13 centrist Democrats sign "Promise to America" - capitalism, fiscal discipline, strong borders and pride in US

[KPN]

140. Well, mainstream is socialist. I really wish they would use the label communist instead of socialist

when saying what they are not. Otherwise, I might actually react tolerantly if not favorably to this statement. What they describe is free market capitalism, placing all the emphasis on “affordability”. There is no such thing for far too many in a capitalist economy like ours which increasingly favors “freedom” for corporations and owners to do whatever they want over regulation to ensure affordability, not to mention a healthy and sustainable environment.

I can understand and accept individual Democrats downplaying the reality that government in itself is a socialist construct (notwithstanding the classical definition of socialism), but to organize a centrist opposition within the party against essentially socialized programs and policies in a very vague and sweeping sense (that’s essentially what this is at its base) is alienating for me personally. In fact, it’s totally contrary to my basic belief about the role of government — a belief that’s been firmly cemented by the end results of the vastly deregulated capitalist economy “centrism” has helped achieve over the past 55 years.

These people should start their own party. Progressives aren’t our problem nor the they upstarts in the Democratic Party. Economic, if not social, progressives were the backbone of the Democratic Party from the 30s into the late 60s.