Dear Bloomberg Groupies: Democracy is not a Cargo Cult

[arendt]

Its Deja Vu all over again. Billionaire loose cannon Ross Perot, meet billionaire loose cannon Michael Bloomberg.
We're saved! We're saved! :sarcasm:

I ask myself: People at DU are a self-selected group of politically aware people. So why do they fall for the same Cargo Cult nonsense as the rest of our increasingly ignorant and magically-thinking populace?

The answer, of course, is television and the culture of celebrity. The media has taught an entire generation that only celebrities are important in our culture. Only celebrities' lives are worth living. As some wag said, "a celebrity is a person who is famous for being well-known". What could be a better definition than the idiotic hero worship surrounding "Survivor", whose "vote 'em off the island" meme provides the context for the debates in the "permanent campaign" for president.

Of course, our Cargo Cult political candidates are more qualified than Survivor contestants - just barely. What drives the cults for these candidates is the faulty logic that a person who did well at one thing (finance - Bloomberg, Perot; Hollywood - Schwarzenegger, Fred Thompson) is guaranteed to do well at something that requires completely different skills. Besides, we hold working politicians in such low esteem - just slimy, on-the-make, ratbags - that we might as well let some celebrity try his hand. Howard Dean gave the lie to that, for which effrontery, he was crucified. Ditto Kucinich, Feingold, Gore, and a few other honest public servants.

We rarely consider public service to be a worthy calling; but we automatically believe that someone who made piles of money has virtue and is selfless. Note to Californians: Arnold is one of the most blatantly ambitious people on the planet. And he is sucking right up to Mike Bloomberg. If you think Arnold is self-less, you have watched Terminator one time to many. If you think Bloomberg is out for anyone but himself, you are a total sucker.

But, back to basics, the whole idea that only some rich celebrity can save us is completely foreign to the idea of self-government. In self-government, groups of people give their support to a candidate on the condition that the candidate votes their way. In Cargo Cult culture, people give their support to a self-funding celebrity and pray that he will magically vote their way, and not just use them and lose them.

Maybe, if we rejected the whole "permanent campaign"/"money primary", we would have time for government instead of 24/7 politics. Maybe if we involved ourselves in issues, instead of personalities and haircuts, we wouldn't fall victim to Cargo Cults. Maybe if we campaigned for our rights instead of "hope", we could make politicians our servants again, instead of the other way around.

I find what passes for "progressive" discussion on this bulletin board to be increasingly delusional nonsense, driven by an over-identification with specific candidates and a lack of awareness of the structural issues (corporate domination) that have gotten us into the mess we are in.

I refuse to participate in this pathetic joke of a two-year presidential campaign that the media has fed you, except to lob bombs like this into it. I would rather spend the last few days of the First American Republic not drunk on hope and Bloomberg.

Good night and good fucking luck. You are going to need it. Groupies. :spank:

arendt

[welshTerrier2]

1. "over-identification with specific candidates and a lack of awareness of the structural issues"

heh ... let me just say ...

i have nothing to add to that remark ...

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. This is exactly right, but it's not just celebrtities

It is Fuhrerprinzip itself, the desire to be led. And it is fascist whether it's inordinate admiration of Bill Clinton or George W. Bush.

[BlackHawk706867]

2. Sorry, but I never fell for the BS... What's with this changing parties when...

it looks like you don't have a chance (or your chances of wining are remote) to win under that party... So I guess I will just change parties or start a new one so that I can at least fuck up the election...

Dispicable in my opinion.... Doesn't say much about the man either... Even if he is a self made Billionaire... Hell look at Perot... Mr. Ego +

ww

[Renew Deal]

9. How do you "fuck up an election"

Cracking this sense of entitlement by the two parties is one of the best outcomes of a Bloomberg run. A republican winning would be one of the worst. The question is which is good for America and I think Bloomy running would be a good thing.

[ShortnFiery]

11. Well put.

If it's any other democrat who receives the nomination, I'll avidly vote for The Democratic Nominee. However, if the DLC shoves HRC down our throats and this present campaign of "Relax, she's been anointed - the fix is in!" and it works, well between HRC and Bloomberg, I'll seriously consider voting for the latter. I will NOT EVER vote for HRC for she's IMO a very poor role model for my daughter and other young women. In other words, our young women need to know that one does NOT have to swagger and behave like an arrogant nationalist war-monger in order to be respected as an excellent woman leader. :shrug:

[KoKo]

19. You'd vote for a Corporatist who has changed parties 3 Times and that you have no clue as

to where they stand than vote for a Democrat that you know....is that what you are saying? I'm not a Hillary fan but I'd vote for her over Mike Bloomberg who's a legend in his own mind.

[arendt]

15. An election without a preceding impeachment is a sick joke. n/t

[Renew Deal]

17. Impeachment is about the past. An election is about the future.

We need to move on.

[On the Road]

3. Shouldn't You be Addrressing These Remarks to Fred Thompson Supporters?

Bloomberg has said he's not going to run. But if he did, he would be a better candidate than any of the Republicans and some of the Democrats. And none of this would be based on his supposed celebrity status. Most people outside New York don't even know who he is.

You might not like liberal candidates with money, but some fine presidents have come from wealthy backgrounds.

