George,

John Whitehead should be read this week by everyone.

Whitehead sees what he sees true to the mark as nearly always, but misses a key point. Political campaigning is sophisticated and costly beyond the ability of an electorate to regain control of congress. Our federal system is no longer a democracy - government by the people - we're a plutocracy - government by the rich through the corporations. Congress is theirs, not ours. We have the vote yet we are disenfranchised. John sees it, says it, but doesn't name it. Maybe there's no name for when voters are an exploited money supply with no control over how it's spent.

Does John realize why the people cannot amass the will to revolt in the US? The answer is the 1st Amendment. With the absolute right to bleed our anger off by complaining freely, there's nothing to bottle up and explode. By accident the founders discovered the secret to keeping a people suppressed: free speech.

Is Rey the only one dismayed that millions of bloggers are getting things off their chests instead of building resentment? That tens of millions of potential rebels are instead venting steam in dead- end reader comments to on-line newspapers, comments only a few see before the next news cycle distracts them? As I see it, the Internet, far from being the nation's town meeting, is the nation's brain fart. It has about the same chance of making a better future as sperm in a bag.

Get excited, do nothing. It's called a loop.

Rey Barry (Electronic mail, October 20, 2008)