AMERICAS NEW NETWORK HOWARD BEAL ... SHOUTING OUT REBELLION AGAINST THE STATUS QUO FROM CABLE AND NETWORK NEWS PODIUMS!
I dont have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. Its a depression. Everybodys out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickels worth; banks are going bust; shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter; punks are running wild in the street and theres nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do and theres no end to it.
We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat. And we sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes as if thats the way its supposed to be!
We all know things are bad -- worse than bad -- theyre crazy.
Its like everything everywhere is going crazy so we dont go out any more. We sit in the house and slowly the world were living in is getting smaller and all we say is Please at least leave us alone in our living rooms…
Well Im not going to leave you alone.
I want you to get mad!
I dont want you to protest. I dont want you to riot. I dont want you to write to your Congressman because I wouldnt know what to tell you to write. I dont know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street.
All I know is that first youve got to get mad.
Youve gotta say Im a human being goddammit! My life has value!
So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window open it and stick your head out and yell
Im as mad as hell and Im not going to take this anymore!!
--Howard Beal proselytizing in Network" the hit Hollywood movie of 1976
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechnetwork2.html
Yes a film from 41 long years ago!
But doesnt it all still sound familiar?
After all we could substitute Donald Trump for Howard Beal and wouldnt the preceding 1976 film speech also sound appropriate for these current angry times in America?
And why not when rule by the current revolving cycle of affluent Washington (D.C.) elitists such as self-serving & self-satisfied politicians political advisers and political lobbyists -- still continues. And currently the American presidency is held by a reality-deprived narcissist who appears to believe he is a king?
His number-one governing ethic: the ordinary citizen be damned!
Honing in on this kind of political phenomenon is a new book by Angelo M. Codevilla a past staff member of the Senate: The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It" (Yale University Press).
In this definitive work Mr. Codevilla introduces readers to the Ruling Class" the group of bipartisan political elites whom he believes run America:
This elitist ruling class educated at prestigious universities and convinced of its own superiority has everything to gain from raising taxes and expanding the reach of nanny-state government.
After all it believes that it knows what is best for the nation (unlike the rest of us ignorant knaves) and even today still increases its reach on Capital Hill.
Unfortunately as the much-repeated saying goes: Power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely!"
Codevilla argues that Americas fundamental political problem is not big government" in itself but the creation of this ruling class -- dominating both political parties-- which is steadily increasing its authoritarian control over America.
In fact Mr. Codevilla recently observed: The 2016 (U.S.) election is simple; the person who runs on the platform
Who do they think they are? will win."
And who are they?
Well for example theyre usually the self-appointed vigilantes dedicated to metaphorically lynching alleged racist cops (as occurred in Ferguson) even if these police officers are innocent and the perps" are irrefutably legally guilty.
And guess what? Should these self-righteous know-nothing vigilantes succeed (as in Baltimore recently) guess who gets robbed (or even murdered) when the crime rate inevitably rises?
Most often poor helpless & unarmed members of the citys minority population.
And here were talking about job-deprived blacks & hispanics unable to buy the weapons they need to defend themselves and their families thanks to iron-clad anti-gun laws
and declining incomes & job opportunities in these liberal-dominated urban enclaves.
Of course the preceding only reminds us that such disquieting phenomena most often occur in U.S. big cities historically ruled by a corrupt & self-serving
Democrat Party elite.
And if you were now a resident one of these corrupt urban enclaves resembling New Yorks famous early 20th century Tammany Hall boroughs wouldnt you want to shout from the rooftops:
Im as mad as hell and Im not going to take this anymore!!"
And perhaps you might even consider voting for Donald Trump despite his irresponsible ethnic stereotyping and reality-show rhetoric?
After all what is the most potent theme in contemporary American culture which The Donald" so adroitly taps?
In plain unfiltered English: Enough already with all this political correctness which prevents anything meaningful getting done by Congress to remedy these social-justice problems!
But now lets turn back to author Angelo Codevilla who implicitly summarizes the essence of Donald Trumps appeal to a surprisingly-large segment of the American electorate as follows:
Our ruling class" he insists has created protected classes of Americans defined by race sex age disability origin religion and now homosexuality (and perhaps Islam) whose members have privileges that outsiders do not. By so doing they have shattered the principle of equalitythe bedrock of the rule of law…
Ruling class insiders use these officious classifications to harass their socio-political opponents."
And therein I believe lies the underlying appeal of Donald Trump to his millions of supporters -- his willingness to stand up and express contempt for (and rebellion against) todays politically-correct rules" in America.
Talk about the perfect
insurgency" candidate for all Americans disgusted with the self-serving do-nothing" elitist leaders of both congressional political parties:
Yes thats correct: on the Republican side of the 2016 leadership competition that man is indeed Donald Trump perhaps channeling his inner Bernie Sanders!
But now just like Bill OReilly its time for me to present you with a fair & balanced" view of Mr. Trump below -- this time detailing The Bad Donald".
After all hes a man who called Fox News debate anchor Megyn Kelly a bimbo" not to mention some of his throw-up-quality references to Ms. Kellys menstrual cycle.
Not to also mention his less than flattering characterization of the face of GOP opponent --Carly Fiorina -- as well uhm ugly"
Or how about calling talk-show maven Rosie ODonnell a fat pig" (even if she does from a distance present the silhouette of an Iowa farm sow).
Such misogyny on the part The Donald is just not pretty even if these offensive labels spew from a man who insists that he loves everyone and everyone (including Vladimir Putin) loves him.
And whats with his habit of calling anyone who criticizes him a loser"?
Talk about a thin skin and perhaps a hint of narcissism not unlike his bte noir Barack Obama.
Just like Americas current God King (Obama) you simply dont criticize Donald Trump.
According to this multiple bankruptee he simply can do no wrong even if he once supported partial-birth abortions and contributed generously to the coffers of Americas most infamous lawbreakers the Clintons.
So there we have it -- my home-brewed analysis of the good & bad Donald Trump.
How will the primary gods eventually treat The Donald" at the leadership finish line?
Only the pollsters supposedly know and like weather forecasters they usually get it wrong at least 50 of the time.
Just like posters recently did when they confidently predicted a Trump victory in the Iowa caucuses (and Donald Trump still lost to Ted Cruz by a surprising margin)!
Nuff said on this topic I would think.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION MURRAY SOUPCOFF:
Author of Canada 1984 The Year In Review" (Lester Orpen)
Co-author (with Rick Salutin & Gary Dunford) of Goodbye Canada" (James Lorimer & Associates)
Publisher of Soupcoff Report" investment newsletter
Senior Associate & founding partner of Ian Sone & Associates Ltd Canadas first independent social-research firm as well as original Canadian initiator of (sociological) evaluations" of federal and provincial social programs set up to assist Canadas disadvantaged populations
Computer columnist for Globe & Mail Report on Business" for 20 years
Co-editor of We Compute Magazine" for 7 years.
Producer & head writer Inside From The Outside" CBC Radio & TV
Currently retired but still active investor and (until recently) contributor to the Globe Mail" online investment blog.
Email address:
[email protected]
