctrinated. To break away from that for a while has been a treat. That has been the freedom, the elation I have felt on this trip.

But I know that people are the same over here. And yet … What is different? Do they have factions? Do they debate furiously? Are there among them those who want to destroy the existing order, as Reaganites did to America? Do they have problems, run deficits, fight over the commons?

Yes to all. These places are not paradise. Not even close. It’s impossible to find paradise on earth.

But they are different:

One, parliamentary government is far more responsive than the US system. Elections matter over here. In The US they do not.

Two, prime ministers that are appointed by elected officials, rather than directly elected, tend to be smarter and deeper and somewhat removed from politics.

Three, giving money directly to candidates is bribery. What could be more clear than that? Campaigns are publicly financed.

Fourth, advertising is not extensively used in campaigns, which are mercifully short.

Five, even though campaigns are publicly financed there are a host of ways to allow individuals to direct the recipient of funds.

Seven, a progressive tax structure prevents the wild inequality we see in the US, and the corruption that naturally follows.

Eight, public management of health care, pensions and education keeps things on an even keel. No guarantees at the finish line, but all start at the same line. No head starts.

And nine, minimal agitation propaganda, which is harmful to the individual and the body politic. The US may never recover from post-war era propaganda. It is debilitating. I can hardly move around the blogs without encountering deep stupidity and fear. Agitprop does that to people.And yet, people fear being without their propaganda. It is like a drug or booze habit. Life is scary without that security blanket.

So, how to reenter that life back there? Withdrawal, alienation if you will, is surely part of it. I feel alienated. I stopped watching TV news decades ago, and only skim newspapers. So I am mostly immune to the latest rounds of agitation, though knowledge of it cannot be avoided.

Example, the Pentagon claimed they had nailed Al Qaeda’s “number two” man yet again! (There must be dozens of them, like bank vice presidents.) American news uncritically repeated the story. I know right away that such stories are false, churned by some boiler room operation in the Pentagon. It is agitprop. It is part of a continuing string of fake news used to keep Americans afraid and in support of the perpetual wars.

Odd thing – over here the news reports what the Pakistanis say – that such news has no evidence to support it. They don’t go so far as to say it is made up, but a reasonably critical person surely concludes as much.

How many Americans know that such news is made up? Distressingly few. What to do about it? Nothing. Nothing can be done about it. People cannot undo the deep mindsets that produced our current political generation. Indoctrination is so deep that deprogramming is necessary, and even that would not be effective. The US is a lost cause.

Oh well. I’ve got a stairway to build, wood to cut, a bird feeder to build for a granddaughter, planters to hew out. Oh yeah, and work to do. Forgot about that. Damned accounting. I will pay and pay and and pay for all of this time away.