STUPID OR UNEDUCATED: Ignorance in America

The real social contradiction, tension and opposition in America is not between Left/Right, Liberal/Conservative, Republican/Democrat, white/black, patriots/traitors, the intelligent/the stupid, etc., etc., etc. Such discourses inevitably end up being moronic because they are between false social realities, false social groupings.

The real contradiction and social opposition is the potentially explosive tension between, on the one hand, the New Class of bureaucrats, lawyers, professors and technocrats that maintain the status quo in the interests of a globalized ‘supercapital,’ and on the other hand, any politics that would reconstitute “the people’s” opposition such that a potential, real, de-centered, local federation of possible social identities (communities) and interests would become conscious and could be intelligently discussed and organized around, economically, culturally and politically.

But it is not as if the predominant mass of alienated individuals should try to create a mass class identity and oppose the New Class and their Masters in the manner of a Marxist inspired revolutionary force. Such a populism of new communities is not Marxism nor Socialism. Nor is it merely a 'communitarianism.'

The disenfranchised mass’s only choice, from the standpoint of de-centered loci of autonomous communities and regions, is to dismantle the monolithic mass identity created by the media and manipulated by the politicians to appear as if there were really a “We the People” that spoke for itself. But there is no such really existing mass identity which is self-consciously autonomous and self-determining.

The mass media relates to ‘the people’ as if they are a homogeneous herd and they respond in kind. A Neo-populist politics should be able to imagine the possibility of a re-federalization of communities and regions in which genuinely self-inaugurated identities, a sense of neighborly belonging and local/regional purposefulness could dismantle the monolithic, manipulative discourse of the New Class.

Then to be an American would be to have a real local identity rather than the hysterical, mythic identity so easily whipped into totalized fanatical frenzies over terrorists and led into Orwellian wars like the one presently in Afghanistan.

Short of massive media manipulation politically, culturally and educationally, the “America” of the supercapitalists doesn’t exist. It’s “The Truman Show” writ large. “We,” be it as it may be, need to find a way to stop paying tribute and obeisance to the 'wizards' of Washington.

Yet, the new populist politics is not about the people taking power in Washington. It is about taking hyper-centralized power and social control away from Washington and its pseudo-federalist bureaucratic nightmare. It is about disseminating power, wealth and autonomy to social entities whose purpose is to sustain an abundant life whose daily experience is fulfilling as such. It is not about the empty and false promise of a perpetually postponed fulfillment in a corporate-marketed dream realized only once the bills are paid, retirement arrives, the Lotto is won or you manage to create some fantastic shit that makes you a fortune like the hoola hoop or maybe pet rocks.

Their heavenly secular eternity lay in the promised progress that never comes. The dumbing down is a symptom of a discourse which is mere sublimation, distraction and obfuscation. It disillusions and demoralizes leading to ever more irrational, extremist and fanatical manifestations of democracy distorted and pathologized. Its untruth lay in its capacy to disempower the intelligence of the people and their will to self-determination and autonomy.

MAZIARZ/ NIAGARA LEGISLATURE RIGHT ON NYPA

It was a real treat seeing Richie Kessel in action at the July 28 Niagara County Legislative session. I wasn’t sure if I should be grateful or go get my gun. But as Maziarz pointed out in his rebuttal of Kessel possibly more of the story is in what NYPA has failed to get Niagara and Western NY rather than the Yahoo success. And if Maziarz is correct—and I see no reason not to agree with him—the Yahoo story is more a matter of the pressure from the Niagara Legislature and the Lockport IDA.

Regarding the legal action of the Niagara Legislature, I think we have to back them if not thank them for someone finally making a concerted move against the imperialistic actions of NYPA. Their expropriation of profits from Niagara power is regional rape and the obvious re-appropriation of our wealth for downstate.

Antoine Thompson, on Access to Government, predicted that we would fail. Of course his actions and attitude have certainly not helped the matter. His vote along with that of DelMonte, Stachowski and Schimminger to OK the sweep of half a billion dollars to the state budgetary fund is treason. Even worse, it is stupid.

What Maziarz seems to be getting is that regional unity is the only way to truly save Niagara and Western NY. Thompson inexplicably seems to think that since NYPA has in the past raped WNY it’s ok to continue to rape it and even increase the degree to which it commits its atrocities against our region. Even if Maziarz had participated in such prior sweeps he’s apparently seen the light. But Thompson’s “reasoning” is so pitifully weak I fear for our region if that’s the kind of representation we have.

As a side note it was also somewhat frightening when a caller to Access to Government by the name of “Vinson” confronted Thompson on the radioactive waste problem, it seemed clear that Thompson was hearing about this for the first time. My God in Heaven how in the hell can this guy be so asleep regarding the fact and significance of this problem? Thompson’s interview on Access was a frightening if not demoralizing example of a politician devolving into a bureaucratic slumber, incapable of seeing the forest for the trees.

On the other hand Maziarz may well be more of a populist than I thought. His willingness to work with others in WNY to challenge NYPA is more than just crossing party lines. It has all the potential to spark some insight that the political parties are irrelevant when it comes to acting in the interest of our region.

Moreover if in fact the Legislature loses legally against NYPA, possibly it and Mr. Maziara will begin to understand that legality as it exists today is only one form of legitimacy. The actions of NYPA against our region may be legal but are clearly not legitimate. In fact legality is not the only legitimate form of political authority. So the ultimate battle here, even if Niagara wins the litigation, is political and not ultimately legal. Legality today has expropriated all legitimacy in its own name. Legality suppresses and hides the political process taking place behind its cover. When this happens systematically—and, enabled by the political unconsciousness, ignorance and weakness of will of the people and the politicians—the foundation is laid for bureaucratism at its worst. Witness the interpretative sleight of hand of Richie Kessel sweet talking the Niagara Legislature. To their credit I’m quite sure they aren’t buying it.

Such bureaucratic centralist legal invalidation of our claims to NYPA profits if not control is the political de-legitimation of the entire polity of WNY. It is by no accident or afterthought that the New York Power bureaucracy is called an “authority.” When laws are no longer the codified expression of how people want to live their lives but controls upon their rights and political voice, the law becomes a repressive and coercive force cloaking the interests of the political powers and peoples asserting their will over us. The false neutrality of State law is hidden within the proceduralist processes of state government and complicated by the power struggles of irrelevant self-aggrandizing political parties and often career minded politicians climbing the “go along get along” ladder of professionalized ‘political’ career success.

Not only is all politics local politics but really all political power is local power. If it were only true that NYPA has the interests of the whole of the State at heart, they might have an argument for their mode of existence. But given that they are a front for downstate at the expense of WNY, their legitimacy is tainted despite the mirage of legal authority.

Maziarz's challenge with respect to future leadership clearly lay in unifying political representation in WNY and debunking the claims of the Authority and the hapless 4 musketeers who have not yet grasped the power and legitimacy that lay in local unity and concerted political action. If such unity were even close to being realized then the inevitable upsurge of popular support could sway our way any straggling believers in the good will and efficacy of Albany bureaucratic nightmare. With a unifed contingent of local politicians and a population behind them, WNY may well have a chance to move itself beyond a feudal state or better a territory occupied by a ‘foreign’ power.