The term "Corporatist" or "Pro-Corporate Democrats" are utterly naive terms.

[Douglas Carpenter]

Because in a corporate dominated capitalist society especially one as corporate dominated and capitalistic as the United States - of course the political class are Pro-corporatist and have been at least since the rise to power of the modern corporation. It is hardly a secret that the entire campaign system and lobbying system are overwhelmingly dominated by corporations and that is true whether the Democrats or Republicans are in power. Come on!! No one can possibly be so naive to not know that. FDR and LBJ were Pro-corporatist Democrats just as much as Clinton and Obama. The difference is LBJ and FDR were Presidents during an era when the unions were a lot more powerful and alternatives to corporate dominated capitalist society were still being espoused in rather mainstream debate.

To not be Pro-corporatist would require politicians who would NOT take their money and who would build their political influence from other sources than the corporate lobbying industrial complex. How many politicians are like that? I suppose Bernie Sanders and no more than half a dozen others.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. FDR took office at a time when there was a serious threat of a socialist revolution.

Many unions (e.g. the IWW) and many intellectuals were far to the left of where anyone dares to stand today. Everyone from Einstein to Erich Fromm were out-and-out socialists.

By implementing sufficient reforms, FDR was able to save the country for capitalism. Those on the Right who called him a "traitor to his class" failed to understand what he did for them.

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. well EXACTLY!! When capitalism is under threat of lossing it all - that is when you see capitalism

reforming itself. You take away that threat and capitalism rarely recognizes a need to reform. It is simply the nature of things that capital will seek the highest return at the lowest possible cost. Nothing particularly sinister about this anymore than the desire of all of us to earn the most income we can while purchasing our goods and services at the lowest possible price. Except in mass capitalist society where there are more people with only their labor to sell then there is a demand for their labor - then the overwhelming advantage belongs to the one with capital who seeks to purchase labor. The only way to break through this supply and demand quandary and turn the advantage to labor is when the threat to capitalism is so great that capitalism is forced to make concessions that go beyond its simply supply and demand paradigm. When capital feels no threat it is highly improbable that we will see any real reform.

I personally believe the rise of a strong a viable campaign that challenges corporate dominated capitalism is the only realist hope for seeing real reform that goes beyond simple window dressing.

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. not at all - I am hoping Bernie Sanders will run and present an alternative to corporate

dominated capitalist thinking. I will say Hillary is no worse than most mainstream Democratic Party leaders - but considerably more enlightened than any Republican Party leader. But I am hoping for an alternative to both and that is why I pray earnestly that Sen. Sanders will run as a Democrat.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

6. Oh OK, I deleted :)

[1000words]

4. I prefer "fascist."

I believe in calling a spade a spade.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. I'm not quite prepared to call the entire American political structure "fascist"

Even Noam Chomsky and the late Howard Zinn said that though the danger is certainly there - we are still a ways from fascism. As long as we are posting away here on Democratic Underground without fear of being hauled away and imprisoned - we are quite a ways from fascism.