2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWhat is with saying Sanders isn't a Democrat?
I don't know how many times I have come across someone saying Sanders isn't a Democrat so Shultz has every right to favor Clinton because she has put the time into the Democratic Party etc. Schultz has outright said they have the right to protect the party from grassroots movements. This argument always makes me scratch my head because I am a registered, life long Democrat from a long line of Democrats and Sanders and I see eye to eye on almost everything. I really could not care less that he was an independent for so long because he seems closer to the FDR Democratic Party of my parents than the party currently does and that is the ONLY thing that matters to me. Not that he just officially became part of a party that is corrupt giving him the opportunity to change it back to how it once was when we actually stood for something.
So it seems like this is a fight for those of us who want to take us back to the Democratic Party of the 30's into the 70's when the Unions financed the party and we were not influenced by those wanting to control the "free market", to the new Democratic Party that kicked in during the 90's after Reagan busted up the Unions. Bill had to go to Wall Street for financing which was probably about the only thing he could do and be able to win at the time so I don't fault him for that. But once we let Wall Street in that was a fundamental shift in the Democratic Party taking us from a labor focused party to one financed by Wall Street meaning there no longer was a true labor oriented party in existence. So we have ended up with the bat shit crazy Republicans and a Democratic Party which is about where Nixon and Ford were. Meanwhile the middle class has seen a steady decline as the money is pulled up in buckets to the 1% because there is NO party looking out for working people.
Now I understand this isn't cut and dry because Reagan fucked things up so bad it's not like we can just go back to the labor unions and make things like they use to be and have enough financing to win elections. The media is controlled by Wall Street, and the Republicans are so insane and impossible to work with, many see someone like Clinton who will basically go along with things but perhaps make a few meaningful changes the only logical choice. That's fine I can see why some feel this way. It's not stupid in the least it just feels defeatist to me.
But it still begs the question, if Sanders isn't a true "Democrat" and yet he is more like FDR and the Democratic Party of our parents and grand parents then I don't know if I am a Democrat any more if the leaders of the party are wanting to leave all that behind.
So what makes you a Democrat these days and why do some think the values of our parents Democratic Party are no longer where the party should be? Have some become so disheartened that they are giving up or do you really feel like the new corporate Democratic Party is where your heart is? If it's not then I hope you understand things won't change easily, we are so entrenched this is really going to require a revolution. This country has been called an oligarchy by many countries in the European Union and studies have shown this. We are officially fucked up! You can't work with the oligarchy to make change, you have to fight them head on.
Mnpaul
(3,655 posts)Important point 4 seconds in
-none
(1,884 posts)So why is she the head of the Democratic party? She sounds Republican to me.
Quixote1818
(28,955 posts)Kind of tragic that the "Grassroots Activists" are now FDR Democrats.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Peace Patriot
(24,010 posts)Thank you!
Uncle Joe
(58,378 posts)Thanks for the thread, Quixote1818.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)He explained the definition of a Democratic Socialist: basically a Democrat who takes things one step farther by saying the Federal Government should work for all of the people, just not the corporations and top one percenters.
He actually is much closer to FDR than many of the current Democrats, especially the Third Way or New Dems.
People who oppose his candidacy prefer to refer to him as a "socialist" because they think that label alone will discourage many voters and/or they like saying he is not a real Dem to imply he is just a phony. Pathetic.
Sam
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)nc4bo
(17,651 posts)It puts a spotlight on the Democratic Party and shows what a hollowed out, corporately owned, hot mess you see now.
Not even complicated and it's just that simple.
Demsrule86
(68,620 posts)And bashes the party constantly.