Iowans Rage Against the Machine

By ERIC BLUMBERG

With all due respect to the hard rock band, the culmination of the Iowa Caucuses left an explicit picture for all the world to see. This country’s populous is tired of being sick and tired. Folks are fed up with politicians who hold all the cards but never seem to want to deal.

Sanders, Cruz, Trump and Rubio were the big winners with only one of them interested in wearing the establishment crown. Of course, Clinton claimed victory in her race against Bernie, but everyone knows the race was a near statistical dead heat even with those six precinct coin tosses, which all went to The Queen of the Machine.

Nonetheless, Sanders’ climb from the pit of virtually no recognition, one year ago, to his current position should show this country that a common sense approach to dismantling the engine that always idles is a boon to those like me, who have been thirsting for a new political elixir.

For Republicans, Trump and Cruz offer two visions, in many ways, disconnected from their current party and its laughable leaders. The only question for them now is who will beat the other at being the country’s biggest bully.

Thus far, the Machine has been rattled with more upheaval to come. Trump and Sanders are a lock to win New Hampshire and then, it’s anyone’s guess. Can the master manipulator have his TV season extended? Can the democratic socialist being this country true Hope and Change?

And about the corporate media. There’s some (heart)breaking news for that group of speculists: you and all your gold standards are getting it wrong. Nevertheless, it’s truly quaint how the networks, cable and otherwise, want so dearly to be in on the fix. They’ll say or write anything that enhances their solidarity with the rest of America’s oligarchy.

MSNBC is a perfect example. The cable network, owned by Comcast/Universal is a hybrid of NBC News and Microsoft. Or how about CNN, once referred to as the Clinton News Network? They’re owned by Time Warner. ABC is owned by Disney while CBS is owned by Viacom. With these monoliths, our news has become simply a function of 24-hour-a-day regurgitation.

The true news is there are substantial groups of citizens who can’t take it anymore. That’s why Bernie is wildly successful and why Cruz and Trump are besting their competition. And apparently none of them seem to really care what the talking heads seem to think.

Time, of course will tell how the campaigns resolve themselves, but if I’m going to make a wild prediction, come next January the old boss will be looking in the mirror with admiration because there’s no way the guys in charge would ever allow this country to stray from its divine path to Hell.

Remember there are only three human imperatives: procreating, getting high and acquiring as much stuff as possible. It really doesn’t matter whether we have the cash. Using credit cards and going deep into debt is something the political establishment is really good at and so are we.

Eric Blumberg is a former radio news reporter and talk show host who now teaches communications and writing at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City.

From The Progressive Populist, March 1, 2016

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