A rant: I'm getting angry too!

[CajunBlazer]

(I posted this deep in a discussion on the Primaries board in response to the claims that the entire country is angry. It's a rant -but it's the way I feel right now - if it offends anyone, I apologize in advance.)

Most of the anger that exists is not fixated on the economic condition of the country. It has been a long road, but the country is finally getting back on an even keel economically. The employment rate is now back into the historically normal range. The underemployment rate is quickly improving. No longer are lower paying jobs the only new jobs coming open; good jobs have really started coming back as well. Average wages are rising for the first time in a decade.

So where is the anger coming from? That's easy. It is coming from those dissatisfied with the political situation and strangely it is coming from those most responsible for that situation in the first place - the far right surely, but also the far left. These two groups seem intent in pulling their parties further to the extremes. Given the balance in our government mandated by our Constitution, this polarization means that little gets done in Washington, which in turn breeds more anger.

The groups of people that I see who are the most angry are relatively well off white liberals, Tea Party zealots, and the far right conservatives. However, the zealots on both the far left and the far right have more in common than just their anger.

The dissatisfaction on the political extremes on both sides is driven by political leaders who are constantly banging their drums and claiming that country is going to hell in a hand basket and that the system is rigged against normal people. Notice this is going on on both sides.

Both extremes represent a large very vocal minorities of their respective parties and these groups are both determined to make up for what they lack in numbers with enthusiasm and shear determination.

Both are more inclined to pursue their ideals than to deal with problems common to us all.

Both claim they cannot compromise because to do so would betray their principles.

Both are dead set on nominating politicians who, for the most part, are unacceptable to those who will decide the Presidential election.

It is time for those of us in the realistic, rational, very wide ranging center of the political spectrum to get equally as dedicated to taking our country back from the angry extremist elements and nominate people who represent the reasonably sane people in this nation.

(Rant over)

[Fumesucker]

1. John Scalzi, Being Poor

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2005/09/03/being-poor/

Being poor is finally realizing that when your Mom says you can be anything you want, she doesn’t really believe it, but feels she has to keep saying it anyway to keep the whole family from falling into despair-based lifestyles.

Being poor is learning to live with condemned-quality housing because coming up with the first and last month’s rent, plus utility deposits, you’d need to move is a pipe dream.

Being poor is discovering that that letter from Duke University, naming you as one of three advanced students in your class invited to test out of HS early into their scholarship program, is just so much firestarter because the $300 it costs to take the test may as well be $3 million.

Despair is finally realizing, at nearly 36 and with a barely-afforded AA in English from a community college, just where you could have been by now had you had $300, and what that missed opportunity has truly cost you.

[CajunBlazer]

3. A rich person's view of being poor - yea, I get it.

I compare some of your most ardent Bernie people to Tea Party zealots and that's the best you can come up with.

[Fumesucker]

7. You are a perfect spokesperson for your candidate

Congratulations.

[CajunBlazer]

14. I'll take that as a complement

You always have to consider the source.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. Under the bus with you, Scalzi!

Knowing him, he will be so disappointed.

[Fumesucker]

24. Scalzi came up with a great term for the Republican field

Howling sampler box of Dunning-Kruger.

!

[Warren DeMontague]

25. As exemplified by Dumpster Fire and Hot Mess.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/01/19/sarah_palin_s_rambling_donald_trump_endorsement_was_post_apocalyptic_poetry.html

[Empowerer]

22. To some people, being poor means you can't afford to go to Duke

And all you have is a college degree from a non-Ivy League college . . .

[Fumesucker]

59. Reading is fundamental

For the lack of a $300 application fee the person lost out on a scholarship to Duke.

[Empowerer]

68. Yes. He was too poor to afford to go to Duke

If you can't afford the application fee, you can't afford to go to the school since the application fee is a condition precedent to getting to the point of going to the school.

Reading is fundamental. So is logic.

[Skwmom]

2. You must live in a real bubble.

It is not only the far left that or far right that are fed up.

Too many groups have had their vote taken for granted for too long.

What was acceptable in the past is no longer acceptable.

I talk to people everywhere I go and people are fed up. The fact that you could make some of your arguments indicates that you feel disdain for the average Americans and believe they are stupid or you don't go outside your bubble to view reality.

About the political system being rigged:

Reich referenced a Princeton survey that included analysis of 1,799 policy issues from 1981 to 2002, and which ultimately concluded that “The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically insignificant impact upon public policy.” Reich added that since 2002, the Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions have only “opened the floodgates to big money” even more.

http://usuncut.com/politics/robert-reich-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-best-candidate/

[CajunBlazer]

9. Maybe the only people you talk to live in your bubble

Or didn't consider that? Are they fairly well of white liberals as well?

