Thursday, September 15, 2016

The Democrats Must Also Go


"I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."

Will Rogers

Got'cha!
Here's a paradox about me: In personal relationships my feelings tend to get hurt very easily; it's just part of my inner makeup, I suppose. And yet, when it comes to the public arena, I've got skin of steel - seriously. I've been called everything from "a dangerous left-wing radical" to "a psychologically unhinged demagogue" to "one of liberalism's useful idiots". Truth be told, the invective rolls right off me like rain on a windowpane; in fact,  I get a kick out of it. It's a nice thing to know that one is being talked about - and that one is pissing off all the right people. It reminds me of the possibly apocryphal story about the late band leader, Artie Shaw: Upon learning of the death of Marilyn Monroe, he is said to have quipped: "Good career move." There's no such thing as bad publicity. I'm seriously thinking of going out and getting myself arrested for assault.
 
There is, however, one thing that is said about me (and it is said often) that really does bother me: when I am accused of being either a shill for the Democratic Party, or a press agent for them. That doesn't merely annoy me - that makes me seethe. 
 
I left that idiotic party in 1998 - in the merry old Month of May to be precise. I registered with the Green Party, and even ran for the New York state senate under their banner a few years later. Today I am a blank, a man without a party. I tried to re-register as a Democrat early this year (temporarily, I assure you) so that I could vote for Bernie Sanders in the primaries. As it turns out, I missed the deadline for being eligible for voter participation by two months. Other than that isolated incident, I have never looked back.
 
Now that the complete self-destruction of the GOP has been virtually assured, the time has come to take a long, hard and critical look at the Democrats. There are many reasons I bolted that party eighteen years ago; one of the main reasons was Bill Clinton - and by extension, Hillary. The Lewinsky scandal that occurred in that same year had nothing to do with it. The only reason for my defection is simply that "the party of Franklin D. Roosevelt" long ago forgot that they are just that - or at least that's what they used to be. it's quite easy to gauge how deep into the ideological sewer the Democrats have fallen these past two decades: Show me a party whose most visible spokesman (aside from the president) is a cheap, plutocratic stooge like Chuck Schumer ("the gentleman from Wall Street") and I'll show you a party that needs to be made over (at least) or completely destroyed (at worst).
 
This is not meant to imply that the party is beyond redemption (unlike the Republicans); the fact that there are genuine statesmen (excuse me: "statespersons") of the stature and gravitas of Elizabeth Warren, John Lewis, Sherrod Brown - not to mention Bernie - is decided cause for hope. But the rest of them need to understand that the time has come for a complete overhaul. This a warning that the Republicans should have heeded at least two decades ago. They neglected to do so and now they're on the verge of disappearing forever. Bye! Bye!

Let's face it, folks: Conservatives in this country have gone bat-shit-crazy. When the Republicans finally do fracture into a million itty-bitty pieces in a matter of a few short years, that will be a real opportunity for progressives to get to work remaking America's badly decimated infrastructure. If the Democratic plan for the future is to continue in their current guise as "Republican Lite", their certain destruction is imminent. By nominating Hillary Clinton in 2016, they are not off to a particularly good start. If the Dems are unable to detect the boiling rage just beneath their traditional constituency's surface, they will detect it pretty goddamned soon enough. You'd better believe it.

As Lenny Bruce liked to say, "There's gonna be a lotta dues, Jim!"

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

AFTERTHOUGHT:

Although the Andy Thomas painting depicted at the top of this piece is excellent, it is not quite historically accurate. It is rather doubtful that Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson would have been any-too-pleased to see Barack Obama being initiated into this most exclusive of clubs. With the exception of John Tyler and Andrew Johnson, they were the two worst racists to ever live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

SUGGESTED READING:

Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined nut:
Misadventures in the Counter Culture
by Paul Krassner

Paul Krassner
Paul Krassner is one of the more interesting - and unheralded - figures of the 1960's; sometimes a writer, sometimes a publisher, sometimes a comedian, sometimes a violin virtuoso. He often made perfect sense, and at times was as provocative as a snotty eight-year-old boy. A man of many virtues and a few flaws, he tried to be on the side of the angels, although he himself is a professed atheist. Of interest is his close friendship with Lenny Bruce. I found out a few things about Lenny that I was even unaware of (and I am a scholar on the guy!) His is an interesting story; in fact, putting this book down for even a few minutes was an ordeal.

