theAnalysis.news in 2022 – Paul Jay
Paul Jay on ‘theatre of the absurd democracy’, and organizing for a vibrant peoples’ movement as the focus for theAnalysis.news in the coming year.
TRANSCRIPT:
Paul Jay:
Hi, I’m Paul Jay, and this is theAnalysis.news
I know it’s hard to remain optimistic as we head into 2022.
One thing that gives me hope are people that organize to change the world. In the coming year, theAnalysis.news will focus more on featuring organizers and methods of organizing. A vibrant people’s movement is essential to get us out of this mess.
The concentration of ownership and political power in a tiny handful of billionaires and corporations, especially the all-powerful and parasitical big banks and financial institutions, fronted by a stratum of corrupt political hacks, is the root of the problem.
Let me stress, it’s about who owns stuff, and not the political theatre of the absurd, claiming to be a democracy for the people. Clearly, the more you own, the more democracy you have. For most of us, even the paper-thin formality of democracy is disappearing.
All the critical issues facing us converge into the need for a broad, non-sectarian movement for a democracy of the people. I think this includes diversified and participatory public ownership in critical sectors of the economy, starting with banking and arms manufacturing. We need democratic public ownership to counter private concentrated ownership. In the coming year, we will further our discussion about what this might look like.
Here’s the rub. The climate crisis and nuclear weapons pose an immediate threat to human life. We can’t wait for a fundamental transformation of society for a change in policy. While we must keep fleshing out a vision of another world and organizing for it, we also have to work within existing institutions. Every strategy and alliance that provides an effective solution must be pursued. That will also be a critical theme of our work.
All of us at theAnalysis.news pledge to work hard and do our best to contribute to this movement.
Here comes the pitch. We know you are deluged with requests for donations, so we will keep it simple.
If you’ve already donated, we are humbled that you chose to do so. We are very grateful and will do our best to meet your expectations in the coming year. We can’t do this without you.
If you are watching our videos and not donating, we hope you will find a reason to do so. Even a small amount every month is very appreciated.
In the United States, we are a 501(c)(3) charity, so you will be able to deduct a portion of this gift from your taxes. If you’re not in the U.S., we hope you’ll donate just to support what we do.
As always, we appreciate questions, comments, and criticism. We need it to improve our work.
On behalf of everyone at theAnalysis.news, best wishes for the new year! We are going to need all the best wishes we can get!
Please donate at theAnalysis.news
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Thank you, Paul. Many of the few sensible voices left, nibble at the edges. You do not.
You care deeply. And we are running out of time
Suggestion: Offer to speak with Jimmy Dore, the Gray Zone, Breaking Points. You guys have to join forces.
Hi Paul,
I have two questions I hope you can include in future articles, or can respond to here in the comments:
Often at the end of an article, I’ll think to myself “I can see things are getting worse, but what now?” Thank-you for stating that you’re looking at the next step, which is organizing and becoming active. It’s important to look at the way things are and report on that, but most news channels don’t take the next step.
As for the questions:
* Is there any part of the world that is collectively working towards a more just, green society, one that promotes the common good, and not just the good of a few? I’m not asking if there is a utopia anywhere, just that there’s much I don’t know about Europe, Africa, Asia, and while the groundwork for a dystopian future has been laid in the US, is any part of the world reversing this trend? As long as enough people benefit from our system of exploitation of other people and the planet, it will be business as usual.
*One thing I hope you can talk about and help with is the psychological aspects of all this. I experience a lot of dissonance between the trends that you talk about, and daily life. I can go shopping, order takeout and still enjoy many comforts, even when others in the world are suffering or Nature is being exploited past its ability to cope. I don’t think this dissonance will last across the next few generations, after certain political or environmental tipping points are reached. I have experienced times of precarious income, and that has taught me that many people value a person for their status and wealth. To be fair, wealth will act as a buffer, at least for awhile, against political or environmental turmoil, so it makes sense that wealth is a measure of fitness and survival for so many.
As has often been remarked, the first amendment includes freedom of the press, because avoiding tyranny requires it. Though the founders did not wish to protect democracy, the first amendment is essential to its protection, too. What is the condition of the first amendment?
The first amendment has been suppressed the tyranny of corporate capitalism and militarism. The militaristic government can use the power to classify the keep from the people what they need to know to control their government. Corporate capitalism can use its ownership power to suppress knowledge of what big business wants to hide.
This two pronged attack covers all news sources that are mainstream. Outside the mainstream, there are channels of public disclosure like theAnalysis, but they do not resurrect what the military and the corporations have killed. They provide a form of entertainment for the literate left. I don’t mean to deny their importance in my day to day life. I would be politically blinded and deafened if they were gone, and I don’t believe I have the personal strength of Helen Keller to give meaning to my life in that case.
So I donate what I can to preserve my connection to the world, but sadly I know not to expect that the good journalism of Paul Jay and his colleagues will do more than that.