[Skwmom]

20. No. They are not.

[Mnpaul]

73. The 16,000+ people that began lining up at noon to see Bernie tonight

are not in my bubble. Most of the recovery you crow about went to the 1%. You have to look beyond the numbers and get out in the real world.

[CajunBlazer]

79. It's a real big bubble

[Mnpaul]

83. Are you sure that........

you are looking at it from the outside?

[merrily]

10. Yep.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12777036

Also, he or she seems to refer to a good chunk of the Democratic Party are members of the "far left," which is nonsense that got real old real fast, as nonsense tends to do.


"Far left" is communist, anarchist and the like.

[beam me up scottie]

15. DING DING DING!

Nailed it.

[CajunBlazer]

17. And yet as whole bunch of Bernie supporters claim they wouldn't vote for Hillary

Democrats, are you sure?

[Fawke Em]

21. Not all liberals are Democrats.

Many of us see the Democratic Party lurching further and further to the right, leaving us without a party. If Hillary is nominated, you'll see the party bleed more members.

[randys1]

33. You mean if Hillary is the nominee some will turn their backs on Women, Gays, minorities, the

environment and not vote since their candidate didnt win.

Right?

[VulgarPoet]

39. I'm pretty sure that means if Hillary is the nominee

that's the signal to us that the party already did. And that's coming from a gay minority.

[randys1]

41. Did you mean us instead of use? Party already did what?

Surely if you are Gay I dont have to tell you the Grand Canyon size difference in YOUR World if Hillary is elected vs any con?

[VulgarPoet]

46. Yes; yes I did, I'll fix that in a moment

and honestly, if Hilary's elected, I have no faith that my world won't change as opposed to a conservative. To me, she's just another establishment politician like the rest of 'em I came of age under. And to be fair, Bernie's the first time I've felt anything even CLOSE to optimism that things might change. If it doesn't happen, then I guess I'm waiting for another avenue for change that doesn't involve selling my vote to someone bought and paid for by the enemy, doesn't it?

[randys1]

52. So you think Cruz and Hillary will do the same stuff as to how it would affect a Gay person?

Seriously?

You think when state after state makes it legal to discriminate against you the SC justice Cruz picks will keep you safe?

sigh

[VulgarPoet]

54. I don't trust any of 'em to keep me safe

but it seems you're hellbent on misunderstanding that core part of the message I'm getting across. At least if Bernie doesn't, it'll come as a surprise to me, and not just business as usual, bend over, here it comes again.

[randys1]

56. If I am missing something, please enlighten me. I am taking from your comments that

you may not vote for HIllary if she is the nominee, if that isnt what you are saying then you can ignore me

[VulgarPoet]

61. What I'm saying is I'm not voting for *any* of them if Hillary is.

Because I can't trust any of 'em, at least with Bernie, his voting record matches well enough with what he says and who he caucuses with. Meanwhile, with Hillary, it looks like she just changes her opinions on the stuff that matters where my vote's concerned when it's politically convenient; and I watched my parents and grandparents hold their nose and pick the lesser of two flipfloppers from Bush's first run to Obama's last run. I refuse to end up like that.

Unless you have a solid, cast iron reason for why I should trust her with the presidency when it doesn't even feel like the democratic party sees things the same way I do, I can't do it in good conscience.

[randys1]

63. I dont believe anyone who has lived their life as a Gay person doesnt see the

VAST difference living under ANY democrat vs ANY con.

I dont believe such a Gay person exists in America.

Even the Republican Gays acknowledge this, you know, the ones who are selfish about money.

[VulgarPoet]

65. And you're more than welcome to that opinion

unless you're gonna turn around and use it to start casting aspersions on my orientation.

[CajunBlazer]

76. Those understand politics know that our party is moving to the left..

... though surely much more slowly than the Republicans have moved to the right. Maybe you're not old enough to remember when a large part of the Democratic base was made up of very conservative Southerners who voted Democratic for many generations. Growing up in Alabama and then after moving to Alabama I can assure you that state elections were always decided in the Democratic primary because there was never in meaningful Republican opposition. These very conservative Democrats kept the party from moving to the left.

And then their gradual migration changed both parties. Their leaving the Democratic Party caused our party to shift to the left while their entrance caused the Republican's to shift far to the right. That process which started in 1964 (guess why) was mostly completed by the mid 80's.

