“The Far Left” used to be called “Middle America.”

[Cyrano]

“The Far Left” is a phrase invented by Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats and media whores. The purpose of the phrase is to make people think that some radical, entity called “The Far Left” exists and is determined to destroy us all. This is total bullshit and too many have bought it.

Here’s my definition of the “Far Left”:

People who believe in Social Security.

People who believe in Medicare, Medicaid and universal health care.

People who believe that if you work hard, one job can support your family.

People who believe that their children will have better lives than their own.

People who believe in universal, free education.

People who believe that the divisiveness begun by Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” was evil and that it has become the core principal that drives the Republican Party.

People who believe that Ronald Reagan was nothing more than an amiable imbecile.

People who believe that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their henchmen should be tried in a court of justice, (either here or in The Hague), for crimes against humanity.

People who believe that President Obama has betrayed most things that Democrats have historically stood for.

People who believe that war is not “the normal state of affairs.”

People who believe that corporations and the uber wealthy should be subject to higher taxes than the middle class and the poor.

People who believe in helping the poor and don’t believe the lie that “Welfare queens drive around in Cadillacs.”

People who believe that the Supreme Court should be counted on to protect our rights.

People who believe in human rights, across the board, for all human beings.

People who actually believe the words in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the inscription on the Statue of Liberty.

Not that many years ago, people who believed in all these things were considered to be normal, middle class, caring, and patriotic Americans. Today, the lunatic right, through their propaganda, have marginalized people who hold these beliefs.

We are not the “Far Left.” We are sane, caring Americans who want to see the promise of America fulfilled. And it's time we understood that those who don't agree with us have declared war on us.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. A great post. You're right. What happened is that the right wing turned FASCIST.

By contrast, anything in the middle appears extreme left.

[Cyrano]

2. Yep. They've tried to turn us into the "bad guys."

And to some extent, they've succeeded.

[TheKentuckian]

3. Flush the Turd Way to win back ground.

[Aerows]

17. exactly

You can't negotiate with fascists. It's not in their make up. All you can do is capitulate to them for ever-shrinking liberties.

[DBoon]

4. Look at what JFK, LBJ, and Hubert Humphrey were advocating

can you imagine any American politician saying anything like that now?

I mean making the abolition of poverty and unemployment a national goal?

[Jim Warren]

5. Yup

the conveyor belt of politics, the old center is now left.
We can attribute much of the dumbing down to the media giants.

[bvar22]

6. I used to be a mainstream, centrist FDR/LBJ "Democrat".

Now,
I find that I am labeled as a Far Left Fringe Extremist.
I haven't changed.

"In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

*The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

*The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

*The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

*The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

*The right of every family to a decent home;

*The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

*The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

*The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

Americas own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens.

For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world."--FDR, 1944

Thank You, FDR.
I WILL remain faithful to those Democratic Values,
even though the New Democrat Centrist Party has abandoned them.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone

[midnight]

9. I love seeing that photo of Paul Wellstone, and reading his

waring message...

[bvar22]

12. That photo was taken at the Labor Day Picnic on Harriet Island, St Paul,

Sept. 2, 2002, shortly before he was killed.
I'm really glad I brought my camera that day.

Paul showed up wearing cut-off jeans and running shoes without socks.
He and his wife, Sheila, sat in the wet grass with the rest of us Working Class Peasants.
That is one of the things I loved about Paul,
he was unpretentious.





How often can you find a US Senator sitting in the wet grass with the Common People
celebrating Labor Day these days?
He really kicked some Anti-WorkingClass Conservative ASS (Republicans AND Democrats) that day.
That is the last time I saw Paul.
:cry:


"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone

[Cyrano]

25. Al Franken idolized Paul Wellstone.

But it seems to me that now that Franken is in the senate, he seems to have faded into the background. Perhaps I'm wrong, but where the hell is his passion and his voice? Bernie Sanders shouts out what we stand for. Where is Franken's outrage?

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

That line in the middle moved right....and the more it moved right the more basic liberal tenets/beliefs were labeled as "fringe", "far left"...

and people who don't know any better (too young to remember or those recently political - or those who want to promote the bullshit talking point) buy into and/or perpetuate that bullshit framing

[Cyrano]

11. Right on, Solly Mack. We are not the "fringe."

In truth, the fringe is those who own Fox "news," and so many other media outlets that broadcast propaganda and bullshit. In effect, they tell far too many people what to think and believe.

The only reason the middle has "moved to the right," is perception. It "moved" because we were told it "moved."

There are many millions of Americans who "get it." Nothing moved but the propaganda. Most normal, sane people are watching their TVs or computer screens wondering what the hell happened.

What happened is that we were overwhelmed by the money poured into the -- so-called American media, -- the corporate owned TV/radio stations.

But here's what's really terrifying. Far too many Americans have bought the bullshit they're being told the "truth." At one time, when we were children, we were scared by monsters under the bed. What should really frighten us now is American fascism brought to us by the Republican Party.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. not sure I agree.

