History always has a way of repeating itself. Some of us learn from it, some do not. From the late 1800’s to the 1930's, the US saw first hand what free market capitalism can do to a nation. Polluted waters and air, unsafe working conditions, child labor, dangerous food and drink, inhumane living conditions, the list goes on and on. At the heart of these problems were an economic and political system rigged in favor of corporations and ultra wealthy. It would take President Franklin Roosevelt and the Democratic party to implement the New Deal to begin to reverse the damage done by the Republican party and then President Hoover — and some moneyed interest inside the GOP have been pissed about it ever since.
These interests have since played the long game — which you are able to do when you possess as much wealth as most small nations. They have carefully cultivated a system and a society to tear down as much of the New Deal as possible. They were marginalized, called crazy, and basically relegated to the political fringe; but little by little, chip by chip, small strike by small strike these individuals have worked for 3 generations to roll back as much progress as they are able. They strive to make sure that government plays an even smaller role in business oversight and consumer protections. They work on many fronts — religious, economic, social — in order to create the chaos necessary to hid the real agenda: returning the US to the golden days of the 1920’s. The worst part is that not only have they been successful, but they have done a better job this time around.
The last time the market crashed and the economy went to hell, average Americans responded with the election of FDR and the New Deal. This time around we received bail outs for the banks, no new oversight or laws, a continuation of the same practices, and no jail time for anyone. The long game has paid off tremendously this time around, and the average Joe is still looking for the modern FDR. The Democratic party should supply them one.
What does it mean to be a Democrat?
There appears to be as many different answers to that question as members of the party itself. It varies from city to city, state to state, and region to region. All of the answers are correct in their own right — and no matter what your particular answer to the question may be — the answers help to create the most social, economic, and racially dynamic political party in the world. There are millions of answers to that question — my short answer: democrats govern to make sure that there is a level playing field for all Americans and that average working people are not abused or taken advantage of by the wealthy and well connected.
So who is that going to be for Democrats going forward or do we even need a modern day FDR to make the changes needed to help the average American?
I must confess that I am tired of compromising with radical asshats — I am ready for a modern day FDR and I hope our next nominee acts like him.
The floor is yours……………..