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Published on Friday, December 11, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Populism: Democrats Ignore at Our Peril
As we approach 2010, populism appears to be the exclusive province of
the passionate right wingers. But it remains an opportunity for Democrats in
the coming election.
Democratic Party insiders consider me somewhat of a boat rocker (untitled is unmuzzled). I've always been a populist, a Jeffersonian. This may upset a few, but now more than ever, Democrats need to renew our call for decentralization of power and democratization of the economy.
Which is what the tea partyists clamor for. Those Democrats who ignore the populist revolt do so at their own peril. When Democrats are strong on these pocketbook issues, we do well. But if we yield the populist ground to the Republican Party, the results of 2010 will not be in our favor.
The middle class feels abandoned by both parties, the American Dream is more out of reach than ever. When it comes to outrage at the bipartisan march toward centralization of power and wealth, it's in our nature for Democrats to lead the charge.
In the Wall Street bailout, who among us didn't share the feeling that: Hey, the big money is getting a bailout, what about me? What is this Too Big To Fail nonsense? Some Republicans have tried to co-opt the mood on Main Street, but where have Democrats been?
If we are portrayed as the party of a central government owned and controlled by big money, we lose and we deserve to.
For much of our history, Democrats have been recognized as the party of working people. But with the Clintonians and the DLC there was a shift. The race for money took over. Many leading Democrats became eager lapdogs to the big-bucks campaign funders. The finance and insurance industry took charge of government. We now need to reverse that order.
As an Obama enthusiast, it saddens me that President Obama¹s economic policy appears to be back in the hands of those responsible for the economic meltdown. It looks as if the banks are reining in politicians when it should be the other way around.
Administrations may have changed, but who's in charge has not. As taxpayers underwrite the grievous mistakes made on Wall Street, as a recent bonus gift to those money titans, any future bailouts will be unfettered by burdensome congressional oversight, institutionalizing taking from the many and giving to the few.
Franklin Roosevelt, a great Democrat, said, "Government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob." At a rally a week before the election of 1936 when FDR bellowed "I should like to have it said of my first administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second administration that in it those forces met their master." It was met with wild cheering.
Roosevelt also pointed out that "No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it."
FDR won with nearly 61%. Of course, in 1937 those he sought to rein in got their vengeance. It appears that in 2010, that won¹t be necessary. Wall Street called the shots under Bush and Clinton, and now Obama¹s economic table is owned by the same Wall St. Rubinites.
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) is one who gets it. He says, "the people at the top of the party don't comprehend the power of that [populist] message," and worries that the party may miss the best chance in a generation to connect with the middle class. "Congress must bring fairness back to economic life." May I say, amen!
Here in New Hampshire, Mark Connolly, Director of Securities Regulation also gets it: "The interests of Main Street investors need to be placed at the head of the line--this means greater disclosure, increased shareholder rights, and an end to financial products that benefit Wall Street but are not suitable for average investors."
The anger on the streets is because we've had quite enough of government of, by, and for the very richest. Populism can be taken over by dangerous demagogues like Father Coughlin, George Wallace, and lately Glenn Beck. It is crucial that Democrats take back populism and directly address the issue of economic fairness and put forth an agenda that serves the middle class as it tilts away from the too-big-to-fail corporate finance and insurance interests and the elite richest one percent.
We must take on the concentration of wealth and power, and give decision making and governance back to we, the people.
Democratic Party insiders consider me somewhat of a boat rocker (untitled is unmuzzled). I've always been a populist, a Jeffersonian. This may upset a few, but now more than ever, Democrats need to renew our call for decentralization of power and democratization of the economy.
Which is what the tea partyists clamor for. Those Democrats who ignore the populist revolt do so at their own peril. When Democrats are strong on these pocketbook issues, we do well. But if we yield the populist ground to the Republican Party, the results of 2010 will not be in our favor.
The middle class feels abandoned by both parties, the American Dream is more out of reach than ever. When it comes to outrage at the bipartisan march toward centralization of power and wealth, it's in our nature for Democrats to lead the charge.
In the Wall Street bailout, who among us didn't share the feeling that: Hey, the big money is getting a bailout, what about me? What is this Too Big To Fail nonsense? Some Republicans have tried to co-opt the mood on Main Street, but where have Democrats been?
If we are portrayed as the party of a central government owned and controlled by big money, we lose and we deserve to.
