“Dude, where’s my choice?” Boe Jiden vs. Donald J. Dud
#2020USElection
Welcome to the silly season, y’all.
The 2020 US Presidential Election is slowly surging to some kind of awful climax, an electoral orgasm nobody wants. Can you believe this shit show?
PBS’s flagship news program, Frontline, is airing some allegedly riveting, “must-see TV,” a docudrama titled “The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden.” The trailer hyperbolically claims that everyone has to watch this infotainment nugget before election day. Dang, that sounds jui-cy! What have they packed in there anyway?
The piece purportedly takes a humanistic dive into the early lives of two rich <cough> cis (cough) white <cough> men (again?), one of whom will get to occupy the White House for the next four years. (Personally, I have my doubts. Both of those crusty old fucks could kiel over any second.) I haven’t watched PBS’s slick new docudrama yet, and truth be told I probably won’t. Regardless, I feel compelled to judge it for what it lacks — namely, any acknowledgment whatsoever of other contenders. That’s right. The vanguard of PBS’s pro(pa)g(an)(da)ramming, Frontline, is erasing actual, living human beings who are on the 2020 ballot for president and vice president. Do you think that’s a coincidence? Hardly.
The Other 2020: Who are they, and what are they about?
The Greens and Libertarians have candidates, too. The latter chose Dr. Jo Jorgensen (SC) and Jeremy “Spike” Cohen (MA). Yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket. Maybe for you it is. I can’t get with Jorgensen’s free-wheeling, ultra-orthodox market capitalism fever dream. Nor does she seem ready to mop up Trump’s corona mess, at least if her interview on NPR earlier this year is any indication. Jeremey Cohen is an activist, entrepreneur, and podcaster who allegdly adopted the nickname “Spike” from a character in the 1986 film “My Little Pony: The Movie.” Connected to that was Cohen’s (now abandoned) pledge to deliver “free ponies and a Waffle House on every corner.” NPR’s Scott Simon dragged Jorgensen over it in the above interview. While Dr J claims it was just a PR stunt, the truth is out there. Essentially, Cohen’s quip was a tip of the hat to one of his favorite movies growing up. Fair enough, I guess, but I don’t go by Terence “Living Dead” Kumpf. Given my love for George Romero’s black and white zombie classic, I could. I won’t, though.
Look, I love my Libertarian brothers and sisters. But is this really the best ya got? I’m kinda starting to see why cynics say voting 3rd party is a waste. Naaaaah, fuck it. VOTE LIBERTARIAN every chance you get up and down the ballot. If you can’t, vote against incumbents, Republicans and Democrats alike. Think of it like this: if you’re fiscally conservative (nein! universal healthcare) and socially liberal (fr€€ w€€d), running a broom through the halls of congress is crucial — the Senate especially, check your ballots — because cycling reps in and out keeps the greasy talons of the corporatocracy away from our governing institutions, and that’s a good thing, right? We can agree on that, can’t we?
The Green Party chose trade unionist Howie Hawkins (NY) and Angela Walker (SC), an activist, driver, and labor organizer. You got that right: the Green ticket is dominated by labor — the way it should be! (Chuckling in Marx.) Despite what you might have heard, the Green Party is fairly well estabished. Hawkins and Walker are officially the ballot in 30 states, and you can write them in in another 13. The campaign claims that 73% of the electorate can vote for them. Further, they could mathematically capture 96% of the electoral vote if EVERYONE VOTED FOR THEM. We should. Hawkins and Walker are the only serious candidates pushing for universal healthcare, a real Green New Deal to transform our energy system and the economy, guaranteed housing and higher education for all, and a host of other policies that put people over profit. By the way, that’s the GP’s slogan.
In addition to co-founding the USGP, Hawkins worked with environmental activists in New York to pressure Gov. Andrew Cuomo to institute a state-wide moratorium on fracking. That’s what I like — results! Throughout his career Hawkins has worked tirelessly to maintain ballot access for the Greens. If any of this means anything to you or your families, give Hawkins and Walker a look. What’s the worst that could happen — they win? Egads! While I’m at it, is there an active chapter of the US Green Party near you? No? Then found one. It’s not hard. Get some like-minded friends and associates together, drop by your nearest Board of Elections office and ask how. Some perky civil servant will be delighted to answer your questions and point you in the right direction. (Achtung! Paperwork.)
There are more candidates running on minor party lines with even lesser visibility than the Libertarians and the Greens, but I’ll leave it for someone else to make that hard sell. I will say this, though: I am all for more, not fewer, options because that’s what democracy is supposed to be about. Not this-or-that choices. Which brings me back to the subject of this piece.
PBS FRONTLINE: World Class Propagandists
“The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden” should be titled “Distraction 2020: Donald J. Dud vs. Boe Jiden.” That’s right: Dud & Jiden. Nobody wants this shit, but the media is shoving it down our throats. How? Fear. Supreme Court Justices! Roe v. Wade! Antifa! BLM! Riots! Foreigners! Law & Order! Is anyone going to mention the nearly 1 TRILLION dollars the U.S. spends annually on the military? Not this time; not Frontline, anyway. Instead, our media overlords feel we need to ‘understand’ these men as ‘people’ so we can ‘identify’ with them (gross) and them alone. Why? So the duopoly can get your vote, that’s why. Don’t ask questions. Now is not the time.This election is too important. Historic! Unprecedented! Whatever happens, don’t discuss entitlements like the Pentagon budget, the Big Intel tentacles in our daily lives, or the govn’t handouts to private contractors that keep the Surviellance State humming along smoothly. Don’t question the corruption that pulses at the dying core of the country like an anti-heart that can’t do its job but must beat forever. What kind of country do you live in when massive financial outlays are not even debated?
Don’t watch “The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden.” It’s pure propaganda. How do I know? Because like other media outlets, PBS is bounding debate within certain limits. In fact, that’s one of the key insights Noam Chomsky made in the film version of Manufacturing Consent. Like most other media oulets, PBS is erasing Hawkins, Walker, Jorgensen, and Cohen to create an illusion of choice. Really? More like accept what we sell you and shut the fuck up. Oh, that’s hot. Better save that one for the 2024 PBS presidential docudrama. Maybe by then the Dems will figure out how to run The Ghost of the Notorious RBG against The Spirit of John McCain. That’s what we need, holograms! Could be one helluva show. Ratings would shoot through the roof. Historic! Unprecedented!
Give me a break. Not too long ago PBS stood for two things: Public Broadcasting System and integrity. (I’m thinking here of hard-hitting shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.) Given the new docudrama PBS will no doubt air ad nauseam until Nov 3rd, it may be high time to refer to PBS as the Pure Bullshit System.
Reject Duopoly Propaganda
But Terence, it’s gonna be Trump or Biden, that’s it! Look, I get it. You’re conservative and pissed off with the direction the country has been headed. Ergo, Trump’s your man. Look, I get it. You’re a centrist liberal and you’re miffed about where the country’s going so you’re Ridin’ with Biden. Well guess what? I’ve got bad news for you. Since Republicans and Democrats have held nearly every single elected office at the federal, state, and local level since forever, the 40+ year hallowing out of the country has been carried out by them and them alone. Let me put that another way:
Every
Single
Problem
In the U.S.
Today
Was
Created
By
Republicans
And
Democrats
“That’s a fact, Jack” (Joe Biden).
Do yourself a favor: reject the duopoly-friendly propaganda pumped through the media. Vote third party up and down the ballot. Seriously, your kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will thank you for it.
