As the Democratic Party freaks out over Biden it’s probably a good time to review some basic shit.
Maybe the funniest thing has been how the political lemmings immediately began arguing over who should be president even as Biden’s condition demonstrates that it doesn’t matter who is. The American empire runs on autopilot, sanctioning, bombing and murdering around the world all by itself. Meanwhile liberals insist that it’s imperative that Trump not win the 2024 election because if he does America will descend into fascism–circling the planet with military bases, backing genocide and engaging in dangerous nuclear brinksmanship.
US has demonstrated its benevolence and humanitarianism for the last three decades by launching invasions and waging wars supposedly to protect the weak and vulnerable – from Kosovo to Ukraine, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya and Syria. What’s savagely ironic is that democracy and women’s rights have supposedly been the US’s concern in the countries it has destroyed. But in truth, as Gaza demonstrates only too clearly, those claims were always bull-shit. It was always about treating the world as the empire’s corporate playground, where “full-spectrum dominance” was the driving principle, not protection of the vulnerable.
We live in a world of deceit, hypocrisy and bad faith. We live in a world where the powerful pretend to care about human rights and international law, and where they profess to aid the weak even as they assist in their slaughter.
Meanwhile, in domestic affairs, a new study, entitled The Great Neoliberal Burden Shift (Part I) – How Corporate America Offset Liability Onto the Public, underscores how much power US corporations have over our lives, making a mockery of our noble democratic rhetoric–“land of the free,” “home of the brave”, etc. .
This is Part I of a two-part series on what we’re calling “The Great Neoliberal Burden Shift,” a process in which corporations deflect blame onto the relatively powerless. On this episode, we examine how corporations have shifted the burdens of liability onto “consumers” and other individuals, examining how the auto, fossil-fuel, and food and beverage industries have orchestrated media campaigns to frame the people they harm, whether directly or indirectly, as responsible for their own misfortunes.
Sure, everyone must bear some level of personal responsibility in matters of health and safety, obviously. But corporations from Chrysler to Nestlé, in concert with a compliant US media, have taken advantage of this truism to place a disproportionate level of obligation onto the people who work in their warehouses and buy their products. At the same time, they’ve been able to fend off even the most minor of structural changes–say, using less plastic or healthier ingredients–with often dangerous, even deadly, consequences.
“Choose the product best suited for baby,” Nestlé urged in a 1970s baby formula ad. “What size is your carbon footprint?” wondered oil giant BP in 2003. “Texting, music listening put distracted pedestrians at risk,” USA Today announced in 2012.
These headlines and ad copy all offer a glimpse into a longstanding strategy among corporations: place the burdens of safety, health, and wellbeing on individuals, in order to deflect responsibility and regulation. Whether in the areas of transportation, climate, or nutrition and food safety, individuals, namely “consumers,” are increasingly expected to assume full responsibility for their own wellbeing, and are blamed, shamed, and punished–or worse, made ill or injured–when they can’t live up to these unrealistic expectations.
All of this is a reminder not to get distracted by clickbait headlines and stay laser focused on the basic shit. Don’t let Whoopie Goldberg or George Clooney or Nancy Pelosi gaslight you into giving two shits about the presidential circus. To make sense of our modern world–follow the money, weapons and resources while ignoring the propaganda.
camelotkidd 