Democrat Agenda Omissions by Stephen Lendman (ZNet)

[livvy]

This is a very long piece, but worth the read. It covers a wide range of topics. You will probably not agree with all of his thoughts, but it worth the read IMO.



Democrat Agenda Omissions
by Stephen Lendman; January 20, 2007

With all the customary pomp and pageantry accompanying the occasion, the 110th nominally (first time in 12 years) Democrat-led Congress convened on Capitol Hill on January 4. It was done much the same as in earlier years except for the first time ever a woman took the gavel after being elected Speaker of the House in a final vote known weeks in advance killing any suspense about its outcome.

New House Speaker California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi called it "an historic moment for the Congress" which it was but only with respect to the gender of the Speaker, not for what significant policies can be expected over the next two years as this writer explained in an earlier article on November 13 titled New Faces, Same Agenda. The article suggested the political firmament shook briefly on November 7 leading some in the country to hope a new day on Capitol Hill had arrived with the Democrats now in charge ready to bring with them some long-delayed substantive change voters demanded in the November 7 mid-term elections.

It didn't take long, for those paying attention, to realize how foolish that thinking was as the presumed new Democrat leadership at the time (now confirmed) made it clear in its barely disguised rhetoric it will be business as usual and one more betrayal of the public trust that sent a strong message of disgust in the mid-term elections demanding change it won't get.

Expecting none is even more certain based on the background of the new Speaker, a 20 year congressional veteran, who's more privileged than populist, and is one of the wealthiest members in the Congress indicating she'll do nothing to alter the nation's course put in place by the Bush administration benefitting members of her class and herself including those ensconced in corporate boardrooms (where the real power of the country lies). They've been greatly enriched in the past six years and the previous 20 before them under Republican and DLC Democrat leadership still in charge and very much aligned in planning the continuation of the same agenda ahead.

>much more

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=72&ItemID=11899

[hwmnbn]

1. He lost me at "Democrat Agenda" .......

If he can't get the name right, he's an idiot, a RW hack, or both.

Why would I waste my time?

[Dogmudgeon]

2. It's the über-hip Left

The same people who gave us "there's not a dime's worth of difference between Bush and Gore." And "Bill Clinton was the best Republican president we've ever had." And "Vietnam was a Liberal war."

If you're not one of their clique, you're a fascist, you have something to hide, and you ain't got soul.

Like the Larouchians, they are capable of producing good analyses of political events, if you can read through the coating of fecal material that comes from their steady diet of sour grapes.

--p!

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Got Tar Yet?

"Like the Larouchians"...

Oh, by the way, our Vietnam Blunder was a liberal war, Bill Clinton was a right of center corporatist hack, and most of us did not vote for Nader, we voted for Gore.

We are not the uber-hip left, we are the folks who did not lose our minds over the last twentyfive years, the folks who continued to insist that there is a whole other approach to social issues that does not consist of neoliberal idiocy in economic policies and neoconservative triumphalism in foreign policies.

For example: where is the Democratic legislation for universal single payer healthcare?

[stevenleser]

7. You ARE the Uber, hip, contrarian Left...

you and people like you scan the news stories for any reason to attack Democrats and intentionally overlook the good that Democrats are doing, such as this on the very topic you asked about:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/10/AR2007011000423.html

Folks like you are what Orwell called, Anti-Nationalists: http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/nationalism.html

[BlueCollar]

3. me too

[livvy]

5. The rest of the piece is not like the first few paragraphs.

He discusses the strong case for impeachment, the need for election reform, meaningful and productive investigations, etc. Didn't your mother ever tell you, you shouldn't judge a book by the cover (title)? :-)

[pat_k]

6. With her "off the table" pledge, Pelosi killed the nation's hope of escape from Bush world.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3154532&mesg_id=3163660

[livvy]

8. For those that have discounted the writer as an idiot or rightwinger....

He is neither.
Here is part of his profile and a link to his website.

SteveLendman

I was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. Raised in a modest middle class family, attended public schools, received a BA from Harvard University in 1956 and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of PA in 1960 following 2 years of obligatory military service in the US Army. Spent the next 6 years as a marketing research analyst for several large US corporations before becoming part of a new small family business in 1967, remaining there until retiring at the end of 1999.

Have since devoted my time and efforts to the progressive causes and organizations I support, all involved in working for a more humane and just world for all people everywhere, but especially for the most needy, disadvantaged and oppressed. My efforts only in the last 6 months have included some writing on the various issues of most concern to me like war and peace; social, economic and political equity for all; and justice for all the oppressed peoples of the world like the long-suffering people of Haiti and the Palestinians.

The complete profile is at his site:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/

This is another one of his pieces, if you actually read the first article I posted, and enjoyed it as a thoughtful piece, even if you didn't necessarily agree with all his ideas, or the pessimistic viewpoint.

Thursday, January 04, 2007
The Spirit of Tom Paine

The Spirit of Tom Paine - by Stephen Lendman

We only know about Tom Paine because Thomas Edison discovered him in the 1920s. Edison believed he was our most important political thinker, and it was essential that his writings and ideas be taught in the nation's schools. It's no exaggeration that there might never have been an American Revolution without this man's writings that had such a profound influence on the nation's founders and masses of people he reached through one of the few "mainstream" means of communicating of that period.....
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2007/01/spirit-of-tom-paine.html

Before anyone asks, no, I don't know the man, no, I'm not trying to promote, nor do I necessarily agree with all of his ideas, and yes, I posted the article because I thought it might encourage some intelligent and thoughtful discussion.