SUGESTED LISTENING:

How Long Blues
by the Wingy Manone Orchestra

This was record was made sometime in the mid-thirties. I love this recording so much, I can barely put it into words. Give it a listen. It's great!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6HoDpeZhD4   


How long? Not long.

31 Comments:

At 12:45 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

So let me just start this by picking up where the last one left off.

WHAT ABOUT TRUMPS'S TREASON, CLUCKIE?

Stop deflecting.

Oh wait, that's all you've ever done isn't it?

NO ONE WITH A BRAIN CARES THAT HILARY GOT SICK.

Everyone does from time to time, it's not a felony.

 
At 3:37 PM, Blogger Yiskah said...

I'm of the opinion that Hillary has a lot bigger health issues than just pneumonia. She has something neurological going on. It seems quite apparent and either people believe it now or they'll find out about it later. The instability, the weakness in her legs, the swallowing down the wrong pipe and the coughing fitS, and also the seizures! What will we do America? Trump is not a good option… Jill Stein is just not excited about her, Gary Johnson no thanks not excited about him either… I just want Bernie :-)

 
At 3:41 PM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...

I wouldn't say either major party is imploding or otherwise bound for self-destruction.

Their owners are doing great and will nurture their puppets.

In fact, what they both are doing is undermining, and in the case of the Republicans, outright suppressing democracy.

As Benedict "pay-for-play" Donald notes, the system is rigged...but in his class's favor, of course. Only fools, dupes, and rubes believe their vulgar talking yam, and cretinous know-nothing, Thurston Douchebag III will change that system.

Until the unlikely event of the corporate media doing their job and educating Americans what corporatist neo-liberalism is, there's no name to the force that is defeating democracy.

But our corporate media is serving their bottom line instead of journalism. The cowards are too intimidated and self-interested to even call out and correct blatant lies.

Sure, we can look up a meager few "fact checks", but why should the public be burdened with the extra search for those cherry-picked truths?

The corporate media is anything but liberal. They are as pro-status quo, greedy, and corrupt as the political environment they are supposed to monitor.

How's that for an "axis of evil"?

 
At 3:43 PM, Blogger Yiskah said...

Hillary Clinton has bigger health issues to contend with then just pneumonia. She apparantly thas something neurological going on! The unsteadiness, the weakness in the legs, that swallowing down the wrong pipe, and of course the seizures… And either you accept that and agree with The prognosis, or you'll find out the truth later. We are in a bind America! Jill Stein doesn't seem like a very feasible option to me, her judgment is really questionable, likewise Gary Johnson doesn't seem very viable, he doesn't even know his geography. I still want Bernie!

 
At 4:44 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Yiskah

ALL the things you mentioned were the pneumonia they did not want to disclose because...wait for it...

SHE WOULD BE ATTACKED FOR GETTING SICK AND ALL THE CONSPIRICY NUTS WOULD COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK! '

Jeez, go back to whining about Benghazi.

 
At 5:55 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Tom, a few thoughts. I don't think there's many "conservatives" left. Not true conservatives. What constitutes and defines today's GOP is a "basket of deplorables." True Republicans, who can intelligently talk about small government, economic policy, and even social policy are muted. Today's "conservatives" are loud-mouth dummies with little command of history and ginned up on faux-patriotism and jingoism. They. Are. Nuts. And genuinely ignorantly stupid as well.

I agree that Democrats have gotten lazy as well. It's to be expected when our opponents ARE a bag of deplorables and there is no true intelligence or wit left among them--or their voices are droned out by chants of USA! USA!! USA!!!

The most damning sin of Hillary will be the DNC collusion. I think a change is coming to the Democratic party.

 
At 6:15 PM, Blogger Yellowstone said...

