08-05-2016, 11:52 AM
(07-30-2016, 10:28 PM)Eric the Green Wrote: I certainly agree with your re-dating of the civil war cycle.
I certainly disagree that the Democrats have become "The Establishment," since Bernie did not win. No, that's a deception which the Republicans are trying to pull. But it's patently absurd. The salient point about the DNC is that it essentially adopted Bernie's views. That is the salient point, not the supposed patriotism of the slogans or the fact that Hillary has been in office a long time. The Establishment is the bankers and the corporate elite, the 1%, and not the politicians we elect. And to the extent that The Establishment is the politicians, it is the Republicans who represent that elite, and only that elite. Trump's supposed appeal to the working class is pure deception-pull-wool-over-eyes foolery. Trump represents his class, and his policies would boost his class more than those of any previous candidate. That is patently obvious.
Trump's xenophobia is also typically Republican. Trump did not take over the Republican Party, or change it. The appeal to southern and hard-hat racist fears and prejudice has been the Republican appeal for 5 decades now. There's nothing new to it at all. Trump may have departed from Republican orthodoxy on some issues, most-notably trade, and in very limited ways on a few other things. But that doesn't matter. Bush was pro-immigration, which was also unlike the views of most Republicans. McCain was a maverick who supported action on climate change when he ran. Bush the First even originally called Reagan's economic policies "voodoo." There's usually a bit of variation among Republican candidates. The only major difference between Trump and previous Republican candidates is his outrageous lack of qualification for being president-- due to his background, personality and character as well as his demagogic approach. Most Republicans, though unwilling to change their views very much, found a way to vent their frustration with the status quo--- which they themselves uphold and maintain--- by voting for this clown.
Nice attempt though. Stimulating and articulate.
I am shocked by your statement that the DNC has essentially adopted Bernie's views. The TPP is official DNC platform. A 15/hr minimum wage and universal healthcare are nowhere to be seen. The bankers have OVERWHELMINGLY been funneling cash into the Hillary campaign. Hillary has a stated policy goal of overthrowing the Assad regime, and the Obama administration has started airstrikes in Libya again. The democrats are the war party. They represent the bankers and the military-industrial complex. I apologize for this coming off as somewhat insulting, but are we watching the same election? How can you make any of those claims?