Just coming off the electoral cycle roller coaster, the people of the  United States are now being entertained by the capitalist media and capitalist politicians.

You hear nothing but terrifying stories about what will happen if the nation “goes over the fiscal cliff.”

The intention, of course, is to deceive the people, demoralize them and distract them from fighting for their real interests. Will the capitalists succeed in their efforts?

Working people are being bombarded with warnings about modern-day hobgoblins, as well as other mythical figures. Both Democrats and Republicans seem to agree that something awful will happen if their opponents succeed in their plan todeal with the tax situation.

One politician asks for a cut here and a tax increase there to solve the problem. Another asks for different cuts and tax increases but reaches the same conclusion: The hobgoblins, i.e. whatever is on the other side of the “fiscal cliff,” will disappear and not torment us if their plan is adopted and put into action. Many bourgeois leaders are talking about “recession” if they don’t get their way.

I’m reminded of the line from “Shall We Dance?” which I have adapted for the purposes of this article:

“You say recession and I say depression
You say recession and I say depression
Recession, depression
Recession, depression
Let’s call the whole thing off!”

The wealthy plutocrats and their cheerleaders are not talking about reality. They merely conjure up ideas to scare people. They don’t talk about the fact that capitalism must have booms and busts and periodic crises since they are necessary for the survival of capitalism.

They don’t talk about the fact that it is normal for there to be high unemployment in capitalist countries. They don’t talk about the fact that many European countries, including Germany, are talking about recession already.

They don’t talk about the fact that the United States is part of the global capitalist system and is subject to the economic laws of capitalism just like everyone else. In capitalist economics, there can be no “American exceptionalism.”

There are many cracks in the capitalist wall now around the world. The United States cannot be exempted from economic crises and business cycles. In fact, it is quite arrogant to myopically focus on the short-term effects of shifting the tax burden here or there or cutting spending here or there.

We should remember Galileo who tried to show people that the sun does not revolve around the earth, but in fact the opposite is true. The economy of the world does not revolve around the United States, but in fact the opposite is true. So, we don’t know what will happen if we don’t chase off our hobgoblins in the right way.

However, we can be pretty sure that the capitalist politicians and media will take care of their wealthy plutocrats and throw the people under the bus. We can also be sure that no one will suggest that we need to learn to live with continuing economic crises as long as we cling to capitalism as our economic system.

We also will need to learn to live (or die)with continuing imperialist wars. We also need to learn to live with economic injustice, environmental crises, continuing assaults on working people and deteriorating civil and human rights as long as we hold on to and protect capitalism. Socialism and a planned economy is the only remedy to the chaos and injustice of capitalism.

A Houstonian, George H. W. Bush, coined a term “Voodoo Economics,” which he pinned on his opponent, Ronald Reagan. Former President Bush should be credited for coming up with this term.

However, the term is not just applicable to his opponent, it applies to the world capitalist system and its cheerleaders in the media and the ivory towers. Working people should not be deceived and distracted by modern day hobgoblins and “Voodoo Economics.”

We should unite and fight for our rights and go after the real hobgoblins, i.e. the wealthy plutocrats also called capitalists. Will working people be deceived once again by their Master’s sorcerers? Will working people allow the plutocrats to continue to sneer at them, terrorize them and steal them blind?

There is a crying need for a “political party of a new type” to develop in the United States.

Such a party could educate people about the need for socialism and build a movement to fight for worker’s interests and move us towards socialism.

Many recent polls indicate there is widespread support for socialism in this country. Unfortunately, today there is no “vanguard” party to lead the people of the United States towards socialism.

Working people can remedy this deficiency in short order.

December 10, 2012