There Is No American Left

[zeos3]

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13567-there-is-no-american-left?tmpl=component&print=1


The Obama administration maintains a gulag archipelago of secret CIA prisons around the world, and automatically as a matter of policy classifies as "enemy combatants" any adolescent or adult male civilians who are killed in its military operations on the logic that if they were killed, they must have been combatants.

Non-Americans who applaud the Obama administration on the very limited basis that it hasn't invaded any other countries (yet) might consider these facts before forming their opinions. For a balanced view of the American foreign policy consensus, one need only listen to the October 22, 2012 third US presidential debate. Democrats are no doves.


If Democrats are no doves, Republicans are virtual velociraptors - and proud of it. Mitt Romney was considered a "moderate" Republican and easily the least right wing of the major contenders for the Republican nomination. In fact, his "moderateness" was the main charge made against him in the Republican primaries.

Nonetheless, Romney's official electoral platform called for a trade war with China, the privatization of old age pensions, the elimination of inheritance taxes, further expansion in US military spending, and of course the de-unionization of public employees.

[Warpy]

1. There is an American left

The corporate world and the plutocracy have combined to make sure any leftist who sticks his neck our or his head up is quickly destroyed.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. If, indeed, there is "No American Left", it would seem that the decision was made....

by the "American" people. If it's true that the left has moved to the center, then it's certainly by choice, don't you think? It was interesting to see the post election polling where only 20% of the electorate called themselves "very liberal". Others on the left were twice as likely to call themselves "moderate".

[UnrepentantLiberal]

3. Most people see themselves as "moderate".

This doesn't mean that Democrats have moved hard to the right to please Obama.

[truedelphi]

4. Yeah but consider the numbers -

Twelve million people who voted in 2008 stayed home in 2012. Why?

And in the recent SF chronicle article, from just last week, it was reported that of the recent 240,000 plus new voters between the ages of 19 and 24, in the state of California, 42% consider themselves to be Democrats, only 29% consider themselves Republicans. Also some 21% of the new voters decline to state, while a full six percent consider themselves to be Greens. That gives a total of 27% of all voters who now consider both parties too restrictive and too out for special interests.

Back in the fifties, the nation was pretty evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. That is no longer the case. As the Democrats get more "centrist" and less interested in the middle class, there is an awakening among younger people taking place.

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. Why? Since we're drawing unsupported conclusions and blind speculation.....

I put it down to a little rain event, you know the one I mean? Ever hear of Hurricane Sandy? Also, did you happen to see the 7 & 8 hour lines in some states? Well, so did other people, and they decided to forego the wait. All the reported confusion surrounding voting rights had a deterrent effect for those casual voters. Thank goodness that dedicated and engaged voters showed up in big enough numbers to put Dems over the top.

And for you third party cheerleaders, I would take no solace in the fact that "a full six percent consider themselves to be Greens". I can't tell that it made any difference, and neither could Jill Stein. As a matter of fact, I wonder how many Greens actually knew she was running. The kinds of voters who would need to show up to put a third party candidate over the top are small in number, and seemingly very sporadic.

Jill, Roseanne & Rocky couldn't muster a "full one percent" of the electorate, COMBINED. So, these "fantasies" about some emerging liberal alternative to the Democratic Party are just that. That dream died in 2000. And further speculation on my part, leads me to conclude that a good deal of the people who might have been sympathetic to Green positions now despise them, as I do.

[cui bono]

5. Well "liberal" has been painted as a dirty word, so I'm not surprised by that stat.

In fact, the American people have shown themselves to be left of the Dem party these days based on polls.

And I don't believe any moving to center is by choice considering the media controls the message and the media is corporate owned and operated. It's difficult for a lot of people to get true liberal media and some of them who can don't know about it. They believe that they are getting unbiased news from major networks and CNN, but in fact, they are still only getting the center and right slanted news.

The elected Dems are solidly center/right of center at this point and the Republicans are extreme right. Most of the political shows only show these two views/opinions. When was the last time you saw someone like Noam Chomsky or Michael Parenti on a major network? Yet you see plenty of right wingers spewing lies and no one even calls them on it. The people can't help but be affected by it, and be influenced into thinking these are the only options.

Then there's education going down the toilet. Even college and university level education has been taken over by corporate interests. Failed economic policies are being taught because professors are also serving on boards of corporations and teach whatever is in their interest.

