Corporate Democrats Have Begun Planning a 'Counterrevolution'
The corrupt Democratic Party establishment is starting to get concerned because the base of the party is beginning to demand actual results. So the reactionary forces that have controlled the party for decades are mobilizing.
Real headline should be: "Democratic leaders: How can we keep preventing the things Democratic voters actually want?" https://t.co/TkYEeENEE0
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) 22 July 2018
That anxiety has largely been kept to a whisper among the party's moderates and big donors, with some of the major fundraisers pressing operatives on what can be done to stop the Vermonter if he runs for the White House again.But the first-ever "Opportunity 2020" convention, organized here last week by Third Way, a moderate Democratic think tank, gave middle-of-the-road party members a safe space to come together and voice their concerns.
“I’m tired of losing.” — actual quote from a centrist Dem at a Third Way gathering, arguing that the party should keep doing what it’s been doing... https://t.co/4doYrnT5Pz
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) 22 July 2018
The gathering here was just that — an effort to offer an attractive alternative to the rising Sanders-style populist left in the upcoming presidential race. Where progressives see a rare opportunity to capitalize on an energized Democratic base, moderates see a better chance to win over Republicans turned off by Trump.The fact that a billionaire real estate developer, Winston Fisher, co-cohosted the event and addressed attendees twice underscored that this group is not interested in the class warfare vilifying the "millionaires and billionaires" found in Sanders' stump speech.
"You're not going to make me hate somebody just because they're rich. I want to be rich!" Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, a potential presidential candidate, said Friday to laughs.
Ah yes. Win over moderate Republicans.
If only Hillary had tried that in 2016.
Oh wait! She did!
"Republicans have chosen the far-right, which means that they have ceded a good portion of the middle of the road," said former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who is considering a presidential run. "The Democrats, in my opinion, would make a big mistake if they decide to run a base election and just say, ‘Our base is bigger than your base.'"
Democrats have matched the Republicans by ceding a good portion of the left.
SHAMEFUL.
Funded by a random billionaire, 250 Democrats gathered together to discuss how they could make sure the party stands against progressives like Bernie & instead reminds people more of the Republican Party. https://t.co/31voFpORRO
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) 22 July 2018
With much of the recent policy innovation on the Democratic side been happening on the left, the "Opportunity Agenda" unveiled here tries to equip moderates with their own big ideas.Some of the key initiatives are a massive apprenticeship program to train workers, a privatized employer-funded universal pension that would supplement Social Security and an overhaul of unemployment insurance to include skills training. Other proposals included a "small business bill of rights" and the creation of a "BoomerCorps" — like the volunteer AmericaCorps for seniors.
Oooh! Privatize Social Security, another round of job training for jobs that don't exist, and get seniors to volunteer.
That'll certainly inspire voters to turn out.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, said his side is not "naturally arbiters of emotion and anger.""How we tell our story and put forward our polices in a way that makes people want to mount the barricades is one of the biggest challenges we have," said Himes, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represents Fairfield, Connecticut.
Good question. How does a Goldman Sachs banker get people to be excited about policies that do nothing to help them? Hire better Republican political consultants?
Comments
I can see the Congressional hearings now...
"Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America?"
Joe Lieberman was right. If we keep this up, running campaigns outside Big Media, without all the costs that requires, and thumb your nose at the big donors, those donors will go over to the Republican side and then they'll own the Big Media exposure and get all those moderate Republican votes, and all we'll have to show for it is all the voters under 40. And we'll be DOOMED.
"I’m tired of losing...[we] should keep doing what [we've] been doing".
How is The Onion still in business when reality looks like this?
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
Everyone Knows That Moderate Republican Votes and Suburban
votes are worth far more than those dirty Lefty votes.
And what are votes really, other than civic expressions of market forces?
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
One More Rep of Republican Lite Will Lead to an Article V
convention, sponsored by Koch Ind and Goldman Sachs.
Fucking morons.
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
Bingo!
But maybe that is exactly what the neoliberals want. I think that those who are behind the Democratic party know exactly what they are doing. And they could care less about their base or the voters in general. It is all about the donor class.
