Vote or die

Submitted by Lindsay
Melbourne Australia!

Spineless citizens create spineless democracy - Abhijit Nascar

(8/2020) It’s funny, in a way, to be sitting here in Australia looking at the events happening in the rest of the world. ‘Down Under’ is a pretty good name for where we are, isolated by oceans and space from you sorry lot.

Yes, we have the virus, a pimple on the face, no more, compared to you. Maybe we are inherently more law abiding, but we have some big advantages – a huge country with only 24 million in it and enormous distances between smaller cities, a health system with free or subsidised care for everyone, and a government that has not only the ability to make and enforce guidelines for the whole country about things like this, but to put in place large amounts of money for wages to be paid to those laid off – currently $1,200 per fortnight, less for those with reduced hours, plus business grants to keep them going.

Supporting this is an education system modelled on the British college, one that is government run with the private system for those that think it’s better and can afford it. The very great majority of us are irreligious, sceptical, and have learnt how to think - which perhaps our biggest advantage.

This virus (there are more coming) is now so mundane, so world-wide weary that it is the developing monetary catastrophe that really matters. It will go on for – however long that piece of rope turns out to be.

It’s a strange rope, because it is coated in a greasy goo of deficits, death and trade imbalances. You hold one end of this rope, while at the other end noose of climate change waiting to hang about three billion humans of all persuasions.

In the middle is China.

This nation, the largest ever, is in its ascendancy, setting out to impose their ideology on the rest of the world. And the way things are going they may well be able to do just that. They are the ultimate totalitarian state, everything is dictated by the central government, enabling them to put rules in place that will, in general, be enforced. Dissent is frowned on, legislated into treason – as we have seen in Hong Kong. Those of different beliefs, like the Uighur, are herded into ‘instruction’ camps from which there appears to be no escape.

But their industry is bouncing back, their virus rates are negligible, their economy is recovering, and the only thing that stops them ruling much of world trade is their lack of a dominant trade currency. The Ranminbi is their try, a way of ousting the dollar, and it is having astonishing success. It has captured about 51% of the total bond market, at 13 trillion Ranminbi, and is a growing and serious threat to America’s dominance.

The tariffs that Trump imposed on China have devastated US exports. These have fallen to the lowest level in a decade, caused the ruin of many primary and other producers, and forced China to go elsewhere for goods it once purchased from you. Australia, India, The Netherlands, Mexico – these are some of the beneficiaries of the trade war. Our Exports have grown by about 45%, with significant rises in Europe.

Most countries are wary of buying from you because both the capricious nature of your president’s policies, and his readiness to break trade deals if he thinks it is good for him. His tax breaks to industry have seen stocks rise to unprecedented highs, but of two days ago the dream began to sour, as the reality of sharply declining exports revealed the knife-edge on which the economy is based.

Trump is there to make him the sole beneficiary of his presidency. It is obvious to a blind man that he cares for no one other than himself, his superiority, his ego and his delusions. Why else would his response to the virus be as it is? ‘Do nothing’ and all will be well. ‘Take any old stuff, it doesn’t matter, I just need the wheels of profit turning again.’ He’s not even subtle about it. This is mine, you elected me for that purpose, and good luck.

He believes that the Spanish flu, the 1918-9 pandemic, is the way to go. Let ‘em die, the survivors will have employment, the profit will return sooner, and he will be satisfied again. His line is, "Look, I’m here to help you help me. It might be that I will want you to stand in line to be shot so that the economy – my brainchild – will be revived. ‘Oh, you’re a migrant? You have a dark skin? Too bad. You’re poor? That’s your fault. Do you trust in God? Great, he’ll save you.’

Yet there is an answer to this insane demagoguery. It is the one our and your forefathers fought for, sacrificed life and liberty for, passed it down the line for our benefit and life. It is the only effective way: True democracy where government is controlled by the people and their honestly elected representatives. But it takes guts, intelligence and experience to get it right. It takes people who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the good of others. Not a hero, not a messiah, just people like you who believe your country is worth saving.

Today that is nigh on impossible. The ultra-rich and powerful have organised things so they will rule forever, overcoming all challenges, depending on fear and ignorance, indifference and foolishness to become capitalist dictators. They aim to succeed where Hitler couldn’t.

But they are not invincible. Someone like Joe Biden, who is trying to pull the nation back from the edge of the cliff would be a start. As a beginning, go and vote but never for Donald. Don’t be lazy, indifferent, fed up. Just go. That way you will help your country become truthfully great again.

After November it will be too late. China will call in its debts, and your once strong and effective armed services will be unable to take them on – unless your insane CEO decides that atomics will do the job.

There are no quick answers to the virus, no easy remedies for the appalling sate of the economy, but unless you don’t care that China will soon be your masters, round up your friends, stand on stumps and yell, and exercise your democratic right to decide your future. That is the duty of every American today.