Harold Ford, Jr.: Why It's a Mistake to Dismiss Ocasio-Cortez as 'Radical'

[brooklynite]

I have always been a pro-growth Democrat. When I was in Congress, I favored cutting taxes to stimulate the economy and supported strategic investments in infrastructure, scientific research and development, and public education. Since leaving Congress, I’ve worked for two powerful investment banking firms. Like President John F. Kennedy, I’ve long operated from the belief that a rising tide of strong economic growth lifts all boats and strengthens our nation long term.

And while I still believe that, I believe we can’t keep pretending that the strain of American capitalism we’ve clung to for decades hasn’t had serious—and sometimes negative—outcomes for many millions of Americans.

When the top 1 percent owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent; when the richest nation in the world still does not have universal early-childhood education; when an opioid epidemic killed more people last year than all the U.S. troops killed in the Vietnam War, driven largely by a pervasive economic despair that has enveloped large swaths of our country; and when we continually underinvest in our public education system and thereby undermine the most important lifeline to economic opportunity, it’s time to abandon the comforts of our traditional orthodoxies.

It’s time for all of us—especially those of us who have long supported pro-growth policies—to ask: How do we modernize the American economic compact to produce growth in a way that provides more equity and fairness to the tens of millions of Americans left behind?

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. When you start to lose Harold Ford Jr... n/t

[DeminPennswoods]

3. Trying to fend off the barbarians

who are gearing up to storm the capitalist gates.

[Hortensis]

4. Absolutely, all who support liberal and progressive goals

need to pull together. And we share virtually all goals, the difference between two universal healthcare systems for instance almost nonexistent in the big picture.

Ocasio did earn some genuine distrust because she previously worked for the Sanders campaign; and as we know. too many failed to pull together to elect Democrats, with results devastating to our nation.

Of course, roughly 76-77% of Sanders primary voters DID vote Democrat in the GE, bless them! They are us.

But of the 23-24% of Sanders' Progressives who did not stand against the evils taking control through the right, 12% actually voted for Trump. 2% didn't vote (a remarkably small #). The other half shockingly rejected the profoundly progressive Democratic Party plans for our nation by voting for third-party candidates who could not win, playing a critical part in devastating losses to the Republicans and everything that's happened since.

Ocasio will have all the chances she needs to show that she understands what went wrong in the 2016 GE, the tremendous stakes for our nation, and, above all, that in the 2020 general election either the Democratic or Republican Party will take control of the WH, congress, and many states and judgeships.

There is no third choice. Either
* Increasing right-wing authoritarianism threatening our democracy, proven by stolen elections, massive corruption and betrayal, continued dismantling of programs many millions depend on, and extreme cruelty as an instrument of government. Or,
* Advancement of the liberal, progressive democracy we all grew up with.

We can, as always, support our favorite in the primary, but this time we must not fail to commit to electing Democrats in the general. And as a Democratic leader, Ocasio has a duty to make that happen.

[JHB]

5. A key point you've missed, Mr. Ford, and it's part of how we got here...

Last edited Thu Jan 31, 2019, 08:38 PM - Edit history (1)

...I’ve long operated from the belief that a rising tide of strong economic growth lifts all boats and strengthens our nation long term.

Tides do not rise from the top down.

Let me repeat:

Tides. Do. Not. Rise. From. The. Top. Down.


When a tide comes in, the smallest boats float first. The big, deep-draft ones are the last. They stay grounded or stuck in channels until there's enough water to float them, by which point everything smaller has been navigating freely.

When the tide goes out, it's the reverse: It's the deep-draft ones feel it first and are affected the most & longest. Smaller boats have time to avoid getting grounded, and can prepare for when the tide comes in again.

It's not just time for you to ask "How do we modernize?" It's also time for you and other "pro-growth" people to ask yourselves why it took so long for you to notice, and what about the people who tried for those same decades to get you to notice.

[PETRUS]

8. Good use of the metaphor.

[JCanete]

9. yeah, thank you. How can he still believe what he says he still believes is the question. nt

[Jeffersons Ghost]

6. K&R for a 5th rec n/t

[KG]

7. I lulz'd

stopped reading after ' I favored cutting taxes to stimulate the economy ....'