Noam Chomsky: "contemporary Democrats are pretty much what used to be called moderate Republicans."

[imagine2015]

Published on
Thursday, April 28, 2016
by Democracy Now!
Noam Chomsky: Young Bernie Sanders Supporters are a "Mobilized Force That Could Change the Country"


During an event Tuesday at the Brooklyn Public Library, Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned political dissident, linguist, author and professor, was asked about Bernie Sanders’ run for the White House. "He’s considered radical and extremist, which is a pretty interesting characterization, because he’s basically a mainstream New Deal Democrat," Chomsky said. "His positions would not have surprised President Eisenhower, who said, in fact, that anyone who does not accept New Deal programs doesn’t belong in the American political system. That’s now considered very radical." Chomsky concluded by noting that Sanders "has mobilized a large number of young people, these young people who are saying, 'Look, we’re not going to consent anymore.' And if that turns into a continuing, organized, mobilized force, that could change the country—maybe not for this election, but in the longer term."


"We have this phenomenon where someone is taking positions that would have been considered pretty mainstream during the Eisenhower years, that are supported by a large part, often a considerable majority, of the population, but he’s dismissed as radical and extremist. That’s an indication of how the spectrum has shifted to the right during the neoliberal period, so far to the right that the contemporary Democrats are pretty much what used to be called moderate Republicans."—Noam Chomsky

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/04/28/noam-chomsky-young-bernie-sanders-supporters-are-mobilized-force-could-change

[timmymoff]

1. Noam under the bus

with much weeping and gnashing of teeth the Hillary supporters will wail, " I'm a liberal. I vote democrat." That's why we have nearly as much party dysfunction as the republicans. We have the left wing of the democratic party ( Bernie supporters) then we have the seldom right wing of the democratic party( Hillary supporters). I call them the seldom right wing because their candidate must first get every vote or stance wrong before an "evolution". A track record of being wrong so often mean nothing these days.

[silvershadow]

2. She's always been a progressive! That crime bill and NAFTA and TPP are real crown jewels.

[dgauss]

3. Whether or not we get to some sort of national, single payer health care system

has little to do with whether or not it makes sense at this point. Of course it makes sense.

But now that an honest, progressive politician comes along that consistently and emphatically advocates for it, half the Democratic party dismisses the idea as too radical to achieve. Especially too radical to achieve and completely unattainable if you go and vote for someone that consistently and emphatically advocates for it.

That won't make sense to young people for long.

[PowerToThePeople]

4. From the current leader of the Democratic party

[ucrdem]

5. "He’s considered radical and extremist" by whom?

And who considers Chomsky a Democrat? He's a Libertarian and his views are about what one would expect from a television spectator with no direct contact with or participation in or for that matter knowledge of the events he's speculating about. Basically he's the equivalent of a DU drive-by.

[ibegurpard]

6. No they aren't

They are more conservative.