I stopped watching "liberal" TV (i.e., MSNBC) a while back once I realized that most of it is formulaic, focused on reporting and reacting on the right wing agenda, and on whipping up emotions in their liberal viewership.
However, once in a while I take a look to see what's the latest right wing "outrage." Tonight was one of those times, and I got to watch Pulitzer prize winner David Cay Johnston on The Ed Show make one of the most profound statements I've seen on TV. He said something to the effect that Liberals and Progressives keep reacting to the right wing agenda instead of having their own agenda. And that as long as they keep reacting, eventually they are going to "lose the game."
The fanatical right wing keeps moving right along with their agenda. Republican governors (who hold the majority of States governments in the country) continue to put every roadblock in place to try to prevent the successful implementation of "Obamacare;" Within 48 hours we're going to have the 24th state int he country to enact draconian anti-union legislation, with the misnomer of "right to work."
There is a systematic and very effective effort, nationwide, to weaken teachers' unions, and to weaken free public education in favor of for-profit charter schools. Republicans continue to gerrymander districts across the country, in a systematic way, in their favor.
The relentless march towards privatization of public resources and government functions continues apace, relentlessly, successfully. And the ghettoization of those who use public services, including public schools, medicare, medicaid, social security, etc., also moves forward.
We are in a very dangerous position, in that many on the left see Obama's win as a good-enough victory; a victory that will help move progressive and liberal causes forward. And people then let their guards down as a result of this mindset.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In the battle against the rabid, lunatic right wing, Obama's win is only a small step; yes, it is a step forward, but a small step nevertheless.
During the last few decades the country has fallen into the hands of the corporatist right wing to such an extent, that it would take a mighty struggle just to start to reverse the trend.
The level of government corruption, at every level (from city hall to state houses), is so endemic and so complete that even if the left were to find its lost (or crushed?) vertebrae to become a real power player, it would take decades to reverse the damage.
Right wing think tanks, mostly financed by billionaires, have devised a way to buy off politicians at every level, through a revolving door of corruption, enticing these so-called "public servants," family members, and close associates, with lucrative "consulting jobs" and contracts, and other benefits.
It's everywhere, from San Francisco, to New York, to Chicago, Boston, San Diego, Dallas, Miami--you name it.
And the mind domination through the corporate media is truly bone-chilling. Do you see how now all of the sudden "entitlement reform" is in vogue, and there is talk of "reforming social security" and raising the eligibility age for medicare, etc?
Why is the left reactionary, instead of proactive, by and large? Why does it seem to be in disarray, running from "fire to fire," wasting resources? Where are the bold ideas and initiatives?
Here's one: Create an organization made up of leaders from all major unions and set up a website with the purpose of unionizing 100% of the labor force, and then invite Target and Walmart employees to sign up (anonymously if they have to), and to report abuses, and send information to the media, and put pressure, and keep the pressure up, constantly, relentlessly.
About this one... Get a few left wing philanthropists, organize the 18,000 Hostess employees to set up a fund to buy the company and make it employee-owned.
Easy stuff... Really, it doesn't take too much imagination. Set up funds to buy off media outlets town by town; break the media conglomerates; break up the banks.
Where are the well-funded left wing think tanks to help generate these ideas, and bring them to fruition?
I don't understand why these things don't happen; why the left seems to be so disorganized and ineffective. Reader, help explain it to me...