Nothing Left: The Long, Slow Surrender of American Liberals

[NorthCarolina]

Published on Mar 7, 2014

Professor Adolph Reed Jr., explains how the Democratic Party embraced the neo-liberal agenda, how the shock of the Reagan Presidency shaped the modern Democratic Party, the role of the Democratic Leadership Council in moving Democrats to the right, the rightward legacy of Bill Clinton, the decoupling of class and social politics, why we have one neo-liberal party that is multicultural and another that is reactionary, why the left is in retreat, why acknowledging the problem can allow for a strengthening of leftist politics, how progressive politics is cheapened, how the left can rebuild itself and why we need to stop searching for progressive savors.

This clip from the Majority Report, live M-F at 12 noon EST and via daily podcast at http://Majority.FM

The cadence of this interview is a bit slow at times, but Prof. Reed does a great job on defining the lasting influence of the DLC on the Democratic Party.

[vi5]

1. So depressing....

I get so pissed off when the apologists in our party and on this page pull out the "Stop complaining about the DLC...they don't even exist any more!"

Exactly. They don't exist because their work here is done. Remember when the positions that Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders hold were entirely commonplace in the Democratic party, and so many more of our elected representatives stated those positions loudly and proudly and not the rare, precious birds they seem to be now amidst a sea of corporate apologists and cowards?

[RKP5637]

2. Few democrats have the guts to stand up for anything anymore! Many have merged with the

republican party.

[fredamae]

3. The DLC does Not

define me. And I don't remember "surrendering". Did you?
The DLC/Third Way/New Dem Coalition/Blue Dogs...can only succeed if we give them permission.
Do you?
I feel as tho this is a "depressant" so we'll just say "eff it".
Let those assholes lose a few elections and see how "superior" they are. But, then-that requires "us" to "wake up" and step outside the "comfort zone" and vote non-traditionally and/or run for office ourselves.
Will we, en masse'?

[malthaussen]

4. Dunno about you, but I haven't surrendered anything. n/t

[CaptainTruth]

7. Me neither. I'm fighting more than ever.

[swilton]

5. Professor Reed's interview

with Bill Moyers in February on this subject

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/22125-adolph-reed-jr-the-surrender-of-americas-liberals

[zeemike]

6. Long but worth it.

And comprehensive.

But any plan to win for liberals will have to start at the bottom, because he that controls the bottom controls the top...right now they control the bottom by division and separating people into waring groups that fight...and provide a champion for those groups if they lack one.

And the plan must be long term not focused on one goal...but on coming out of a system that is rigged against you.

[KoKo]

8. Recommend! Highly...

[HoosierCowboy]

9. Still Buying into...

...the right/left, liberal/conservative false dichotomy? Shame on you DU!

[ancianita]

10. DLC? They never represented my liberalism. Who represents my liberalism NOW is the question.

We can quit kicking ourselves around here. From my experience, any liberal who got high visibility in this country has had his/her life threatened or ended. Working within the system might seem cowardly, but justice and much good do get done. The liberal conscience is still influential without fighting force with force.

From Adam Curtis' "It Felt Like A Kiss":

"The way power works in the world is: they tell you stories that make sense of the world. That's what America did after the second world war. It told you wonderful dreamlike stories about the world ... And at that same time, you were encouraged to rise up and 'become an individual', which also made the whole idea of America attractive to the rest of the world. But then this very individualism began to corrode it. The uncertainties began in people's minds. Uncertainty about 'what is the point of being an individual?'"