Suppose DT does get elected . . . How many months do you think it will take to impeach him?

 
At 8:19 PM, Blogger Michael Stivic said...

Tom,

I think Hillary must also go.

I don't want to sound like one of those conspiracy lunatics (like those severely mentally disturbed people who believe 9/11 was an inside job) but Hillary Clinton has some severe medical issues and should not run for President.

I'm afraid that in the first debate with Trump she is going to have a seizure and fall flat on her face on national TV.

If somehow she wins there will be 2 firsts: first female President, and first President to live in a convalescent home.

 
At 3:09 PM, Blogger Mycue23 said...

Tom,
I appreciate what you do, I really do, but for the love of God could you please let the Roosevelts rest in peace. I understand the utopia that was America in the 30's and 40's, but we aren't there anymore. Right family, right time. I get it. Can't we move on. I understand that these aren't the good old days of the democratic party, but the Roosevelts weren't perfect. The most glaring fact is that FDR sent our minority troops to war as a segregated unit. Seriously, even though Eleanor had made some symbolic gestures on behalf of blacks, those were not the good old days for people of color. Hey remember those internment camps for the Japanese? Yep, that good old FDR again. I absolutely believe that he was a great president, but he was no saint. Hell he took office with a 70% majority in the Congress and still couldn't get universal health coverage passed. Didn't he cheat on his wife as well? He's not a saint or a God, just a politcian. A very good one, as history shows us, but one with warts and political and personal failures.
I don't want this to come off too negative. Once again I love what you do. I always make sure that your articles are required reading for me. It's just that the Roosevelt thing is starting to take on the Rudy standard of noun, verb 9-11.
As always, I remain a big fan.

 
At 3:12 PM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...

I don't want to sound like one of those conspiracy lunatics... I'm afraid that in the first debate with Trump she is going to have a seizure and fall flat on her face on national TV.

So much for not wanting to sound like a conspiracy lunatic, aka anyone who believes Trump's lies and conspiracy theories.

This is Mikes big opportunity to tell us about climate change being a Chinese hoax and how Obama (and Hillary of course) "founded ISIS".

Poor Mikey. What a strange and frightening world for Trump fans, waiting for their messiah to descend and fix everything and "make America great". (Just like Bush/Cheney did, amirite?)

The sad part is they expect Trumpism to be taken seriously. Luckily for them, corporate media and all the deplorables repeat every word.

 
At 7:27 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

MIchael,

You DO sound like one of those "conspiracy lunatics".

Hillary caught pneumonia!! (I wish it were a cold it's easier to spell)

It's not fatal. besides, FDR Had polio. JFK had Addisons. REAGAN WAS A JELLY BRAIN FROM MID 1ST TERM!

Important issues need discussed. REAL problems need solving. Let's keep our eye on the ball and not get distracted by the squirrels OK?

 
At 10:38 PM, Blogger Paul said...

This generation is to selfish to expect it to embrace the politics of FDR. Both parties will change as they have throughout history many times. Once the Baby Boomers are dead maybe we can get back to reality politics. Spoiled brats usually display the characteristics of superiority. It's not really a secret why racism and bigotry have come to the top again. Americans tend to change the characteristics of their political parties instead of just starting new parties. As a liberal I've had to learn to live as a minority in this country for the last 50 years. By the time Democrats got back in majority and the White House the Democrats were no longer a liberal party, even more, my kind of liberalism doesn't even exist anymore. But it's not a matter of my political satisfaction, it's a matter of governing and getting things done for the betterment of society. The numbers alone will decide which way politics will go and that will decide if politics will be able to govern and better society. If that fails it doesn't mean political parties, or the country will disappear, it just means more individual suffering.

 
At 1:57 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Michael,

You DO sound like a "conspiracy lunatic" when you make posts like that. Hillary had Pneumonia and she not only got through it, but SHE HAD THE STRENGTH AND FORCE OF WILL TO WORK THROUGH IT WHEN MOST OF US WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BED.

Imagine if she'd missed the 9-11 ceremony! Imagine what Trump or people LIKE YOU would have said.

