We don't live in a democracy . . . we live in a capitalist oligarchy, with some democratic representation. In fact, we have enough democratic representation, it turns out, to occasionally get some things we want. Have you ever heard of Social Security, Medicare, rural electrification, the minimum wage, or labor unions? The capitalist oligarchy didn't want those reforms . . . but they were forced to accept them.
As long as you think that the President is some wholly independent political force, who can just do any old thing that strikes his fancy, you're going to be disappointed . . . no matter who gets elected. It has always been this way . . . every President you think of as "progressive" was every bit as cautious and slow moving as Obama JFK? He dragged his feet before going along with desegregation and civil rights. He also put "advisers" in Vietnam, and was rumored to want out AFTER the 1964 election. Seems he didn't want to anger hawkish factions of the capitalist oligarchy a/k/a "the establishment."
President Obama . . . like every President since the Civil War . . . must make important compromises with "the establishment" if he hopes to accomplish anything . . . and if he hopes to keep his job. You need to understand and get over this fact of life . . . and learn how to deal with it. Because you need to understand another key and ugly fact of life . . .
If Obama loses, you can kiss Social Security and Medicare goodbye. You're already seeing it in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. If Obama loses the tea party will step right into the power vacuum, and do their level best to bring back what Grover Norquist calls "the McKinley era, without the protectionism."
Does "the Establishment" want this? They're probably indifferent . . . which means they'll put up with it, if the tea party forces them too.
Do read the whole damn thing this evening, it's a refreshingly good piece.
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