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dreamnightwind

(4,775 posts)
66. Perhaps I misunderstood you
Wed Jun 8, 2016, 04:49 PM
Jun 2016

Do you want the left to do what the Tea Party did, or are you knocking the part of the left that won't go along with the corporate agenda?

The Tea Party was not just a grass-roots thing, it was Koch-backed, so there's that. If you remember as I do, the news media amplified everything they did, much as they did Trump, giving them legitimacy they shouldn't have had. The reason being that the corporate money people are quite happy with a libertarian vision where government does little more than military and police, and gets out of the way of regulating corporate activities. Just more corporate capture.

There was also a grass-roots element to the Tea Party, but if it was only that, they would not have had the success they had. They served the interests of the powerful, and that's why they had such success.

There is no similar context for those of us on the left. What we want is to get corporations out of our government, to get our military out of most of the nations on earth. to get corporate-pushed carbon out of our atmosphere, and to get non-violent offenders out of prisons. Where is the institutional alliance for this set of demands? There isn't one. People want these changes, but profit-driven institutions do not.

I personally don't think the left has the clout to deliver the change we need in the time we need to do it (climate change being the most urgent driver). I think populists on the left and right need to put our differences aside enough that we can ally against runaway corporate capture. The divide and conquer strategies of the powers that be are very effective, and allow continued exploitation as the world crumbles.

So I would like to see a new entity emerge that rejects any corporate money in campaigns, and that has a narrow platform targeted to issues that don't split left/right. We have enough people and motivation to do this if we can get together with people on the other side, and with the more than 40% who have withdrawn from either side out of disgust for both of them.

Most of the urgent issues of today are not left/right issues. they are top/down issues. We can still work on left/right issues but should not let that get in the way of allying with populists all across the left/right spectrum for the cause of ending corporate capture, ending the support of the American (really a stateless corporate) empire, and immediately doing everything possible to fight climate change and transform our society into a sustainable one that proves good decent lives for its citizens rather than one that is essentially a vehicle for concentration of power into a few hands.

I will always fight for the issues of the left, I just think right now we need to get a few critical things done to even have any kind of inhabitable planet in the future, and we need to work with everyone who is willing to join in such an effort. It's too big of a crisis to leave to the left, we need everyone, and even then it won't be easy, since we'll be fighting every powerful institution. Tear down the left/right wall.