Damned of she does, damned if she doesn't lie all Democrats.

Trump should have said "I only go to ceremonies for buildings that DON'T fall down". He'd have picked up more conservative voters.

 
At 3:27 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Imagine if Hillary had told the truth?

Imagine if the Clinton charitable fund had given more than 5.7% to charity?

Imagine if the Hillary campaign wasn't taking unauthorized "donations" from the poorest?

Imagine if Kaine ends up at the top of the ticket?

I can always tell when Democrats are becoming scared around election time, the rascist card comes out, it's all they got.

 
At 6:12 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Major Cluckie,

We are STILL waiting for you to address Trumps TREASON at the C in C town hall.

Until then you are just another coward trying to deflect.

 
At 2:09 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Since Tom hasn't posted my response to, I'll try again Lad, to get this to you

I will ignore your assine questions and biased liberal posts until you come to grips with and admit

A. Hillary lies
B. Russia is not Communist (as much as you might wish it was)
C. Acknowlge the Clinton campaign is taking unauthorized money from their poorest contributors
D. Admit the Clinton Charitable Fund gives only 5.7% to charity's
E. Acknowledge that we are under attack by Islamic Terrorist within our borders, something you in the past denied happening under Obama

Balls in your court son.

 
At 4:32 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Since Tom hasn't posted my response to, I'll try again Lad, to get this to you

I will ignore your assine questions and biased liberal posts until you come to grips with and admit

A. Hillary lies
B. Russia is not Communist (as much as you might wish it was)
C. Acknowlge the Clinton campaign is taking unauthorized money from their poorest contributors
D. Admit the Clinton Charitable Fund gives only 5.7% to charity's
E. Acknowledge that we are under attack by Islamic Terrorist within our borders, something you in the past denied happening under Obama

Balls in your court son.

 
At 2:58 AM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Major Clucky, you MIGHT not want to talk about "balls" until you answer MY questions, several of which still await a straight answer.

WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT TRUMP COMITTING TREASON ON NATIONAL TV DUING THE C IN CI TOWN HALL?
WHAT HAVE CONSERVATIVES DONE FOR THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS THE LAST 40 YEARS?

Until THOSE are honestly answered you can shove your "ball"

A: Name an actual "lie" not manufactured by the GOP.
B: I don't care if Russia is Buddist, Trump should not be putting a foreign leader above the POTUS and CERTAINLY should not be asking them to meddle in our elections.
C,D: The Clinton Foundation has been given "A" ratings by several watchdog groups
E:IF there ARE "terrorist" attacks here they are more because of Trump's inciteful rhetoric (you notice they started AFTER he started blathering about them ALL being terrorists) than anything else. You don't think Trump WANT'S violence so he can justify his cultural extermination?

NOW ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.

 
At 11:12 AM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...

Chuck won't answer questions, and if he did, it would be from his Party propaganda.

We know far Right Republicans cannot admit the facts:

A. Hillary lies nowhere near as much as Trump. Obvious to all informed voters.

B. Russia is under a dictator admired by Trump. Frightening to all informed voters.

C. The “Clinton campaign is taking unauthorized money from their poorest contributors” is alleged from an anonymous source reported ONLY by Trump’s son-in-law’s Observer. How’s that for crony capitalism and crony media propaganda?

Snopes:
We contacted Wells Fargo's fraud department in an attempt to verify the breadth of fraudulent charge issue, and after placing us on hold, a representative ambiguously stated that the rumor "had nothing to do" specifically with the campaign of Hillary Clinton (which could mean anything from "the rumor is baseless" to "it's a merchant/processor issue"). We also contacted Wells Fargo's media relations division, who said nothing beyond "We have no comment at this time."

Could the anonymous Wells Fargo source be deflecting from his company’s own vast fraud on thousands of customers? Hmm.

D. The Clinton Charitable Fund gives only 5.7% to charity, but those grants are separate from the much larger share for program services offered. Clinton family members get zero dollars, while Trump gets Trump Foundation donors to pay for his portrait. IOKIYAR.

