Mosley-Braun hits one out of the park

[trogdor]

I was watching the replay of the debate last night (until the old lady changed the channel to Sex and the City), when Carol Mosely-Braun was asked the question, "what is the definition of 'rich'?" The question was first asked of Rev. Al Sharpton, who gave a rather muddled answer, but Mosley-Braun's answer was quite refreshing indeed. Instead of attempting to give an answer, she threw it back on the questioner, stating that this is the sort of question conservatives ask liberals trying to goad them into an unproductive argument and later accuse them of waging "class warfare."

This answer is, of course, 100% correct. The sad thing is, I have NEVER heard that kind of answer from a Democrat before, and I applaud Carol Mosely-Braun for giving it. This is the kind of thinking we desperately need in the Democratic Party. It's a damn shame she can't win.

Maybe the nominee will pick her for the #2 job. He could do a lot worse.

[Catholic Sensation]

1. if some conservative douche throws "class warfare" in your face

say "well fuck you, this country was formed because of class warfare."

The American Revolution was the colonist class revolting against the imperial British class, and the pilgrims who came here were considered outcasts (sorta) by British society, and thus they decided to settle here. If it weren't for classes realizing the shit they're in and deciding to change the situation the world would be as it was 2000 B.C.

[soupkitchen]

6. Progress has been about class warfare since the Magna Carta was signed

And on that day the King was the only conservative

[dwckabal]

8. technically, you are correct...

This country was founded on class warfare, but not like you'd think.

In reality, the lower class of colonists were becoming restless over the increasing power of the upper class of colonists. Most people at the time were still loyal to England, so lower class anger tended to be directed at the rich (which is how most revolutions have happened). To blow off some of this steam, the upper class colonists used propoganda to focus the anger of the lower class against the British, instead of them.

One of the prime examples of this is the inappropriately named "Boston Massacre", in which six people out of a crowd of around 400 were killed. Here is an example of a description of the event given not long afterwards:

THE HORRID MASSACRE IN BOSTON, PERPETRATED IN THE EVENING OF THE FIFTH DAY OF MARCH, 1770, BY SOLDIERS OF THE TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENT WHICH WITH THE FOURTEENTH REGIMENT WERE THEN QUARTERED THERE; WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE STATE OF THINGS PRIOR TO THAT CATASTROPHE

The fact the the soldiers who fired on the crowd were being goaded and taunted by an unruly mob was lost on the "spin doctors" of the time, who promply decried the British as ruthless thugs. Interestingly enough, John Adams defended the sodiers at trial, and was able to gain aquittal for 4 of the 6 sodiers on the grounds that they fired in self-defense.

Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and others were masters of propoganda and successfully used the built up resentment of the lower class to foment an uprising against the British, instead of the colonial upper class. The rest, as they say, is history.

[Cheswick2.0]

2. She is the smartest candidate in the race

I beleive we could do a lot worse than her. It is too bad that people are so snowed by the idea that only a moderate white man can ever be elected. Lets face it, even people here are uncomfortable with the idea of having a black woman as Pres.

[libertad]

9. I agree, I think she's a very intelligent, sensible woman.

I can't see why she's coming in last in the polls.

[nannygoat]

3. I agree. I also thought it was great

how she talked about greed and the need to care about one another (I'm paraphrasing but that was the gist).

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. One can make the argument that Braun has been the most

consistent, consistently good, in the debates.

[forgethell]

5. Actually

the question needs to be asked. Forget the "class warfare" aspect of it for a minute. Politicians, Democratic & Republican both, aare always ont the lookout for more money. I think it is legitimate to ask them who they intend to get it from and who they intend to ive it to, and the extent of the programs they propese. Otherwise, it's like proposing a moon launch. When the launch will take place, What point in the sky will we aim for, how many astronauts, how much fuel will be required, what back-up is necessary on the ground, what emergency procedures are necessary. If they don't know the answers, or at least have an estimate, they are bull-shitting you. Sorta like G*B and his post-war plans for Iraq.

[lanlady]

7. she hit lots of them out of the park

She's very impressive indeed.