By Timothy V. Gatto

I was going to stop writing about political things and concentrate on fiction. Fiction is an easier venue because most of the time it doesn’t get you wrapped around the proverbial axle and make you want to blow your head off. It is infuriating to write a political piece based on recognized facts and the knowledge you impart completely ignored by the majority of Americans that refuse to read anything outside of the mainstream media and would rather live their life in the surreal world of corporate and political pabulum so they can live their lives more “comfortably”.

Lately however, just as I was about to give up on the American people, I see something germinating that should have happened years ago. I see Americans no longer content to hear platitudes and axioms from their elected representatives. I believe that as in the “Wizard of Oz”, the curtain is being pulled back and people are finally seeing that the all knowing Oz isn’t all he has been hyped up to be. Americans are finally admitting that they have been being lied to on a constant daily basis for the advancement of the few that actually run this country.

This is defiantly NOT the time to get out of politics. Some people feel threatened by the Tea Party movement. While I don’t subscribe too many of their viewpoints, I welcome them to the political fray. Their movement is probably the best thing to happen in politics since the Vietnam Vets against the War staged a million person demonstration in West Potomac Park in March of 1973. The Tea Partiers have a right to be angry, we all do. The politicians in Washington are either obstructionists (The Republicans) or gutless (The Democrats). They have no interest in the well-being of the average American, they only think of consolidating their “base”.

I blame the so-called “Progressives” for letting Obama get away with negotiating away the best parts of a health care plan that would enrich the lives of all Americans. I also blame them for listening to the Democratic-led Congress that claims that a 40 seat minority ties their hands. We all know that a good health care plan could have been passed if most of the politicians in the Senate didn’t have their hands tied by their corporate sponsors.

Evan Bayh recently said that he would not run for another term in the Senate. Good riddance. We all know that his father Birch Bayh was the reason he had that job. Senate patronages should be outlawed. I for one am really tired of political families in Congress. I’m also tired of people that vote either Republican or Democrat because they believe that in some way these political parties represent their values. Folk, these parties have no values. Almost every Senator and Congressman is a multi-millionaire. Most of these people who weren’t millionaires when they got their seat in Congress are millionaires now. How do you think they manage to do that? Do you think they got rich looking after your interests?

The reality of the situation is that most Americans are finally realizing that Washington is looking after their own interests and the interests of the corporations that put them in power. We saw that when the bankers threatened to bring this country down by gambling with derivatives based on nothing and they got caught with their pants down running that Ponzi scheme, instead of putting them in jail, the government rewarded them with trillions of dollars! Now Obama says that it left a bad taste in his mouth. It left a bad taste in all of our mouths. The thing is they are still at it!

So now the mid-term elections of 2010 are on the way. The talking heads of the mainstream corporate-owned media say that Republicans are going to win big. Tell me, why should Republicans win big? Didn’t this entire mess start on their watch? Why vote for a party that tries to block every piece of legislation for the last two years? They say they want Obama to fail. Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Obama fails, so does the country! Nice people, those Republicans.

The Democrats aren’t any better. These are not the Democrats your parents voted for. They are just as corrupt as the Republicans. The few honest voices in Congress aren’t recognized when they speak truth to power. Pelosi and Reid should be tarred and feathered.

Try doing yourself a favor and quit the two corporately owned political parties that are selling us all down the river. Vote Green, or whatever party floats your boat. The best course would be to send independents to Congress. Wow, what a revolutionary idea. Political parties have had their heyday. It’s time to retire them and their millions of dollars and see if they can work for a living and not as lobbyists. It’s your choice. Choose wisely or quit complaining. You get what you pay for.

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timgatto@hotmail.com Read Tim's Book "Complicity to Contempt" and his Novel "Kimchee Days or Stoned Cold Warriors From Oliver Arts and Open Press and available on Amazon and all other online bookstores.