Nice post regarding "what is to be done" by Leftists in regards to the Democratic party (comments good so far too). I just wanted to note that, in some ways, Republicans aren't really getting what they want either. At least not "our" counterparts.
It would be better to talk of four groups (at minimum):
1. Socially liberal financial/political elite (gay marriage OK as long as we can keep outsourcing entry-level white-collar service jobs)
2. Conservative-leaning financial/political elite (gay marriage not OK and also we need to secure more oil)
3. Conservative to right wing working- and middle-class people (all the cliches)
4. Liberal to Leftist working- and middle-class people (all the other cliches)
Depending on which party is in power, either group 1 or group 2 have more influence on policy, always to the detriment of groups 3 and 4. Group 1 needs group 4 to get elected and plays to them when out of power, only to ignore them when in. Group 2 needs group 3 to get elected, and still, at least, pretends to act in the interest of Group 3 while in power. But, just as Group 4 has plenty of reasons to be disappointed when it comes to Group 1's progress on core values, so does Group 3 have every reason to hate Group 2. No prayer in schools yet. No constitutional amendment to ban abortion yet. No real vanquishing of existing gun control legislation yet. In regards to economic matters, while Group 3 government intervention out of fealty to a concept of negative freedom and individualism, Group 2 takes advantage of that sentiment to advocate for the positive freedom of the companies they are involved in or represent, further imposing corporate control (and therefore government control [get that through your heads, Tea Party!!!]) on the lives of Group 3.
Bottom line is that rank-and-file Republicans aren't getting what they want, and, if they could bring themselves to read books by Leftists, they would understand that they are just as fucked as "we" are even if their desires were to remain opposed to ours.
It would be better to talk of four groups (at minimum):
1. Socially liberal financial/political elite (gay marriage OK as long as we can keep outsourcing entry-level white-collar service jobs)
2. Conservative-leaning financial/political elite (gay marriage not OK and also we need to secure more oil)
3. Conservative to right wing working- and middle-class people (all the cliches)
4. Liberal to Leftist working- and middle-class people (all the other cliches)
Depending on which party is in power, either group 1 or group 2 have more influence on policy, always to the detriment of groups 3 and 4. Group 1 needs group 4 to get elected and plays to them when out of power, only to ignore them when in. Group 2 needs group 3 to get elected, and still, at least, pretends to act in the interest of Group 3 while in power. But, just as Group 4 has plenty of reasons to be disappointed when it comes to Group 1's progress on core values, so does Group 3 have every reason to hate Group 2. No prayer in schools yet. No constitutional amendment to ban abortion yet. No real vanquishing of existing gun control legislation yet. In regards to economic matters, while Group 3 government intervention out of fealty to a concept of negative freedom and individualism, Group 2 takes advantage of that sentiment to advocate for the positive freedom of the companies they are involved in or represent, further imposing corporate control (and therefore government control [get that through your heads, Tea Party!!!]) on the lives of Group 3.
Bottom line is that rank-and-file Republicans aren't getting what they want, and, if they could bring themselves to read books by Leftists, they would understand that they are just as fucked as "we" are even if their desires were to remain opposed to ours.
2 comments:
Thanks for the shout-out!
Welcome!
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