Bandh

Almost as fast as the U.S. is slipping into ever steeper decline, the veneer is peeling off the global warming hoax as well. It certainly did manage to suck in a lot of well-meaning people. But most of them are now beginning to realize that it's nothing more than a ruse. More importantly, increasing numbers are beginning to recognize the political forces driving it.

This is why Obama and the Democrats in Congress are so hell-bent on passing 'cap and trade’ RIGHT NOW, before the entire rationale behind it blows up in their faces. The truth is, they need the money to further the farce of being able to afford universal health care - at least, that's the narrative most Dems are centered on (and refuse to think beyond). So even if they know the climate change issue to be a joke, they believe they can still support it if it means being able to lure their constituents in with promises of immortality.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that universal health care is no panacea. Besides being impossible to achieve as the remedy is currently structured, any attempt alone in that direction will result in worse health care than currently exists, and would bankrupt the country to boot.

And that is the ultimate goal of this administration, isn’t it? On analysis, every policy put forward by this administration thus far, damages America’s economy further. The looming immigration debate will no doubt introduce yet another corrosive element into the mix. Even in our foreign policy, despite public pronouncements to the contrary, the ultimate destruction of Israel remains implicit.

As Americans, who have been largely comatose during the Bush years, begin to realize where we are heading, they are increasingly asking, “What can we do to save ourselves?”

“Not much,” even the most right-wing ideologues tell us. “Wait for the next election.”

I’ve been accused of being excessively pessimistic. On the other hand, I’ve also been told that I speak for a lot of people. And I actually do remain confident that Americans will at some point rise up and speak clearly in opposition to where this administration is taking us. Only, I do believe that if we wait until the next election (still a year and a half away), it’ll be too late. The cancerous growth of our government must be stopped NOW!

Here in India, a commonly used form of protest used by political activists is to declare a ‘Bandh’. The word in Hindi literally means ‘closed’. During a Bandh, a major political party or a large chunk of a community declares a general strike, usually lasting one day. Bandhs are a powerful means of civil disobedience. Because of the economic pain that a Bandh exacts on local communities, it is much feared as a tool of protest.

It’s difficult to say at what point precisely Obama and the Dems will have over-reached. Will it be when they drag Bush/Cheney in front of an international tribunal? Will it be when they decide to quash talk-radio? Any number of other scenarios remains equally intriguing. Suffice it to say, the day will come when the majority of Americans will say, “Enough is enough!” The message will be unmistakable and infinitely more potent than genteel tea parties with accompanying finger sandwiches.

Declaring a Bandh would certainly seem to fit the bill. It would demonstrate that those participating had ‘skin in the game’ and were profoundly committed. The only reasons not to do it would be (1) if nobody cared; (2) if you happen to agree that Obama’s vision is right for America; or (3) if you were afraid to find out that there aren’t enough people out there to make it happen.

I’m not saying that the people’s protest will necessarily take on the form of an Asian Bandh. America's response will be uniquely American. It will not be violent; Americans are not a violent people. What I am saying is that some kind of protest will congeal around righteous grievance and that it will happen before the next election cycle begins.