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.

Ever get the feeling that virtually nobody with power gives a crap about your life?

Actually, I'm lucky to live in a state where government actually functions well and gives a shit, probably because 80%+ of the legislature is Democratic. We're those crazy Ted-Kennedy-lovin' moonbat Liberals, don't 'cha know!

But at the national level? More than ever, We The People are now no more than an annoying acquaintance they have to put up with at special occasions. The two austerity parties are facing off over who we little people will blame for the fallout from their gifts to the Predator Class. The drones are high in the sky, looking to shorten the secret kill list. More children sleep hungry in cars each night.

Several good friends have gotten austeritied out of their jobs lately, good people with great credentials who are now scurrying to avoid becoming road kill. Found out tonight that the company where I used to work is entering a new phase of fecality in its inexorable death-spiral since being acquired by private equity nitwits.

One way or the other, this $&@#s gotta stop. Hopefully the FDR way, not the Hitler way.

Godspeed, everybody. Hold on tight, tight.

I owe some DUers an apology.

Yesterday I posted about the President's latest offer to implement the "chained CPI", which is now being called a "superlative CPI" by the Obama administration.

A few astute DUers pointed out that since the White House did not specifically say that their latest chained CPI offer would be used to reduce Social Security, they may have other purposes in mind. So while Obama has specifically offered to cut Social Security using the chained CPI in the past, I jumped the gun on this one.

According to Senator Sanders, there are also two other uses of the chained CPI that would not, apparently, be so nefarious:

1. Cutting benefits earned by disabled veterans
2. Increasing taxes, with those earning $30,000-$40,000 getting hit the worst

I regret the error, and I hope that you'll accept my apology. I've certainly made my share of mistakes, and acknowledge that this was a big one.

Once again, Obama offers to cut Social Security

Superlative CPI, a.k.a. Chained CPI, a.k.a. "Granny won't miss eating those meals each month... Probably help prevent diabetes... and anyway, why don't I get more credit for giving all of those yummy peas to the old folks, and the rest of the 99%..."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2416164

It's a sickness with this White House.

Would you like to see Elizabeth Warren run for President in 2016?

Request: Elizabeth Warren group

"You may say I'm a dreamer... But I'm not the only one..."

In all seriousness, she's shown herself to be a force in the Democratic Party, and I believe that it would be great to have a single place on DU to discuss and chronicle her ever-increasing efforts to turn America around.

Which Republican will Warren face in 2016?

Remember Scott Brown? Mass political career is over. Done.

Now that he's on Faux News, Scott-o has zero possibility of ever winning statewide office again. Mass voters will never vote for a Fauxian.

We can finally put a fork in our Commonwealth's Republican Party. Unless Liberals take over their party, or we run Lee Mercer Jr., Republicans will be deep in the wilderness for some years.

Actually, even Mercer could probably beat 'em at this point.

Seventh Day Adventists?

I feel both ignorant and ashamed to ask...

We have neighbors who are Seventh Day Adventists. Vegetarians, no TV, seem pretty tightly wound. First SDA's I've ever knowingly known. I think husband and wife both went to SDA colleges, and they seem very observant.

A while ago my son did a stupid teenager trick - nothing physical - and they went berserk, called the cops, who came, rolled their eyes, then left. These neighbors have been a general pain in the butt since then, tenaciously trying to cause trouble (but failing spectacularly, fortunately). No problems with them before, never a problem with any other neighbors in the seven years we've lived here (my neighborhood is generally very laid back).

So here's my ignorant question: is there anything in particular about "serious" SDAers that I should know? Anything in particular that sets them off? Or am I just blessed with tightly-wound and irritating neighbors who are coincidentally SDA?

Any thoughts appreciated. I want to do what I can (within reason) to increase the peace, i somehow feel that there's something here that I'm not "getting".

Elizabeth Warren: Damaging the Democratic Brand [WITH CORRECTION]

I know that a lot of Looney Left thinks that Professor Warren's cute little questions are all FDR, but it's just GRANDSTANDING.

Those of us who are smart, experienced, and really study these things know that the decent civil servants that she savaged for her own glorification DON'T NEED to put our Financial Titans on trial, BECAUSE THEY'VE STOPPED COMMITTING CRIMES.

Just look at the following chart and see for yourself:



See! Wall Street is so SCARED by Obama that they've stopped committing crimes! These are actual statistics! You'd think a so-called "Harvard Professor" like Warren could understand REAL numbers, and figure out some other way to get some attention, like proposing a free trade bill with North Korea.

Warren's antics are doing NOTHING but angering the Important Americans, and there will be consequences. Next time Bill, Rahm, Larry, or the rest go back to Wall Street for cash, make no mistake, they'll get less. And the price of mansions isn't going down, you know.

Poor Timmy might start at less than $10 mil a year! That's not right!

24 years of Third Way PROGRESS is in jeopardy!

So LET'S STOP WARREN. If you live in Massachusetts, tell your fellow Lefty Moonbats to vote for Scott Brown next time to help make up for last November's mistake. If you live in another state, send cash to Bill, Rahm, Larry or one of the other patriotic Americans whose work is being destroyed by this difficult woman.

And won't somebody do something for poor Timmy?

Sincerely yours,

Third-Way Manny

ON EDIT:

An astute reader noticed that the chart above doesn't actually cover what I claim it does. I don't know when "facts" started to matter, but just in case, I've created a new graph based on the NY Times article In Financial Crisis, No Prosecutions of Top Figures.



See! Proves my point even better! That shrill woman is barking up the wrong tree, there's NOTHING to be found. Statistics don't lie!