Movie Review: Human Capital (Italian) … The Culling of Democracy …

Amici:

Human Capital … a fine eye-talian flick that offers several perspectives of a tragic hit and run. Is it big money vs. the little guy, greed knowing no bounds, love seeking to conquer all, the despair of a privileged life … or something else?  Hedge funds abound. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

 

 

The Culling of Democracy … America has reached a point in history where it can no longer lay claim to being a democracy. The election process itself, aside from Citizens United and the legal bribery it enhances, has devolved into the mire of two-party stasis; either you’re with one of the two major parties or you’re outside the loop.

 

 

For those of us seeking another option, whether it’s an alternate party or alternative candidate (minus party affiliation), we’re left with a single option: find ourselves a billionaire.

 

 

Trump is proving it daily over on the GOP end of the very short spectrum that exists between both parties. The establishment GOP wants him to pledge not to run as a third party candidate because it would destroy their chance at the White House. He’s built a coalition of support from disgruntled whites over the loss of their country’s greatness, or so they believe. Trump assures them with “trust me” and “believe me” and rhetorical hyperbole so grandiose, one would think he’s the publicist and not the candidate. He's both. Trump declares he’ll be “the greatest jobs president in the history of America” and that he’ll be “the greatest president for women’s health issues.” Did you know he also reads the Bible?

 

Whether he’s insulting Mexicans or Chinese, Trump insists that “everybody loves” him.

 

 

 

In reality, he pulls much of his source material from his -- thin air? 

 

For the GOP establishment, it’s quite the conundrum; to Trump or not to Trump. The several other presidential hopefuls who’ve been given the publicity hook by a corporate controlled media maintaining focus on all things The Donald are fading fast. Outside of the non-political GOP candidates, and except for Jeb Bush, it appears as though the field will be cleared before long. Unless, of course, The Donald pushes the envelope too far and the GOP establishment can no longer make believe they can tolerate him.

 

Personally, I don’t see Trump staying in for the long haul because it has to be as boring to perform the same skit nightly as it is to listen to it. If he can make it to the first few primaries and win them, it’ll be interesting to see what happens afterwards.

 

 

Over on the Democratic side of the very short distance between the two parties, the DNC is petrified of a democratic-socialist winning the nomination. They have and will continue to do everything in their power to make sure Bernie is just another liberal bump in Hillary’s coronation. The reason is simple: The DNC is as dependent on corporate coin as the GOP is dependent on 1%’er coin. If Bernie wins and refuses “big money” … what then?

 

Yet, while the GOP is forced to kowtow to a megalomaniac, the DNC has a candidate seriously wounded from a self-inflicted scandal. Should she attain her coronation, there’s a good chance Hillary will lose to the GOP finalist because independents don't seem anxious to trust her. Some in the DNC are already looking for another Democrat (not the one surging in the polls against Hillary) as the emergency replacement should Hillary’s deleted emails suddenly surface.

 

The closed primary system in several states is poison for independents who want to see Bernie Sanders in the White House. In New Jersey I can’t even vote for Bernie without pledging my primary electoral allegiance to the Democratic Party. I’ve been at war with their feckless support of progressive causes since Slick Willy’s second term (when he went all GOP on the country, repealed Glass-Steagall and passed NAFTA).

 

To the Democratic Party I say: no way.  Bernie loses my vote (and I lose him) because of a system that is so corrupt, it is appalling we even consider America a democracy anymore.

 

So, I’ll have to sit back and watch the more than likely inevitable crushing of the left once again by a Democratic Party that has consistently pledged its allegiance to corporate America and Wall Street. And of course I'll be expected to vote the lesser of two evils.

 

I don’t think so …

 

So, my choice is to vote for Jill Stein and the Green Party (assuming she wins the nomination) and/or return the knife-in-the-back favor to the DNC and vote for the Republican nominee (whichever lunatic that might be). Frankly, I kind of like the idea of returning the favor, but I’ll only do it if the polls claim it’ll be close in New Jersey. Why, yous ask, would a progressive vote against his or her own interests?

 

Well, progressives like myself don’t see much of a difference between the two parties at all … and since the DNC is ignoring what I believe are the policies that are dear to me yet again, why not play hardball? It’s not like it's been Republicans who championed the free trade agreements that ushered manufacturing and union jobs out of America. Nor was it a Republican who repealed Glass-Steagall.

 

That was Clinton, a Democrat, who repealed Glass-Steagall and enacted NAFTA. Obama, another Democrat, gets credit for TPP legislation that will further harm working Americans. And since Hillary’s biggest campaign donors come from corporations and Wall Street, well … lesser of two evils? Really?

 

But Knucks, yous say, what about the POTUS?  Hmmm, it was a GOP majority appointed court that not only approved the ACA, it went along with marriage equality.

 

And does anyone really trust Hillary Clinton to appoint a judge who proclaims they’ll help to overturn Citizens United?

 

I’m tired now … I’m gonna watch some hockey playoff reruns again.

 

Go Bolts!

 

—Knucks

 

If you haven’t seen this movie, you should … Gandolfini’s last … Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Matthias Schoenaerts were brilliant … everybody was brilliant. The Drop ... all writing credit to Mr. Lehane.