[Peace-discuss] Punish the Democrats, yes

Mon Oct 18 22:32:00 CDT 2010

Tim Johnson is one of those who believes Life starts at conception and ends at birth. --Jenifer

--- On Mon, 10/18/10, Morton K. Brussel <brussel at illinois.edu> wrote:

From: Morton K. Brussel <brussel at illinois.edu>
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Punish the Democrats, yes
To: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at illinois.edu>
Cc: "Ron Szoke" <r-szoke at illinois.edu>, "Peace-discuss" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
Date: Monday, October 18, 2010, 7:00 PM

The outrage of Estabrook seems reserved for Democrats, without regarding the very probable (consider what they're saying) consequences of having Tea-Party types and/or Republicans controling government. None of the execrable policies of the G.W. Bush or Obama administrations are likely to be revised or retracted.   He has forgotten about the Bush administration?
The mania of the current campaign aimed at David Gill, characterized as a stand-in for Obama, is perverse and contary to what has come from statements and presentations of Gill.   It's remarkable how much faith Carl has in Tim Johnson. 
--mkb

On Oct 18, 2010, at 5:29 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:

    This is outrageous special pleading.  It says to return the
    Democrats to office, even though they're the ones responsible for
    "unnecessary deaths of people in wars from [Palestine to Pakistan
    and from Central Asia to the Horn of Africa]."

    Of course the Democrats are also responsible for not extending
    Medicare to all, not taking over the too-big-to-fail banks and
    companies and running them for the public good, not stopping
    foreclosures, not establishing an effective jobs program, etc., etc.
    - and not by accident, but because they're working for the banks,
    the insurance companies, the oil companies, the construction
    companies, et al.

    The Democrat’s allegedly reformist agenda masks programs to ensure
    that no major stakeholder in his coalition of corporate backers will
    suffer significant losses, and will even enjoy spectacular gains —
    the perfection of the long right turn of the Democratic Party since
    the 1970s, as financialization of the economy led to shedding New
    Deal commitments so as to compete with the Republicans for corporate
    patronage. 

    Reject the policies by not voting for them.  Vote Green or for
    individual legislators who e.g. vote against the war, like Kucinich,
    Paul, or Johnson (IL).  We'll still have to settle accounts with the
    new Congress on war and social legislation, whoever is elected. 

    Say to the Democrats what Cromwell said to the Rump parliament:
    "Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God,
    go!"

    On 10/18/10 4:50 PM, Ron Szoke wrote:

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/101510.html

The 'Teach-the-Dems-a-Lesson' Myth

By Robert Parry (A Special Report) 
October 15, 2010

If my e-mail inbox is any indication, many American progressives plan 
to use the Nov. 2 election as an opportunity to “teach the Democrats a 
lesson” by either not voting or casting ballots for third parties, even if 
this contributes to the expected Republican (and Tea Party) landslide.

The thinking seems to be that the loss of the congressional majorities 
will punish the Democrats for accepting half-measures and compromises 
on issues from health care and financial reform to job stimulus and war. 
The Left’s hope apparently is that the chastened Democrats will then 
shift toward more progressive positions and be more assertive.

However, modern American political history tells us that this strategy 
never works. After the four key elections in which many progressives 
abandoned the governing Democrats – in 1968, 1980, 1994 and 2000 – 
not only did Republicans take U.S. politics further to the right, but the 
surviving Democrats tacked more to the center and grew more timid.

All four elections also were marred by GOP dirty tricks that drew little or 
no reaction from either the governing Democrats or the progressives, 
emboldening the slash-and-burn Republicans to operate in an ever 
more audacious style.

Tragically, too, the Left’s sideline-sitting contributed to the unnecessary 
deaths of millions of people in wars from Vietnam and Central America 
to Iraq and Afghanistan. Arguably even worse, U.S. inaction on global 
warming – a neglect surely to be continued if Republicans and Tea 
Partiers are victorious in Election 2010 – may doom the future of a 
livable planet.

In other words, the “teach-the-Dems-a-lesson” strategy not only 
doesn’t work, it’s extremely dangerous.

.  .  .
<much more>  

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