This is a Democratic political blog. Markos, to his great credit, has created and nurtured one of the most vibrant online communities in history. But DKos was and is a Democratic blog. So, to all the fine contributors here, I must ask the question: How are the Democrats working out for you?
The Democratic Party, which now controls both houses of Congress is about to submit a budget that preserves vast funding for defense, perpetuates a destructive war, and preserves Bush's regressive tax cuts. That's right. The Democrats, the party many people here toiled to put in power, have effectively put the Bush Administration on cruise control, so that its actions can run their course essentially unaltered.
J'accuse. I assert that the Democratic party has betrayed the people of America. Here is why.
- Democrats have betrayed America by refusing to speak honestly on the issues confronting the nation. With a few exceptions, they have all adopted carefully-coded phrases, like "support the troops," that render constructive political dialog impossible.
- Democrats have decided to be polite and deferential to Bush and the executive branch, despite being accused of treasonous behavior and immorality by the most vicious Republican campaign machine in modern American history. If ever in history a President deserved to be publicly denonuced by every responsible person, G.W. Bush is that President.
- Democrats have refused to use de-funding tactics against prized corporate pork programs (like the useless cold-war weapons systems) as leverage to advance a progressive agenda.
- Democrats have acted as though they are so afraid of losing power that they are unwilling to use power. This is where we came into the Bush horror movie.
- Democrats no longer trust the people. They view the people as a dangerous rabble that can be mobilized against them within 24 hours if the White House propaganda office finds an effective issue.
- Democrats are captives of modern marketing science, which fine-tunes the messages of political candidates the same way they adjust the flavor of junk foods: to maximize "consumer appeal."
It is my unhappy conclusion that a legislature controlled by corporations and big-dollar campaigning cannot arrest the decay of a decadent nation, irrespective of the nominal party affiliation of the legislative majority. The Democrats won the election. Nothing of consequence will change.
True reform will arrive in America only after a massive shock to the system. This shock may be military, environmental, or financial, but it is the only thing that can arrest our decadent downward spiral. The Democratic Party is a sad reminder of the futility of form without substance.