For much of our history, Democrats have been recognized as the party of working people. But with the Clintonians and the DLC there was a shift. The race for money took over. Many leading Democrats became eager lapdogs to the big-bucks campaign funders. The finance and insurance industry took charge of government. We now need to reverse that order.
As an Obama enthusiast, it saddens me that President Obama¹s economic policy appears to be back in the hands of those responsible for the economic meltdown. It looks as if the banks are reining in politicians when it should be the other way around.
Administrations may have changed, but who's in charge has not. As taxpayers underwrite the grievous mistakes made on Wall Street, as a recent bonus gift to those money titans, any future bailouts will be unfettered by burdensome congressional oversight, institutionalizing taking from the many and giving to the few.
Franklin Roosevelt, a great Democrat, said, "Government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob." At a rally a week before the election of 1936 when FDR bellowed "I should like to have it said of my first administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second administration that in it those forces met their master." It was met with wild cheering.
Roosevelt also pointed out that "No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it."
FDR won with nearly 61%. Of course, in 1937 those he sought to rein in got their vengeance. It appears that in 2010, that won¹t be necessary. Wall Street called the shots under Bush and Clinton, and now Obama¹s economic table is owned by the same Wall St. Rubinites.
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) is one who gets it. He says, "the people at the top of the party don't comprehend the power of that [populist] message," and worries that the party may miss the best chance in a generation to connect with the middle class. "Congress must bring fairness back to economic life." May I say, amen!
Here in New Hampshire, Mark Connolly, Director of Securities Regulation also gets it: "The interests of Main Street investors need to be placed at the head of the line--this means greater disclosure, increased shareholder rights, and an end to financial products that benefit Wall Street but are not suitable for average investors."
The anger on the streets is because we've had quite enough of government of, by, and for the very richest. Populism can be taken over by dangerous demagogues like Father Coughlin, George Wallace, and lately Glenn Beck. It is crucial that Democrats take back populism and directly address the issue of economic fairness and put forth an agenda that serves the middle class as it tilts away from the too-big-to-fail corporate finance and insurance interests and the elite richest one percent.
We must take on the concentration of wealth and power, and give decision making and governance back to we, the people.
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100 Comments so far
Show AllWhen it comes to outrage at the bipartisan march toward centralization of power and wealth, it's in our nature for Democrats to lead the charge.
Who the bleep do you think you're you kidding, Jones? Democrats are populists? STFU with that rubbish already!
It's not enough to be a "populist" while campaigning only and then putting it on the back burner. If you are not a real populist while governing, then you must step down and give someone else a chance. Until we get that pesky thing called money out of the way, populism has no chance. Maybe the dollar going the way of the dinosaur is our only hope.
Another useless article full of empty drivel. The author admits that no party represents the interests of ordinary people. However, he does not then conclude that the entire democratic process is (by even a loose definition) is broken or non-existent, and he does not offer any meaningful solution.
My message to the author echoes the one below:
STFU with that rubbish already!
Cohen makes the typical mistake: he wants us to make party superior to populist principle.
Until we're ready to make common cause with all genuine fellow-travellers regardless of nominal label, "populism" will remain just another color of lipstick on the corporate-owned pig.
Mr. Cohen: "As an Obama enthusiast". " dangerous demagogues". What a bunch of garbage! The dems are part of the problem and just as dangerous as George Wallace,Glenn Beck ect.Your party are nothing more than the so called "good guys" that get to screw the public!
During the last "campaign" I heard a presentation by Ralph Nader and Mike Gravel on the National Initiative movement, its potential and how it would work.
It's worth checking it out. http://ni4d.us/
Beats the hell out of trying to reform the current duopoly.
Yes, the National Initiative. We could actually vote on issues rather than personalities! Americans are brought up on phony personalities as they watch tv 6 hours a day.
National Initiative frightens many people because we've seen how populism can move in the "wrong" direction. Anti-abortion, prayer in schools, etc. Still, I trust the masses more than I trust the rich and powerful.
The California initiative process was easily co-opted, requiring munny, mo munny, mo mo mo munny, illustrating the general predicament: Any structure can be co-opted.
So the answer seems to be a general enlightenment/empowerment of the people, so they know how to defend all structures, institutions, from elitevil.
You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the idea. Ralph in his presentation deals with the failings of the California process and addressed it. That's one of the hallmarks of intelligence...the ability to learn from your mistakes.
Check out the talk. It's on Youtube.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
This sounds too much like the proposition movement in California over the last 20 years. Sometimes good, sometimes very bad. If there was
persistently well-publicized, instantaneous online voting for these measures and a codified requirement for a public debate period long enough to adequately vet each individual initiative it might be worth a try.
