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2016 Postmortem
Showing Original Post only (View all)How the Democratic Party Establishment Suffocates Progressive Change [View all]
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/03/22/how-democratic-party-establishment-suffocates-progressive-changeThe Democratic Party establishment persistently strives to downsize economic and political expectations. Sanders aims to upsize them, which is why he is viewed as such a threat
The Democratic Party establishment has recently found itself discomforted by Sen. Bernie Sanders campaign to return the party to its modern roots of New Deal social democracy. The establishments response has included a complex coupling of elite media and elite economics opinion aimed at promoting an image of Sanders as an unelectable extremist with unrealistic economic policies.
The response provides a case study showing how the party suffocates progressive change. Every progressive knows about the opposition and tactics of the Republican Party. Less understood are the opposition and tactics of the Democratic Party establishment. Speaking metaphorically, that establishment is a far lesser evil, but it may also be a far greater obstacle to progressive change.
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Rather than an excess of pipe dreams, our current dismal condition is the product of fear of dreaming. The Democratic Party establishment persistently strives to downsize economic and political expectations. Sanders aims to upsize them, which is why he has been viewed as such a threat."
(snip)
There is legitimate room for intellectual difference. What is so stunning is the tone of the critique and the fact it sought to diminish an important policy (fiscal stimulus) just because Sanders was using it to his political advantage.
(snip)
Progressives must surface the obstruction posed by the Democratic Party establishment. Primaries are prime time to do that, which means there is good reason for Sanders campaign to continue.
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How the Democratic Party Establishment Suffocates Progressive Change [View all]
Ferd Berfel
Mar 2016
OP
"I'm a registered Democrat and a Rockefeller Republican ... where that will get me, I'm not sure yet
think
Mar 2016
#2
The Third Way/DLC "Play" Is To Persuade Rank And File To FOCUS on Social Rather Than Economic
CorporatistNation
Mar 2016
#23
The current Democratic Party is a big tent with the right-centrists being the bullies
AZ Progressive
Mar 2016
#3
Clinton is as progressive as Nixon. No I take that back she isn't as progressive as Nixon.
rhett o rick
Mar 2016
#11
The two are running on remarkably similar platforms, and voted the same 90+% of the time.
DanTex
Mar 2016
#14
Her "grasp" on foreign has cost thousands of lives. I gave you a list of issues where they
rhett o rick
Mar 2016
#16
So let's talk about her "pay-offs". Do you deny that she has taken money from banksters for her
rhett o rick
Mar 2016
#50
You're accusing her of bribery with zero evidence. You're also conflating individual campaign
DanTex
Mar 2016
#51
I didn't say it doesn't exist anywhere, I said there's not a trace of evidence that it exists
DanTex
Mar 2016
#59
As soon as you say that stating she accepts payoffs from banksters DQ's you ... you are DQ'd.
Scuba
Mar 2016
#52
Nice try. I don't hate her, I hate those that put corporate profits ahead of the lives
rhett o rick
Mar 2016
#69
It's mostly false, at best misleading. At this point I'm used to it from the fringe left.
DanTex
Mar 2016
#39
They won't be able to stop it for much longer. The "centrists" will be dead from old age, soon. (nt)
w4rma
Mar 2016
#5
No. I promise that I'll never support someone like Clinton in any primary election, anywhere. (nt)
w4rma
Mar 2016
#10
But they can only loot our resources so much. Then what does capitalism have in store for them?
rhett o rick
Mar 2016
#13
You know how you get progressive change? You join the party and work at the lowest level and build
upaloopa
Mar 2016
#28
why don't you write me a long rambling critique and if I have some time maybe I'll read it.
upaloopa
Mar 2016
#42
Like Hillary, the establisment has a lot of "experience"...at protecting the establishment.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Mar 2016
#72