General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What's your response to the "There's [almost] no difference between the two parties" comment? [View all]lovemydog
(11,833 posts)like huge tax breaks for big oil (on the basis that it's for research and development or some such hogwash), listening to big lobbyists (particularly the insurance lobby), refusing to tax capital gains at the same rate as ordinary income, refusing to lower military spending as a percentage of gross national product even in so-called peace time, refusing to nationalize big banks, refusing to take all profit out of health care and make it free and available to all, and being far too deferential toward big capitalism as the only answer to struggles of the 99% while implicitly and explicitly condoning socialism for the top 1%. The few exceptions to these policies are the progressive caucus, the black caucus and various people like Barbara Lee, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren.
On other issues they are very different, like civil rights, expanding opportunity, providing a safety net, reducing the cost of higher education, protecting & expanding the right to vote, using full-scale war as the last resort rather than the first, climate change, affordable health care and immigration, somewhat progressive taxation, protection of the environment, paid day care for working families, being somewhat less hostile to unions, free or low cost community college, and being responsive to voters who aren't mean spirited and / or gullible.
I'd like to see the democratic party stand opposed to the republican party on all or many more of the issues mentioned in the first paragraph.