Before I could not understand why the Dems preferred to hemorrhage seats since I thought that the donors would leave them once a certain level was reached. But now I realize I was very wrong. The donor class needs the appearance of an opposition party even when the majority of the members of both parties are working toward the same end. The analogy here is war in which the banksters and the oligarchy funded both sides. It really does not matter which party wins because the banksters and the oligarchy control everything.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
It hasn't mattered since the parties were created
"It really does not matter which party wins because the banksters and the oligarchy control everything."
Eugene Debs, Mark Twain and countless others have called out the fake opposition of one party to the other. Sure there were some presidents who threw us some bones and passed legislation that helped the working classes and didn't want to be seen as the president who would do nothing while people starved. But that worked in the corporation's best interests. They needed people to work to make their companies successful, but once they obtained that they then started closing factories and moving them offshore so they could make bigger profits. Our parents were the last generation that could afford to let the 'little women' stay at home and raise their children, but once the higher paying jobs started going away women had to enter the work force so they could make ends meet. Now there are people who have to work 2-3 jobs to achieve this.
Then the parties stopped pretending to have different ideologies and have been openly working together to pass their master's agendas. Oh sure they will still try to act like they are completely opposite from each other, but it took a democrat to pass the republicans' wet dreams of reforming welfare, destroying Glass-Steagal, increase the prison population, invade more countries, etc. Then a republican gets to play president and then the democrats run someone against him and states that they will fix what had been broken. Instead he continues the same policies and adds in his own, but it's still the republicans' agendas. Think that the next democratic president will work to roll back the Trump's tax bill or reverse the damage that his regulatory agencies have done? Or stop locking up immigrants? Or ..... ? My neither. Pelosi admitted that social security is on the chopping block again after the midterms. And why not be honest about it? Obama offered McConnell the chance to take an axe to it, but for some reason he passed on it. Maybe he wanted the credit for destroying it himself?
No it doesn't matter a bit. It never has.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Must be bipartisan
I don't believe the Republicans will cut Social Security when they have the presidency and both legislative branches. The Social Security Reform Act of 1983 was passed when Reagan was president and the Democrats (Tip O'Neill, Speaker) had a big majority in the House. The Ratpubs will wait until the Demrats have the House, then they will get to work on "saving" Social Security as they did in the 1980's. I was affected by the 1983 act since I had to wait until 66 years for full benefits and then they were cut 52% due to the Windfall Elimination Provision.
I wish I shared your optimism about this
Ryan has already said that he wants to do it, but he won't let it affect people on it now. He joked about it and said that his grandma would skin him if he did. No, he will make it start with people in their early 50's. Young people are buying into the propaganda that it won't be around for them because it's going broke. We know that there is an easy fix for this. Raise the damn cap! I'm sure that Bezos can afford to pay much more taxes on his $150 billion. Well, that's how much he had last Monday. Two weeks before he only had $142 billion. He makes $245 million a day. Seriously. Can you even begin to imagine making this much money a day and still refuse to pay his workers a living wage? And make them pee in bottles? Oops. My bad. I went ranting.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
I escaped WEP
By having thirty years of SS service (including 12 years as CSRS offset).
It's a shitty law.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
What really matters....
...and is a matter of life and death...
...Is that all registered Democrats finally begin to realize that there has never been a LEFT or a Left Wing Party in the United States.
A 'Voice of the People' party that represents the well-being of humanity is long overdue.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
A Scene From the Turd Way Convention Discussed in This Essay
What burns the donor class is that Clintonism is passé and many have caught up to that fact. Bernie demonstrated rather convincingly in 2016 that there is an alternative to Big Money. Dirty corporate money need not infiltrate, stain, and contaminate the electoral process.
Shutting out big donors and lessening the impact of Superdelegates in the nomination process seems to be hard pills for many to swallow.
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma
LoL! Good one
I love it.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
This is certainly infuriating, but not surprising.
