Robert Reich (Who Works For Kerry) On Moderates And The DLC !!!

[WillyT]

Thank you Mr. Reich, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!

The Dead Center
By ROBERT B. REICH

Published: January 29, 2004

<snip>

After all, Democrats have seen what the Republican Party has been able to accomplish over the years. The conservative movement has developed dedicated sources of money and legions of ground troops who not only get out the vote, but also spend the time between elections persuading others to join their ranks. It has devised frames of reference that are used repeatedly in policy debates (among them: it's your money, tax and spend, political correctness, class warfare).

It has a system for recruiting and electing officials nationwide who share the same world view and who will vote accordingly. And it has a coherent ideology uniting evangelical Christians, blue-collar whites in the South and West, and big business — an ideology in which foreign enemies, domestic poverty and crime, and homosexuality all must be met with strict punishment and religious orthodoxy.

In contrast, the Democratic Party has had no analogous movement to animate it. Instead, every four years party loyalists throw themselves behind a presidential candidate who they believe will deliver them from the rising conservative tide. After the election, they go back to whatever they were doing before. Other Democrats have involved themselves in single-issue politics — the environment, campaign finance, the war in Iraq and so on — but these battles have failed to build a political movement. Issues rise and fall, depending on which interests are threatened and when. They can even divide Democrats, as each advocacy group scrambles after the same set of liberal donors and competes for the limited attention of the news media.

As a result, Democrats have been undisciplined, intimidated or just plain silent. They have few dedicated sources of money, and almost no ground troops. The religious left is disconnected from the political struggle. One hears few liberal Democratic phrases that are repeated with any regularity. In addition, there is no consistent Democratic world view or ideology. Most Congressional Democrats raise their own money, do their own polls and vote every which way. Democrats have little or no clear identity except by reference to what conservatives say about them.

<snip>

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/opinion/29REIC.html?pagewanted=1

A-Men Brother Reich!!! Exactomundo!

[dolstein]

1. And how, pray tell, is this the DLC's fault?

The DLC has only been around since the mid-80's. The liberal wing of the party has been around considerably longer than that.

[WillyT]

2. Well See... The DLC Has Encouraged The Democratic Party To...

move away from the New Deal and The Great Society, and has donned Brooks Brother's Suits and Gucci shoes with the rest of the Corporate Elite, and is basically now just the Rockefeller Republicans without all the nasty rightwing Christian Fundamentalists.

And while I appreciate their not including the rightwing bigots into our party, I definitely don't agree with the 'go along to get along' approach which they seem to love so much.

We have met the enemy, and he is us!!!

I'd rather have a party that is proud of it's past, says so, and doesn't try to run, hide, or apologize any time the word Liberal or Progressive gets mentioned!!!

You???

:shrug:

[annagull]

3. I don't want the Democratic Party to turn into New Labour

Just look at New Labour in Britian. You can't tell Tony Blair from Bush*, and the DLC seems to have a lot in common with the right wing. Just look how they support the war in Iraq, keeping NAFTA just the way it is, etc. Now Britian is screwed, there is basically one party, and it is corrupt to the core.

[AntiCoup2K4]

4. "there is basically one party, and it is corrupt to the core."

That is exactly where the DLC is taking us. One corporatist party, completely corrupt. Of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich, with not a damn care for anybody else.

And my suggestion to anyone in denial about that would be that you seriously consider the 1994, 2000, and 2002 elections, and the record of so called "Democrats" in Congress since the Coup in Florida. Is this the party of Thomas Jefferson, FDR, Truman, or JFK? I think not.

[AP]

6. Not even labour was willing to vote for old Labour (see '83)

And old Labour is a bad example. One thing Blair (who was one of the very few Labour victors in the disastrous '83 elections) did to labour was remove the plank in the party platform which wanted to turn over ownership of industry to the state.

Did you hear that? Labour was a socialist party until Blair pointed out that not even labourers thought that the government could build up competitive industries, keep wages high, and bring innovations.

Blair's 'new labour' os really more like the US Democratic party circa 1948.

[w4rma]

7. Straw man. I have absolutely no problem with that, AP. But Blair did more

Much more.

[dumpster_baby]

5. Reich is an economic traitor to the American people

The smug "free traitor" Reich was partly responsible for formulating the social darwinist Clinton policies that began the influx of cheap young 3rd world computer programmers in the 90s. Older programmers should never forget Reich's sellout of older American programmers, epitomized by this Reich quote: "programming requires the stamina of youth."

