General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It amuses me to no end that some folks want [View all]BainsBane
(53,026 posts)Like on every site, but there is a clear overlap between the groups of people hostile to concerns of women, people of color, and LGBT Americans and those most vitriolic against the Democratic Party and the President. Since they consistently advance conservative views and so dislike the President, I do not think it unreasonable to assume they are conservatives. Now, this correlation is not absolute. And I certainly have noticed a couple of posters who make a point of backing everything the administration says. I, however, haven't observed hostility from them on diversity issues, but that is not to say they might not have expressed them. Truthfully, I rarely read what those posters say because it's so predictable. As for DLC types, that is part of the Democratic Party, and there is nothing wrong with those posters participating on a board that brings together Democrats. While I may disagree with them on certain issues, at least they are Democrats and not working to bring about a Republican electoral victory. The fact is there are RW moles on this site who take advantage of disillusionment with the President to turn people off voting Democratic and thereby make it easier for the GOP to gain power. If a person is a leftist but so unpractical as to refuse to vote for the Democratic party, the effect of their political participation or lack thereof is to contribute to Republican electoral victory. They may be ideologically leftist, but they are politically Republican in terms of the impact of their political behavior.
In regard to the danger of DU becoming an echo chamber: Fat chance. Democrats disagree about everything, hence Will Rogers famous quote.
Now as for disillusionment the President, I saw all this coming from the day of his election. Everyone projected onto Obama all their hopes for what they wanted America to be, often entirely independent of what he actually said. My aunt, an old hippie, said that Obama was going to legalize marijuana, when he never said anything of the sort; in fact he said the opposite. Others made similar pronouncements based only on their wishes and noting the President had promised. It was clear to me the man was a moderate in temperament, which meant that would be how he would govern. I could tell that from what I knew of his leadership on the Harvard Law Review. He made a point of welcoming conservative voices that has previously been excluded, not because he agreed with them but because he is a conciliator by nature. While I wish he would have taken on the big banks, I can't say I'm surprised he didn't. The facts are that capital wields enormous influence in capitalist states. This administration, like all in the history of not only the US but of virtually every governments in modern history, caters to moneyed interests. That is what governments under capitalism do. It is what they have always done. The campaign financing system as sanctified by Citizens United and related rulings makes that all the more tenacious. To pretend some political messiah is going to descend from the heavens and change that is a pipe dream. That is not how political change happens. History demonstrates that governments only implement change when forced to do so from popular movements from below. I've been saying that around here for ages, but no one wants to listen. They still expect social and political reform to be bestowed from above. The only change that ever comes from above is authoritarian.
Part of the disillusionment, I think, comes from the extent to which people buy into American national mythology about our government being of the people are for the people. When those ideas were penned, the people meant landed men only. It has never meant the majority. Ideologically, I'm strongly influenced by Marxism. Politically, I'm highly pragmatic. I long ago gave up the idea that politicians could reflect my political views. I look for the best option available to me, and that means the Democrats. George W Bush taught me that lesson, and I have voted straight Democrat even since 2002, after having been idiotic enough to vote for Nader in 2000--in Florida, in Palm Beach county, on the butterfly ballot. Never again.