[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
Via Hullabaloo and The Baffler comes news of an allegedly much-ballyhooed (I never heard about it) White House Summit on Working Families, which sort of focused on “women’s kitchen table economic issues.” There are the faintest rays of hope here for the little people, yes, but they mere atoms of photon in this crushing corporate universe of darkness, timidity and futility.
I don’t accept for a second the basic premise that somehow focus on “kitchen table” issues is solely beneficial for women, yes an alleged verbal focus on particular issues that fit their demographic profile is likely to deliver votes, but when Democrats deliver for women they deliver for all of us, it’s complete twaddle that delivering good childcare is good for women, of course it is, but it would greatly benefit all citizens of any gender or family makeup. We’re advocating for ourselves and our society with “kitchen table” issues, not just for women.
Even if it was the case certain issues delivered solely for women of course we should work with everything we have to enact them, again, where does this singularity of women’s existence come from? A happy, productive, free woman of great worth to herself and society is your sister, your mother, your cousin, wife, aunt, or dear friend of 20 years, if their lives are greatly improved how could that not greatly benefit men? Or is it somehow preferable to see and live with their lives so greatly diminished?
We have been idiots to ignore these issues for so long, in other words, both from a practical political and societal perspective. Praise almighty America at least there is a focus, ballyhoo or no, on issues that really matter to the little people, at least this isn’t John Kerry being a Munich bully to start another war. No.
Praise to the waving glory of the stars’n stripes forever here is the beginnings of an agenda for the 2014 midterms, it’s just staggering that all politically aware citizens don’t have a clue what will really happen if a Democratic majority is elected to Congress this Fall, there should be at least a top five list of issues to hit with a real Congressional win: minimum wage, childcare, solar conversion, family leave, infrastructure investment.
Along with everybody knowing what will progress with the win of course each issue will have its own champion and sponsor, all liberals and citizens will immediately know which Congressional office is available for service and help.
Of course this is not the case and nobody expects any change from this Congressional election, everybody knows status quo failure is a given and hell, we may even get a lot more regression.
Of course the few meaningful stabs at policy improvement from the summit are accurately described as weak, pathetic and corporate in nature. A $10 minimum wage is a joke and not remotely a living wage, get real.
Folks may wonder why I get so angry at times or so combative with my tactics, it’s because from all my experience, education and view of history what I easily see in the White House is a moderate Republican, that’s how far indeed the drift of the “center” has been relentlessly pushed in the last 40 years. Until a little people liberal Democrat is in the White House relentlessly working for change that benefits all of us—not just the Department of Defense and Wall Street—that anger and combativeness will remain.
It will indeed remain at the prospect of another weak and pathetic midterm election, if the White House can’t do anything with a Republican Congress where the hell are they, then? Trying to pass a ludicrous outrageous trade treaty? Watering down the NSA reform bill? I see.
So do many others, currently at the big orange mothership Daily Kos a raging campaign is on against Hillary Clinton, mainly for the reason she simply represents the status quo and a $10.00 minimum wage, by the love of all that’s red white and blue that can’t work for 2016, not even remotely close.
Family issues, women’s issues, little people issues, until the Democratic Party and its candidates work and fight for a clear agenda that really passes Congress, well, that anger will only rise and intensify, and the more Secretary Clinton will be surprised at the intense loathing her weak centrist status-quo platitudes will be met with. Summits are nice, real laws being signed from a real Congress working for women and us all is much better.