I don't want to be a wet blanket, because I'm excited we got DADT, 9/11care and START. But note: none of these things are a threat to banks or Wall St. The REAL power structure in this country benefiting from our growing economic divide.
In fact, these three were made POSSIBLE by a deal that essentially further cements in place this power structure. What dismays me is that progressives are falling for this game of distraction every bit as much as those on the religious right have.
In extended...
We frequently muse about why vast segments of the poor in white america continue to vote against their own economic interests by siding with Republicans. And we understand their effective use of wedge issues to divide and conquer.
But here we are, somewhat placated by a deal that reinforces the status quo infrastructure.
In fact, let's see what banks and Wall St. think about these bills:
9/11 Care
5 billion is inconsequential money. This has nothing to do with the deficit. If this is a little sugar in Obama's medicine, so be it. And, heck, most of them are in New York and probably are in favor of this.
START Treaty
Yes, the START treaty obviously needs to pass. But... you do know that the banks and Wall St. wanted this to pass as well. Not signing the START treaty would have been extremely destabilizing to the world economy. We're for the START treaty because its a smart way to get a handle on Russia's nukes. They don't mind this aspect, but they're really for it because Putin was starting to get pissed off, and making threats that essentially threaten their interests.
"If our proposals are met with only negative response and additional ABM [anti-ballistic missile] threats emerge along our borders Russia will be simply obligated to ensure its security with different means, including the deployment of new [strategic] complexes, new nuclear missiles," Putin said. "That's not our choice. We don't want that to happen. But this is not a threat on our part. We simply want to say that this is all we expect if we don't come to an agreement."
A pissed off Putin is not good for business.
DADT
If you make them money bankers don't give a rats ass if you're gay.
So we are left with three nice wins, but certainly not victories in the larger sense. Because the economic stratification is still there.