Ratfucker

We need a new Democratic Party

Austerity has been proven to make depressions worse for the 99%. But both parties demand more austerity, now. Krugman, Stieglitz and the other reality-based economists are persona non grata.

Health care costs are twice those of other countries, crippling our wallets and our health. One party wants little people to do without health care, the other wants to cover most folks but keep prices staggeringly high through taxpayer subsidies.

The President now has sweeping powers to ignore the Constitution. Both parties are cool with that.

The wealthiest Americans continue to be taxed at incredibly low rates, far lower than many in the middle class. Both parties are all for it.

Social Security is fully funded for decades, probably for at least 75 years. Both parties want to cut benefits to keep low taxes on the wealthy.

Bankers dine regularly with the President, whose staff and cabinet are filled with other bankers on loan from Wall Street. They are treated with fawning and obsequious respect by both parties in Congress.

We expect Republicans to do this stuff, but we expect Democrats to be on our side. A few individuals *are* on our side, but precious few.

This will not be fixed by tweaks. We need to rebuild our party from the ground up.

ADDENDUM: No, I have zero interest in starting a third party. This party belongs to us, and we should keep it; it's the trespassers who need to vacate.

I still call myself a Liberal rather than a Progressive, in large part because I'll be damned if I'll let the opposition steal the word "Liberal" from me, just as I'll be damned if they'll steal my party from me. They've done all they can to turn that word into a slur, but fuck 'em - they can't have it, and we'll win the word back. We're already making progress on this.

I'm a Liberal Democrat. And that's that.