In mid 1980 I knew that Democrats were about to get their asses kicked. I also knew Ronald Efffing Reagan was about to become our next President. Jimmy Carter had sequestered himself in the White House perusing his awfal Rose Garden Strategy that won him the nomination but lost him the election. It was a dark time and the future under Reagan looked bleak. The chance of nuclear war seemed bound to increase with this macho ignoramus in the Oval Office.
I knew that Big Business would get their way with the new Reagan administration. The business school obsession with screwing the workers was just being embraced by Corporate America. Little did I know how successful their attack on America's Middle Class would prove to be, or how it would be sustained relentlessly over the coming three decades. I also didn't foresee the destruction of the Middle Class becoming a bipartisan project as it did during the Clinton years.
Three decades later the Middle Class was reeling from years of a declining standard of living during the Bush years even before the economic catastrophe that Wall Street cooked up with the Bush Administration's help decimated the economy. Today I see the retreat is resuming in earnest.
While Corporate power doesn't enjoy total control of our whole government (yet) it does hold an effective veto over any new legislation. So now we get a government that is unable to take any action that might interfere with corporate revenue flows. So we get things like a Health Care Reform that scrupulously avoids cutting any corporate profit margins, and forgoes the substantial savings that would be passed on to consumers by cutting profit margins.
29 days ago I posted this first comment in reaction to Biden signaling the White House's capitulation on tax cuts, posted with little notice on an open thread abuzz with different races in the approaching election. Here it is:
W.H. now in full retreat on Tax Cuts for wealthy (1+ / 0-)
Biden: White House ready to deal on Bush tax cuts
"Here's the bottom line we have: I don't have any problem with wealthy people getting a tax cut. These are good guys," Biden said. "But just to put this in perspective, of the tax cut they want to extend, 120,000 families in the whole nation are going to get $375 billion in tax relief over the next 10 years. We think that should go to the deficit."
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?
Demand Filibuster Reform call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 -AND KEEP CALLING
by Lefty Coaster on Fri Oct 22, 2010 at 11:23:08 PM PST
OK I kept up a brave face and kept on fighting the good fight writing 5 diaries on the topic, but ever since making that original comment I knew we faced an uphill fight.
Republican ultimatum to Reid threatens a tantrum for top 3%
Obama hands off tax cut call to new Caviar Commission
Dems in Congress worry Obama lacks resolve to stand with them
New NBC/WSJ poll: A plurality of Americans agree with Obama's position on tax cuts
CTJ: Senate GOP Bill RAISES TAXES on Bottom 60% of Americans
You may know I've been very critical of a wide range of decisions by this White House, and while what we've seen so far about this latest deal leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I'm not making any judgments on today's deal with the Republicans quite yet. BUT...if we don't see the Senate ratify START by the end of this year then I'll think that the White House accepted the shit end of the stick on this deal. If there was a quiet understanding with Senate Republicans to get START done, and it comes about, this would be a satisfactory bargain IMHO. Correcting inequities in out tax system ranks high on my list of priorities, but reducing the danger of nuclear conflict has to rank even higher. I get the feeling we're not seeing the whole picture here.