No, it's not by choice. It's an orchestrated move by TPTB. Look at how they are trying to get rid of every union. They are working overtime to stamp out anything that in any way might be considered left and that would help the people.

[reteachinwi]

8. Edward Bernays

To-day, however, a reaction has set in. The minority has discovered a powerful help in influencing majorities. It has been found possible so to mold the mind of the masses that they will throw their newly gained strength in the desired direction. In the present structure of society, this practice is inevitable. Whatever of social importance is done to-day, whether in politics, finance, manufacture, agriculture, charity, education, or other fields, must be done with the help of propaganda. Propaganda is the executive arm of the invisible government
http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/bernprop.html#SECTION2

[quakerboy]

6. Its cyclical

We label people, demonize that label, shove them in the dirt, and then despise them for being dirty.

Money plays a big part. Selling a perception of false equivalency and complete powerlessness. So all politicians are rich corrupt bastards, because no one comes out to vote. and no one comes out to vote, because all politicians are rich corrupt bastards.

There is also a very well paid effort to sell the perception that "liberal" is bad. A very successful campaign, despite the fact that when questioned on specific policy and beliefs, most of us are liberal. Far more liberal than most politicians who call themselves democrats, much less those calling themselves republicans.

All in all, looks like a con job to me. "ask your doctor about free markets and lower taxes today!"

[Fumesucker]

9. Republicans have been demonizing the word "liberal" since Carter was POTUS

It's amazing anyone would put on that label at all these days as many electrons as have been sacrificed to make liberalism sound like something somewhat worse than Ebola virus.

[quaker bill]

7. "Democrats are no doves"

This change was intentional. Republicans won election after election by inventing enemies or threats of enemies and then being "tougher on defense". The people largely believed it and the polls indicated this was the major issue that gave Republicans a political advantage for decades.

GW Bush* through the Iraq war and the erstwhile search for non-existent WMD ended this advantage. However to seal the deal and truly end it, the Democrats had to be clearly more effective at defense. Killing OBL was an essential component in bringing this era to an end. Mitt did not run on "being stronger on defense", whereas McCain did and was likely the last Republican in the foreseeable future to do so.

Mitt did try the "apology tour" meme, which went nowhere, and now McCain is doing his best to make a "defense issue" of Benghazi, but it isn't going anywhere and the handful of State Dept. officials in charge of Embassy security have already resigned.

As unfortunate as it may be, I think the only path to a majority for the Dems was to become more credible on defense, and it took the incompetence of GW Bush* to make it happen.

[cali]

10. Is this the only issue that defines left?

[rhett o rick]

11. I think you will find that people that will not admit to being "liberal" still want more progressive

legislation than Congress is putting out. Being liberal has been disparaged not only by Republicans but also by the Conservative Wing of the Democratic Party.

IMO the Democratic Party machinery leans toward the right and corporate money leaving the progressives to look for support outside the Party. Moveon.org, Progressive Democrats of America, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and other progressive groups together have millions of members that are very active in getting progressive candidates elected and progressive issues addressed.

The influence of these organizations have helped elect Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy and Tammy Baldwin who will be a welcome change from the outgoing Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman and Blanche Lincoln.

The election of more progressive candidates is helping change the infrastructure of the Democratic Party. The Congressional Progressive Caucus anticipates adding a dozen new members to it's current 76 members.

I recommend an article in The Nation (Dec 24/31) titled "How to Save the Democratic Party", and also the reply articles esp. that by Stephanie Taylor, which influenced my post.

[ProSense]

12. Please stop

"The Obama administration maintains a gulag archipelago of secret CIA prisons around the world"

...spreading lies.

ENDING TORTURE = Three Torches

• Ordered an end to the use of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, withdrew
  flawed legal analysis used to justify torture and applied the Army Field Manual on interrogations
  government wide.
  
• Abolished the CIA secret prisons.
  
• Says that “waterboarding is torture” and “contrary to America’s traditions… contrary to our ideals.”
  
• No reports of extraordinary rendition to torture or other cruelty under his administration.
  
• Failed to hold those responsible for past torture and other cruelty accountable; has blocked
  alleged victims of torture from having their day in court.

http://www.aclulibertywatch.org/ALWCandidateReportCard.pdf