Men have been in charge for a long time, probably too long. It’s time for a change. It’s time for women to come out from behind the scenes and help the poor bastards out. Women know what it’s like to be put down, to suffer at another’s hand, to be denied while being demanded of. Long ago women cried at the injustice of it all and they retreated into their delusions of a better world, of better times. And when the delusions proved fruitless they emerged and made contact with other women who had the same experience, who shared and supported each other as best they could, waiting for the time, their time to come.
Maybe that time has come. Men have pretty well fucked it all up. And past history holds little hope for the future. Just more of the same old thing. The powers that be trying to continue being the powers that be. Like there’s a hereditary right to that power, much as they have tried to convince the powers that don’t be that they have that right.
“It’s God’s will”, they claim, “that I am the Master and you are the slave.” They will say anything to keep control. The end justifies the means. Maybe it’s time for all this to end. To cast aside the old testament caste system which benefits the few at the expense of the rest.
A new paradigm can emerge. The change doesn’t have to be bloody, but it could be. Things can change peaceably. Go with the flow. Let go. Trump could learn this lesson. There’s no point in destroying everything trying to keep what you’ve demonstrated you don’t deserve having.
It can be done. Gorbachav did it when the Soviet Union dissolved. Who would have thought. It seemed destined to be messy. Of course change doesn’t always lead to peace and freedom for all. It’s not easy to change. Most people resist it even if it’s a change for the better. So the Soviet Union made a change and a necessary one at that because the Russian orthodox form of Communism was unsustainable. And the longer it tried to sustain itself the more messy would have been the change. America faces the same problem. Laissez-faire capitalism is unsustainable as well. In addition to being inherently short sighted, selfish and greedy, it is ultimately self destructive.
If you think the state of our current government can usher in the changes needed to transform hard line capitalism into civilistic, practical capitalism that serves all the people not just the rich and powerful few at the top of the economic mountain of the US, I would say you’re delusionally optimistic or just plain delusional. If you want to understand the problem with men being in charge you only have to look at the top two political parties in the Congress of the United States: I refer to them as the RepubliCONs and the DUMocrats (the CONs and the DUMs). At this point in time (circa 2018) the CONs control the Senate, the DUMS control the House of Representatives.
The CONs, at some time in the past, were supposedly the political party of fiscal responsibility (an assertion not supported by the actual facts) have formed coalitions with various groups in order to stay in power. Their appeal is to conservative and corporate values. They have made special concessions to groups like the religious right, the Tea Party, the Moral Majority, the NRA and white supremacy organizations. These groups are not really for anything, they are basically against things. They are anti groups, against abortion, against government, against homosexuals, against immigrants, against colored people especially blacks and against equality for women. The CONs carried this anti philosophy to absurd height. When Obama was elected President, Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority leader vowed that it would be a failed Presidency, the CONs would block every attempt Obama made to provide for the people. And once Trump became President the CON’s proceeded to undo everything he had accomplished. If the CONS can be said to be for anything it is one thing- power- getting, holding it, keeping it. They basically have sacrificed all moral principles and any sense of decency in its attainment.
The DUMs are a political party that hasn’t evolved and adapted like the CON. The DUMs basically live in the past, believing in civility, compromise and big, expensive government sponsored dreams like “land on the moon” and “the great society”. They would like to live in a kinder, gentler time before the world changed and there were supremely pointless wars, gratuitous as well as gut wrenching assassinations, school shootings, economic globalization, wholesale local manufacturing shutdowns moving offshore, crass corporate control and financial uncertainty and chicanery, bubbles, flash crashes, recessions. depressions, delusions, inflation and more. And the DUMs didn’t notice what the CONs were doing, how they were changing, scheming, conning and winning. And if they did notice they didn’t do anything about it or thought it was important.
The CONs were smart. They established a number of right wing think tanks with innocent and patriotic name to plan and execute a nationwide future of conservative values that would maintain the current power structure in the face of demographic changes that would make the white majority a minority. They published papers to substantiate their views. They guided the long term strategy of dominating the judicial system with conservative values. When the CONs had executive power or congressional power they were ruthless in getting their way. When they were the minority they were effective in preventing the DUMs from getting their programs implemented. The desires of the people were totally ignored. Such is the legacy of men. And they continue along this insane path acting as if they have and are accomplishing great things.
For women, this could be their time to show men a sustainable, equitable, free and beautiful world. You see it in movies and on television. Women superheroes as strong or stronger than men. Smart women, taking charge, taking chances. Women running for President, a black woman vice President elect, women CEOs, not many but some, female tennis stars demanding and getting equal wages and so on. It’s a long slow battle. The entrenched don’t let go easily.
Time to welcome a much needed change.