The Dems have made the Repigs obsolete at this point. I mean, they already privatized Medicare through HeritageCare with Medicare "Advantage", they already had the Catfood Commission, they expanded the war machine, they're on their knees kissing Trump's Ass while doing the "Resistance" Reality TV show for the cameras, etc. But that won't stop the IDPOL Assistance Movement from going along with it anyway.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Having worked in their job training programs for 40 years,
the problem with them is companies and politics. Companies want the cream of the crop to clean a toilet. Giving people from all walks of life is NOT what they are about. Politics influence if not determine who gets the contracts to deliver the programs. Like anything else, some contractors are good and deliver the best they can given the companies they have to work with and others are a disaster without any help.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Chris has drunk the kos koolaid
Instrumentalist is the way to go. Can't have too quick a change now can they? It's simply amazing how so many people believe this.
Oh Chris, you fool.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Bridge the gap y'know.
It's too early to promote actual physical mitigation of climate change, so let's bridge the gap with a few thousand climate change apocalypses.
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
Good Heavens! So Much Hype About Climate Change
What could possibly go wrong?
/s
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma
Or how about this one?
It's too early for single payer, so let's bridge the gap by letting the Republicans have 26 states.
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jan/25/cokie-robert...
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
The very idea
that the Dems have moved so far to the right that they've abandoned the left, leaving it unrepresented, is never voiced.
The Democrats haven't abandoned the left
they actively oppose the left. That's what the donor class wants, so that's what they do.
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
I sent this article to Chris. Will he reply?
I already replied to his tweet, but I haven't heard from him yet. He needs to see how much damage the centrist democrats are doing and no amount of insisting that they listen to people will make them stop doing whatever they can to destroy the working class. Chris must have forgotten that during Obama's first campaign he told people to make me do it!
Democrats have been selling out the unions for some time, but people still believe that they stand strong with them.
Democrats, Teamsters and UAW promote deal to continue robbing pensions
Democrats are selling pie in the sky bullshit to the workers who have already seen their pensions cut by up to 70% after the democrats passed the Kline-Miller Multiemployer Pension Reform Act (MPRA) of 2014.
Obama is credited with saving the auto industry after the economic crash in 2007, but what he actually did was save the big 3 company's CEOs asses while screwing the workers and especially the new hires who will probably never see their pensions. This is what voting for centrist democrats will get people who think that now is not the time to vote for progressives. I'll let you know if I hear from Chris.
I'll send Chris one of the graphics about how to take the Red Pill.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Proofreader’s nitpick? instrumentalist —> incrementalist n/t
Again you come to my rescue
my thanks. I have been making a lot of typos lately that I thank people for overlooking. I had a doozy of a migraine the other night and still feel my brain is froggy.
I looked at the word just now and still couldn't come up with the correct one.
I owe you some bacon.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Mmmmm — bacon . . .
http://www.pantsareoverrated.com/archive/2011/05/10/hobbes-and-bacon/
Do people like Shaun or Cenk or Mueller
really think non-voters and the #DemExiters and #BernieOrBusters give a shit about pleas for unity? Unity with a skunk just leaves everyone stinky.
As Dore points out in the video in comments, they don't even care about Bernie. What they want is his platform. Until the so-called "moderate wing" of the party is either dead or dying, I'll do everything I can to make them lose no matter how much it hurts me. The Reagan wing of the party is only too happy to make sure I lose, and I'm determined to take them down with me.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I think It's His Coveted E-mail List
and they want the microphone back. They are too addicted to superPACs otherwise to want his platform.
One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.--Tennyson
Who is Chris? And why is he dumb?
The Party has done everything it can to eliminate " moderate or even centrist Dems in power to bridge the gap. " For decades.
They don't exist Chris, and you won't find them anywhere.
Another Dem strategy yields results!
Or maybe not.
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
Jimmy does well addressing this...
the clip is 7.5 minutes, but Jimmy explains why we can't be satisfied with the dim party...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWwEZuHAzHw]
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Dore makes excellent points.
If Bernie was serious about reform, he needed to bolt and run with the Greens. If he lost, then he needed to form a new independent workers party. That fact that he didn't cost him points in my book. Add in AOC and Bernie campaigning for a "moderate" (see link in comments below), and I really get suspicious.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
the other issue I have with Bernie...
...is Russiagate. Pushing that false narrative rather than calling out cheating dims. I agree he missed his opportunity when he didn't walk out of the convention and run with the Greens.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Heh
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Third Way is a "moderate" Democratic think tank?
The premise that Democrats should be, in essence, Republicans who are slightly more p.c. than (other) Republicans is a "moderate" Democratic position? If that's a moderate Democratic position, what in Hell is the position of the extreme right Democrat?
Yah that's just pure caca de torro.
Neolibs unite! /s
Trump’s Tax Cut Hasn’t Done Anything for Workers
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
What do you expect from TURD Way?
What do you expect from TURD Way?
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Freudian misspelling?
Their police(s) or their policies? Doesn't matter, really, as both make me want to mount the barricades.
Our Police(s)
I say use our Police(s) instead:
[video:https://youtu.be/mmBdz1txGSo]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
And what in the world led a New Democrat . . .
. . . to think they were going to be the ones on the barricades? Do they really think revolution is a musical?
Chasing a Rainbow
These Democratic elites are hopeless. They have to know that their strategy of courting moderate Republicans is a failure. Republicans vote Republican because they are Republicans. Republicans are loyal to their party, just as Democrats were when politicians continued FDR's policies. Prior to the 2016 presidential election, Chuck Schumer stated:
Hey, chuckles how did your plan work out during the election?
Not so good , eh? Those 'moderate' republicans either sat out the election or voted for Trump on Johnston and Her lost.
BTW. Those 12 Russians that hacked the DNC computers stole some analytic ideas that Hillary's campaign was going to use in the states that she lost. Yep. The hack happened on September 16, but Trump didn't start using it until 3 weeks later. The hole in this story is that Hillary didn't bother going into those states to use her plan. She went to wealthy fundraisers in California instead. Oops.
Stein didn't cost her the votes in those states. Johnston got 3 times as many more votes than Stein did. Funny how no one blames him for her loss. But he wasn't a Russian asset like she was. Or something ....
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
This just in....
The Duopoly Party (Red/Blue... your choice), working against those not supportive of The Duoploy Party (Red/Blue.... your choice).
Developing......
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
"Let's take over the Democratic Party"
to which the Democrats say, "let's shut down the Democratic Party to prevent its takeover."
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
Either one would be A-OK with me!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Yeah, except --
when they shut it down it stands for nothing and has no political power yet the so-called "Left" is still engaged in a futile attempt to take it over (as a prerequisite for its participation in electoral politics).
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
The simple fact
that there is a debate about whether to take over the Dems are go to a 3rd party, proves that the progressive insurgency is a necessary first step. Even if it is ultimately futile.
It has to fail first before enough people will look elsewhere.
elsewhere
Or even admit there is -- or can be -- an "elsewhere".
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Or maybe --
it's just a reflection of the so-called "Left"'s addiction to Democratic Party money, Democratic Party databases, and tradition-bound voter blocs. Courage would be nice -- I expect suicide instead.
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
You mean it hasn't ALREADY failed?
Jesus H. Christ, how bad does it have to get to constitute "failure?"
::headdesk::
lol
in 2015 Punditfact put out this piece:
https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jan/25/cokie-rober...
Their answer: yes, they have. It should have been clear three years ago that the Democrats are oblivious to "failure." Or, rather, that the Democratic Party exists quite publicly to boost the fortunes of the Republican Party and that everyone is EVEN SO hanging on this tired old line of "we have to work within the Democratic Party."
Try this rejoinder: why not work within the Republican Party -- at least the GOP has the Democrats' endorsement.
"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama
Now democrats are pro-choice republicans with a gay friend
The neolib Democrats of the last 30 years have worked hard on their vision: "to win over Republicans". They have been very successful too, becoming Republicans in the process based on policies enacted. Not to mention the loss of a thousand electoral seats to the Republicans which they never lament, so I can only assume was their goal. That was under the party leadership of Obama, the Clintons, and Debbie Wasserman. Great job Dems. The Clintons started the parties' move to the right, they more than anybody, made the Democratic party Republican. Obama was just following their profit model because he shares their wholesale level greed and self adoration gene. Neither could give a rats rear about the little people. And that is reflected in how far they advanced the party under their leadership. And like Comey think they have the moral ground to tell us to not go too far left. They are the ones that F'd it all up for everyone. They remain in charge and insist they can tell us how to fix it. Same thing will happen when no one left can deny climate change. The ones in power that caused it will tell you what you must do now. Because they have not done enough damage to society yet. They are sociopaths.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Actually, I kinda like it
New Democrat Coalition, or Newdemco, Inc. dedicated to bipartisanship with tbagger thug republicans everywhere. By compromising early and often we keep the ship of state full speed ahead, one engine in reverse and dragging anchors all the way to advance democratic ideals. We're fighters, we shut down the government for DACA, and we'll fight Trumps 2nd Supreme court pick like we fought his first, right up until the moment we cave. Most of all between wars we'll make sure none of these un American leftists attain office, unless they win, whereupon we'll do the photo ops and then sandbag them. As the president said about voters" the beautiful thing is, the elections over, and I don't need you anymore".
