A piece by Michael Lind here on Salon does an excellent job of analyzing the economic issues dividing and uniting the Republicans and Democrats. I won't paraphrase; I'll just add my two bits.
It's especially encouraging to read, near the end of his article, a rational analysis of Populism. Populism has been portrayed far too often as some kind of fascist/racist aberration of American politics. Yeah, right. Then explain to me such aspects of the Populist group the National Farmer's Alliance which gladly accepted black farmers. Of course the "moneyed interests" still have reason to paint Populism with the black brush of fascism. The Populists fought against banks and the government subsidized railroads. Sounds anti-fascist to me.
The Populists understood class warfare and were not going to lie down and take it.
In today's America, the Democrats are like the Republicans of my youth. And the Republicans are kinder and gentler fascists. The entire basis of the Democratic Party is to compromise with the fascists in order to prove to the fascist's media that they are playing ball.
Republicans have taken a shotgun approach to their agenda. They shoot; see what sticks (resonates) and, with the help of the corporate media, run with it. Yes, Michael Lind you are right - the Democrats merely react. They have no agenda other than to cooperate. Through their fear of being proactive in continuing the progressive Roosevelt Democratic agenda, they have turned into a party that merely compromises, and compromises our prosperity away. The Democrats enable the Republicans.
I would like to add this to Mr. Lind's thinking: By aligning themselves so successfully with the Religious Right, Republicans have picked up the tone of a Baptist preacher in a high emotional state of righteous wrath. If a Democrat uses that tone they are shot down as crazy and hateful people. Remember Howard Dean and his yell/scream of euphoria while he was running for president? He was painted as a crazy man and all he did was shout out a most excellent Rebel Yell!
It's especially encouraging to read, near the end of his article, a rational analysis of Populism. Populism has been portrayed far too often as some kind of fascist/racist aberration of American politics. Yeah, right. Then explain to me such aspects of the Populist group the National Farmer's Alliance which gladly accepted black farmers. Of course the "moneyed interests" still have reason to paint Populism with the black brush of fascism. The Populists fought against banks and the government subsidized railroads. Sounds anti-fascist to me.
The Populists understood class warfare and were not going to lie down and take it.
In today's America, the Democrats are like the Republicans of my youth. And the Republicans are kinder and gentler fascists. The entire basis of the Democratic Party is to compromise with the fascists in order to prove to the fascist's media that they are playing ball.
Republicans have taken a shotgun approach to their agenda. They shoot; see what sticks (resonates) and, with the help of the corporate media, run with it. Yes, Michael Lind you are right - the Democrats merely react. They have no agenda other than to cooperate. Through their fear of being proactive in continuing the progressive Roosevelt Democratic agenda, they have turned into a party that merely compromises, and compromises our prosperity away. The Democrats enable the Republicans.
I would like to add this to Mr. Lind's thinking: By aligning themselves so successfully with the Religious Right, Republicans have picked up the tone of a Baptist preacher in a high emotional state of righteous wrath. If a Democrat uses that tone they are shot down as crazy and hateful people. Remember Howard Dean and his yell/scream of euphoria while he was running for president? He was painted as a crazy man and all he did was shout out a most excellent Rebel Yell!
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