Our only hope lies within ourselves. To tame the capitalist beast one must sacrifice by not consuming products produced by national and international corporations. No new cars, no new loans from banks, buy local and eat local. This must be done NOW while the world is in economic decline. Make due and help your neighbors. Bring the beast to it's knees now or be consumed by it.
right on,, I have started to buy absolutly nothing on Sundays.
On the political side, There is no difference between the Dem and republicans any more.. This is a fasist country controlled by the corperations.. Populisim must come from another source.. Peple in the street? fat chance. Third party? very little chance the way election laws are in the usa.
We believe that it must get a lot worse for the amerikan sheeple to get off the couch and we do not feel that the rulers are dumb enough to let that happen..
Glad I do not have any children!
How can anyone be a fan of this President!! Don't you care that you are lied to, don't you care that your tax dollars are killing kids and old men, any one really that gets in the way.?
This man will not even sign the treaty to elleminate land mines..
A fan of the Obomber, please, give it up!!
When my brother in law told me he would vote for Bush's second term, I asked him: How can you support someone who took this country into wars on a pack of lies, killing, displacing, maiming millions of innocent people?" He thought for a moment and then said, "Aw, I don't know, I just like the guy."
Obama kills children, maimes, lies to us, steals our money and gives it to the already super rich, oks government spying on Americans, tortures, ........
"Aw, I just like the guy." We still have to put up with these numbskulls for Obama.
The political class and their minions are way ahead of us. Until we get smart we'll continue this slide into fascism.
Arundhati Roy said, essentially: Why play their game, where they make all the rules, have all the power? Why not devise our own counter-game, where we use our own collective power?
Good question Arun. Ask those who continue the delusion that they will - someday - take over the Democratic Party. In the meantime,
Let's all go over to Walmart and get ourselves a low level job. We can work our way to the top and have them taken over just after hell freezes over.
This should be our rallying cry:
"Stop feeding the beast before it devours us all!"
Stone completely agree
All he is really saying is whats self evident. Pretty much the whole middle class, Independent voters, Seniors and working folks are pissed off at both parties and are demanding fiscal responsibility and a return to sanity in Washington.
The current populism he refers to is not engendered by or led by the likes of "Father Coughlin, George Wallace, and lately Glenn Beck"
Read Jim Webb's quote. It's correct...and not just for the Democratic Party.
The National Democrat Party will never again be alive to progressive populism, so why keep beating this dead donkey?
I say abandon the corpse.
Stop investing time and energy in resurrection fantasies.
Build a new political animal instead: a non-jackass party that can truly represent and carry the needs of the people.
Ha ha that's funny, "Democratic insiders consider me somewhat of a boat rocker". What a radical, what a rebel, what bullshit.
He's dead wrong about what the tea baggers are for. They're for reich wing centralism again like they had under BV$H/Cheney.
SEAGLASS
Maybe in your part of the country, but here thats not what they are, nor what they want for sure. I've tried to talk to as many as I could in my state and a few others and they are consistent.....and they sure don't love Bush/Cheney.
They aren't funded by right or left, not organized by either and have no love for either.
Teabagger "populism" is a spontaneous proto-fascist movement developing in classic fashion out of the confusion and discontent of the white petty bourgeoisie (aka white middle or lower middle class) consequent upon the crisis of their beloved American Empire. These folks want to "turn the clock back" to a mainly imaginary time when all was in order for folks like themselves. They are perennially convinced that the America they love has been stolen away by some "stab in the back" by the domestic enemies of the red, white and blue. These are small-time god-fearing patriots (nationalists) who are suffused with hatred for anything decent in humanity. Intellectually they are a joke, which is why we should not assess their political meaning solely by relying upon what they say about themselves. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck are their contemporary exemplars. These folks are part of the rot of Empire; and ours is an Empire that feeds on its own rot. And as we have seen in the healthcare struggle, the real rulers of this country (the corporate capitalist elite) instinctively co-opt these homegrown fascists when it serves corporate purposes. (In the classic literature on fascism this is called the "marriage of classes.") Petty bourgeois fascism was aptly characterized by Eric Fromm as an Escape From Freedom--an entirely regressive movement. These folks crave a Leader who will indulge their destructive compulsions, most recently personified by teabaggers armed with assault rifles at town hall meetings. (Note that the "liberal" authorities did nothing to stop this; while only a couple of years ago the Cheney-Bush junta commonly used state power to suppress peaceable demonstrators.) We will hear a lot more from this movement in the near future; a movement which, it should be stressed, feeds on and is incited by the phony promises of liberalism. David Neiwert has reported extensively on the teabaggers.
