Thesis: Democratic Party hijacked...

[JackRiddler]

Poll question: Thesis: Democratic Party hijacked...

Thesis: Democratic Party on national level is hijacked by monied interests so that agendas of class war (from above) and imperialism prevail, albeit in a less barbaric form than with the Republicans.

[Caseman]

1. I didn't know 'monied' was a proper adjective...

...But I support the thesis, sadly...

[Mythsaje]

2. It is...

Alternate spelling; moneyed.

[Caseman]

3. Well then I've learned a great term to describe the downfall of our party!

Yay!:think: ... :-(

[Quantess]

12. self delete

[MrSlayer]

4. To put it in base terms.

Republicans just brutally rape you, the Democrats are at least nice enough to lube you up and give you a reach around. Either way you're fucked. This country is broken in ways that are most likely unmendable. The corporate power extends into both parties and they won't let us elect anyone who will stop it.

[Quantess]

13. Oh! I am so innocent.

I saw money - eyed.

[mac2]

5. Why else would Nadler block impeachment hearings?

[balantz]

6. I'm ignorant on how it truly works

but that's about how I see it. I don't know if the Dem. hijack is less barbaric because it is allowed to keep the people in line by handing out a few programs every other decade or so; or if there are competing corporate interests between Dem. and Rep. that share the control in a constant wrestling match; or what?

[Dogmudgeon]

7. The Marxian paradigm is a bit limited these days

The class war thesis was quite solid a century ago, but the agencies of oppression are much more varied today. They also now tend to be non-ideological; e.g., Lee Atwater cultivating friends among bluesmen like B. B. King, "South Park Republicans", and Democrats like Ted Soros and Donald Trump (both quite liberal, even if Trump frequently infuriates many people).

The political parties are mainly expressions of the system we have chosen to create -- collective avatars, if you will. This is why I often rant that we are wasting our time seeking leadership when we should be lobbying our representatives directly, as if they were our paid specialists.

We also waste our time screaming "Corporate!" -- We ought to be demanding fundamental changes in business law to put an end to corporate personhood, among other reforms. I myself am partial to a Georgist system, but I'm quite willing to accept anything more democratic and anti-tyrannical.

--p!

[JackRiddler]

14. Please don't bring in labels...

Class war and imperialism are not Marxian concepts per se, so please don't bring that in.

Simplicity in a term is a strength, when it describes a reality clearly.

Obvious examples of class war in the 21st century:
- "Privatizing" social security (of Democrats, Obama supports this)
- Cutting corporate taxes, ending the estate and capital gain taxes, etc.
- Raising military budgets (and claiming they're for defense)
- The new bankruptcy regulations
- Bailing out banks for failed speculative ventures
- Opposing universal health care
- "No Child Left Behind"
- Federal response to Katrina, demolishing public housing in New Orleans
- The prison industrial complex, warehousing the poor, low-wage labor pool
- The burgeoning spook-industrial complex (2/3 of intel budgets now go to contracters!)

Obvious examples of imperialism:
- Continuing blockade on Cuba
- Threats against Venezuela
- Invasion of Iraq, attempts to start war with Iran
- Threats to invade Pakistan
- General threats of "with us or against us"
- Completing the break-up of Yugoslavia
- Lobby for "humanitarian" interventions in Sudan
- Idea that United States is indispensable, must play world police, must stay on top militarily (rather than moving toward an end to a world order based on military power).
- Idea that covert policy and operations kept secret from the people and for the most part from the Congress is legitimate and necessary.

Most of the examples actually fit into both categories, as do the following:
NAFTA, CAFTA, North American Union, IMF, World Bank, WTO.

Both ideas are easy to understand and describe realities. If adopting a complex analysis (which should reflect all realities) means you ignore those realities that are too simple (for polite academics?), then you may be trying to be too smart for your own good.

Rather than shying away from these terms as something that is too extreme or unpopular for Americans, we should be repeating them ad nauseum until they become normal (one of the principles in how the right wing conducts its propaganda with such success, by the way).

This is not to say that what you bring up is not also relevant. Yes, the parties are coalitions or collective avatars embodying many contradictions - more often than not just bamboozling the lower classes on behalf of sections of the uppers, however.

Corporate personhood, yes we agree!

[cooolandrew]

8. It's a coalition party just needs a good tug to the left.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Tend to support. Also Elizabeth Kucinich said in the last video

that Dennis is working on holding some 9/11 hearings. She said hopefully they might span a week, but at least a few consecutive days.

Months ago Dennis said they would be limited in scope and deal with a certain aspect of 9/11.

FWIW it's at the very end of this video.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x86951

[Quantess]

10. Most everyone can be bought, for a price.

It's the sad truth.

[orleans]

11. if you're going to write this you'd better get busy--there is much to be said. n/t

[JackRiddler]

15. k