TheRealNews: Zinn on the movement and new parties

[L. Coyote]

Run time: 10:56 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyN60LaA7fg   Posted on YouTube: April 12, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 12, 2009 By DU Member: L. Coyote Views on DU: 1028

 

[defendandprotect]

1. Plan B . . .

which no one wants to discuss -- ?

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. The only real gains made by lower/middle class due to strong 3rd parties formed after fin. disaster

FDR gave us the New Deal after he saw how the allure of Socialist leaders like Eugene Debbs & Huey Long credibly threaten the capitalist plutocracy. And it took strong, grassroots 3rd parties to advance the interests of poor family farmers, the unemployed, and small business owners against the thuggery of big banks & their congressional allies ensconced in either party(sound familiar?). Only by founding a new political party, the Greenback Party, could the lowly family farmers advance their interests. The Greenback party formed the roots of the more famous Populist Party.

The time is now. I'm keeping my eyes open for a new populist party.

The American people have for a long time suspected & known that both of the "main" political parties, their busom buddy bankers, and big business interests (plutocracy) have always been on the same team. That goes to the very founding of this country - a revolution brought by the newly rich American elite, for the elite (remember only those with property were considered citizens & could vote let alone run for office after "independence").

Only by going outside the standard 2-party power structure (ie, 3rd parties) have American politics come through with truly just, fair, & lasting reforms. Huey Long scared the elite, because he told the "little people" the truth: that as the most powerful nation, we could easily afford to guarantee a high standard of living for everyone from cradle to grave. Deep, meaningful reforms that restrict the role in our political system of businesses & stop the kowtowing to the interests of the super-rich in order to further a society in which the welfare of our fellow citizens - not trillion dollar ponzi schemes - come first. But we won't get those reforms from the dems or repugs. We'll need something new.

[inna]

4. +1! brilliant post! nt

[gulfcoastliberal]

5. Thanks, that's very kind.

We need another Huey Long. He was the man.

[MedioGringo]

7. Sign me up!

How does one start a political party anyway?

I do have a few issues with this however:

1.) Alternative views are quashed by not allowing people like Nader to participate in national debates. How do we get a 3rd party represented?

2.) Obama is probably progressive enough for most liberals to feel he represents them enough that they won't flee to a 3rd party. Especially considering how liberals were so marginalized for the last 8 years.

3.) I think the republicans are closer to forming a new political party, with the religious nuts and paranoid militias on one side and the pro-business, fiscal conservative, social moderates on the other. This might actually be good for progressives because the moderates on the right desperately need to detach themselves from the nuts so that they can embrace their moderate tendencies and possibly even vote for more progressive legislation without fear of retaliation for the wingnuts.

4.) A 3rd party could simply pull votes from the democratic ticket and get us another George Bush elected by accident. How do we get around this?

[inna]

3. rec#8

:applause:

[L0oniX]

6. Zinn is gold. I've been saying the same things for a while. Stop the MIC and stop the military.

Defense is fine but it isn't defense ...it's offense and it has been for a long time. Policy wars need to end. Pull out all of our bases ...and I mean ALL of them. Expose those who have interests/stocks in the MIC and vote them out of office. There are even some here who have interests in the military who don't want bases pulled out because they and or people they know, jobs would be on the line. My bet is that Zinn is right in what he says about the Dem party future and you can see the divide here on DU as well.