All those histories of this country
centered on the Founding Fathers and the Presidents weigh op-pressively
on the capacity of the ordinary citizen to act. They suggest that in times
of crisis, we look to someone to save us… And that between occasional
crises everything is all right, and it is sufficient for us to be restored
to that normal state. They teach us that the supreme act of citizenship
is to choose among saviors, by going into a voting booth every four years
to choose between two white and well-off Anglo-Saxon males of inoffensive
personality and orthodox opinions. The idea of saviors has been built into
the entire culture, beyond politics. We have learned to look to stars,
leaders, experts in every field, thus surrendering our own strength, demeaning
our own ability, obliterating our own selves. But from time to time, Americans
reject that idea and rebel. These rebellions, so far, have been contained.
The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history.
With a country so rich in natural resources, talent, and labor power the
system can afford to distribute just enough wealth to just enough people
to limit discontent to a troublesome minority. It is a country so powerful,
so big, so pleasing to so many of its citizens that it can afford to give
freedom of dissent to the small number who are not pleased. There is no
system of control with more openings, apertures, leeways, flexibilities,
and rewards, for the chosen, winning tickets in lotteries. There is none
that disperses its controls more complexly through the voting system, the
work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media -- none
more successful in mollifying opposition with reforms, isolating people
from one another, creating patriotic loyalty.