Who do you think the administration cares more about?

[Ken Burch]

[mzmolly]

1. Why are activists lumped in with the poor

and the dispossessed?

I think the President cares about Americans, period.

[MADem]

3. I'm with you.

Bono is an activist, and he's pretty rich.

[Ken Burch]

7. Bono is an egotist

He accepts the existing distribution of wealth and hangs out with the swells at Davos. So much for his actually being serious about poverty.

[MADem]

20. Yes, he's that too. One thing doesn't cancel out the other.

I'll bet he's raised more money for those dispossessed, distressed, and needy people all around the world than any of us here on this board, though. A lot of people "accept the existing distribution of wealth," from the Dalai Lama to Dennis Kucinich. So what? What does that have to do with being an activist?

[Ken Burch]

24. I don't know that either Dennis or the Dalai Lama are really down with the existing order

And fine, rich people are good at raising money...but do we really know that the money Bono raised has actually helped the poor in any meaningful way? His acceptance of the whole globalization thing makes his alleged concern ring hollow.

Nothing that happens in places like Davos is for the benefit of the global majority.

If he really wanted to end poverty, he'd fight hard for social and economic equality. Bono doesn't.

[MADem]

25. I don't see them living in sackcloth and ashes. They're quite comfy.

Now you're arguing a matter of degree. You are also characterizing Bono's efforts as having less "meaning" because they don't fit with your perceptions of how things ought to be. The truth is, they have less meaning to YOU.

Not all activists are down with your world view. Nor are all politicians, religious/spiritual leaders, and others who spend some/much of their time helping others. Jimmy Carter's work with Habitat is second to none. However, if you told him he couldn't have his private home, his nice cars, his comforts, he'd probably tell you to go eff yourself. Same deal with Kucinich--he has a wealthy wife, and he lives well--even better than he would on his not paltry salary--because of that.

I don't particularly like Bono's music, and I was appalled by his post-911 spectacle (I cannot call it a performance) at the Super Bowl, and I don't particularly relish defending him, but he has done some good in the world, he has raised awareness vis a vis extreme poverty and deprivation around the world, and he's raised a shitload of money for agencies who do work in those areas.

[mzmolly]

9. Yep. There are many wealthy activists

and professional bloggers, who are not doing the bidding of the downtrodden when they support Republicans, directly or indirectly. ;)

[Ken Burch]

11. It wouldn't help the Democrats for progressives to be silent.

A dissent-free party couldn't be different from the Republicans. Clinton in the Nineties proved that.

[mzmolly]

13. It doesn't help anyone to pretend that only the perptually cynical

are progressive.

I don't mind dissent. But dissent for the sake of dissent, is tiresome.

[Ken Burch]

15. And nobody here does dissent for the sake of dissent

The dissent here is based on legitimate grievance and a justified sense of betrayal and having been disrespected.

The election was stole from us the moment Geither, Summers and Rahm were appointed. Once they were given their jobs, it became clear that almost no one who actually worked for or voted for Barack Obama mattered to him.

We never needed the servants of the CEO class in this administration.

[MADem]

21. Succinctly stated. nt

[northoftheborder]

2. Other: They care about themselves most.

[undeterred]

4. You forgot Republicans.

[Riftaxe]

5. Why link the poor and activists together?

Some might care about activists, but none care about the poor.

[Ken Burch]

6. I see both as being united in being kept out in the cold.

n/t.

[Riftaxe]

17. Ahh on that we can differ

I see activists as being annoying enough and organized enough that they can be enough of an irritation for a political animal to take note.

The poor have no huge cash donations, no wealthy advocates, no one in politics or a party will ever give a damn about them.

[Tx4obama]

8. Unrec. Crappy poll. n/t

[Creideiki]

14. Seems like the best reason to rec yet! I'll do it right now!

Thanks for the suggestion!

[mzmolly]

10. I'm an Obama donor

but I'm not a CEO or an insider. :D

[Ken Burch]

16. I should have said "Big donors"

If you only gave them the kind of donation non-millionaires can afford, they don't care about you.

[MADem]

22. I was a Clinton donor and a DNC donor!

I'll throw some money at Obama this time around.

I'm not a CEO or an insider, either...!

[banned from Kos]

12. Apparently, Obama is a Top Secret Supporter of Individuals who donate

to him!


MY GOD! YOU HAVE EXPOSED THE TRUTH!!!!!!

[Faryn Balyncd]

18. GWB cared about being viewed as "The Decider". Obama cares about being viewed as "The Uniter".

[applegrove]

19. Why no middle class amongst the list?

[Ken Burch]

23. I'm not sure the "middle class" exists anymore-if it ever really did.

And the term has always been about nothing else but letting a portion of the working class pretend that they're above the rest of their class and the poor.

It isn't a term that can be used effectively by the center-left or the left.