This is an excellent take on the state of politics today.The new chair of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), Clintonista Bruce Reed crooned in a Slate.com article that Specter’s defection was “an encouraging omen for Obama’s effort to build a new, pragmatic, post-partisan politics.”
“Post-partisan politics” is code for a politics that basks in the glow of the status quo—a politics that accommodates itself to the needs of corporate America. In this context, “ideological politics” becomes code for people who care about such quaint principles as democracy and justice. People like crazed ideologue Chris Bowers.
It never ceases to amaze me how short-sighted the giants of American business seem to be when it comes to ceding political power to the electorate. They're unwilling to make even the smallest sacrifices and continue to demand that they not only have the biggest seat at the table, but have last word on everything.
They seem incapable of understanding that this situation cannot continue in perpetuity. If the little guy isn't tossed a bone once in a while history shows us they'll become so frustrated and take it upon themselves to change the status quo, through whatever means necessary. In that case it won't matter a wit what the giants of business think about the issues at hand- they won't be at the table in the first place.
FDR understood this seventy years ago. Why was the lessen lost on our political and economic leadership today?
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12 comments:
I guess nobody ever read them Yertle the Turtle.
Because the chances of Murka ever pulling a "let's tear down the Bastille while engaging in some fine beheadery" are about as likely as Brady Quinn winning the next five Super Bowl MVP awards.
So I guess it IS true, America IS exceptional: thank you sir, may I have another.
No! No! We can't hate on THE RICH! One day, we're going to be part of THE RICH, too!
And corporate America banks on that numbskull notion permeating the culture.
I'm so ready for my rags to become riches, how about you?
@lisa. Exactly! Tom Tomorrow did a great cartoon of that.
Also: they still believe in Reagan.
For me, Obama is hanging on by a thread.
His reversal on torture
Over 2000 American car dealerships closing
No bankers fired or jailed
No change in financial laws
TARP money is going to insurance(?!?) companies
He publicly decided to take no stand on the 54th Arabic linguist fired due to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy on homosexuality.
The Prez ain't done sh*t except talk and be Bush with liberal frosting. (sorry, stem cells isn't a cure-all).
38% of my money disappears and nobody gets helped and my daughter's school is barely getting through the year. Well, f*ck that.
@snab: as much as I'd like Pres. O to be able to wave his hand and make things better, he does have to work within a system that's been broken for the last 8 years (I know, longer than that).
He's learning that himself.
About the torture reversal. What reversal? If you mean the photos, that bugged me too until I thought about it; it's actually quite cagey. By refusing to release them because their contents will endanger US soldiers, he's done two things.
First, he appears tough on terrorism and this will help make Dick Cheney look dumber.
Secondly, by saying the photos will endanger troops, he's pointing out quite clearly that the CIA did things that should never, ever have been done; it's a big indictment on the Bush Administration.
The joke and the reality is, politics is a game. That sucks, but there you are.
I think an angry torch-bearing mob with pitchforks is in order. The French Revolution made public executions acceptable. I am sure that with modern technology we could improve on some of their techniques. ;o)
I would say to Don Snabulus to give it time, Obama and the congress can't do it all at once. I can understand your position, but there are a lot of hurdles and pitfalls that face them that your complaints don't address.
Dr Z. Careful what you wish for, that's what the Teabaggers believed they were doing! A righteous revolution against liberal facism (and other oxymorons) :)
I understand what y'allz are saying, but what people did there needs to be accounted for before the US can be a leader of nations again.
I don't see another way around it. The pictures are nothing new. They serve as an acknowledgment of what was done. If we can't even own up to the pictures of what everyone knows we committed, then the risk genie is out of the bottle. We can no longer condemn the tinpot dictators or totalitarian states who commit similar acts.
There must be an accounting. It cannot be tap-danced or finessed around. The party of the President was never the issue. The moral fiber of the nation is.
ubermilf-
That is spot on. Love me some Seuss btw.
arkonbey-
Ha! TT always gets it right.
Don-
I'm feeling pretty frustrated as well. I didn't expect everything to change with a democratic administration but otoh I didn't expect NOTHING to change.
Progressives seem to be currently going along for the ride by telling themselves it's okay if he does x as long as y happens because that's what's important to me personally.
It's beginning to look like we'll get neither x or y.
My last straw is going to be over healthcare reform. That's affected me the most personally. More that anything else in the world I'm certain something has to be done. He better not fold on that.
arkonbey-
w/ regards to not releasing the photos I'm okay with that as long as he supports a truth commission or trials of those who ordered and conducted torture.
Short of that it will be nothing but PR bullshit.
zaius-
Pitchfork carrying mobs are fun!
don-
Yup. Accounting is exactly what we need.
@Dean: "nothing"? While wary, I don't think nothing has changed. Small things have changed. The world has stopped spitting on us for a while; Obama seems more than willing to talk to Iran rather than rattle sabers at it; Gitmo is closing.
Sure, I'd really, really like more healthcare reform, but we're running into folks like my right-of-center co-worker:
Days after jumping through hoops when our company switched insurance plans that required him change his dentist, he was saying that socialized medicine would be a bureaucracy where the gov't would dictate what doctors we could see. I had trouble seeing a difference other than if he was unemployed he wouldn't have to worry about a switch...
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