Perhaps your experience of the past was different, but the "middle" has been pretty volatile and not always as reasonable as your perception of it. I was born in the mid-fifties.

Beginning with the "McCarthy era", the election of the first Catholic president, Civil Rights, assassination again and again and again... Vietnam, Watergate, Roe v Wade, Impeachment, 1st recognition of the Energy Crisis, Reagan, Iran-Contra, Bush sr. 1st Gulf War, etc...

The "middle" was often moved by the power of others imo. Vietnam wasn't something the "middle" disapproved of until the efforts of countless people exposed it for what it was. The same with Civil Rights, Roe/Wade, and many others.

I think your post points out the ideals that we'd like to believe all Americans should be able to get behind, but I'm not sure that we've left them behind, as much as we've never quite achieved them.

I think that we (Democrats) have at times been very instrumental in moving the middle closer to where it needs to be, but that Reagan was a real step backward, and we took GIANT steps backward under Bushjr. We need to get headed back in the correct direction, but we need to be very careful not to lose the opportunity to have some real lasting control, by underestimating the power of our opposition.

[Zax2me]

10. No. You give the far right way too much credit.

They have ALWAYS demonized middle America as the far left. Maybe not in blogs and forums as in todays media, but they have always done it.

[Cyrano]

14. Yes they have. But now, they have the power of the main stream media

helping them to accomplish their mission of destruction.

Zax2me, you are correct that they've always demonized us. But given their ownership of the main stream media, their demonization of us has been made to appear to be "reality."

They've turned the "news" into a carnival mirror in which everything is magnified and twisted, yet seems sane in a world that seems incapable of recognizing distortion.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. 15 years ago I was a moderate, now I am a liberal and my views have not changed

I think your post it extremely accurate

[alsame]

15. With the final shuttle launch, it occurred to me that we

could never have started NASA in a political environment like we have now. It would be attacked as big government, not revenue-producing, wasteful spending, etc. And it's...science...which is now scorned. It's very, very sad.

[Cyrano]

16. Most people are clueless to the advancements brought to us

by the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo space programs.

Every single electronic "toy" we have on our desktops, on our belts, or in our pockets came out of the scientific advancements developed during these programs.

Had it not been for John Kennedy's vision of reaching the moon, Reagan, Bush/Cheney, et al might have us sitting on the ground examining the meaning of the contents of a diaper.

Every once in a while, humanity takes a giant stride forward. But those who would drag us into the past never go away.

Imagine if Reagan, or Bush/Cheney had been president at that critical moment in history when Kennedy challenged us to step up. I guess that moment defines the difference between greatness and barbarism. -- The difference between truth seekers and knuckle draggers.

[jillan]

18. It's funny - I'm in my mid 50's and always considered myself a moderate Dem... but now I am the far

left .... on the fringe ... the professional left.

[gkhouston]

21. +1. And there are Dems to the right of Nixon.

:crazy:

[socialist_n_TN]

19. Most of those things are STILL believed in by the

MAJORITY of the people in this country. They're only far left to the bat shit crazies and the toadies for the system. That's a nice centrist list of beliefs that I could get behind because they benefit the working class.

Unfortunately, it will take a revolution and an overthrow of the SYSTEM itself to get those things back. And if we're going to have to go to the trouble to overthrow the system, I for one, would NOT be in favor of giving it right back to the ones who MADE those positions "far left" in the first place. Get rid of the system and that gets rid of them too and MAYBE we can come up with something that's MUCH more fair to everybody.

[AverageJoe90]

20. To be perfectly honest with you guys.........

Well, this country HAS started to see a serious social regression in the past 20-30 years............so I'm not really surprised to hear this at all.

I mean, honestly, now!
They'll also call you a far-left, America-hating Commie if:

1.)You believe in rehabilitation of petty criminals instead of harsh punishments.
2.)You are against beating and other forms of maltreatment of children being disguised as 'proper discipline' and are for alternative parenting practices which actually help children learn valuable life lessons.
3.)You understand that although great strides have been made to eliminate racism in this country, it is still around and still causing damage.
4.)You don't buy into the various mainstream news propaganda concerning 'youth crime', and understand that actual problems are NOT caused by violent video games, or metal music, but rather things such as bullying, access to hate literature, a troubled childhood(especially one which involves parental abuse), etc.
5.)You believe that all good people who come to America should be given a chance to live here, regardless of whether they were documented or not.
6.)You believe the 1960s was one of the most enlightened times for America's youth.
7.)You believe in the general protection of the welfare of children and wish the U.S. could sign the "convention on the rights of the child" treaty already.
8.)You understand that although freedom of religion does have it's place in American society, forcing your beliefs on everyone else most certainly doesn't.

I could go on, and on, and on with this list.

[Cyrano]

24. Yep, AverageJoe, you've really pointed out what a barbaric society we live in.

[leftstreet]

22. K&R

[WillyT]

23. K & R !!!

:kick: