Corporatism. A much maligned label around these parts and for good reason. Corporatism invokes the negative urge in all human beings to progressive minded people like us -- greed, power, corruption, money and all the other trappings of success in American politics. To those who are invested in fighting for people over corporate interests, the word brings up everything that is wrong with our political system. Its a criticism of American politics that poxes both houses, that makes both parties, economically, look the same.
And I wont disagree with that. It is true that on economic and trade policy the parties look awfully similar, and it seems that people like us -- people with little compared to the Billionaire class, its a heavy lift to get our interests represented. Corporate speech (read "money", thanks SCOTUS) drowns out everything, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room for very popular reforms, making it nearly impossible for the average you-and-me to get their voices heard.
Its a little ridiculous that measures with such popular support like raising the minimum wage, free college education, bringing manufacturing back to the US, upgrading our infrastructure and actually getting things done again fail time and time again in Congress and almost never see the light of day. Its a damn fuckin' shame that Democrats, our own party, represents big interests until it is no longer politically feasible to do so.
The problem seems intractable from a socio-political perspective. The capitalist elite are organized, tight knight, aware and protective of their own political interests. They easily have the money, together, to buy enough influence in national, state and local elections to ensure the policies they prefer are made into law. You also have the political class, many of whom desire to be in the ranks of the capitalist elite, doing everything they can to curry favor with the capitalists, who can then turn that social capital ("Soft power" in political theory) into a more lucrative position within the corporations themselves. The classic revolving door.
The professional and managerial classes, working class, working poor and destitute are left battling over the scraps left in the wake of this complex display of power and greed. In the modern era these classes have been picked clean of all the gains made in the wake of the economic boom following the Great Depression, New Deal and World War II era reforms. The life that the Greatest Generation left the Baby Boomers has been rotted through, the American dream tattered into pieces. Our political offices captured by corporate interests at every level, and unlimited money coursing through our political system like cocaine through the blood of a rockstar after a long night of partying.
Corporate capture is a scary theory. It essentially means that all of our highest offices are sold to the highest bidder, meaning that the only way to really win to effect enough change from within is to accept money corporations hand out expecting something in return, of course. Support on a key bill, promises not to raise taxes, etc etc are all expected in return for money and materiel support to dark money PAC groups. It means that no matter how many progressive politicians we throw at the situation, they will, inevitably, have to accept dark money and have to hand out something in return. Essentially, it means that our political system means next to nothing in affairs of trade and economy.
Bernie Sanders represents this urge, this counter reaction against the billionaires who have taken advantage of their power and rank in society for far too long now. His message is now getting past the gatekeepers and is trickling its way through society, breathing oxygen back into the conversation, and life back into anti-corporatist attitudes. There is an argument that this run is the apex of Sen. Sanders career, the crowning achievement in a lifetime dedicating to spreading the message of solidarity and organization of the lower classes in US society. This run represents everything that Sen. Sanders has stood for in his long, prestigious, and progressive career.
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has taken corporate money and been a beneficiary of American political life, being the First Lady, a Senator from New York and Secretary of State. There is no doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton has taken corporate money, and has had deliver the quo to that quid. That is probably very, very true. And I am sure it is true of her husband as well. And I think its fair to criticize on those grounds.
What I don't understand is the attempt to spread the meme and potentially hamstring a democratic candidate with a negative label. We should be arguing that our entire system is fucked, just like Sen. Sanders has his whole career, instead of labeling one politician a corporatist. The entire system is captured by corporate interests. The billionaire class has bought and sold every last one, except very few. You don't even have to mention Hillary to make the criticism, because its just an accurate observation. We live in a plutocracy, every candidate (until presumably Bernie Sanders) has had to accept cash in order to play ball. That is absolutely not how any system of government should be run. Ya know, exactly Bernie's message, without all the extraneous bullshit labeling of the "other side" of the Democratic fence. He seems to manage brilliantly without even mentioning HRC.
Going after specific democrats because they accept that working within the system is the best way to effect change is quixotic. The meme we should be spreading is that 50 years of right wing death grip on our economy, fueled and funded by the vulture capitalists who have no interest in the little people has gridlocked our system in a way that has tilted the playing field in their favor. Bernie's campaign is not only in it to win on those grounds but is also there not only to give Hillary cover to move her position more in line with populism, but to have a down ticket effect to elect more democrats like Bernie at all levels. It may even have the effect of giving HRC the cover she needs to not give up the quo even though she accepted the quid. Soft power is just that -- soft, informal, and can ultimately be rejected.
Its also quixotic because Democrats, all Democrats are charged with preserving civil rights, voting rights, and a whole slate of progressive achievements hard fought throughout the ages. We are the stewards of these accomplishments, and it is our charge to ensure that these accomplishments last. That these baseline social safety nets are maintained and expanded. And we as the Democratic base are charged with putting the feet of anyone who cannot uphold these things to the fire.
The generic republican, on the other hand, has no such charge. Has no such duty, and will destroy modern society as we know it. They are the darkest urges of the American conciousness and another republican presidency will be brutal. That is not fear, it is fact. Another George Bush or Ronald Reagan or someone even more extreme will destroy what little progress we have made. I think Bernie knows that, I think many black, latino, and gay democrats know that. The generic republican will rip this country to shreds with little regards or loyalty to anyone except for the corporate masters they serve and the racists that elect them. It is our charge, again, to fight this urge. Tooth and nail. With everything we have.
What we should be doing now is promoting what we think the democratic party platform should be in 2016 -- people over corporations, empathy over greed, jobs over corporate wealth, ingenuity over complacency, peace over war, love over hatred, rights over restrictions.
We should be promoting all of our candidates good ideas, and fleshing out the bad ones. We should be asking for more information, demanding a stand. The primary is a time for ideas, not a time to make ourselves look like we hate each other.
We should be writing what our vision is for the future, not tearing ourselves apart over crowd sizes, polls and front page articles.
TL;DR: Stop fighting each other, start doing something important.
Bernie is.
This is a continuation of the diary I wrote last night (here), but decided to expand my thoughts.