General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Thomas Franks, the Clintons and "phony" Democratic populists in the New Gilded Age [View all]KoKo
(84,711 posts)Some attitudes changing but not yet visible consistently. Small movements in pockets of the country here and there and larger ones pushing against Keystone, Fracking and Monsanto who don't get the coverage in the MSM.
I remember the early 60's when we didn't quite get there there was something coming that would bring some change, for awhile, for the better. Maybe we are re-visiting that time and we will be able to accomplish some of what the 60's movements tried to do that was positive which birthed the anti-consumerism movement and led to consumer activism for protection and expansion of food, water and product safety standards. Also, the environmental movement was birthed there along with a push for civil rights which in many ways succeeded with Obama elected as President and has led now to the LBGT rights movement making huge strides. But, the counter is that women's rights and children's rights (over-medication, poverty) are taking a toll and more work needs to be done for focus there.
Eventually people will notice the crumbling society around them. The empty stores the towns without resources (Detroit having to petition the United Nations for Water for those who have no money to pay water bills) the constant grinding of ordinary citizens under police military style tactics and the general depravity of our media and the dumbing down of our children with "teach to the test" programs. etc.
We are back to Wall Street Won and "My 401-K is back" mentality but look at the cost to average Americans. We see preparations being made for funding for more war-like actions riseing again while our roads, bridges and infrastructure haven't gotten the promised repair because the push to Privatize it all, as the solution, seems to have some strong support with the usual crowd.
It's hard some times, and depressing, to deal with it when one remembers what we could have done and what we couldn't do because the "Deep State" was working in the background dogging us for every gain to take whatever they could to satisfy their ideological global corporate interests backed up by hand-picked conservative judiciary and media whose agenda is in full support having been freed of concerns for the public good by FCC Deregulation. In so many ways we seem to be backtracking...yet, there are these baby steps forward to try to keep building on.
Hopefully this is a very bad patch we have to get through. The growing realization that exuberance of electing the first black President would not bring the wide Democratic/Progressive Wave of Change in policies instituted after terrible Bush years is probably a positive rather than a negative. And, the realization that the economic policies from Reagan through Bush (including Clinton) were the cause of what we are suffering through may lead to a new movement among the young indebted with college loans and forced to work for low wage jobs with little hope of ever getting out from under it all may lead to the political change that was started growing into a movement for "THE PEOPLE."
Maybe that's the only true hope ...that we can build on some of the good that was started in the 60's and dig out of this with help of the young who like the youth of 60's movement...will demand change and have the energy to work for it. We might not see it coming yet...but, as you mention OWS gave us a frame..."The 1%" and it was all worth it for that. "They" couldn't shut down the message even though they shut down the places where the message was revealed. Maybe the message will continue to grow beyond what brutal force can deal with?