Since then the Democratic Party continued to drift slowly to the left due to the polarization of the country. If you want proof look at the Party's nominations for President in recent years. By objective measures put together by political scientists, Barack Obama was the fourth most liberal presidential candidate in modern history. Hillary was in 3rd place, just to the right of George McGovern will Bernie is well to the left of all of them. So our maintain candidates are both among the most liberal in modern history

Also take all at how all of the 2016 Presidential candidates are ranked on a Liberal/Conservative scale. Here are two of many examples you an pull up:

https://www.crowdpac.com/elections/2016-presidential-election

https://ballotpedia.org/2016_presidential_candidate_ratings_and_scorecards

We think of the Republican bunch as a pack of far to the right conservatives, but note that Hillary is more liberal than half of the Republicans are conservative using objective measures.

We have a tendency to judge others by how we see the world and I think that is what you are doing.

[merrily]

31. Relatively sure, yes. Hillary has has a particular history. Indeed, one of things in that history

was saying on national television in 2008 that she and Senator McCain were ready for that 3 am phone call, but Senator Obama was not. That was saying, in effect, "if you want this country to be safe, vote for McCain if I am not the nominee." That was unprecedented from a Democratic candidate for POTUS, AFAIK.

She was also, AFAIK, the first Presidential hopeful to run a "racially tinged" campaign against a fellow Dem candidate for POTUS.

For those and other reasons, it's arguable that Hillary is not the typical Democratic candidate.

There are people posting on DU who were PUMAs in 2008 and left DU, but have returned because Hillary is running again. No one questions whether they are Democrats.

Bottom line: I don't think you can measure whether or not someone is a Democrat by how he or she feels about Hillary.

And, anyway, I don't think that was anything near a majority of Bernie supporters. IMO, Hillary supporters have exaggerated the numbers.

[Mnpaul]

78. The right wing of the party sees everything to the left of their position"far left"

much in the same way the tea party folks see the Republicans. It's a perspective problem. The majority of the party does not share their views.

[farleftlib]

12. That can't be said enough, IMHO

Public opinion and preferences have ZERO impact on public policy. And we're supposed to accept that and show up to vote for the candidate that TPTB shoved down our collective throats, and sing zippity-doo-dah while we're at it.

[draa]

60. Rich Democrats Don’t Care About Income Inequality Any More Than Rich Republicans

http://time.com/money/4046099/income-inquality-democrats-republicans/?xid=fbshare

[VulgarPoet]

4. So, sit down, shut up, toe the party line and don't even think of going against the status quo.

Got it. [/sarcasm]

[99th_Monkey]

16. That's right. Who do we think we are?

Only Sensible Woodchucks get to have a voice in the "Democratic" Party.

What was I thinking?

[VulgarPoet]

19. Oh don't mind me, I'm just one of the "far left lunatics"

Eurgh, even typing that out reminded me of something a Faux News pundit would say. Squick.

[99th_Monkey]

49. If it were not for Bernie being in this race

I'm not sure what I'd be doing or how i'd be relating to the primary.

primarily because it would be an entirely different race, maybe O'Malley v. Hillary; maybe
I'd be for O'M .. but it would have been an entirely different race altogether .. I doubt that
Wall St. would even be on the radar.

The stand he's taking, for all of us, is one of the most courageous acts I've ever witnessed,
since the 60s, when MLK Jr. & Bobby were taking on the PTB.

[VulgarPoet]

53. I know where I'd be

waiting for my enlistment to run out so I could actually get out and campaign in good conscience. Either that, or in Canada after this enlistment's done with. Hate the idea of having to acclimate to cold weather, though.

[Broward]

5. If we keep taking cues from the center, then today's far right will be tomorrow's center.

[Skwmom]

8. The center is a fiction. n/t

[merrily]

34. That's already happened. Obama himself said that he would have been seen as a moderate Republican in

the 1980s. In the 1980s, Bernie would have been seen as a Democrat. In the 1930s, he may have been seen as a moderate Democrat. In the 1920s, when a lot of Hollywood and other Democrats were checking out Communist Party meetings, he may even have been seen as a conservative Democrat.

[Broward]

43. No argument from me there.

The right-wing Dems are complicit in the rightward turn this country has taken over the past 35 years. Following their lead will only lead us further down the road to ruin.

[winter is coming]

6. You lost me at "Most of the anger that exists is not fixated on the economic

condition of the country."

Maybe things are peachy in your world, but there's a metric fuck-ton of struggling people in mine. To suggest that the anger is coming from zealots and well-off white liberals makes you look woefully out of touch with the reality a lot of us live with.

[beam me up scottie]

11. Comparing liberals to teabaggers did it for me, left bashing gets so tedious.

And the interjection once again of race is another giveaway.

[CajunBlazer]

23. So which one of my statements about...

......how the far left and far right are alike was incorrect?

