Maybe I Don't Know Myself

The function of neoliberal government is to serve and protect concentrated wealth. Neoliberalism is defined as "free market trade, deregulation of financial markets, individualization, and the shift away from state welfare provision (austerity)." Mainstream political parties adhere to and enforce the neoliberal credo.

The problem is that voters no longer believe in neoliberalism. Trump is a prime example. Trump is still a market fundamentalist, but he is cagey enough, like a professional wrestler, to "body slam" aspects of neoliberalism, like free trade, and slap a bunch of tariffs on allies and enemies alike.

A real opponent of neoliberalism is something different though. And when a real opponent of neoliberalism appears on the scene and demonstrates an ability to win over voters, then the bloodless zombie snaps to attention.

Tariq Ali predicted five-years ago in The Extreme Centre that neoliberalism had another quarter-century of life left in it. It was hard for me to accept at the time, but Ali is probably right.

Kshama Sawant is another sort of example. She is fearless. She is a socialist who campaigned explicitly in the recent election on the Green New Deal and rent control. Her opponent was a non-entity for whom there was zero -- I kid you not -- visible proof of life in my meanderings throughout the council district. Yet, as of yesterday's ongoing vote count, Kshama is still eight points behind.

According to Lester Black,

Is it time to count Sawant out? It doesn’t look great for Sawant supporters, but we can't write her off yet. King County Elections has counted 35,291 returned ballots from District 3 as of today, but the county has only reported 23,929 votes so far. That means there’s 11,362 votes to be counted—and only 1,925 separate Sawant from Orion.

The chamber of commerce political action committee, engorged with donations from Amazon and Starbucks, blanketed the district with media on behalf of Orion and against Sawant.

At this point it looks like a majority of voters did as they were told and got rid of that pesky brown socialist.

It has left me more discouraged than I imagined. A mini existential crisis. If I don't know my own neighborhood, a place I have lived for more than 25 years, maybe I don't know myself.

One thing is for sure. Money is most powerful. It's going to take an Iraq uprising to shake the neoliberal death-grip. As Bob Dylan sings, "It's not dark yet, but it's getting there."