That quote was used to justify greatly increased quotas for h1b visas that eventually facilitated the current outsourcing of white collar jobs to India. Tens of thousands of American programmers, especially older programmers, were put out of work, and the influx of Indian programmers helped start the outsourcing to India movement that continues to put thousands of Americans out of work.

Come the electoral revolution, I propose passage of a Constitutional Amendment that will allow us to prosecute Reich and his free traitor cronies for a new category of treason, "economic treason". And if found guilty, these economic traitors may then be executed. Will anyone here join me in drinking a toast to Reich's lifeless body when he is lawfully executed?

You may find my comments above strage, twisted, psychotic, or whatever, but please consider, if you will, the wartime blood that has been shed by America over the past 50 years in "the fight against communism" AKA "The Fight to Keep Plutocrat Wallets as Fat as possible". Of course, there is also the occasional War For Oil.

As for myself, I say we stop spilling the blood of American soldiers and start spilling the blood (or stretching the necks, as the case may be) of the political elite. All in accordance with the rule of law, of course.

What Reich is doing here is stating--very well, actually--much of the current political problem. Of course, he offers no solution at this time. No doubt he seeks to position himself as best possible to remain in the elite and craft a solution, one that favors the elite and hurts the workers. Naturally.

As for myself, I would prefer to see him positioned on a gallows.....

[WillyT]

8. So... I Can Put You Down For 'Yes', You Liked The Article ???

But... after reading it, ya just wanna hang the author???

Whoa... Tough audience, LOL!!!

:hi::wtf::hi:

[iowapeacechief]

11. Slander totally unworthy of DU.

From reading Reich's books and articles since before his term as Clinton's labor secretary, I consider your rant wrong wrong wrong. Not worth arguing.

So who are you really, 42-post newcomer?

[cryofan]

14. I have heard other people in the programming profession say this, too

That Reich said that programming requires the stamina of youth. I think he said it in a speech.

BTW, it isn't "slander" if it's the truth.

[WiseMen]

9. How is Reich working for Kerry diff from for other candidates? Evidence?

[WillyT]

12. Hey Wise...

That wasn't any sort of swipe. It was more of a 'full disclosure' type of thing, and an attemp to get people to read the article, LOL!!!

I'm glad Reich is workin for Kerry he's a good man. And I hope he keeps pushing this new version of Kerry.

My only fear with Kerry, as with all the candidates, is that inevitable 'move to the center' for the General Election. I just hope whoever the nominee is, he knows when to apply the brakes.

As a Dean guy, I've been having a great time watching a man display some passion, and challenge the status quo. He may not make it, but it sure was great to see somebody stand up that way.

Anywho, no harm intended.

:hi:

[mikehiggins]

13. This "new version" of Kerry?

That is the problem with Kerry, and most professional politicians.

He can come up with a "new version" as fast as Nixon could, and IMHO with just the same amount of sincerity.

I can see the meeting:

Hey, guys. Those hardcore leftie dems are looking too close.

Okay, lets ring in an expert and come up with some new story.

How about Riech?

Okay, he's got credentials. Tell him to go out and explain how the "new version" is going to do everything for everyone, not like that jerk Dean saying he couldn't make everyone happy.

end of meeting.

[PATRICK]

10. We did have some of that

Labor and the Civil Rights movement until they lost contact with the legions themselves- no thanks to the Democrats on a number of fronts.
Special interest as common interest versus zealots for an elite is a better way to frame this. Because of the decline in voter participation and party organization seeking out and motivating coalitions we have made the system workable only for simple minded fanatics and the ruthless?

Somehow this sweeping article is very skewed and I get suspicious when it always comes down to blaming the people- the universal victims of systemic failures and fanatical coup d'etats. Of course you can blame everyone and anyone! What exactly has the great representative party of the people been doing all this time? Waiiting for a Depression so we can see some phoenix arise from the ashes? That kind of history doesn't necessarily repeat, but the bad stuff does- endlessly.

Most people are just waking up to the fact that their delegated government is a fraud against them, the AARP is a front to control seniors like the American Legion was used to control angry vets, that the major parties are at best feckless tools of big money, that there is no free press, that our cherished myths are becoming simply that, that we can't even work together to survive much less work for the American ideals, that a Paranoia Curtain of parochial dimwittedness separates us from the rest of mankind, that Robert Reich accomplished nothing himself for any of the values he represents, but still has a radio spot now and then for "balance".

I blame fake leadership in every quarter selling the remaining voters a complete phony bill of goods with equal shares of cockeyed myths and cynicism. Pundits are 100 times worse. Humans have a lot of excuses, and those are useless.