Reply #16: The Source of American Political Power and Why You Have None

[Quequeg]

Here's a good diary at "My Left Wing":

http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=12961">The Source of American Political Power and Why You Have None - by author TocqueDeville

loy'al·ism n

1. Support or loyalty to the establishment, government, political party or leaders without condition or merit.

Perhaps by design, the dualism of our two party system perpetuates loyalism. The old saying, 'he may be a crook, but he's my crook' is the axiom of modern Democratic loyalism when victory over their "crook" is not just a preference, but a moral imperative.

But we must also acknowledge that loyalism, however rationalized, comes with a severe cost. For as long as your loyalty is given freely, without merit, without condition, and with only the promise that your guy is not their guy, you have sacrificed your political power.

If the People Power movement is ever going to break this cycle of lesser of two evils and instigate real reform in the Democratic party, we are going to have to learn how to use real power by ransoming our support. Only when the Democratic establishment fears us will they bid to our will.

For all practical purposes, there are only two forms of political power available to ordinary Americans: money and votes. And the ability to deliver either, in significant quantities, will certainly get you invited to the parade. But real power comes from not just being able to deliver money or votes, but from being able to take them away. Just ask any politician who has tried to take on big oil, or the finance and insurance industries. The real power of big money unveils itself not when it is in your favor, but when it has set you in its sights for destruction.

Currently, the Netroots has raised a lot of money for Democrats. By my estimate, around $5 million for the 2006 midterm. And yet our power remains marginal compared to K Street. Why? Because they do not fear us. Fear is the product of conditionality. And as long as our support, our loyalty is unconditional, we lose that card to play.

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