Weimer Rising?

There are times when James Howard Kunstler strikes me as one of those overwrought "cranks" Charles Pierce says in his book Idiot America that we need in our country (it's a fine read I might add!). In The Long Emergency, Kunstler put forth a rather pessimistic view of our national trajectory in the face of the end of cheap energy. Indeed, Kunstler's views of our future can be downright frightening - the end will be violently painful, almost apocalyptic a la "The Road." (For a less pessimistic view of the future, check out John Michael Greer's The Long Descent.)

Kunstler also writes a blog sharing his view of current events, and how they seem to dovetail into his predictions of our future. To wit:

"The Tea Party people are the corn-pone Nazis I have been warning you about. They are gathering strength in numbers as President Obama and congress fritter away their remaining legitimacy in a manner of governance that more and more resembles an endless Chinese Fire Drill. The delusional craziness of the Tea Partyists exists in direct proportion to the wimpy deceit of the government, especially in matters of money and statistics reporting. Our political leaders are resorting to wholesale deceit because the truth of our situation -- comprehensive bankruptcy -- is too painful to dwell on and for the most part they are too chicken too state it." (We're Weimar, Feb 8, 2010)

So, is Kunstler right? Are we entering our own new Weimer period with the "Tea Party" denizens in the lead? Are these angry citizens delusional?

I have to admit, the so-called "Tea Party" folks have me flummoxed. These citizens are definitely angry about many of the same things I am angry about: lack of governance, arrogant elites, financial fraudsters, do-nothing legislators. But, it seems to me that often the root of their anger lies in more base human emotions: racism, tribalism, jealousy and busy-bodiness. And I cannot get over the fact that many of these genuinely angry Americans are being manipulated by the very forces they are angry with. I mean really, do they honestly believe multi-millionaire media stars like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh actually care about them - except as mindless listeners good for high ratings (and higher salaries)? Does Rupert Murdoch and his corporate media automatons in Fox News and the Wall Street Journal actually desire the involvement of these angry citizens in their own governance? And, if this really is a new grassroots band of Minutemen arising to oppose the tyranny of Washington, why does Sarah Palin get paid thousands of dollars to speak to them (if she's so committed, shouldn't she speak gratis? And the "convention" be not-for-profit?)??

Well, I think Kunstler is right on about the root cause of the anger -- the visible end of these citizen's comfortable way of life. You know, when the end of a good thing becomes undeniable, there will be those who react by denying. Or lashing out. Or blaming. And I think we see all of these on grand display when it comes to the genuine anger of vocal Tea Party supporters. But my crystal ball remains hazier than Kunstler's in that I'm not as sure as he that these manipulated folks are going to be the change agent that drags us all down the Wiemar rabbit hole. Time will tell, of course, but one thing is for certain -- thoughtful citizens need to get out there also and better inform our fellow citizens as to the root causes of their anger. Because if they remain solely educated by the likes of Beck and Limbaugh, then they will form the large body of "useful idiots" needed to intimidate the rest of us.

Over at Stonekettle Station, Jim raises an alarm as well. He's right about how these things start. But, have we entered the phase of inevitable ending?

And if you care to, you can listen to Diane Rehm's conversation on the Tea Party and what it means to America here.

(Image found via Photobucket.)

A Corporate Solution?

... or a Solution to Corporations?

Not so long ago, I read John Michael Greer's book, The Long Descent, and found it to be an excellent, thought-provoking exposition on our shared future in the declining resource world. Greer's fundamental thesis is that despite the cresting of the cheap energy era, our chances of complete, Hobbesian collapse and chaos are much less likely than a slow, steady roll into a de-industrialized future. If you've read James Kunstler's The Long Emergency, and then feared for your future, then The Long Descent may be for you.

After reading his book, I traveled over to Greer's blog - The Archdruid Report (yep, he's a druid). And right off the bat, I found another interesting location in the intertubes to read and ponder. In a post this week, Greer lays out some thoughts on the difficulties powerful special interests and corporations are wreaking on our polity and our attempts to respond the the dynamic world around us. Its an interesting post, but what really caught my eye was Greer's thoughts about how to deal with the "personhood" corporations have long enjoyed in the United States. (Yep, in many ways, corporations in this country have all the rights of a living citizen.... you can think a 19th Century Supreme Court ruling for that!). Greer suggests that if corporations are indeed "persons," then perhaps they should also suffer for the felony crimes they commit:

"My more perceptive readers may be wondering at this point whether I’m seriously proposing that corporations should be thrown in jail or put to death. Yes, that’s what I’m proposing, with the adjustments needed to account for the differences between corporate persons and natural persons. What’s the essential nature of imprisonment for a crime, after all? The criminal ceases to be a free person; for a specified period of time, he is a chattel of society, and society has the right to profit from his labor during that period. And capital punishment? The criminal, having proven that he isn’t willing to abide by even the most minimal standards of social existence, ceases to exist by act of society. Both of these can be applied to corporations easily enough."

An interesting thought, no? Personally, I'd rather see the corporations stripped of their "rights" as persons in the eyes of the law. But, this would seem an appropriate remedy and fair treatment of all "persons" (living and corporate) under the laws.

Greer is far more optimistic than I amthat such taming of our out-of-control corporation could actually occur. Nevertheless, I do agree with him that "the power of corporate interests might more usefully be seen as a response to the general weakness of all other parties." If and when these "other parties" (labor, main street business, disaffected minorities, etc) learn (and re-learn) how to focus their political power, then we might just see an end to corporate personhood, or failing that, adoption of corporate sentancing outlined above. After all, are we Melians, bound to suffer "what we must?"

No. I think not.

Updated 1-10-09: Here is a short video from McClatchey and the Real News Network discussing the upcoming SCOTUS ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The decision, which is due soon, portends to lighten existing regulation of corporate "persons" and put even more of their money into our political election process. Take a look: