Open Thread - 08-16-24 - Democracy and the Democratic Party
Have you asked yourself where this is all headed?
I spent most of my life as a staunch Democrat. Raised in a blue family in a blue city in a blue state. I voted straight line Democrat starting in 1972.
The years of Republican rule, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush solidified my Democratic Party convictions.
Than along came Bill Clinton and after 12 years of Republican control I was ready for change. But, it didn't take long into his administration that I started to question it all. Clinton was a master of gaslighting the public. To me, that was the start of the Democratic Party's illiberal policies that have metastasized into the upside down party that we're dealing with today. They have lost their way.
How can a political party call themselves democratic, with a small d, when they do things like putting up a presidential candidate that no one has voted for? They do everything within their means to keep third party candidates off of state ballots. They've unleashed weaponized tech giants on their ideological opponents and non-conforming adherents. I thought democracy was about choice. Of course, all here know better, Bernie Sanders comes to mind. We are presented, election after election, with no real choices other than corporate lackeys that are only concerned about their own best interests.
Don't get me wrong, the Republicans are no better. In fact, they have helped in this climb to bastardized governance by playing a game of leapfrog with the opposition party that has contributed greatly to our current state of affairs. Every subsequent administration for decades has brought us closer to the constitutional crisis we are now facing. The constitutional crisis I speak of is the lack of adherence to said constitution. It is all but ignored by our supposedly duly elected leaders, and I say leaders with tongue in cheek.
Constitution (Preamble) in Distress - Inverted by JtC
Attribution: Pxhere
The First Amendment is barely hanging on by a thread.
The bought and paid for media are largely to blame. They've become the propaganda arm of the political establishment, the bankers, wall street and the military. They no longer serve the public, now they serve the almighty dollar as doled out by the political campaigns. Profit trumps the public, and the truth.
The gaslighting coming from the Democrats in this election cycle is breathtaking. Here's a perfect example (notice how giddy she acts, like a teenage girl at a slumber party, just like Kamala Harris):
MSNBC's Alex Wagner tells Stephen Colbert that Biden dropping out was the high the country needed after the low of the Trump assassination attempt "From an attempted assassination... To what is just an extraordinary act by a man, Joe Biden... gives it real hope in a democracy" pic.twitter.com/lzVBw94PDf
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) August 15, 2024
1:46
Saving democracy by obstructing democracy, it's for the good of the country, don't you know? Everything will be lollipops and unicorns if we would just save democracy by voting for Kamala Harris. Forget that she's a blank slate.
This divergence from the past ideals of the party of the working class, the downtrodden, the every man, has left me a political nomad. I do not and will not abide.
Imagine this on every street corner in a dystopian future:
1:37
How long before it goes full metal jacket?
Comments
Good morning Free Rangers...
I don't want to give them any ideas, but this should be the DNC's theme song for the convention:
Who is in charge in the White House?
In my diary of Wednesday I suggested that the entity controlling the White House ought to be called the Man Behind the Curtain -- we are all-too-obviously not allowed to know who our real President is, except now we have two people, "President" Joe Biden and "candidate" Kamala Harris, standing in front of whomever it is who actually holds power.
Now I am beginning to think that the Man Behind the Curtain is in fact a committee, although I would not be surprised if it were a single billionaire. Perhaps the Democratic Party ought to be pressed on this question?
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
Good morning Cass...
good call, "the Man Behind the Curtain", and if Kamala gets elected we should refer to it as the Slumber Party Administration.
With so many factions with skin in the game I doubt there's one billionaire in charge. I see it as more like each department of government doing what it pleases. Who's to stop them? The Constitution, pfffffttt!!!
I think it's been like this for years, maybe it's always been like this, they just don't hide it anymore.
But, what do I know?
So, basically chaos.
I guess it's possible. The thing is, though, that the various human-bureaucratic machines that constitute the US government are supposed to be greased by some sort of bureaucratic logic. But there are a lot of ridiculous fantasies being spread around in American society right now.
Right now I'm listening to Mark Sleboda discussing Ukraine. Occasionally with Sleboda, as with the other commentators, the commentators bring up the US Presidential election. But I have to wonder about the extent to which any concerns about the election are real. Certainly the Man Behind the Curtain can neutralize Trump; Trump's lazy, and the Man controls all the think-tanks. Sure, Biden and Harris came pre-controlled. But I can't really imagine at this point that who is actually President matters.
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
hey, good morning
.
good stuff JTC
demockery is closer to the the truth.
Observant, rational thinkers reject this
'made for Hollywood' concept of saving
ideals by destroying them. Cynicism prevails.
Thanks for all you do. Hope the IL trip was
worthwhile!
question everything
Good morning Cap...
many times I wonder if there isn't some very subtle subliminal perception being used on the unwitting masses by the media in TV and movies that's brainwashing the hoi polloi.
But, more likely it's our culture that has pigeonholed people into hive-minded team sports safe places. It's much easier that way instead of doing one's due diligence by actually researching which candidate is most worthy of our votes. We are a disposable society, are we not?