E. Major Chuck has never acknowledged the fact Right wing extremists have killed as many Americans at home since 9-11 as radical Muslims. (This ball has been in his court for months and still bounces around his denial of this reality.)

 
At 12:48 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern to national security or with high rates of immigration fraud who had pending deportation orders, according to an internal Homeland Security audit released Monday.

The Homeland Security Department's inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and such discrepancies weren't caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.

Blame Trump, lol.

 
At 4:28 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

I notice Clucky never cites sources, and never answers anyone's legitimate questions. He just goes off to some obscure issue and spins it into something it isn't.

He doesn't mention that the "error" was caught BY the government,(If it really happened) which is what the vetting process is SUPPOSED to do. It's actually a TINY fraction of those vetted, and turns out that it's from a loophole from the first Bush administration and has been eliminated. All you have to do is look up and read the ENTIRE article, nit just the "mcNugget" Clucky cherry picked.

Actually, it proves how Trumps "deport them all" would be pretty much impossible. Clucky won't tell you THAT either.

 
At 7:11 PM, Blogger Michael Stivic said...

I've lost count but I've crapped my pants each time I've read Hillary's tanking poll numbers.

Mozart, I've been telling everyone that I'm voting for Hillary, but may vote for Trump if Hillary has another Parkinson's seizure.

 
At 7:24 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Nope Lad, not unexpectly, you haven't answered mine.

A. That is not an answer.

B. You are on thin ice when you said its treason to put a foreign leader above the POTUS, just recall your statements about GWB.

C. 5.7% is not a great charity.

D.. I can see how you would get the two mixed up, but the Clinton Charity is not the same as the Clinton Campaign, or was that a Freudian slip?

C. Without a doubt the dumbest thing Tom has ever posted from you.

So son, you are now officially ignored by me, cheers!

 
At 9:20 PM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...

OK, my comments obviously take a back seat to the "Chuck and Mozart Show".

So long.

 
At 3:15 AM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Clucky.

A: Was the ONLY answer
B: I never ever said any foreign leader, especially the COMMUNIST (he the ex head of the KGB you idiot)Leader of an AGGRESSIVE nation 1 inch from being our enemy.
C: I Noticed you never provided evidence I was wrong. Here's evidence YOU are wrong.

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/06/where-does-clinton-foundation-money-go/


D: I combined them because they are both stupid statement from you with o basis in fact. You probably got both from Limbaugh or Beck.

As for you ignoring me, big deal. You have been avoiding my logical questions for years.

 
At 6:35 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

Michael Stivic: "I don't want to sound like one of those conspiracy lunatics (like those severely mentally disturbed people who believe 9/11 was an inside job) but Hillary Clinton has some severe medical issues and should not run for President."

It wasn't?!? Hmm...peer reviewed evidence indicates it couldn't have happened the way the official conspiracy theory says it did. I'll go with Occam's razor on this -- among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.

Anyway, who cares whether Clinton runs or doesn't run?...or wins, for that matter? Whoever is installed into the position will have his or her marching orders made clear to them by the first day. The powers-that-be will make sure of that -- if they haven't already.

 
At 4:51 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

oh my, "the powers that will be" are back.

lol

 
At 5:35 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

Oh, but MinorMajor, they've never left. ;-)

Until you figure out where the real power lies, and more importantly work to do something about it, all your arguing and debating about who did this, and who did that, is just an exercise in mental masturbation at best. Obviously it feels good to you, but does it really achieve anything?

 
At 5:45 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

Of course when you're in bed with George H.W. Bush, at least figuratively if not literally, and you and your husband have been in cahoots with the senior Bush back to the days of the Iran-Contra affair, what can go wrong?

One criminal family endorsing another. How warm and fuzzy is that?

 
At 10:30 AM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Is the "real power" with the Masons?

 
At 3:58 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

MinorMajor, the real power lies within an inverted structure of anonymity -- unlike history's traditional or "usual" totalitarianism regimes which employed a figurehead or despot. You ought to read Wolin's Democracy, Inc. You might learn something. But, I'm probably giving you more credit than I should.

 

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