Democrats should not trivialize Trade or Jobs or Healthcare

[Armstead]

As a moderate progressive (rather than either a radical socialist progressive or a centrist progressive) I have believed since the 1980's that the biggest screw-up and betrayal of the Democratic Party has been to consistently abandon the Big Picture.

By that, I mean they have participated in reframing the debate in this country on GOP/conservative terms by trivializing the issues.

While a fundamental and destructive restructing of the econoy and political system has been occuring for 25 years, the Democrats as a party have ignored it (with some noble exceptions). They have trivialized issues and concentrated on merely the very edges of reform.

Instead they merely echo the Corporate Agenda and the same assumptions as the GOP. The centrist Democrat vision of "The Economy" is whether unemployment is at 3 percent or 5 percent, and what the current GDP is. The centrist vision of "healthcare" is whether the government will work with the pirates to allow it to stay unaffordable, but to focus on safe little exceptions like prescription drugs for the elderly.

To create the illusion of choice the Democrats have had a "kinder and gentler" view of social issues. But even there they played into the GOP's hands by distractinbg from the fundamental trends that are destroying democracy.

Dean, Kucinich and Sharpton presented a change in course, towards progressive populism to varying degress. Dean addressed it from a moderate -- but clear -- position of reform and gutsiness. Kucinich has done it by telling the unvarnished, no-holds truth from a lss compromising position. And Sharpton reminded Democrats of the existance of a large portion of its core constiuency.

Whatever happens from here on out, Kerry should not be allowed to be another centrist trivializer. Somehow he ought to be held to the fire and not get away with slipping more corporate bullshit through the door.

"Trade" is not just about obscure provisions in NAFTA. What's important about the "free trade" issue is that the present system is fundamentaly corrupt, flawed and has more to do with advancing the corporate conservative agenda than with promoting international trade....The only way to deal with the trade issue in a positive way is to re-examine its fundamental nature, and refocus it on the goal of fair trade.

"Jobs" is not just about lowering the unemployment rate a point or two. It is about the acountability of employers, the nature of jobs that are being created, reversing the trends to outsourcing, restoring the idea that everyone who works is entitled to a livable wage, etc.

"Healthcare" is not about asking the insurence companies to please, pretty please don't raise rates quite so fast. It's not about some obscure additional benefit. It must be about a fundamental change that gives the govermnment -- rather than private interests -- the primary tole in making sure evenyone has access to GUARANTEED HEALTHCARE THEY CAN AFFORD.

And "the ecomomy" should refer to the fundamentaly wrong direction we have gone towards greater concentration and centralization of wealth and power through deregulation, mergers and the business practices that allow an increasingly smaller but wealthier elite to run the entire country.

[DenverDem]

1. An austute analysis!

Until Democrats start acting like Democrats again, rather than surrendering policy to the wrong wingers at the alter of "electability", there is no real reason (except, of course, the radical treasonous criminality of Bushler) to vote Dem.

[sallyseven]

2. You are absolutely right

The democrats have to push the country into a new course. We need to regain the people's trust and not let the corporations get in the way. Regulations must be returned and the media grab stop. We should encourage new media programing. What bush did to the omnibus spending bill was an outright sin. Slipped all those nut case mean spirited things in it. Things that congress voted against. The republicans must be voted out.

[CWebster]

3. Of course

but this is all about who served in Viet Nam, don't you know...

Being centrist trivializers has nothing to do with it, right?

[loftycity]

4. Sold out

I think it's over. Grover Nordquist and drowning government in the bathtub has happened.
Now What?
They have done the deed. This country is in overwheming debt,corporations are now the slum lords over the people,we have state run communications. HealthCare by corporations is comparable to the the next holocaust with their experiments on who does and who doesn't get care. Making a profit on your death.
We have opened one eye to this bad dream...time to open both eyes and call this whole scam for what it is.
We all have to pull together on this one.
I wish all of congress was Dennis Kucinich.
Sorry to be deary...fell like that today..

