THE ZOMBIFICATION OF AMERICA
Mikhail Branski
Merida, Mexico
copyright 2015
Zombification is the cruel consequence of unbridled consumer capitalism which has now become the economic model for the modern age. The American brain has withered before the onslaught of media images seeking to glorify a hedonistic, narcissistic, material lifestyle. The ‘selfie’ (I cringe to even say it) is the ultimate in ego-centrism. Critical thinking has all but disappeared before the tsunami of the glorification of the God of Consumerism.
Contrary to what Americans have been taught about totalitarian regimes, indoctrination is even more insidious in America, the hallowed nation of ‘freedom’. That freedom which was once so noble has turned itself into an excuse for licentiousness run rabid, perverting and corrupting the American psyche. So too, that other supposed American virtue, Individualism has morphed into Narcissism or Ego-Centrism. (Thoreau, Whitman and Emerson would puke and gag if they were alive today).
Our forefathers, so often praised for their genius, would be aghast at the present state of American society. Imagine, if you would, Jefferson, Adams or Washington being teleported to modern times. Do you really think they would be admire the current state of affairs? Can you imagine what they would think, these men of the Enlightenment, if they watched television for 24 hours? Forget the political system. Jefferson would be calling for a revolution.
Drugs and medication have narcotized the population because the ‘mental (read emotional) health’ of the population has been very seriously impacted. Half the population is depressed or suffering from anxiety disorders and the other half suffers from unrealistic expectations and an infinitude of desires that can never be satisfied….all fodder for the pharmaceutical companies and the rest of corporate culture ready to fill those ‘needs’ with drugs, trinkets, fashionable clothes, suave hair-dos, cars, the latest in home-entertainment, packaged vacations, etc.
And this is no accident, really. The power of socialization under our consumer-capitalist system….creates zombified creatures which it requires to spend money and buy stuff. Critical thinking, responsible, psychologically healthy beings will NOT behave that way. So, zombification is required. It takes brain-washing to a whole new sophisticated level. Consumerism preys on feeding base instincts and exploiting psychological weakness. It promotes infantilization. It mesmerizes the population into believing the way to success or happiness is just a possession away.
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All nations indoctrinate their youth to some degree while in schools. In fact, this is the primary raison d’être for school: socialization. Patriotic holidays and celebrations also drive home the point of the grandness of being a member of some ethnic group or nation. But when patriotism is emphasized in the extreme, it is a symptom of fear and insecurity on the part of those that pull the strings: the plutocratic elements that wield tremendous influence in the halls of power. And in America, it is not hyperbole to say that we now live in a plutocracy where banksters and other white collar criminals run wild and roughshod over the rest of the population. Even a Republican intellect, Kevin Phillips, admit this (see his book Wealth and Democracy).
To secure citizen allegiance, our National Legislators have opted to utilize classic Orwellian language techniques to this end. Terms such as Homeland Security and the Patriot Act are reminiscent of fascistic-like language from the 1930s. The constant reference to those acts reminds citizens of the desire of the government to ‘protect’ us. This strategy has been extended to other domestic laws.
To secure corporate domination over the electoral system, plutocratic forces influenced the Supreme Court to allow unregulated corporate wealth to play such a huge role in American politics, again utilizing more Orwellian language: Citizens United was the name of the case brought before the Supreme Court. Really? Don’t they mean, Corporations United! (No, you fool. Please! We must be more subtle).
Language aids in controlling ‘how one thinks’ about things and this well-known fact has enabled Republicans, especially, to utilize it marvelously as the craven, helpless Democrats fall in step. Problems in the education system? No matter, the No Child Left Behind Act will fix the ‘education’ problem.
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If you really study American history closely, what really stands out is the domination of the political system by plutocratic forces whose influence has grown in direct proportion to their assets. Money (or the threat of withdrawal) buys access, persuasion and real power. In many cases, it simply buys a Senate or House seat. Oh, how times have changed. One recalls Teddy Roosevelt who tried to take on these Plutocrats. Lincoln mentioned them also during the Civil War. Jackson was wary of a National Bank. Teddy’s cousin FDR too, recognized the dangers posed by Corporations and they hated him for it. FDR wrote, for example:
‘The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson — and I am not wholly excepting the Administration of W. W. The country is going through a repetition of Jackson’s fight with the Bank of the United States — only on a far bigger and broader basis.’
Even Eisenhower recognized the threat of corporations when in his last speech before leaving the Presidency, he made his now-famous comment about the dangers of the military-industrial complex.