Thats the standard Democratic line.
"These are small-time god-fearing patriots (nationalists) who are suffused with hatred for anything decent in humanity. Intellectually they are a joke"
Thats what the propaganda says, but looking down your nose at folks is never a good idea, especially when claiming intellectual superiority. They are usually wrong.
"Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck are their contemporary exemplars."
Not the folks I talked to. It may be that it is different in your part of the country or others, I frankly doubt it, they seem fairly together. But more importantly, they simply the visible part of a huge number of others
"These are small-time god-fearing patriots (nationalists) who are suffused with hatred for anything decent in humanity."
Now thats sheer BS. What they hate and say so is reckless spending, profiligate interference in the economy and you can bet they are Patriots and Nationalists. Most Americans are.
Folks can keep on beliving their own propaganda like the Dems are doing, they can convince themselves that all these people saying the same thing means diddly squat, that the American people are stupid, etc, they can believe their own rhetoric right up to the moment (got to steal a line here, paraphrase anyway) "that great white shark swims up on shore and bites themm in the ass"
I can only repeat wghat I said before, I have never seen the across the board anger that I am seeing, its Dems, Repubs,Independents, liberals.....they are pissed ast everyone in government and business. And I would say that these same folks that I just mentioned have indeed stolen their America away. Notice the jobs report lately? Notice the recession that took 1/2 or more of their savings, etc. Looks like a legitimate gripe to me.
I would also say they don't give a good God Damn if you or I or the government or the two parties or anyone else likes what they say and what they look to me as if they are preparing to do. And I don't mean T-Baggers but the folks they represent.
If there is a revolution, its coming from that direction.
OK, so if I tell a tea party type that we have to unite against our capitalist bosses - starting with free healthcare for all, a living minimum wage of $14 per hour for all, free higher education for all that qualify, paid family and maternity leave for all, and putting the means of production in the hands of the worker, they will agree with me?
pjd412--You're right, you'll just put people off. What you say is "Let's work together to dismantle this corporate monstrosity that is sucking us dry...let's restructure our laws to favor small farms and businesses"
We're way past rhetoric about capitalist bosses and welfare state benefits. We're bankrupt and the means of production have moved offshore. If the legal entity known as the corporation is not controlled, we are doomed. If we do not start limiting the power of the federal gov't we are doomed. If these people do not work with us and vice versa, we will get nowhere and neither will they. We have to work on consensus issues or, once again, we will get nowhere.
And the jackboots are just around the corner if the natives get too restless.
I think you might be surprised. Many of these folks are American workers.
Henry8--could you provide some links to statements made by ANYONE in the current administration or other representatives of the Democratic Party who've said ANYTHING remotely resembling the contents of soloduff's post.
As to a coming revolution emanating from that direction, my guess would be soloduff may not disagree with you on that, but (s)he can correct me if I'm being presumptuous. His/her post seems to be demonstrating just how that might be happening, and why we should all be very, very concerned about it.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
Incoherent armed balkanization rich in bigotry and semiliteracy is not a revolution.
That again is the standard Dem propaganda....the folks I have talked to aren't bigots for the most part. I'd say in fact the percentage is little different than the small percentage of bigots on CD.
You'll find they aren't illiterate by any stretch of the imigination. Some confusion may come from calling all these folks T-Baggers, most don't even show up, but are supporting 100%.
That again is the standard Dem propaganda....the folks I have talked to aren't bigots for the most part. I'd say in fact the percentage is little different than the small percentage of bigots on CD.
You'll find they aren't illiterate by any stretch of the imigination. Some confusion may come from calling all these folks T-Baggers, most don't even show up, but are supporting 100%.
Frankly I'm not sure they won't join us. They have no patience with Anti-Americans, but neither do most liberals.
Other than that, they may want many of the same things.