The trip to Illinois was great, there'll be more about that tomorrow in otc's open thread.
Hola amigos
Hi all, hey JtC,
Hope all is well all over the place!
I agree, it was Clinton's 'TRIANGULATION' strategy that was the beginning of the end for the Dems. The plan was to be just ONE STEP left of the R's. Then you get the Dems and liberal R's, and win. Because RE: the left, 'who else are they going to vote for?"
So the R's in response went more right. The Dems then moved further right crossing the center line to be in the new center, which is actually right of what center was. They and Dems have not stopped moving right. Dems now are far far right of what was 'the center'. They are pro war and wall St., big business, domestic spying, foreign coups, and so on and on. Nothing left about them. Nothing left, is left. The Dems abandoned their base for a new base, and master, big money donors. It was far fewer to court and please.
I regret to inform you, we no longer matter. Except as objects to spy on, or milk for money. That Constitu thingie is just a piece of paper, dontcha know?
Here is a fav Crazy Mama o fmine that might be good too. Great JJ Cale tune!
Thanks for the OT! I'm off to town for the weekly supplies.
happy trails all!
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
Hey dysto...
Clinton started the ball rolling with big assists from Obama and Biden. They'll have to add an addition to the shining mansion on the hill if the overton window pushes even more to the right. Kammy will bring us back leftward though, right? Oh, who am I kidding, that'll never be allowed to happen, in the economic sector anyways.
Any video featuring the Stones is good in my viewpoint. And you're right, that song fits well with the crazy ride we're on.
Thanks for stopping in, partner.
"Congress shall make no law….."
.
And yet congress has passed legislation that has nullified the constitution such as the patriot act, the recent FISA act, Obama’s rescinding habeas corpus and the numerous health acts that allows medical tyranny and medical martial law.
And when presidents break laws and act unconstitutionally congress passes more laws that keep them from being held accountable.
Both parties have been complicit in this and I’ve heard no one saying that they will work to restore the constitution. Why bother voting in a broken system?
Good afternoon, snoops...
Yup to all of the above, and I'll add that the constitution as determined by the Supreme Court is ignored by a sitting president, namely Joe Biden, when he disregarded the ruling about student loan repayment. I guess executive orders trump the Supreme Court and the Constitution, even though I've failed to find that anywhere in the Constitution.
Much like the war powers that congress has given over to the president.
"Trump is an aberration
The media loved him during the primary too and they only turned on him once he took on the Hellabitch and especially after he defeated Her.
Democrats derided Trump for the things Biden is now doing.
Very revealing...
looking beyond the fake kissing though, I think Whoopie is sitting there stewing in a cauldron of hatred. Her body language tells the tale.
2nd tweet nails it
He did it twice.
All the world's a stage...
and everyone has a role to play.
Hola, JtC. Greasy Eminences rule the land, a cabal
that need nt be conspiratorial because they have such massively similar goals and wants. Ike famously warned of the MIC, but his white house was run by the Dulles brothers and possibly the christer right. Kennedy tried to be his own man and it got him killed. Johnson, captive to the ghosts of the Dulles bros rammed thru the civil rights act and then bailed. The party split and the "liberal wing" was taken over by the DLC who spawned the NewDems, Clinton, aand some sort of cesspool.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks for the history...
what it boils down to is we're facing the same shit as we faced in the late 50s onward.
Yup, that about says it all.
Thanks mi hermano.
Good afternoon, good people!
I am appalled a candidate is hand picked by people behind closed doors, not through the election process. If she were actually competent, I would still be suspicious of her.
She is a hypocrite, a liar, and has a background as a rising star in politics based upon her accomplishments as a powerful politician's lover.
Walz is also a liar. Arrested for DUI, like, a competent adult who is still so stupid that he drives around drunk. Not to mention, authorizing that individuals who stepped onto their front porches to be shot by police with paint balls doesn't suggest to me he cares about citizen's health and well-being. Give him some pandemic-power, and he will shoot people.
Vance will have a field day in a debate with Walz. I might even watch it, just to give me an excuse to pop some popcorn.
The last truly principled Democrat was FDR, although his treatment of Japanese Americans was a great shame to our country.
I feel one day, should I live another decade, that the more liberal party will be the Republican Party, since the only thing Democrats seem to do is to move right.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Heh....
drop the mic and walk away slowly for maximum effect.
A.good feeling of release here
.
.
being able to talk back to the news.;-)
May not be what is said, or that taste left behind.
Here we can still express ourselves!
FWIW
question everything
apropos
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
fer sure
tanks and plastic soldiers
melting in the sun
question everything
Hey el...
remember back in the day, the EBs at Dkos? We'd go on for post after post of musical goodness?
And there was beaucoup jocularity? Those were the days, my friend.
Remember those exchanges every now and then.
Jocularity indeed.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good OT, JtC
The inverted Constitution was a nice touch.
I remember America in the 50s and 60s as a country on the move to greatness and plenty. All due to the effects of the New Deal and a peace dividend.
The Democrat Party is unrecognizable today and the Green Party is the remnant of the left.
Thanks for the OT.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.