General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The issues with DU participation IMHO, are a conflict between two thoughts on how to advance Liberal [View all]OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)Last edited Sat Dec 6, 2014, 09:54 PM - Edit history (1)
it is hard to know where to begin:
"even if that means minimal progress as long as we prevent things from moving backwards"
Um, we are moving backwards and have been doing so since 1980, with the active participation of both Democratic congresses and Democratic presidents:
-NAFTA
-extension of Bush tax cuts
-Iraq War Resolution
-The Failure to Close Guantanamo
-USA PATRIOT Act
-Repeal of Glass-Stegall Act
-No Child Left Behind
-Bankruptcy "reform"
-Letting telecom companies off the hook for spying after 9/11
-Wall Street Bailout without a single piece of accountability or requirement that "main street" benefit
-Deregulation of the trucking industry, which has led to low wages, de-unionization, and weaker safety rules
I could go on. Each of these passed with Democratic congressional votes and/or the signature/order of a Democratic president.
" that results in losses to radical right wing Republicans who will not only implement regressive policies and undo 10-20-30 years of progress"
A) Unstated assumption that the progress has not already been undone. It has.
B) Unstated assumption that if a neoliberal Democrat loses, a Republican wins. Why can't a more progressive Democrat win instead?
"Democrats doing the best they can"
Bullshit. Lieberman's state was to the left of him. He never did the best he could. Earl Blumenauer's and Ron Kind's districts are to the left of them on trade. They vote the way they do on trade because they want to--they could get reelected without those sell out votes on trade, but they don't want to do so. If Obama wanted to do the "best he could" he would have threatened Lieberman with loss of his chairmanship if he didn't get in line on government option, but he didn't. If Obama wanted to do the "best he could" he would not be pursuing special legal rights for corporations in the TPP, but he is. No one is making him do that.
"his group has turned off a large portion of the African American community on DU"
Unstated assumption that there aren't blacks who disapprove of the job the President is doing.
"the website cannot accommodate both groups and continue to be successful"
Unstated assumption that a successful website requires agreement of all participants. To posit the opposite assumption, maybe that is boring and the admins are specifically allowing the debate.