Beating Bush: Are You the Weakest Link?

[DuctapeFatwa]

Ask the average party hack, and they'll tell you it's gotta be Sharpton. Or Kucinich. Fringe, they'll tell you. Too radical.

If this were a musical comedy, the party dude would now lean forward conspiratorially like Richard O'Brien in the Rocky Horror Picture Show and hiss "They would CHANGE things."

That's the cue for the Neo-Condescension Chorus to come in with the "but they're heart of the party, the sou-wo-wooouuul of the party" refrain, puncutated by a little spotlight on the basso-profundo "Surprised to learn that Al's so SMART" and the NCC goes all Gilbert & Sullivan - "He's surprised to learn..."

The Democrats are so shocked and awed by the bush regime that their efforts are focused on coming up with a candidate who will guarantee the status quo, but look better and talk better than Bush. Put the same policies into prettier words. They have become leftist neo-hawks, stuttering friable and tenuous arguments for imperialism, as studiedly oblivious to the horror and suffering as Old Granny Bush of the Beautiful Mind. Gotta beat Bush, they chant. Beat Bush.

Beat him at what?

The beatBush frenzy, born of their own distaste and loathing for policies that threaten not only the social fabric of the nation, but its very sovereignty, not to mention the future of the human species on earth, has turned on itself, devoured its placenta of logic and become an absurd single-minded conviction that the only way to "beat Bush" is to maintain those same policies under the apter and more metrosexual direction of a more telegenic piece of on-camera meat.

They even have their own Bible, a PNAC alternative, a much better-written document, whose authors clearly made better grades in composition class, and took lots of Rhetoric and Persuasion electives, because they care.

Its aim is ambitious: to make imperialism sound palatable to people who a year ago were engaged in assiduous letter-writing campaigns and organizing marches and demonstrations against it.

All the while, they shake their heads in worry. What if they don't beat Bush? What if the impeccably groomed silver-throated talent they have chosen does not move the NASCAR dads with their lofty messages, their precision-worded monologues wrapped like fine chocolate round the core promise that nothing will change?

Forty years ago, the Democratic party did flirt with change a little, and raised the hopes of millions upon millions of Americans that change IS possible. The party, however, quickly retreated, and the grandchildren of those hopeful people are now in jail, homeless, or too busy working 3 jobs to think much about grandma's stories about the Movement, much less the state of politics in America today.

And when they do think about it, their eyes are more likely to roll in derision than light up with enthusiasm.

If the poor, and ethnic minority poor in particular have learned anything about politics over the past forty years, it is that politics is a rich white man's game, and no politician is going to do anything that changes their lives, unless it changes them for the worse.

Voters tend to be the top 25% income tier. That leaves 75%. And the concerns of that 75% are not capital gains taxes, maintaining the status quo, or imperialist strategies to keep America's defense and energy industries strong.

Their concerns are a roof over their heads, earning enough money to pay for basic needs. Their concerns are child care, health care. Health care as in get sick, go to the doctor, get treatment, not health care as in keep the insurance companies happy and reduce what those lucky enough to have an HMO have to pay by $10 a month.

Even if there were a candidate who promised them a Living Wage, a Right to Housing, Health Care, who guaranteed it, by Executive order if necessary, within 14 days of taking office, many would just roll their eyes anyway. Fool me once.

But if that 75% is going to get excited enough about any candidate to risk their jobs by skipping a day of work to vote, to risk their lives by leaving their hovels and braving the gangbangers on the way to the polls, to put up with the annoying chirpiness of the clueless ride to the polls volunteers, it will not be for an affluent comfort candidate, it will not be for silver-throated trills of reassurance to the corporate oligarchy.

Affluent people love to hear rhetoric about the poor. It makes them feel better about themselves. "Something must be done!" wailed King Edward VIII, shortly before his abdication in favor of the arms of the woman he loved, and the English middle class loved him for wailing it.

The American affluent love hearing their candidates intone it solemnly, declare it passionately, and they nod approvingly, smiling on their way out at pepole whose paychecks are not enough to provide housing and food for one. Forget children, forget electricity and especially forget doctors.

There are so many of these people that even Diebold might have a tough time doing its job if they voted. Even before Diebold, the system was designed to make it unlikely that they would.

They are also a stick with several times as much bushBeating potential as a steaming dish of status quo with better reading skills and more skillfully applied hair gel. But they are not as gullible as their better-heeled brothers. They are not as easily seduced by airy prose-poems and charisma. They've been there, done that, still couldn't afford the t-shirt.

They do not share the obsession with beating bush, because unlike the brie and SUV denizens of the dated community meetups and precinct gatherings, they do not find that the status quo is really really different when you say it in a nicer way. No matter how nicely they explain to their landlords that they do not have the rent, even if they quote directly from shining candidate speeches, the eviction notice arrives at the appointed time.

The Democrats' greatest weakness, their weakest link, is their failure to realize that they cannot beat Bush at his own game. Combine that with their unwillingness to use the only weapons of mass destruction they have: the double whammy of the so-called "fringe" candidates and those masses of people who don't see it like that.

What you call fringe is what they call a baby step.

Changing the government has a better chance of beating Bush than imperialism with hope, feudalism that cares, or, with props and apologies to Arundhati Roy, reverent rape.




Disclaimer: I do not support any of the candidates

[Guaranteed]

1. Nice post.

;)

[SaddenedDem]

2. Brava!

The most well written summation of my feelings I have ever seen.

[corporatewhore]

3. as always a great post

[The Magistrate]

4. An Excellent Effort, Mr. Fatwa

Credit where it is due, my friend: you expound your views with persuasive skill, Sir. My hat is off to you!

[a_random_joel]

5. Beautiful, but...

Baby steps are the only way to affect true, lasting change. Compromise is difficult and it stinks. But, it works.

Or have you not noticed the Right's ability to move the 50 yard line to the right? They did it subtly, slowly - and now are on the verge of absolute power.

We can learn from them. We need to.

[info being]

7. They certainly didn't do it through compromise

They pull and "we" give ground. WE compromise and that's how it moves to the right.

[a_random_joel]

8. Nope

Name an issue of the past 30 years that the left has compromised on.

Now do the same for the right.

Then do the math, and tell me where the middle is compared to 30 years ago.

[nolabels]

17. Having mothers leave the home to gain a occupation or career

The right has had to change as much as the left, you just do see it. So many things they have had become tolerant of to hold their ground. Some of the lefts ideals have or could not work as proposed because of the Human component and sabotage. Suffering a backlash for things that don't work tends to make people gun shy.

Leaving what works to itself and finding real and substantive reasons for change is the only way to make real progress

[Union Thug]

6. My feelings...

...summed up better than I could ever hope to express them. Bravo!

[wadestock]

9. Great philosophy, I enjoyed reading this....

Here's the reality.
The real enemy is Reaganomics....not even the GOP.
Specifically Reaganomics....ironically the best formula yet invented to destroy capitalism from within.

You can't even blame Reagan himself. It's the die hard Reaganites that emerged from under slimy rocks that brought to life as a party filling movement.

Limbaughism....
Now Hannity, etc....breathing sickness into the minds of millions of people....that "liberalism" is out to get you...that GOVERNMENT is bad.....and (subliminally) that people are bad.
All to put more money in the pockets of the rich.
It's just that simple.

Since the entry of Reagan and Reaganomics this country has taken a nose dive into hellish abyss of moral blindness....that is truly scary. There are mornings I wake up and think things are truly out of control...it's easy to think that way....but in the end, there are forces that will prevail when pushed too hard.

Personally, I don't fall for the theory that the government is that hopeless....and for one simple reason....the fix....the Anti-Reaganomics.....is really quite simple.
Clinton proved that. It's a historical reality. You skim just a teenzy weanzy bit off that boat load of trillions of dollars that's teetering at the top of Mt. Olympus and oh....look what you get.....hey a balanced budget...isn't that neat?

Yes of course life could be much more wonderful for all of us if we weren't so exploited by the capitalistic machine. America should have evolved to be significantly more responsible, clearly the best nation in the world...a nation you could really look up to for solutions.....more energy independent, looking after it's infrastructure and citizens...of course this is very depressing when you think of the fact that this should be true.

Problem is, we don't have a chance getting there because we have yet to learn even the most fundamental basics of capitalism. We live within a capitalistic MACHINE, a machine that requires constant tweaking to run correctly. Reaganomics played out an experiment. Let's run the machine at a fever pitch and see if Marx was right.

Fact is...the machine doesn't run very well in the Reaganomics mode.
Will people get it this second time around? You better believe it....it's just too obvious. You just watch W get handed his walking papers. Will it happen all over again? Probably, because we really haven't learned the lesson yet...and maybe all we can look forward to in the future is an up and down ride.

Kerry understands enough of this... and he'll do just fine.
If you want further evidence that this latest right wing Reaganomics disaster isn't going to hold, just listen to the GOP itself..it's even starting to make them stand up.

The other significant part in this equation which is significant in all of this is the very personality of Bush. People are going to give up on Bush the man. Even Bush himself stands a good chance of personally collapsing as a result of taking the country to war on a country destroying head hunting expedition.

I understand your trepidation....but there really is hope ahead.
Kerry will do just fine.

[MadHound]

10. You are obviously living with rose colored blinders on

Because it is obvious from your post that you just-don't-get-it!

Kerry is nothing more than the same ol, same ol, a corporate candidate with a slick hair cut and an ice cold heart. The man is a backer of NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA, and the whole alphabet plethora of job sucking trade agreements. While he now admits that his IWR vote was a mistake, he has no plans for getting the troops home, nor does he have any plans for taking care of them once they are home. For a man who is a Vietnam Vet, and a Vietnam Vet Against the War, he shows precious little empathy for the soldiers of today.

And while he make pious mouthings about helping out the poor and downtrodden, he really has very little in substance to back up his position. Substance like universal health care and a federally mandated living wage for everyone. And as far as the most disillusioning issue of the day, corporate control of our very government, Kerry has uttered nary a peep.

No, all we can expect from Kerry is the status quo. With his beholdence to big business, the man isn't going to rock the boat. He might throw a bone here, drop a crumb there, but any real meaningful change for the massive numbers of people who are hanging onto by their fingernails isn't going to come about on the Kerry watch. I mean after all, the man does have to take care of his corporate masters who brought him to this ball.

No, real change isn't going to rise from the ranks of the Dems or the 'Pugs, for both are so corrupt, so beholden to their corporate masters that any meaningful change is impossible, in fact almost unthinkable for them. Instead, meaningful change is going to have to come from the very place where it always comes, the people.

And the first step towards acheiving this change is simple, publicly financed elections. Three states already have this provision, and more need to join. If your state recognizes initiative petitions, then start one. If not, then pressure your more liberal legislators, use the bully pulpit, the press, make the matter a talking point to the extent that politicians will discuss the matter in chambers just so as to shut out the den. This is the first, most important step. For once you have a majority of legislators who are not beholden to big business, the rest of our problems will naturally fall in line over time.

But if you are going to vote for Kerry in the hopes that he will bring about meaningful change, then I feel that you are going to be sorely disillusioned once he takes office. The man is going to be indebted to big business from the moment he takes office, and as we all know, big biz doesn't take no for an answer.

[wadestock]

11. History will prove my point.....

He can be full of all those flaws and still flick his finger and be 1000 times better than Bush.

You don't get it.
Bush is that bad.

I'd put in a drunk that got blow jobs everyday and he'd come out better than Bush.
Bush is the most irresponsible/dangerous president ever elected.

Kerry is no panacea....I had much greater inspiration with Clark....he was probably the only one out there that would have ended the war in the best way in the least amount of time. He seemed to have the best insight into the evils of Reaganomics.

But I'm not going to over indulge in how much of this disaster has to be corrected right away. I've heard Kerry in those quiet "off camera moments" talking to people. He understands enough to know the right wing has cranked it up to an unconscionable level.

If he gets in and the Bush tax cuts aren't reversed in any way...then I'll eat what's left of my Clark 04 bumper stickers.

[MadHound]

12. I'll save some hot sauce for you!

Also note, I've been threatened with the "___________ is the worst thing this side of hell" meme too many times for it to hold any fear for me anymore. I hold both parties responsible for where we're at, and realize that with both parties so intertwined with their corporation masters, neither can effect real change, or even ease our suffering. All the Dems can do is mouth pious platitudes in order to disguise their dirty deeds. Clinton was a master of this, and with this skill he managed to wreak more havoc on our society than even Nixon did. I expect no less from Kerry.

No, what we need is real change, and the only party that I see providing it is the Greens. They take no corporate cash, and thus are only beholden to the true masters of our government, we the people.

[wadestock]

15. What kind of change?

We're living in an era where the great capitalistic experiment of America has gone right wing....particularly with an embracing of Reaganomics and its lust for free wheeling corporate profits. This narrow minded view of the world is bad enough without them having to spice it up with a culture destroying set of psycho ideals and a day after day diatribe of anti-socialism.

Idealistically, I would like to see America truly lead the world in terms of energy efficiency, transportation, health care, etc.....but also some honest to goodness government programs that give emphasis to the quality of life vs. profits. The only way capitalism works is when it works for the people.

I agree that the green party is closest to being capable of implementing programs which could be finally viewed as worthwhile government programs. The current state of affairs is rather hopeless in terms of government getting its act together to convince the people that it can responsibly spend money.

But before such a consensus is achieved....before such a movement takes place....we must do everything we can to stop the right wing Reaganites from completely destroying the capitalistic system.

I look at this way, and I think I'm being realistic....
Our capitalistic system is in a tilt situation, just a turn around the corner from proving once and for all that Marx was right. With the top controlling about 30 to 50 Trillion dollars in assets (curious no one can put a good estimate on this but that's close enough to see where our hard earned money has gone)....there is ample evidence that an even more progressive tax is justified. We have yet to understand (hard to believe we live in the system and don't understand it) that capitalism naturally (and quite statistically) produces an ever flow of money to the top. The progressive tax IS quite literally the way capitalism saves itself.

The democratic candidates may not be perfect, but I'm actually astounded they have the balls to go after some of that money that's going to the top. To preserve the progressive tax system must be viewed as a huge victory. The right wing Reaganites would take it away tomorrow if they could.

None of current candidate would bring about any real change...I understand your comments....but I rate saving the country as an important objective...don't you?

I allows the country to run that much longer so that it might be possible for a real sense of awareness to take place.

Would you rather it completely cave in on itself....and then in the process a greater sense of awareness comes to fruition?

[The Magistrate]

19. The Problem With That, Mr. Hound

Is that the Greens will never hold or exerciase power, and therefore can effect no change of any sort. They are hardly "beholden to the people", for the people give them no votes, and they hold no offices. Further, if they should show any signs of getting a number of votes, and of holding a number of offices, persons would quickly step forward to provide the moies the Greens would then surely need, and those in the Green Party who wished to achieve real power would take the money, and grant the favors, just like everybody else. People are the same all around....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[DuctapeFatwa]

13. Thanks for all the love, sorry bout the typos

Spell check is a tool of oppression used by those who would deny letters their freedom of location.

[goobergunch]

14. Thanks for kicking this

Great post. :thumbsup:

[The Magistrate]

18. Mr. Twain Put It Well, Mr. Fatwa

"I have little respect for a man who can spell a word just one way."

[ibegurpard]

16. Excellent!

Just outstanding! :thumbsup:

[ByRillYAN]

20. Great post!

What America needs is for the green party or some new progressive party to start campaigning from local gov. and slowly working their way up to implement truely progressive reforms. frist of is campaign reform to get buisness out of the picture. this party needs to build up its support from the bottm up. truely grassroots campaigning. getting mayors and state legislators first. then working on building its support from there to go for govenors and congressmen. and then finally atempting a pres. run, for by then its should be a truelly unstoppable power of the PEOPLE. kind of a democratic marxist revolt.

[sistersofmercy]

21. DF, you know, I resent the implication

I do not believe it is going to be status quo for one minute nor do I gleefully munch my favorite cheese thinking, "Oh, what nice rhetoric!" in reference to the people hurting in one form or another.

[DuctapeFatwa]

22. opportunistic kick