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Two-Party Duplicity
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And yet there never was a more widespread feeling in England than now, that
the old parties are doomed, that the old shibboleths have become
meaningless,...
3 weeks ago
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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I agree with Trumka and would say that Obama had a chance, like FDR did in '32 with the Great Depression and Reagan did in '80 with stagflation, to push the electorate strongly in one direction. The result of the special election is evidence that Obama did not push America to the left. He could have nationalized the banks, he could have brought the hammer down on the Dems in the Senate on healthcare, he could have clawed back exec pay, he could have had a bigger stimulus.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that Pres Obama can just "hammer" the political process out how he wants to. Strong leaders like that almost always benefit the powerful. I think Trumka's positive message is that we need a fighting union movement to force the political process to regulate the economy and guarantee healthcare. The Left needs to not only take Trumka up on his challenge, but mobilize with the goal of exposing capitalism as the root of the economic crisis so we can fight the bankers and insurance companies as hard as they fight us.
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean to say is that there are forces on either side of this healthcare process and the working class is being overpowered so far. Someone like Obama who can compromise is still better than someone like Reagan, for example, who would just throw democracy out the window and do what ever benefits the capitalists most.
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