More Chomsky, thanks to aljazeera.net. You're irrelevant, but GM is the big dog? Your opinion, the person in the morning bathroom mirror is a non-factor, or not? This excerpting:The main domestic issue for years … is the health system - which is understandable as it's a total disaster.
The last election debate in 2004 was on domestic issues ... and the New York Times the next day had an accurate description of it. It said that [former Democratic presidential candidate John] Kerry did not bring up any hint of government involvement in healthcare because it has so little political support, just [the support of] the large majority of the population.
But what he meant was it was not supported by the pharmaceutical industry and wasn't supported by the financial institutions and so on.
In this election the Democratic candidates all have [health] programmes that are not what the public are asking for but are approaching it and could even turn into it, so what happened between 2004 and 2008?
It's not a shift in public opinion - that's the same as before, what happened is a big segment of US corporate power is being so harmed by the healthcare system that they want it changed, namely the manufacturing industry.
So, for example, [car manufacturer] General Motors says that it costs them maybe $1,500 more to produce a car in Detroit then across the border in Windsor, Canada, just because they have a more sensible healthcare system there.
Well, when a big segment of corporate America shifts its position, then it becomes politically possible and has political support. So, therefore, you can begin to talk about it.
Well that's Barack Obama. He has his way, he presents himself - or the way his handlers present him - as basically a kind of blank slate on which you can write whatever you like and there are a few slogans: Hope, unity ...
Change. And it does arouse enthusiasm and you can understand why. Again 80 per cent of the population thinks the county is going the wrong way.For most people in the US the past 30 years have been pretty grim. Now, it's a rich country, so it's not like living in southern Africa, but for the majority of the population real wages have stagnated or declined for the past 30 years, there's been growth but it's going to the wealthy and into very few pockets, benefits which were never really great have declined, work hours have greatly increased and there isn't really much to show for it other than staying afloat.
And there is tremendous dissatisfaction with institutions, there's a lot of talk about Bush's very low poll ratings, which is correct, but people sometimes overlook the fact that congress's poll ratings are even lower.
In fact all institutions are just not trusted but disliked, there's a sense that everything is going wrong.
So when somebody says "hope, change and unity" and kind of talks eloquently and is a nice looking guy and so on then, fine.
In forming an opinion, remember how the healthcare issue got sidetracked, first by gasoline price manipulation and then by both houses giving free money to Wall Street, the bankers and all who had kidnapped the economy and were holding it hostage, threatening to kill it if not paid the ransom. And the Senate, Our Norm included, turning that terse Paulson ransom note into a 450 page pork special?
So, how relevant were YOU in all that?
Go figure.
Let Sarah and Todd Palin explain realities to you.
Wait for the "CHANGE" but expect small change, pocket change, and you will not feel as lied to or betrayed.