'Take Back Our Party' Chapter 1: Their Democratic Party
Last edited Sun Dec 15, 2019, 09:37 PM - Edit history (2)
by James KwakNot surprisingly, I learned my politics from my parents. They came to the United States from South Korea, as they say, in search of a better life. My father arrived in San Francisco in 1953 on a freight ship that returned to America after delivering food to GIs fighting the Korean War. He then took a train and a bus across the country, arriving at Wesleyan College two months after the semester started (never having received the letter from Wesleyan telling him it was too late to come). My mother came nine years later to study at the University of Michigan. From them I learned that the Democrats were the party of workers, unions, and the poor, while the Republicans were the party of business and the rich.
The archetypal Democratic hero at the time was Franklin Roosevelt, the president of the New Deal, which included massive public works projects to fight unemployment, comprehensive regulation of the financial system, and the creation of Social Security. In 1944, he called for a “second Bill of Rights,” which would guarantee all Americans a job, basic material necessities, housing, health care, and an education—but which never materialized. His successor, Harry Truman, proposed a universal, single-payer health care program. And in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared “unconditional war” on poverty, pushing forward a legislative agenda that included Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and federal subsidies for schools with poor children. That was what the Democratic brand still meant in the 1970s, when I was a child.
At that moment, however, the legacy of the New Deal was in danger, weakened by the Vietnam War and economic stagnation. With a growing backlash against regulation, high taxes, and the civil rights movement, the modern American conservative movement—which had languished in obscurity as recently as the 1950s—was poised to take over the Republican Party and then the country.
Read more: https://prospect.org/takebackourparty/chapter-1-their-democratic-party/
(American Prospect)
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I've been doing that for the Texas Tribune articles, but I admit that I need to step up the effort when I post articles from other sites.
When I used post exclusively in the Texas Group, I was able to get by using bookmarks in my browser. After expanding my repertoire it became obvious that I should develop a database instead. That database includes details like the location, date information from which I last checked the Websites, how I classify the sites (major, minor, political, alternative), and publisher along with the name of the site and hyperlink). The database is up to 720 sites and I'm running at about 4 weeks to get through the rotation. The best that I've cut that time down was to 8-9 days, but I moved at the end of August and providing a lot of computer assistance to my brother on his new job.
My brother and I are the modern day version of The Odd Couple. I'm the Felix counterpart that depends on organization. I've been hampered by health issues over the past twenty years and to a certain extent I've struggled with the basics since I'm frequently dizzy, and I also have shortness of breath and general weakness associated with diabetes. However, the brain is working relatively well. I can still examine a data report and identify the errors quickly. I wish that I had the independence from my earlier life, but at least I feel like I'm making a contribution both in the real world and on DU.
I'll try to post some threads when I can for the Appalachia Group too. 
for managing the database and posting for us. My siblings are special and although we're unique and there are conflicts, it's a special and lasting bond. Your brother and you have each other which must provide companionship and more.
Thanks again for your dedicated posting, it's really appreciated. I've seen your work in the Appalachia group and others. I wish more people would comment and rec in order to send the post to 'the greatest' so others can participate, but what can we do..
I've been subject to verbal, mental, and physical abuse over the years. It's only been a few months ago since he grabbed me out of my chair, tossed me on the floor, and threw punches. Neither of us considers the other to be our best friend. It's more of a sense of obligation to our deceased parents that we look after each other. A few months before my father passed away, I promised him that I would look after my brother because through that time I always earned more money than my older brother and my brother didn't have much job stability.
My brother is a Gulf War vet, more aggressive, and more prone to anger issues. He is a hard core Trump supporter and he has no intellectual curiosity so we don't have much to talk about beyond football, our pet cats, and what he wants me to do to help with his job. Most of the time he arrives home from work and dumps the administrative work from his job on me because he is too lazy to get on the computer and do the work for himself. If I ever became unavailable for more than a couple of day (like a hospital stay), then he wouldn't be able to complete the tasks necessary to keep his job. When I emphasize to him that he needs to learn how to do things it results in an argument about me not pulling my weight to do his job. 
I do reasonably well having my posts move into the "Greatest List" on the front page, but it's usually during the night time hours. However, having threads move onto the list isn't a priority for me. I know that most of my posts are at a statewide level and I post them to keep DUers informed (or amused) rather than to get acclaim. If I want companionship or intellectual stimulation, I turn to DU rather than my brother.
