Perro Verde

Charles Lemos, over at MyDD - writes about the Green Revolution in Colombia today. Its a story that - despite being relatively obscure in the American made-for-entertainment news media - really deserves merit. The five people that read this blog might do well to click on over there and see what he's writing about. I'm going to try to refrain from doing minor injustice to him by giving you my idea on what I think it means to America - based largely on his essay.

America has a natural role in the world - and a role that was built up over 200 years of its history, and a more recent role whose purpose is largely to keep a failing political party alive. A bipolar transition phase under the Bush Republicans has resulted in a fragmented foreign policy. The two roles are distinct.

The first role American enjoys is , as a Beacon for Democracy. We are a country that took the concepts from the French Revolution - and our leaders and founding fathers were men of science and reason and god. We were fortunate that we found ourselves upon the cutting edge of democracy... and it paid off. In spades. A responsive government, and a largely incorruptible bureaucracy - is the backbone of our country. Other countries like India suffer immensely from rampant corruption... even still despite radical reform. We led where others feared to follow. And we found light. The world hungers for more light. America as a beacon of democracy - is about more than our financial stability, or how we see ourselves... its about doing the right thing.

Since 86 percent of what you read, see and hear on mass media in the United States - are completely controlled by five corporations. And they trade notes. The second role is perhaps more obscure.

The second role, that America has adopted for itself - in a political era that began in 1973 and should end right around the time the Tea party rises to full prominence - is to act as a beacon for Corporatism.

The extensions and control that corporations have extended into and over American political institutions remains unprecedented. The final form of Healthcare reform is telling: 72 percent of America supported a National Health Service, but having run counter to the wishes of lobbyists - the Senate Bill - authored by lobbyists, and falling under the influence of lobbyism during its process - had National Health Service stripped out of the legislation.

And so we remain, despite Healthcare reform - the one of the only first world countries without a National Health Service and a per-capita spending on healthcare that burns one out of every six dollars in the United States, 600 percent higher than any other closest rival - with Insurance companies who won't cover a dollar of your expenses that will post record stock gains this quarter.

But that's not really the best example. Banks are corporations also.

About 20 years ago, they decided they wanted to rig the system. So they invented a new vehicle for playing around with mad money - and they sent lobbyists into government to make sure they got what they wanted out of Washington. The Bush Republicans more than capitulated to these special interest focus points - they weakened the SEC, built full vehicles around mortgage backed securities, and fostered an environment of free love for all on every mortgage. Free love is great, but not if there is a disease to be discussed...but the Bush Republicans were desperate... their party was disintegrating... the lobbyists needed a false second party around to keep doing what they wanted to be done - so they propped the Bush Republicans up with unprecedented amounts of cash.

American Corporatist Lobbyism under the Bush Republicans rapidly infected the global financial system - triggering a global meltdown in Europe, The Asian Markets, and every financial market on the planet with notable exception of India (they took a 2 percent hit). The free fall was so intense, global - worldwide depression looked inevitable.

But this was a model of American leadership that had been installed by a dying political party - and it had controls built in. The first solution was for the American government to hand the corporations billions of dollars. These were the taxes collected from you and I - and were handed to corporations without any major control - it was Taxation without Representation.

And the Tea Party rose from the glowing ash of the GOP - the party that had spent more than any party in American history. A party that is being led by one of the most heavily lobbyist-influenced political figures America has ever seen - if you bring massive amounts of lobbyist money to bear in taking care of small town issues in Alaska, you will bring it to bear on any issue. Her nickname was the "Barracuda" and she had a knack for entertainment. She had a small child with downs syndrome and a pregnant teen. She led the party to a rally , of sorts - that resulted in the GOP losing the 2008 election by a landslide ... and the birth of a new political party in America.

Which role, will we adopt? Will the Democrats take the rein of smart government... or will they fall to the wayside of corporate lobbyist influence. One thing is certain: the techniques pioneered by such people as Dean, Obama, and others - were discovered by the rest of the world - and the light is starting to shine. America, as beacon of democracy - is a fairly comfortable thought. At least to me.

Perro Verde - means Green Dog. It is a mascot of a campaign that has declined public funds - and recently - and most importantly - the funding of a huge lobbyist organization. And it is gaining power in Colombia.

I'm just a single dad. Thats where my head is really at. Charles did a better job than me. Go read his article. You can leave a comment if you like. Too. I won't mind. :)