I keep asking, but what exactly is a "progressive"? Sounds to me like they like Democrat ideas tonyt53 Jun 2016 #1
They mean Warren. Nt NCTraveler Jun 2016 #5
Warren is a Democrat through and through, make no mistake about that. tonyt53 Jun 2016 #6
That is my point. NCTraveler Jun 2016 #9
She got a taste of the Establishment Resistance when she spoke out against the TPP Armstead Jun 2016 #25
Except all those years she was a Republican.... nt justiceischeap Jun 2016 #33
Warren changed because of genuine disagreement with the ideology of the Republicans, and Cal33 Jun 2016 #59
I agree. Beowulf Jun 2016 #2
Tough when most "progressives" have relied on RW talking points over the last six months. baldguy Jun 2016 #3
We have one. NCTraveler Jun 2016 #4
there are several, in fact wyldwolf Jun 2016 #16
True. You think they would know that... Nt NCTraveler Jun 2016 #19
I've known that since the 90's... Armstead Jun 2016 #28
After her trolling in NV and that she is leaving anyway.... Jackilope Jun 2016 #29
YesI will be doing a write in, I hope you do as well. Not voting is no voice a write in is a record Todays_Illusion Jun 2016 #7
Staying home rather than voting isn't a revolutionary act. Gormy Cuss Jun 2016 #8
what is progessive about voting for "the lesser of two evils" jman0war Jun 2016 #31
What's progressive is keeping your eye on the bigger picture. Gormy Cuss Jun 2016 #32
meh jman0war Jun 2016 #34
It's likely that the next president will select at least two SCJ Gormy Cuss Jun 2016 #39
can you cite Hillary's SC picks? jman0war Jun 2016 #42
Do you really believe that Trump will pick anyone to the left of Clinton? Gormy Cuss Jun 2016 #50
SC picks jman0war Jun 2016 #56
George W. Bush Proud Liberal Dem Jun 2016 #53
sickening post squirecam Jun 2016 #68
pay more attention jman0war Jun 2016 #71
suggest squirecam Jun 2016 #73
There are already several progressive parties. TwilightZone Jun 2016 #10
She won both pledged delegates and the popular vote La Lioness Priyanka Jun 2016 #11
Yes, the Democratic Party is a lost cause casperthegm Jun 2016 #12
It's in bad shape RobertEarl Jun 2016 #69
Good luck liberal N proud Jun 2016 #13
You must've been miserable the last 8 years. nt LexVegas Jun 2016 #14
You sadly miss the point. The Democrats can only be as progressive as their political power Trust Buster Jun 2016 #15
To be clear: every vote not cast for Clinton is a vote to hurt her chances of defeating Trump onenote Jun 2016 #17
0 - 0 =/= 1. VulgarPoet Jun 2016 #46
There is the green party, yes? Adrahil Jun 2016 #18
You wrote: "Splitting the vote left of center just guarantees a right of center victory." floppyboo Jun 2016 #40
and we have a current Prez that said Go Vols Jun 2016 #48
yeah, so time to do something to put her (or their) money where her mouth is floppyboo Jun 2016 #49
America is a plutocracy davidn3600 Jun 2016 #20
Hate to say it BlindTiresias Jun 2016 #64
whoever you are, you're trying too hard Blue_Tires Jun 2016 #21
You don't change the party by staying out of it. LiberalFighter Jun 2016 #22
I used to think like that Marrah_G Jun 2016 #24
You can't change a party that doesn't want to change. Exilednight Jun 2016 #35
I feel much the same as you Marrah_G Jun 2016 #23
I am with you a million percent. n/t djean111 Jun 2016 #26
Then you should follow the tea party playbook dbackjon Jun 2016 #27
Don't stay home. Down ticket is way to go. Jackilope Jun 2016 #30
Be patient. Wait and see what Bernie says. He'll learn more than he can tell. But he'll say so if ancianita Jun 2016 #36
I'm so glad the LGBTQ community stuck with the Democratic party-year after year after year justiceischeap Jun 2016 #37
+1 Starry Messenger Jun 2016 #51
Right squirecam Jun 2016 #70
Exactlly, a party that both the Democrats *and* the Republicans can hate on Fumesucker Jun 2016 #38
Just be patient. Both Dems. and Repubs. are quitting their respective Parties by the millions. Cal33 Jun 2016 #41
You're in luck! PROGRESSIVEPARTYUNDERGROUND.COM is available! brooklynite Jun 2016 #43
Yes we do. MyNameGoesHere Jun 2016 #44
A third party run could well have handed the GOP the white house. Kentonio Jun 2016 #47
That's not my concern or my fault. Eom MyNameGoesHere Jun 2016 #54
A reminder about TOS... brooklynite Jun 2016 #45
Who's going to pay for it? MrScorpio Jun 2016 #52
In other words, you fear you lack the competence and vision of the Tea Party whatthehey Jun 2016 #55
Uh, most of us would have preferred to reclaim our party from corporate capture dreamnightwind Jun 2016 #57
+1000 /nt jman0war Jun 2016 #58
Again, the TP did it. Why can't the left? whatthehey Jun 2016 #61
Except the Tea Party ultimately failed. Lizzie Poppet Jun 2016 #62
Trump is their favorite! And they control both houses in lockstep whatthehey Jun 2016 #63
Perhaps I misunderstood you dreamnightwind Jun 2016 #66
While not an extreme leftist, I'd like to see an analog of the TP in Dem-land yes whatthehey Jun 2016 #67
Thanks for your response dreamnightwind Jun 2016 #72
Today's Democratic Party is a centrist party. Lizzie Poppet Jun 2016 #60
What a great idea Demsrule86 Jun 2016 #65
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