Ever heard of the Horseshoe Principle. They teach it in political science classes. Look it up if you aren't knowledgeable.

[beam me up scottie]

28. I've seen enough of your threads to know better than to respond.

I still haven't forgotten about your link to a vile anti-Semitic article to "illustrate" how much the right wing hates Bernie.

When it comes to ops, once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence and after that well, let's just say I've seen enough.

[libdem4life]

62. It's called The Curve...used in grading and used to work with humanity, until too many

lost theirs. That's when the 1%-99% model showed up for things other than college grades. That happened when the "financial Gurus" figured out how to game the system...prior to the "Bailout for the Crooks".

There's also the 80-20 Rule...20% of the people do 80% of the work. I could go on.

This isn't a Political Science project. The Middle Class is gone. Riddle me that. So likely those you're talking about fall pretty near the 1% or think they are or should be or whatever. These are far more likely to favor Hillary with her savvy for getting 6 figure checks just for showing up. Of course we know she earns them, but they don't. People like this look up to and aspire for that.

I'll stop...but could do my own rant...not in the mood.

[merrily]

35. The Koch brothers provided the DLC with seed money and sat on its Executive Committee.

They also conceived of, and astroturfed, the Tea Party. So, you tell me: are liberals more Teabaggers than centrists?

[beam me up scottie]

44. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Someone is in a bubble and it's not the "far" left.

[merrily]

55. Apparently, if a conservative Catholic criticizes the Pope for saying he can't

judge a homosexual priest and a gay secularist criticizes the Pope for homophobic policies, they are both gay secularists, or something of that kind, because they criticized the same person for very different reasons.

That logic is mind boggling.

I guess, if rightists dislike Hillary, and leftists dislike Hillary, and enough people dislike Hillary to make it a 2008 debate issue, and even Obama caustically says "you're likeable enough, Hillary," none of it can possibly have anything to do with Hillary's own words and deeds. It must be that everyone who dislikes Hillary is a Teapublican.

[beam me up scottie]

64. Makes perfect sense!

[Mnpaul]

84. I wouldn't be surprized

if they were still funneling money through one of their front groups.

[merrily]

85. The DLC itself ended its corporate existence. Its philosophical successors are alive and well, tho'.

I doubt the Koch's ever met a rightward movement they hated, with the possible exception of something well to the right of Tea Party, emphasis on possible.

[mmonk]

13. My views aren't extreme but fact based.

Have a nice evening living your life in a follow the leader mindset. I wish you well.

[CajunBlazer]

27. I'm not the one following Bernie the Pied Piper?

I think for myself - call me a radical centralist.

[2pooped2pop]

26. so vote Hillary or we are angry white liberal elite?

because I don't know anyone who would be considered elites. But they are damned angry, rational, and want this shit that is killing their families and friends to stop.

[CajunBlazer]

30. Oh, the fact that the wealth is going to the 1% is killing familes now?

[2pooped2pop]

48. hell yeah dude. Where the hell have you been

No insurance kills people. Look it up suicide is up, especially for poor white males. People can't survive. Food stamp cuts, kicked off Medicaid, no insurance, kicked out of housing because they don't make enough to pay rent or elect. They drive cars that are over 20 years old, they are incarcerated for small crimes, lose their families, jobs, homes. These are people who are the working poor. They struggle all their lives, live mostly without joy or hope. Hell yeah they are dying.

But good to know that you would rather bank of America and other corporate welfare continue to get subsidies while the poor and middle class children continue to spin in the downward spiral.

hell yeah you and Hillary voters are trying to sign a fucking death warrant for the rest of us with more of the same.. Hey, just start a war and we can send our sons to die in that for you too.

Hell yeah we're angry. Hell yeah revolution is coming but whether it becomes a violent mess or not is the question. But signs says it's coming.

I myself have two diabetic grandchildren. Do you know what's it's like when their insurance says no, you don't need anymore test strips, you ran out of insulin? Too bad. That insulin cost 600 bucks out of pocket. Without it they die. Every month is a struggle to get enough supplies to keep them alive. HELL YEAH FEEDING THE CORPORATIONS IS KILLING PEOPLE

I am glad though to see that you too equate Hillary with the 1% feeding.

[Fumesucker]

50. Lifespan in America is starting to fall for some groups after rising for a century or more

Yeah, being poor can kill.

[2pooped2pop]

57. yeah it is

in addition, the lack of proper rules on corporations allows them to poison our water, sell us crap with cancer causing agents, modify our food into something that does not work with our bodies. It's all adding up to death for all of us but the rich.

Being middle class can kill too since that standard is dropping rapidly.