Having said that, I would never sink the party by voting for an idependent unless I were completely and absolutely fed up.

[arendt]

4. I'm criticizing the blind lionization of the man, not the man, whom I know little about.

Increasingly, DU politics resembles People magazine. There is no thought, only
my American idol is better than yours. As Jon Stewart said last night, "we already
have enough candidates to field two baseball teams" and (paraphrase) all the
media wants to do is invent new pairings, like it was Brangelina and Jennifer.

Bloomberg is just the latest bit of irrelevant nonsense to distract us from impeaching
Bush before he kills us all.

Bloomberg is just the latest example of "a government of men, not laws" that the
corporate media has been foisting on us for over a decade.

I expect better from DU than what I am seeing.

arendt

[Renew Deal]

7. You've been here since 2002

Is this really new to you?

[arendt]

12. Its gotten worse. And, there are huge issues being ignored to pursue this...

my guy is better than your guy nonsense.

At this point, my opinion, stated in my Rant "elections in 18 months" is that
we have to go with the politicians we've got right now. We have to pressure
them to impeach Bush.

Any postponement will be fatal. I have no time to parse Bloomberg's pluses
and minuses. All I care about is: does he speak out for impeachment?

arendt

[Renew Deal]

18. Why should he care about impeachment?

Let's say he says that Bush should be impeached. So what? He can't do anything about it on Jan. 20, 2009. (I don't want to hijack your thread with an impeachment discussion but...) There is virtually no time left for impeachment. Impeachment is meaningless to the candidates because they are (supposed to be) talking about the future. Bush will be gone by the time they take office.

[KoKo]

20. Do you think Bloomberg would speak out about Corporate Crime...Support

Raising Taxes on Wealthy, and keep Social Security as it is rather than privatizing it? With his background do you think he would stop Offshoring of Company Profits to hide profits, stop our Illegal Arms trade with Nations who Mean harm to us and work on Peace and Diplomacy rather than War Profit?

[welshTerrier2]

10. People Magazine

check out this post and the article it links to regarding the People Magazine culture and its pollution of our political process.

here's one small excerpt:

Well, with that introduction, allow me to jump right in: The volume of "vanity" posts about candidates, allowing exceptions for those that honestly raise issues about the candidates' viewpoints, TOTALLY SUCKS. Let's be clear. No one is questioning anyone's right to post whatever the hell they want to post. This is strictly my opinion that the volume of posts about "the horserace" has turned this forum into a bad version of People Magazine.

[Renew Deal]

5. You make a few good points

I want to add one that you appear to be dismissing. Bloomberg (hopefully) will force the Democrat to the left, and the republican to the right. This will lead to one hell of a debate and this is good for all of us.

I'm a NYer and I'm glad that Bloomberg might run. The NY Daily News has a great headline today: "He Will Make Them Squirm." That's what I'm looking forward to.

[illinoisprogressive]

8. You miss the whole reason some DUers think about backing bloomberg

I don't back Bloomberg but, from what I have heard I see it this way.
DUers will back a democrat. A real dem. But, if the dems are going to be stupid like they have been since 84 by picking the least likable and most divisive candidate, our weakest general election candidate, and a DLC leader then why bother.
you talk about progressive but, clinton would crush the movement if picked. she would also destroy Howard Dean just for fun. She embraces republican ideas and hates the progressives. Why give her the chance to destroy the movement.
It all boils down to choosing between a democrat who switched in order to have a chance at being Mayor but, believes in more progressive ideas than the so called democrat Clinton. Or have someone who will destroy all that the party has moved towards.
clinton is a far more dangerous person to the progressives and our party in general.

[arendt]

13. You miss my point. Waiting til Nov 2008 is not an option.

Given the record of vote tampering in the last three election, given the ability
of Bush to start a war wherever and whenever he wants and to declare martial
law, given the impending "free pass" that letting Bush serve out his term gives
to whatever corporate slime gets the office next, the next election is meaningless
unless we have impeached Bush.

All the candidates are deck chairs being rearranged by idiots, while captain Bush
aims the U.S.S. Titanic at the iceberg.

arendt

[arendt]

14. You miss my point. Waiting til Nov 2008 is not an option.

Given the record of vote tampering in the last three election, given the ability
of Bush to start a war wherever and whenever he wants and to declare martial
law, given the impending "free pass" that letting Bush serve out his term gives
to whatever corporate slime gets the office next, the next election is meaningless
unless we have impeached Bush.

All the candidates are deck chairs being rearranged by idiots, while captain Bush
aims the U.S.S. Titanic at the iceberg.

arendt

[wyldwolf]

16. yeah.. uh huh

if the dems are going to be stupid like they have been since 84 by picking the least likable and most divisive candidate

Sorry. Bill Clinton and Al Gore don't fit the description.

[KoKo]

21. Why do you think Mike Bloomberg wouldn't "crush" the Progressive Movement?

Why the hell should he care about Progressive Democrats when he's just a guy who made alot of money, said he was a Dem ran as a Repug and now claims he's an Independent. :shrug: Why should he care about any of the Democrat parties principles? He would be a Rogue. I've had enough of the Rogues who are squatting in the White House now. They weren't Republicans they were out for THEMSELVES to GAIN POWER and MORE WEALTH for themselves and their buddies. We don't need any more of "unknown pretenders."