Wake Up Call for Democrats

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By alan k (about the author) Page 2 of 2 page(s)

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The quasi-heroic efforts of "progressive" stalwarts within the party, for the most part (oh, there are a few exceptions which prove the rule -- and keep folks hoping, groveling), have had little or no effect on the ship's course, and hasn't for decades: it's just marginal chit-chat, and keeps valuable, willing citizens all tied up in internal wrangling, preventing them from moving towards their dreams. Every four years it's "Oh, THIS time we'll elect a bunch of new progressives and that will change things." Right. Meanwhile those in charge do all they can to prevent that. Why must you battle your "leadership" who are abandoning their country and acting close to treason? The leadership (and thus the main thrust, efforts and global effects of the party) silences dissent, distracts the public and takes its marching orders from obscenely powerful campaign funders who hedge their bets funding both major parties.

The Party, like it or not is in the Corporate Hip Pocket. The mainstream Democrats' push for globalized corporate trade policies (which includes the neo-cons' sick wars of plunder and control in the Middle East) and which walks all over Labor and the right to self -govern tells it all: they are now proud members, part and parcel of the MegaCorporate Bane on Life-on-Earth-as-We-Know-It. Willing (paid) Partners.

No WONDER they didn't pay any attention to the vote of November 2006. No Wonder they pay no nevermind to pleadings of progressive elements inside. They are paid to represent Corporate Globalization, not the Citizens of the US, not those who "vote" for them.

THE VOTE, in fact, is just part of the Show. It serves to give false hopes to those still in their corral (to get their money), even though, as we've all seen, they don't even lift a finger to fight when the vote is STOLEN. That ALONE is proof of whom they really represent.

Oh, when they WANT to, they FIGHT: They fight to keep the war funding going. They fight to stop impeachment. They fight to prevent more democratically-minded dissenters from blocking Alito and Roberts and Bolton and Negroponte and Mukasey. They fight to keep people like Kucinich or McKinney marginalized or out of office. They fight to keep progressives from leadership positions. They fight to keep Greens and Nader off the ballots.

However, they DON'T FIGHT the outrageous abuses of power and of the Constitution by the Bush Administration. They DON'T fight to expose Truth when lies abound. They DON'T fight to lift the veils of secrecy surrounding the Hijacking of our Nation and the events of 911. They DON'T fight for YOU and ME and our right to participate in government decision-making through the ballot! They DON'T fight to defend our Constitution or our national dignity at a time of dire need.

And now, McCain worries them... Any wonder?

They are being betrayed by the very patrons they most diligently serve. Their need to serve "two masters" (in reality, only one, as serving the "people" is merely a slogan, a ruse) makes it impossible to come up with any coherent political Vision and Strategy that a free people needs to organize the fight for their destiny. It stifles legitimate participation. It only rewards the powerful and connected.

I don't mean to demean good-hearted folks who still want to believe the nostalgia-fed myths of their party (defenders of women, labor, and minorities, and so on...), but it is Wake-Up Time. All Hands On Deck. Time to be checking over the Lifeboats.

And so the Democratic Ship of State plows ahead, oblivious to America's problems and needs, and runs a course, once again close to disaster, worried about running into the McCain Shoals, but unworried about the faulty compass, the holes in the hull -- nor the safety of the crew.

How long can you afford to put up with this? Time for a new ship and a new course.

Alan Kobrin

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