And in time every Senator will be a Washington D.C. Native
Born and raised. Their family will have taught them well all the ins and outs of the people they are supposed to represent in whichever podunk town where they have to do their speeches. The better your political family, the less distance you have to travel. The Clinton Family of course, no longer has to abase themselves in that Arkansas shithole, instead they get to enjoy the hospitality of the great city that they represent.
At this point, we might as well just set up a bunch of Potemkin villages for them to believe they rule over, then go back to business as usual the minute the morons leave.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Comey has become a democrat after years of being a republican
Here are his words of wisdom.
Riiight! It's the republicans and Trump who want them to move to the left.
Sensible, balanced, ethical leadership.
OMG!
It's an all court press to get everyone on board spouting the same message. I guess we will see this repeated on every MSDNC show tomorrow.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Maintstream corporate media says what?
Which are the ones promoting the imperialist and neo-capitalist Russia hysteria, the corporate dems or the progressive dems? Anyone falling for this bullshit might want to read this.
The Democratic Socialists of America: Providing a “left” cover for a right-wing Democratic Party
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/07/21/dsad-j21.html
I often don't agree with your take
but I end up appreciating it because it reminds me that your more radical view exists.
Everyone needs to remember that the Overton Window is too small.
Who are Bernie's senior advisors?
I don't know, but he hired Tad Devine for his last campaign, a pretty conservative neoliberal. Nothing has changed as far as I can tell. The core is still rotting under piles of lobby cash, despite all the socialist talk. Thanks.
https://ballotpedia.org/Tad_Devine
That there is a list of craven cave ins. Millionaires. Not progress. Bernie shrinks the Overton Window every time he opens his mouth about RussiaRussiaRussia! Our Revolution = Torches of Freedom! in my view. Good luck pouring more money down the consultant drain, constant kabuki costs beaucoup bucks. It will never change public policy, never ever ever. Heh.
The Wellstone Triad
good luck
Gah.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/07/23/pers-j23.html
"
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders were jointly interviewed from Kansas, where the two appeared Friday at a campaign rally for James Thompson, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives from the Fourth Congressional District, based in Wichita, in an August 7 primary election.
Thompson might appear to be an unusual ally for the “socialist” Sanders and the DSA member Ocasio-Cortez. His campaign celebrates his role as an Army veteran, and his website opens under the slogan “Join the Thompson Army,” followed by pledges that the candidate will “Fight for America.” In an interview with the Associated Press, Thompson indicated that despite his support for Sanders’ call for “Medicare for all,” and his own endorsement by the DSA, he was wary of any association with socialism. “I don’t like the term socialist, because people do associate that with bad things in history,” he said. "
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Thompson and socialism
The rehabilitation of the term "socialist" has only just begun, it's true. Lenin, Stalin and Company set the socialist cause back one hundred years by replacing the cruel rule of Tsars with the equally cruel rule of "Commie Tsars" and calling it "socialism" (which it wasn't). Thompson's concerns here are well founded. What we want isn't what Lenin and Stalin foisted upon the world, but more like what the Scandinavian-speaking nations have today. Getting that idea into voters' heads may prove challenging.
That doesn't change the fact that the socialism Eugene Debs, Rosa Luxemburg, and their ilk fought for is still the only alternative to the cruelties of late-stage, post free enterprise capitalism.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Overton Window
And still waaaaay too far to the right!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
may i add:
via sanders.senate.gov: ‘Sanders Introduces Resolution to Protect American Democracy from Russian Meddling’
""If President Trump won't confront Putin about interference in our elections and his destabilizing policies, Congress must act. Tweets and speeches are fine, but we need more from Republican senators now," Sanders said. “If their leadership won’t allow votes on this extraordinarily important matter, then my Republican colleagues must join with Democrats to make it happen or all of their words are worthless.”
On Monday, President Trump embarrassed and undermined the values of the United States by openly siding with Russia’s authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, against the unanimous assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
In response to international backlash, President Trump claimed he misspoke and blamed the media for reporting what he said, but still sowed doubt about Russia’s electoral interference by claiming it “could be other people also.” Trump’s constantly shifting answers indicate that he still does not fully acknowledge the threat to American democracy." (there's more or course)
from wsws.org today:
“Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on the CBS Sunday interview program “Face the Nation” Sunday and fully embraced the anti-Russia campaign of the US military-intelligence apparatus, backed by the Democratic Party and much of the media.
In response to a question from CBS host Margaret Brennan, Sanders unleashed a torrent of denunciations of Trump’s meeting and press conference in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A preliminary transcript reads:
SANDERS: “I will tell you that I was absolutely outraged by his behavior in Helsinki, where he really sold the American people out. And it makes me think that either Trump doesn’t understand what Russia has done, not only to our elections, but through cyber attacks against all parts of our infrastructure, either he doesn’t understand it, or perhaps he is being blackmailed by Russia, because they may have compromising information about him.
“Or perhaps also you have a president who really does have strong authoritarian tendencies. And maybe he admires the kind of government that Putin is running in Russia. And I think all of that is a disgrace and a disservice to the American people. And we have got to make sure that Russia does not interfere, not only in our elections, but in other aspects of our lives.”
aaaaaand from our little brave DSA 'crapitalit reformer':
and rosa luxemburg is rolling over in her grave...
Are you f*ckin kidding me?
Stop wasting our time Bernie!
no, no; ya got it all wrong!
the bern's doin' his version of MAGA!
DSA - nail meets coffin
wide grin
Sadly, I believe you're right.
Mission accomplished.
Dammit.
The Inauthentic Opposition Party will lose again. It’s SOP for
The turd wayers.
More: Progressives Are Putin Stooges' - How Centrists Will Help To Reelect Trump
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
you forgot russia
From Glenn Greenwald tweet.
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1021002538584236032
Read @CoreyRobin's 3-part response to the post by Scott Horton which claims that the left-wing insurgency movement within Democratic politics is part of a Russian effort to divide and weaken Democrats. Horton's post is both utterly deranged and mainstream:
https://twitter.com/CoreyRobin/status/1020862006855913473
btw. Scott Horton, a human rights lawyer, Columbia Law lecturer, and @Harpers contributor,
Lambert Strether at Naked Capitalism picked that up too
in the Addendum to this post:
Usage examples of “our intelligence community,” with implications
Lambert Strether’s comments also include Corey Robin’s reaction to Scott Horton.
Thanks for link. nm
I pledge allegiance to the flag,
of the United States of America,
and to the Intelligence Community for which it stands ...
Who runs this country ?
That's what this is all about.
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
My Cartoon President
Season 2 is more scathing of Dems than Trump in many instances. I could only find one decent review to clip from to give you a sense of it if you don't have Showtime (or don't care to watch Showtime):
You can read the rest of the review (https://www.thedailybeast.com/colberts-our-cartoon-president-season-2-brutally-mocks-dems-schumer-and-pelosi). I tried to find any video clips of that episode, but only found one whereby Schumer tells Trump you will be fine.
Note who is the producer/creator of that show: Stephen Colbert.
One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.--Tennyson
I'm gobsmacked
Shaun King actually said something intelligent
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
Shaun King has actually gotten better
I didn't like him at first either, but since 2017 he has gotten smarter and more in tune...and because of that he gets fewer headlines.
Shaun King, bojo
punctuation changed due to format change
I'd bet he gets El Bojo over on kos pretty soon, too.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Ok, And now I can't stop seeing this Parody...
Because this is EXACTLY how it feels every time a revolution gets started vs the DNC.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF82Wue_VPE]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.