What’s the Matter With Democrats?

[Echo In Light]

By David Sirota

Ever since Thomas Frank published his book “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” Democrats have sought a political strategy to match the GOP’s. The health care bill proves they’ve found one. Whereas Frank highlighted Republicans’ sleight-of-hand success portraying millionaire tax cuts as gifts to the working class, Democrats are now preposterously selling giveaways to insurance and pharmaceutical executives as a middle-class agenda. Same formula, same fat-cat beneficiaries, same bleating sheeple herded to the slaughterhouse. The only difference is the Rube Goldberg contraption that Democrats are using to tend the flock.

First, their leaders campaign on pledges to create a government insurer (a “public option”) that will compete with private health corporations. Once elected, though, Democrats propose simply subsidizing those corporations, which are (not coincidentally) filling Democratic coffers. Justifying the reversal, Democrats claim the subsidies will at least help some citizens try to afford the private insurance they’ll be forced to buy—all while insisting Congress suddenly lacks the votes for a public option.

<snip>

Soon it’s on to false choices. Democrats tell their base that any bill is better than no bill, even one making things worse, and that if this particular legislation doesn’t pass, Republicans will win the upcoming election — as if signing a blank check to insurance and drug companies couldn’t seal that fate. They tell everyone else that “realistically” this is the “last chance” for reform, expecting We the Sheeple to forget that those spewing the do-or-die warnings control the legislative calendar and could immediately try again.

Predictably, the fear-mongering prompts left-leaning Establishment pundits to bless the bill, giving Democratic activists concise-yet-mindless conversation-enders for why everyone should shut up and fall in line (“Krugman supports it!”). Such bumper-sticker mottoes are then demagogued by Democratic media bobbleheads and their sycophants, who dishonestly imply that the bill’s progressive opponents (1) secretly aim to aid the far right and/or (2) actually hope more Americans die for lack of health care. In the process, the legislation’s sellouts are lambasted as the exclusive fault of Republicans, not Democrats and their congressional majorities.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/whats_the_matter_with_democrats_20100318/

[ixion]

1. A very, very good question

Kicked and Recc'd. :applause:

[Donnachaidh]

2. k&r.

the unrec squad just found your thread. Smelled them coming.

[midnight]

3. It is a symptom that comes from being a Reagan Democrat.-Matching a

GOP strategy.

[Marr]

4. I agree completely. n/t

[Echo In Light]

5. .

[Romulox]

6. The "New" Democrats ALSO want to be the party of Corporate America.

It's really as simple as that.

[Mari333]

7. knr they are appeasers.

"Be not intimidated... nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice." John Adams 2nd U.S. Presiden

[glitch]

10. They've shifted from appeasement to collaboration.

Maybe worse.

[Gravel Democrat]

20. It feels kinda like just before NAFTA passed

only worse. DC gets what DC wants. I told my friends that this was coming and they all laughed.

The last laugh isn't always funny.



There are think tanks right now plotting stragegery to blame the progressives for the losses in Nov.

"Obama's health care plan shall be written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is overweight and financed by a country that is in debt." -- Quote from the Interwebs

[grantcart]

8. Well it appears that many are willing to pass on the same stale bs

about what is in the bill rather than actually reading it and understanding how it will save lives and save money.

[canoeist52]

9. Thanks, you've summed up well what was confusing me.

just unrecs. this time? no debate from the cheerleaders?

[PufPuf23]

11. This is so sadly true and "transparent"

The DLC has coopted the Democratic party.

Obama is a self-described "New" Democrat otherwise a DLC (that he lied about) or "Third Way" Democrat.

Neo-Liberals like Neo-cons are neo-fascists that are pro-Empire by violence.

I campaigned for LBJ and McCarthy and first voted for McGovern.

I voted for Obama in the primary and general, sent $$$, and took shit for this support in my real life.

I was happier for his election than any politician in my life.

Most of his cabinet and close advisors are DLC.

Obama has gone as far as to mock many of the interest groups I consider the Democratic base.

Obama has lost my belief in his integrity; he is just another crass politician who has sold his soul.

The HCR Bill is regressive and the process has been an intentionally drawnout clusterfuck.

[tom_paine]

12. But the show must go on!

The saddest, most pathetic Reality TV Show in human history. An easing of people, using the latest in marketing and PR to sell them Inverted Totalitarianism.

But it's just an old snake in a new skin.

http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/jaspers02.htm

[Echo In Light]

13. Appreciate the link!

[Max Stein]

14. Yeah man

We're in trouble.

[progressoid]

15. "same bleating sheeple herded to the slaughterhouse"

Seems we have a bunch of those sheeple right here on DU.

[Echo In Light]

16. .

[merkins]

17. corruption and robery apparently

K&R

[Echo In Light]

18. .

[ThomWV]

19. The Party has no defined philosophy, the Platform is meaningless, and members undiciplined

And all of this caused by money, big money.

[Orsino]

21. Money is what's wrong--just as with the GOP. n/t