The US government is merely the front for the ruling class

[JReed]

It merely carries out the policies of the over-civilized, well-manicured capitalist thugs.

And that's what we've got.

Think of it this way. The capitalists want to eliminate your neighborhood, village or tribe to put in an airport-mine-amusement park, doesn't really matter what it is so much. They've asked you nicely to get the hell out of their way as they claim to own everything. Your people refuse as you have lived there for a thousand years and more. So they decide to make a law and force you out and/or slaughter all of you.

Doesn't matter which way it's done. The slaughter is subsidized anyway as is the amusement park.

Well now The Chamber of Commerce has the minutes of all the back room meetings and one particularly strange guy reveals the minutes and guess what during their frank moments it was discovered that they spoke openly that they would maim and murder anyone and anything to put that amusement park in the middle of your descendants grave. Now it's no big surprise but still...

[intaglio]

1. First, all Governments are a front for a ruling class

It doesn't matter whether that government is wholly democratic or completely totalitarian. In a democratic system the ruling class is bigger and slightly more accountable than in other systems (reasons why democracy wins) but there remains a ruling class.

Second, please look at the name of this MB; it is neither Socialist Underground nor Communist Underground nor Conspiracy Underground. The Democratic bit refers to a political party and it is expected that people who post here broadly support the aims of that party.

[socialist_n_TN]

2. Bullshit. This is a message board for Democrats AND OTHER PROGRESSIVES...........

AND what's more there's ALWAYS been a large contingent of socialists and yes even communists that post here and HAVE posted here for a while. As a matter of fact, MOST of the DU polls that I've seen have shown the socialist/communist contingent as a sizable minority of posters here. The last poll I remember (on DU II) showed that contingent to be around 40%+. More so than Third Way Crap Artists. Just because we lowered the profile for the election doesn't mean we've gone away. It just means we know how to "play nice".

As to your implication that in a democracy the people are the ACTUAL ruling class, that's laughable. Just look at the difference between what the people say they want and what the political class gives them in legislation. Look at the HUGE amounts of money that have to be spent to run for office, any office. Look at the fact that fully HALF of the potential electorate doesn't even bother to vote mostly because it doesn't seem to matter WHO they elect. Then tell me with a straight face that there's not a ruling class. And it ain't me. I don't know if it's you or not, but I guarantee, I ain't part of the ruling class. As Carlin said (paraphrasing): "It's a small club AND YOU AREN'T IN IT!"

[JReed]

3. Geez I was wondering

if I needed to take a loyalty oath or something for speaking out for economic justice.

What does that say?

[intaglio]

5. But progressive does not mean Communists or Conspiracy Theorists

It can include socialists but the MB primary focus remains the Democratic Party. Nobody is asking that you walk in lock-step but it does require that the divisive howling that comes from certain quarters be moderated.

This moderation is needed because the death of LW parties often comes from them savaging their own guts in an attempt to be more "right on" or "subversive". I observed this at close range as I watched the disintegration of the British Labour movement at the end of the 1970s. I also saw how the RW media often cheered on the cannibals whilst sniggering at them with their more "mainstream" commentators.

I worked, in a minor way, to rebuild it and I felt real hope when John Smith began the necessary reforms, then watched in horror as Anthony Charles Lynton Blair pummeled the shocked party into other reforms that allowed his own coronation. I dared to hope when the '97 election saw the Labour Party take power, praying the I had been mistaken about the Plastic Preacher, but was soon shown my prayers were hopeless.

You think the President or this MB or the Democratic Party are too Right Wing? Have you actually looked at what has been achieved in the past 4 years? Go back 5 years and ask if the Affordable Care Act or the end of DOMA or the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or the Lilly Ledbetter act or the withdrawal from Iraq or the draw down in Afghanistan or the disengagement from other conflicts or effective disaster response or the many other egalitarian and humanitarian achievements of this administration would have been possible under a right wing Democrat? It is true that there are problems with FISA and other elements of the security apparatus but I suspect that those have to wait on a more left leaning Supreme Court.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101789643

Then I dare you to look into a future where the fragments of the Democratic Party scrabble for office abused by the "left wing" and patronised by the Republicans. You want that? Then you want hell on earth and perpetual war.

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Edit to add link

[HiPointDem]

6. we already have perpetual war & seem to be on our way toward hell on earth.

[intaglio]

7. So slow it down

But don't try and do it by shouting about how your allies are not good enough or how people will come to understand how right you are once they have been "re-educated".

Self evisceration is not pretty and it is disastrous for the people you are trying to help

[malaise]

4. Yes and????

I suggest you read Michael Parenti's classic Democracy for the Few. Gramsci is also your friend...the capitalist state is there to defend the capitalists.

[Rex]

8. Nice try, but that is so 1980s.

Corporations control the planet now, in a way. They use governments just like they do the people. You remember RWR? Sure ya do! Nixon helped too! All of the crappiest helped busniess steal as much as they can. That is the GOP mantra.