[zalinda]

51. You better believe it.

If you don't know that, then you have your head some place it's not supposed to be.

Z

[2pooped2pop]

58. thank you

that is exactly right.

[VulgarPoet]

37. +100

[libdem4life]

29. Well, I relate more to the people that Sanders mentioned...the voiceless. Yes,

privileged people are angry, too. Many thought they were in or on their way to be in the 1% and it has come as a stark surprise that it's not happening. I'd say it is the disappearance of the Middle class...a very few made it up, and most went down. Call it politics, economics, social change, whatever...but it was the Middle Class that just up and vanished.

One does not feel "vocal" when your financial world is collapsing. I know, it happened to me in 2008. You feel like shit. Bernie is our spokesperson. He has given us voices.

[CajunBlazer]

32. And yet arguably the poorest, most voiceless among us are voting for Clinton, imagine that.

[merrily]

36. That remains to be seen.

[libdem4life]

45. Must say it boggles my mind. n/t

[Empowerer]

74. Only because they don't know any better

At least that's what they're being told . . .

[2pooped2pop]

82. when people are told lies over and over and over again by the media

they begin to think it's true. It's not only ignorant republicans that will vote against their own best interest because of the orchestrated lack of truth in media, apparently.

When people have to struggle full time, just to survive, they don't have much time to look up the reality in politics. Many still believe that the media is required to tell the truth. So they are easily fooled. Marketing 101 I call it. The republicans and also Hillary are pros at the manipulation. The media, though, seem happy enough to do the bidding as long as they think they are part of the important people.

[Arugula Latte]

38. Really? You don't think people who have to work three minimum-wage jobs to pay rent aren't angry?

Talk about living in a bubble!

FYI, people who want fair wages, healthcare that won't bankrupt them, decent public schools and for the very wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share of taxes aren't "extreme."

Wow. SMH.

[merrily]

40. BTW, how many OPs and other posts do you reckon you've posted dissing Sanders' supporters?

[VulgarPoet]

42. Too bloody many.

I tried to find a casual, unaffected Zen this morning. It's gone now.

[merrily]

66. Here you go: It is what it is.

Or, perhaps "un Zen" it: If you're posting, being in the present moment is overrated.

Either way, don't let a small minority of DU http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026592890 harsh your mellow.

Or yellow your marsh.

[VulgarPoet]

67. It is what it is, and que sera, sera, right?

You got a chuckle out of me today, and for that I commend ya. No condescension or sarcasm meant, I'd love to be able to get a handle on that kinda wit sometime soon, preferably before I lose my head. Be excellent, mate. x)

[merrily]

70. Eerie: another suggestion I contemplated including in my prior post was

Or try Italian zen: che sera sera.

Not sure why I decided to omit it, but apparently, you read my mind.

[VulgarPoet]

71. I'll just chalk it up to drift

to crib a concept from Pacific Rim.

[merrily]

80. I'm sticking with telepathy.

[VulgarPoet]

81. Well hell if it's telepathy

then I'd love to be able to tap it a little more often

[merrily]

86. Wouldn't we all?

[99Forever]

47. Is this The Onion?

Nah, that stinking pile wasn't written well enough come from The Onion. It's straight out of Camp Weathervane, where cognitive dissonance is considered a positive character trait.

[draa]

69. -

[sadoldgirl]

72. Let us see, what happened

Social Security, unemployment insurance,Medicare
Medicaid, civil rights ---all from Democrats.

Deregulation for communication, NAFTA, kicking needy
people off Welfare, Three strikes and you are out---
"New Democrats".

Now most people like the programs of the Democrats,
while the ones from the "New Democrats put people
out on the streets or into prison, and helped to create
a great conservative media merger.

So why should people want to vote for more of that?

[Armstead]

75. I got news for you budsky

It isn't "the left extreme" that's fucked up the country, politically or economically.

it isn't also "the extreme left: that refuses to compromise.

It is the bought and sold corporate conservatives who call themselves "centrists" and have made the definition of "far left" apply to reasonable moderate -- but clear -- liberals.

[islandmkl]

77. ahh...a modified "Both Siderism" argument...

your myopic view of where you perceive the 'center' to lie, and the imaginary breadth of that same 'center' apparently distorted by your being too close to the subject, reveals nothing more than a poor attempt to conceal your effort to promote continuing the status quo of corporate control over as many aspects of our society as those interests can garner, coupled with how much of that control we give up and allow...by following their pied pipers...

[Rebkeh]

87. "...realistic wide ranging center..?" What center?

It doesn't exist, and even if it did, it is not where the majority of the country is. It would not represent us anyway, this is supposed to be a democracy.