In fact, a strong argument can be made that as an increasing percentage of the population got the vote and ‘could vote’, that corporate power grew in proportion. You will recall the vast segments of American culture could not vote for the majority of our history: Negroes, Women, Immigrants (whose numbers swelled the population between 1850-1910) as well as those between the ages of 18-21. Even those without property or who paid no taxes were prevented from voting in many jurisdictions or states prior to the 1830 or even later. If you were Black, Indian or Mexican, forget it. As the percentage of voters increasingly grew and more of the population was included in the electorate, Corporate Power grew in direct proportion to influence the political machinery of governments in states and at the national level. One can even make the case that we have had a actual plutocracy within the U.S. since its inception.
The framers of the Constitution were all White men, propertied and/or professionals, and well-off or connected. In order to achieve a union of states, they had to bribe the Southern states by allowing slavery. And, in addition, the slave states could count Negroes as 2/3s of a person to allow for increased representation of said states! To speak in the parlance of contemporary times: “What the FUCK?!”
Wow, those Southern cotton planation owners were more than enough for the Northern states. Abolitionists were but an irritation then. And the Southern states were more populated with all those slaves too. Washington and Jefferson, two of our most revered Presidents bought and relied on slaves like so many commodities. Five of our first seven Presidents were slave owners.
You might not know that the right to vote was not guaranteed in the Constitution, and states could establish their own requirements. Even Jews, Catholics and Quakers were prohibited from voting in many states in the early elections. All kinds of prejudices and fears kept lots of people from voting. Workers often were told for who to vote or even had their ballots marked for them.
During the Occupy Wall St. protests that spread throughout the country, one embarrassed woman revealed that her husband, working on Wall Street, admitted to her that he was ‘told and expected to vote Republican’. In fact, some (or many) corporations on Wall Street even make it clear to their employees that they are expected to ‘donate’ money to Republican candidates.
Capitalist theory, as it is talked about in books, bares little relation to how it is practiced. Capitalism has been tamed a bit for the sake of giving damn rights to humans (that’s the real Republican moan). But the practice of capitalists the world over is to gain an advantage ‘by virtually any means necessary’. Try collusion and price fixing through speculation and the creation of new investment ideas…..that’s more how the the giant corporations and banks function. And the CEOs often become advisors for our Presidents. Goldman Sachs provides the financial wizards our Presidents depend on.
You can hear the echo of the plutocratic forces amongst super-wealthy who own most of the wealth in America. Supposedly some 400 families own more wealth than the bottom 50%. Another statistic puts the figure that .1% of the population possesses 22% of the wealth and that has grown in recent years. One percent of the population owns somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50% of the wealth. Money may not bring happiness but it sure as hell makes for power, especially in Washington D.C.
Upward mobility, once the pride of American culture, has virtually disappeared (almost). Many segments of society do not have the opportunities their ancestors (parents or grandparents) did. Real wages have not risen since 1970 (or barely so). Most families have two income streams and much of the population works at minimum wage jobs. Half of the population is dependent on subsidization of some kind to survive at a basic level.
And for Republicans, that is as it should be. One hears nary a peep from the vast majority of Democrats who have been metaphorically ‘enslaved’ by the Plutocrats who whisper behind closed doors:
‘Damn, we have to remind those politicians who really rules this country. Pay good money to do it, too.’
Democrats were compelled to seek Corporate donations to run their campaigns to compete with the Republicans. After the Reagan and PapaBush years, the Democrats sought this corporate funding to compete. Indeed, Clinton, a moderate Democrat probably only won the election because of that funding in part. Also, recall that Ross Perot ran as a third party candidate, taking some 19% of the vote, thereby preventing Bush’s re-election.
The ultimate result? Democrats moved to the ‘right’ along with the rest of the country especially with the influence of the Christian Right, Rightwing Radio and Fox News all which took a ‘no-holds barred’ strategy of dealing with Democrats who typically were not up to the task of confronting these forces. After all. Democrats were not gobbling up corporate funding as quickly as The Elephant at a water hole.
After Insider-Trading Laws were changed decades ago, it was revealed that they did not apply to our Federal legislators. And people like Nancy Pelosi, already a millionaire, a major Democratic Liberal took advantage of this. And when confronted, was miffed that anyone ‘dare’ imply she was acting just like a Republican: greedy and unethical.
These are our ‘progressive’ legislators? Once upon a time Joe Lieberman was nominated to by V-P with Gore in the 2000 election when Gore won the popular vote and was cheated out of the Presidency by the Supreme Court and shenanigans down the way in Florida where Bush’s brother was governor. Eight years later, Lieberman was transformed into a Republican supporter and became an Independent supporting McCain and Palin. Word has it that he was bitten by some creature and that accounted for the transformation.
