Is it all a mirage once again? Can anyone in American politics be trusted?
by Stephen Lendman
On January 1, Michael Bloomberg was out. Bill de Blasio replaced him. Zionism remains empowered. Imagine letting Israel influence NYC policy. Imagine giving AIPAC say. Imagine Obama doing the same thing. Stanley Fischer is a Zionist zealot. Obama nominated him for Fed vice chairman.
He’s rubber-stamp approval away from assuming his post. He’ll let Israel influence US monetary policy. On January 24, de Blasio delivered an unannounced address. He spoke in midtown Manhattan. He did so at a closed door AIPAC event. Capital New York (CNY) calls itself “a publication for and about the people and institutions that shape New York, delivering fast, original, essential analysis and reporting on city and state politics and the media industry.”
CNY reporter Azi Paybarah tried covering de Blasio’s address. Security staff blocked him. Candidate de Blasio pledged more openness, transparency, and inclusiveness than his predecessor.
Mayor de Blasio wants his unswerving fealty to Israel kept secret. Capital New York got an audio recording of some of what he said. It’s not what he wants his constituents to hear. “Part of my job description is to be a defender of Israel,” he said.
“There is a philosophical grounding to my belief in Israel and it is my belief, it is our obligation, to defend Israel, but it is also something that is elemental to being an American because there is no greater ally on earth, and that’s something we can say proudly.”
“There is no deeper connection across boundaries than this connection we share. We take inspiration from Israel for how it has stared down terrorism and kept moving forward.”
If he delivers on his promise to ban horse-drawn carriages it will be a miracle.
It’s done it through lawless aggression. It’s been through cold-blooded murder. Land theft and ethnic cleaning reflect it. So do decades of lawless occupation harshness. Palestinian rights don’t matter. They’re systematically denied.
State terrorism is official Israeli policy. So is slow-motion genocide. De Blasio didn’t explain. He visited Israel three times. He expressed solidarity with its people. They’re “on the front line of fighting so many challenges,” he said. He’s mindless of Palestinian rights. Only Jews matter. Racism resides in Gracie Mansion. Palestinians aren’t welcome. De Blasio is “inspir(ed)” by Israeli ruthlessness. Maybe he intends treating New Yorkers the same way.
Word got out about his AIPAC address. Reporters challenged him. He offered a weak-kneed mea culpa. He said he’ll urge his aides to be more open about his whereabouts. He said AIPAC wanted journalists excluded from its event. Public officials are supposed to let constituents they serve know what they’re doing. Gawker.com headlined “Reporter Kicked Out of Bill de Blasio’s Secret Pro-Israel Speech,” saying:
He “wants you to know he shovels his own snow-encrusted sidewalk…” He’s polar opposite when it comes to “wooing the powerful pro-Israeli lobbying group AIPAC…”
Candidate de Blasio denounced BDS activism. He called it “inflammatory, dangerous and utterly out of step with the values of New Yorkers.” “An economic boycott represents a direct threat to the State of Israel. That’s something we need to oppose in all its forms.”
“No one seriously interested in bringing peace, security and tolerance to the Middle East should be taken in by this” campaign. Public de Blasio speeches feature demagogic boilerplate. He stresses income inequality, expanding sick-pay leave, taxing the rich, and other social issues. He’s held office less than one month. Early indications aren’t encouraging. Expect business as usual to continue. He was chosen for that reason. He won’t disappoint. New Yorkers never had a true populist mayor. They don’t have one now. De Blasio reflects same old, same old. He’s old wine in new bottles. He differs from Bloomberg in style alone. He represents the same monied interests.
His AIPAC speech omitted social issues. He focused solely on pledging allegiance to Israel. Two attendees said he never once used the word “progressive.” He features it in public addresses.
He concluded saying: “City Hall will always be open to AIPAC. When you need me to stand by you in Washington or anywhere, I will answer the call, and I’ll answer it happily cause that’s my job.”
His job is serving NYC residents. All of them equitably and fairly. Not Israel. Not monied interests at the expense of public ones. Not other powerful, privileged ones exclusively. It’s not hard imagining what’s coming. Expect constituent hopes to be dashed. Early indications suggest it. Bruce Ratner is Center for Constitutional Rights President Emeritus Michael Ratner’s brother.
Their ideologies are polar opposite. Bruce is a prominent real estate developer. He’s a corporate predator. He’s the NBA Brooklyn Nets’ minority owner. His Brooklyn mega-development project ran roughshod over local community needs. Longtime resident/noted architect Frank Gehry called it “a nightmare for Brooklyn, one that, if built, would cause irreparable damage to the quality of our lives.”
De Blasio’s anti-developer/landlord rhetoric rings hollow. He endorsed Ratner’s project. He did so wholeheartedly. He’s progressive in name only. He’s a longtime Democrat party hack. He has close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton. He was a Clinton administration Housing and Urban Development official. He managed Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. Bill Clinton administered his swearing-in ceremony. Doing do affixed the Clinton name to his mayoralty.
Both Clintons are unindicted war criminals. They deplore populism. They’re imperial tools. They’re beholden to monied interests. They support unrestrained corporate empowerment. They’re unaccountable. They’ve got blood on their hands. They represent America’s dark side.
Voters never learn. They’re suckers for political deception. No matter how many times before they’ve been fooled, they’re easy marks for more of the same. They learn the hard way. They discover reality too late to matter. No one holds high office in America without careful advance vetting.
Monied interests run things. They choose winners and losers. Voters have no say. America mocks democracy. None whatever exists. Government of, by and for wealth, power and privilege defines things. De Blasio’s mayoralty represents the worst of what most voters deplore.
Nation magazine long ago betrayed its readers. It disingenuously calls itself “the flagship of the left.” It never was. It’s not today. Last August, it endorsed de Blasio, saying:
“His candidacy is an opportunity for New Yorkers to reimagine their city in boldly progressive ways.” He represents “a once-in-a-generation opportunity (for them) to rewrite the narrative of their city.”
One observer compared him to candidate Obama. Promises made were broken. De Blasio sounds like the same broken record. He appointed Anthony Shorris deputy mayor. He’s been active in New York politics for nearly three decades. He was Ed Koch’s budget director and finance commissioner. He was Bloomberg’s deputy schools chancellor. He was Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executive director.
His current appointment entails cutting New York’s budget deficit. He’ll do it on the backs of city workers. Expect neoliberal harshness continued. De Blasio is no populist. His rhetoric pays lip service to progressivism and social justice. His record supports wealth and power interests. Wall Street crooks contributed generously to his campaign. They buy politicians like toothpaste. They don’t bankroll populists. They back business as usual candidates. They know what’s forthcoming in return. De Blasio’s inaugural address suggested it, saying:
“We do not ask more of the wealthy to punish success. We do it to create more success stories.” He’s no harbinger of America’s shift left. None whatever exists. Neoliberal harshness remains policy. Government of, by, and for everyone equitably remains a distant dream. New York is America’s money power capital. It’s the epicenter of plutocratic excess. Monied interests manipulate things their way. They use money to make more of it. They do it the old-fashioned way. They steal it. They chose de Blasio. He’s their man. He won’t disappoint. Wall Street is safe in his hands.
Big Apple progressivism awaits another day. Make it another era. For sure not now.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
