General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Sorry, Bernie but the Democrats know whose side they are on and whose side they have always been on [View all]LiberalLovinLug
(14,772 posts)The Democratic party needs fundamental change. What it needs is to open up its doors to working people, and young people, and older people who are prepared to fight for social and economic justice,
Why is it an attack to look for ways to improve?
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/15041-democrats-and-labor-a-tale-of-abuse
The Democratic Partys participation in the recent national sequester cuts is yet another big dent in their love affair with organized labor. But break-ups are often a protracted process. Before a relationship ends there is usually a gradual deterioration based on irreconcilable differences, until the split becomes inevitable. The decades-long marriage of labor unions and the Democratic Party is nearing such a divorce. Labor unions are becoming frustrated as the Democrats flaunt their affair with corporate America and Wall Street.
What are some of the issues driving towards separation? It just seems that no matter how much labor leaders shower the politicians with money and affection, the Democrats just arent returning the love.
Although the Democrats were always a fickle partner, their coldness evolved into aggression under Bill Clinton, who oversaw a slew of anti-worker legislation, most notably NAFTA and welfare reform.
Obama has continued this rightwards trajectory, while portraying himself brilliantly as the lesser evil compared with the more honest anti-union rhetoric of the Republicans. He fulfilled none of his promises to labor in 2008, and essentially ignored all labor issues in his 2012 campaign. Labor leaders misinterpreted Obama as playing hard to get, when in fact the Democratic Party had already moved on.
To prove his fidelity to his new crush, Wall Street, Obama has made it a pet project to target the most powerful union in the country the teachers union for destruction. Obamas innocent-sounding Race to the Top education reform is in actuality an anti-union dismembering of public education, with its promotion of charter schools and its mass closings of public high schools that Obama labels as failing. Bush, Jr.s anti-union No Child Left Behind looks innocent compared to Obamas education reform.
In fact, Obama has overseen the worst environment for organized labor since Ronald Reagan. But the problem is bigger than Obama. Its the entire Democratic Party. For example, Democratic governors across the United States continue to work in tandem with Republicans in weakening public employee unions the last bastion of real strength in the labor movement.