Progressive Policy

Here we are after the Presidency of George W. Bush, an idiot that had approval ratings in the twenty percentile, a Congress that had approval ratings in the teens, a vice President that swaggered around lying and speaking like he was the President, a list as long as Shaq’s arm of war crimes, invasions of privacy, torture… and on and on; and now when someone criticizes compromise with this party that was so hated, so destructive, and championed these actions, they are labeled unrealistic dreamers or worse yet Republicans!

FireDogLake? Republican. Cenk Uygr? Republican, Bernie Sanders? Well… never forget he’s Not a Democrat! And what is it that these sites and people advocate for? Roosveltian policy! Yeah, that’s right, FDR or Teddy, take your pick! If you come around talking WPA, Big Sticks and “welcoming critics and confrontation” you’re a Republican!? Again, I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

Election cycles don’t offer many of us enough replays to see the patterns. I for one have never witnessed those within my own party strain so hard to cover failure and just plain weakness and bad performance. I would have thought if someone told me this is what an Obama Presidency would yield that no one in their right mind would sit still for it let alone excuse and justify it!

But this is a learning experience and a challenge for my self and many others. How we respond to these circumstances reveals things we may not have known about ourselves. For example, I once fought tooth and nail against those who claimed that the parties were run by the same special interests, that Democrats were playing good cop and I took the “lesser-evil” approach.

Today, after taking exactly that, the “lesser-evil” approach, and actually going so far as to believe that Barack Obama would be just the man to respond to the devastation of the Bush years–someone who would capitalize on the overwhelming popularity of the Democratic party and victories in both houses and the Presidency, I see that this leads to the same end as voting Republican but just takes longer, offers a false sense of victimization, and defangs the outrage and disgust commensurate with these right wing enabling behaviors.

Here’s a simple thought experiment, let’s say every Democratic Presidential candidate that runs wins the next two to four election cycles and each of these candidates performs like Barack Obama–where will we be? Anywhere NEAR Teddy or FDR or closer to, or beyond George W. Bush? If all of our rational becomes “lesser-evil,” what will the composition of our Congress be?

Many of us thought these questions would not even come up. Me? I thought Barack Obama would appoint Progressives and the brightest of the Left to his cabinet! When he didn’t I was like many still are… in denial. I thought “well he wants to keep his enemies close”. No! That is NOT what he wanted to do. He wants them to do exactly what they have done! Further Neoliberal/Free Market, Corporafascist, right wing fiscal policy.

Admit it! If Barack Obama cleaned house… that is to say, provided “Change” by calling in Progressive talent, would that then be Republican? Well, in one aspect it would be! Republicans play to win! Republicans would stock their cabinet with ammo of their choosing that will take out their targets. Maybe we should be more like Republicans!