His wife, by the way, Hadassah Lieberman, who “previously worked in communications and public affairs at two drug manufacturers, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Hoffmann-La Roche, became a “strategic counselor on health-care policy and public health initiatives” in the Washington, D.C., office of Hill & Knowlton USA, according to the New York-based company.”
And Joe? He refused to support Obamacare and even other options. The reach of the plutocratic (corporate) forces is all pervasive. True liberals are hard to find within the Democratic Party. I mean, what is a liberal in today’s America? I myself am not sure.
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It is also worth noting that nearly all Senators are multi-millionaires and you can bet the farm that if they lose an election or retire, they will find a nice job as a lobbyist or working for some firm connected to those that once contributed to their campaigns. Indeed, these same plutocrats often find jobs for family members. It’s just one big incestuous party. And the parties are so extravagant. Major entertainment stars often make appearances at gala affairs attended by our elected officials. Their wives all love it. So true.
There is, after all, an advantage in wearing an expensive suit or extravagant dress as well as a coiffed hairstyle. For most people, it is assumed that clothes make the man/woman. People with suits are, generally speaking, more trusted as the suit conveys success, money, status, trust. Try on a suit and see what I mean. You might have to practice getting into the role but practice makes perfect. People, unable to judge your character, assume that the suit conveys decency and fidelity to honor. I know, how ironic.
See, that’s how American democracy is. Clothe the plutocracy in elections and, moreover, have lots of them, and, finally, have very long election campaigns. Then, add the news-entertainment bureaus owned by the corporate media, and work to create the illusion that all that talking, interviewing, campaigning, and voting adds up to just a super-dumper democracy, made in the good ole U.S.A!! I mean its election-city 24/7. I mean, did you ever just wonder how many times you said the pledge of allegiance? Most civic meetings start with the pledge. Why? Because we need to remind everybody to hold their allegiance to the flag and what it represents, the republic and one nation under fricken God-almighty… lest you forget!!!
All sporting events have a preamble of the Star Spangled Banner to remind us that our country was born fighting for and preserving freedom! Francis Scott Key, who penned the poem during the War of 1812, did not know that his paean to America was to be turned into a song with a melody so embarrassingly difficult to sing, not to mention that so few Americans know the lyrics. The point, however, is to remind everybody at sporting events that we are good little patriots and that our military bases dotted around the globe (I’ve lost track of how many) serve to remind others of that same fact. After 911, some Major League baseball teams added the quaint tradition, during the seventh-inning stretch, of another patriotic song being sung. One just was not enough. I am not even sure what it is now that I don’t watch baseball much anymore. I think it is American the Beautiful, a song I actually like.
Now, good Americans get to stand twice and feel patriotic just in case they were thinking of getting upset at the Banksters. And if you don’t stand with hat doffed….you may just get the evil eye and even some patriot telling you that ‘people died for your freedom’! My brother was confronted by such a patriot and reminded him of freedom of speech….which did not please this particular true-blue American, with clenched teeth and cheeks flushed with rage at my brother’s insistence to sit.
And don’t forget three solid years of serious inculcation in American history told through the eyes of history books edited and published in Texas. Yes, in most states, three whole years of U.S. history are required. In California, it is in the 5th, 8th, and 11th grades. And then, add another 1/2 year of civics, government, and what not; most of this taught superficially with a hardy dose of how great America is.
Still not sure you are going to be a nice little patriot who believes in the flag, mom, apple-pie, the Republic, democracy, the President, the three branches of government (ah, okay, so most Americans can not name those branches, so what!)?
The corporate news media are dedicated to presenting our people in government in their best light. And when these persons do evil things that are discovered, the news media assures us that these bad people had moral or ethical lapses…. just like the nice bankers on Wall Street or officials at Exxon….all who got away with white-collar crimes so hard to prove in court because they ‘gots the best lawyers!’ I mean who wants to spend all that time in court anyway?
Churning out good little zombies has become standard fare for the system, the institutions of which all are solidly behind the process of zombification. The education system, the entertainment system, the political system: all working together to get the correct response from most of the American voters!!! “Yes, American is great. We are a Republic. The best democracy in the world. USA! USA! USA!
Back behind the curtain, the plutocrats enjoy themselves as the zombies stroll into malls and consume all the shit that makes America so free. Free to own lots of shit. Free to choose between the variety of brands, the selection of phones and phone plans, the car you want to reflect you character and status, the home you have to have to demonstrate to the world that you are successful, the clothes you parade yourself around in to attract the attention that you were pathetically deprived of as a child.
And the plutocrats laugh and pull the strings. Good Obama. Good. That’s right. Select those who worked with the banks and the financial institutions to screw the public and put them in your cabinet. Nice job, Obama. Yo momma be proud. It’s called being moderate. And with Republican dobermans set loose, Obama (like all Democratic Presidents) realized, he indeed was NOT in Kansas nor Chicago but Washington DC (the Devil’s Concubine) so close to Wall Street, the center of power in America….the sorta beautiful. And he had to be taught a lesson. Uppity Black Man!
The voters go into the booths. They vote. They go home and watch results. They see “democracy” in action. The plutocrats toast to the voting zombie public. They laugh, they smirk, they say the right things, they remind politicians of their bribes. Ha. Ha. Ha. Yeah, I know, I have gone to far, my critics contend. I have flipped my lid. “It’s not that simple, you dummy.” Or, “Wait a minute! Are you saying that the people don’t decide who is President and who are senators and reps are?” Or, “You have their privilege to vote.” Gosh. Gee whiz. I am almost excited, NOT!
See, it’s beyond just a lot of people, even so-called intelligent and seemingly informed ones. They just do not get it. I mean, comparatively speaking, a relatively large segment of Americans have ‘The Good Life.’ They have security and everything most people could ever want. This is the Upper Middle Class, that stalwart segment that gives hope to the rest of the middle class that they, too, might have lots of stuff. And status. Once you possess your own home and have security and material things to enjoy, it is difficult to admit that America is owned by the corporations. There is no motivation to be honest about it. And, let’s face it, those that ‘have’ don’t really spend all that much time thinking about the true state of affairs in America. It’s best to believe that ‘Life is Good’ and that we really do ‘live in a democracy’.
And the Republicans? They talk a lot these days about removing the social safety net that gobbles up so much of revenues. They say they would like to get rid of social security, welfare, Head Start, and Obamacare….they want to return to the good old days before the masses shared in any prosperity.
Mostly, it is blather. What protects America from riots and rebellions are these very programs that provide some very basic care to the masses, the underclass, those who can not survive on the pittance of the wages they earn.
The plutocrats know a good thing when they see it. The whole world will consume like fucking mad, the environment will take care of itself and if it doesn’t, who gives a shit, our grandchildren? Ha! Ha! That’s a good one. By then, the little creatures will be pathetic zombified offspring of adult Zombies. And most humans will be living inside, afraid to go out, afraid of contamination of the air, land, water, rivers, oceans. I exaggerate. It is not THAT bad? Is it?
Crap man, you should see some cities in China, India, Africa!, Latin America. You can’t just plunder metals from mountains forever and dig into the earth for oil just so you have fuel or need materials to make more shit. And the clouds of contaminated air that spew out pollution?
Even in so-called ecologically minded pristine places like Costa Rica, outside the national park destinations where tourism is promoted, there are signs telling you that creeks are contaminated. Man, all you have to do is look. And it is the same in most undeveloped and even most developing or developed countries. Buying water in a plastic bottle promotes good health.
Look around you. Do you see the zombies? Do you see them shopping? Especially at the malls. Do you see them all lonely in their homes. zombied-out as they watch the zoombie-tube? Do you see them watching homogenized, zombiefied entertainment events? The Superbowl half-time show is, probably, the most infamous Zombie event of all even though I have never watched it. Turns my stomach. I get zombi-rhea. Television, entertainment, sports, politics, education, the news: the process of zombification is institutionalized. We all be zombies, or at least many of us. We don’t need no stinking Pods from outer space. We don’t need no Stalin, Hitler, Mao, or totalitarian state! No. America is the best in the world of making zombies. The cost/benefit ratio is excellent.
I know. I know. You want to argue religion is better at making zombies. Okay, I see your point. So, let’s just say that America blends social-political zombification with religious zombification to get highest rate of zombification in the world. We have highest per capita of zombies in the world. Put that statistic in your pipe and smoke it. Woo! Woo! Better than Jamaican, mon!
I mean, after all, half of Americans believe the Earth is 5000 years old and deny evolution. Talk about the power of zombiefication! Yikes.
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Now, please repeat after me, the Zombie Creed:
“I pledge allegiance to the corporations of the USA and to the plutocracy which runs the show with consumerism, materialism and entertainment for all. And a big shout out to God who sent his only son, Jesus, to make sure we all would keep buying crap and, still, somehow, end up in heaven.
