ACA Repeal/Replace: Progressives Face Moral Dilemma

[Eric the Green]

(09-13-2017, 04:44 PM)X_4AD_84 Wrote:

(09-13-2017, 12:48 AM)Eric the Green Wrote: It is just the fact that Republicans represent these elites. Democrats may compromise too much with them, but that is because they have to take account of Republican power. That makes them too cautious to turn left. But if Republican power is reduced, or if the Party crumbles, then the pressure on politicians to conform to the desires of the wealthy elite will be reduced. So yes, as a matter of strategy, focusing on the division of wealth leads inexorably to the fact that Republican policies of the last 40 years have created this inequality that Piketty documents, and so the answer is to dethrone them. You can call that vile partisanship; I just call it realistic strategy.

And that should be obvious from everything I write on this subject.

Eric why are you in such denial about which powers that be support the Democrats? Being in Silicon Valley you should know better. The "captains of industry" around here are totally in bed with the DNC. Meanwhile, it's now at the level of street knowledge that Wall Street is another major stream of DNC funding. Stop denying it. You are stuck 100 years ago, imagining Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Funding is just one aspect of things. Without campaign finance reform, most Democrats remain tied to corporate funders. The real issue is who supports reform, and the answer is crystal clear. Again I refer you to the Citizens United decision. 5 justices appointed by Republicans voted against reform. 4 justices appointed by Democrats favored it. With Trump/Gorsuch, this line-up remained. Case made.

Besides funding, it's the policies that the parties support that determines who supports elites. Republican policy is trickle-down economics. That supports the elites lock stock and barrel. Environmental policy is just one indicator. I posted before how congress votes on this. Almost all Democrats support the environment 90% or so; almost Republicans support it 10%. So it is with other issues up and down the line. Republicans support the elites; Democrats support the people. The Dems are by no means perfect; no one on the Left believes THAT. Noone who questions the power of wealthy elites believes THAT either. No, we aren't naive, after 16 years of too many compromises by Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. And don't forget the racial undertones of trickle-down, neo-liberal economics. "All those folks who don't work, why should I pay taxes to give them handouts? So I voted for Trump, Bush et al. They share ma valyas"! We know whom all those "folks" are. That's the favorite dog whistle which folks like Classic Xer respond to.