Social Democracy was once an experiment in the US

[nadinbrzezinski]

It was called the New Deal. Yes, many elements of it were present in the whole slew of legislation that made up the New Deal. They were not prefect, but they were standard for the era. But in the course of history, a battle began almost immediately to end that in the US. After all, we are NOT like Europe is the traditional cry. Problem is that we were not like Europe either. England had no system of social security in the 1930s. They were, if nothing less, far less secure than we were, and the only reason England did not turn to Fascism was most likely WW II. The USSR was carrying out quite a bit of it's own horror show, not that most people knew about it... so to compare our social security system to Communism and RED COMMUNISM at that is funny as hell, given the distance from history.

Yet the war has not stopped. And with the rise of Empire, it is almost a law of Empires. Sooner or later you gotta choose. Empire or your own people. Well Empire is damn seductive so like every time... we chose Empire.

Now we are involved in a titanic battle to PRESERVE the small slice of a safety net we got.

Well in my view we WILL get a social democracy in this country, but NOT until the Empire dies. It is one or the other. They are mutually exclusive. What is happening in Az is just an extreme form of how exclusive they are. But they are. And while the Empire will come down... another law of history. Every President who still is while the Empire is still in some form functioning, regardless of party, will fight to keep it. Like it or not it has some benefits... and no President will allow it to fall under their watch. NO ONE... no, not even Kucinich, if he ever got to the Presidency. Part of the reason is that the fall will be painful in ways that actually will help to bring that Social Democracy as a long term goal. But in the short term... we are in that struggle and there are forces that at this moment will prevent this... because it is either the people or the Empire. This is also almost a law of history, and all Empires in decline do this.

So long term, we will win. The arc of history does trend to justice. But getting there... many of us will NOT reach the promised land.

[nadinbrzezinski]

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