[Armstead]

5. It's a Dreary Day

"Sorry to be deary...fell like that today.."


Hopefully it's jusy a dreary day and not the start of a dreary 9 months.

[loftycity]

7. Just a dreary day ahh maybe week..

Feel..sorry about the typos.
I have my own business and need I say more? It's just awful out there.

[RichM]

6. Armstead is a radical progressive who just pretends to be a moderate!!

Wha'ssa matter wit you? You don't think large corporations should hold 100% of the power in society? You don't think the Dem Party should basically be helping them get it?

Keep thinking like that & you, too, may wind up in a re-education camp! (Don't worry, the food's not too bad.) ;-)

My favorite sentence here: "Healthcare" is not about asking the insurance companies to please, pretty please don't raise rates quite so fast. I like it because that's what being on "the very edges of reform" usually amounts to.

[Armstead]

8. Shhhhhh. Don't give it away.

Actually, I do think of myself as a moderate progressive. I think out basic system is fine in theory. But it has gotten so distorted that it is not free-enetrprise democratic capitalism.

Unfortunately in today's climate that translates into radical.

People like Wellstone and Kucinich ought to represent the mainstream positions of the Democratic Party. They are the real moderates, while the Corporation Butt Kissers are conservatives.

[denverbill]

9. Why will the party bother changing now?

The DLC won, the 'liberal activists' lost.

At least Edwards is FINALLY making a big issue of NAFTA. If he keeps that up it may force the party to make a left turn.

Somehow, I don't see it happening.

Kerry will now win. He won't want NAFTA to be a big issue cause he voted for it and he won't want to admit his mistake. Instead of being the deciding issue of the 2004 election, it will be pushed aside because he's afraid of looking like a flip-flopper.

Democrats could win this election in a landslide if they simply had the balls to stand up against the conservative economic hellhole. From outsourcing to illegal immigration to union-busting to NAFTA/WTO, the Democrats will stick to their tried-and-true don't-rock-the-boat strategy and lose in a landslide.

[Armstead]

11. I hope you're wrong

"Democrats could win this election in a landslide if they simply had the balls to stand up against the conservative economic hellhole. From outsourcing to illegal immigration to union-busting to NAFTA/WTO, the Democrats will stick to their tried-and-true don't-rock-the-boat strategy and lose in a landslide."

I agree that they could win by standing up for those things. But I fear they made go back to the don't-rock-the-boat which will inspire those "swing voters" to stay with the Bush status quo.

But maybe not. Maybe we're being pessimistic here.

[revcarol]

10. Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act for the benefit of working people?: RADICAL

Get more health care, less overhead, for the buck?: RADICAL

Withdraw from trade agreements that are killing us?: RADICAL

Break up big media and agribusiness?: RADICAL

Keep employers from dumping defined benefit pensions and support Social Security?: RADICAL

Support small business over huge corporations?: RADICAL

Isn't it funny (sick funny) how the bar has been lowered so that we consider these ONCE MAINSTREAM Democratic positions "RADICAL?"

It's enough to make you :puke:

[Armstead]

13. That's the worst thing about the climate today

THings that are just basic common sense -- and which are supposed to be core American values -- have been marginalized, while we get fed nonsense like "Forming monopolies is necessary to preserve competition."

[scarletwoman]

12. Spot on! Deserves a kick, for sure...

Your phrase, "the very edges of reform" is dead on accurate, and concisely represents the core reason for my disgust/despair over the Dems, as we watch our country devolve into corporate fuedalism with nary a peep from our supposed representatives.

We the People have been effectively locked out of controlling our government and our future. Who besides Kucinich even begins to give expression to this truth?

The juggernaut of the plutocracy, of the imperialist security state, rumbles ever on, unquestioned and unchallenged. Nibbles at the "very edges of reform" is all we get...

sw