I'm inclined to agree. Posterisation is great for generating an artificially bright line between Us and Them so as to get people to "stand on the piano and demand outrage action", but it ain't so hot for figuring out who might stand with us in coalition.
henry8--great response. On both sides too many seem to be unwitting dupes and represent yet another successful use of the divide and conquer strategy by the power elite.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
It has been well-documented that former Newt Gingrich lieutenant Dick Army is one of the PR operatives behind the agenda drumbeat of the right-wing media that stirred up these originally staged and hosted rallies. The TB event in my state featured both Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich as host and keynote speaker (respectively). The two corporate PR firms and right-wing radio personalities and Fox News who were involved in many of the early Tea-Bagger events are HEAVILY funded by right-wing plutocratic interests. They just want to keep these people stirred up and angry against "socialism" so they can feed them GOP stealth candidates masquerading as sympathetic to their "movement" until they get into office. The Tea-Baggers I've met and observed are either outraged Libertarians or bigoted semiliterates or both.
Thats a shame about the folks in your state. Not the folks I know.
As to Dick Army...I know him well, he's from North Texas (history professor)Congressman from Denton and a complete ASS!
In any case the T-Baggers per se are just a symptom, the folks they represent hate neo-cons like Dick and Newt and Socialists and leftists like Obama...anyone that is playing grabass instead of fixintg problems.
I'm not so sure about that.
What I am sure about is that most of the people who decry the tea partiers the loudest are just trying to shift the focus of attention off the bi-partisan sell out of the people.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
I think the people who decry the Tea-Baggers the loudest just dislike right-wingers who are even more confused than Republicans.
This is a very nice column. I enjoyed it and agree with it. I don't understand the 1937 reference. Maybe someone could elaborate.
Essentially, the great political and social mobilization that led to Obama's election is not going to materialize in 2010 or 2012 if there is no reward offered to the people who interrupted their private lives to make 2008 happen. Enhanced corporate control over health care, and the defining of national priorities by occupying a bunch of countries no one cares about, is not going to win elections. The "Hearts and Minds" of Americans have been abandoned by this government.
dene sez: "I don't understand the 1937 reference. Maybe someone could elaborate."
***
Roosevelt's "stimulus package", if you will, was drawing the U.S. up out of the Great Depression but was at the same time ramping up the national debt. Republicans in Congress, backed by the banker class, successfully worked a little fear-monger magic, forced Roosevelt to back off on the capital outflow and hiked interest rates.
The banksters got theirs while the economy for everyone else backslid, not to fully recover until the WWII industry ramped up.
If you want to see first-hand how it played out, just stay alive for the next couple of years. You'll have a front-row seat.
I agree with CALICO CAT. The party in our government wrongly calling itself the Democratic Party needs to die so let's let it. The reality is that only corporate power rules this country so there is only ONE party in our government. The Repukes give the 'Dems' such a hard time to give the illusion that they are separate -- like all things Repukican -- IT'S A LIE.
I am NOT fighting for a party mascarading as one for the people that signs bills for unending wars, continues torture, still spies on Americans, gives bail-outs to Wall Street, etc.
TO HELL WITH THE PARTY CALLING ITSELF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!!! They do NOT represent the people in this nation so to hell with them. Only a civil uprising in this country will change things, and that is inevitable. Sooner or later, the people take back their power. It may take awhile with Americans, but it's coming.
If every progressive who think the Dems are selling us out started voting for 3rd parties in upcoming elections (and I am one of those disillusioned lifetime progressives who has always voted Democratic), I think the Dems would take notice and perhaps change their ways. If not, then the Democratic Party needs to die and be replaced by one of the 3rd parties, one beholden to the people, and not to Wall Street and the other money and power types in this country.
Left-wing populism has led to revolution. I believe Molly Ivins characterized herself as a populist socialist.
godistwaddle
Nope, our dear Molly was most definitely not a socialist or communist. She always said she was a left-libertarian and a populist.
"Left-wing populism has led to revolution"
It has indeed.
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
I'd like to see your source where Molly said she was a left-libertarian. She too frequently supported the programmatic ideas of the New Deal and Great Society to be a Libertarian. She routinely scorned Republican efforts under Newt Gingrich to gut welfare programs that helped poor women and children.
metal
To make sure I'm not spinning it, just google it....I'll be amazed if it doesn't show up. I knew her a bit and thats the way she described herself when someone asked.
"She routinely scorned Republican efforts under Newt Gingrich to gut welfare programs that helped poor women and children."
Scorned is too kind a word, She detested Newt and his ilk. The Tom DeLays of the world she metioned would be better utilized as fertilizer.
I don't see why your mention of Newt would make any difference to her description. She was certainly not a idealogue. Most certainly left leaning, but hated government intrusion in peoplessonal freedoms.
I sure do miss her. I miss her easy clarity on complicated things.
Yeah, and if the Dems don't get their butts in gear and start sticking up for ME instead of the big corporations, I'm seriously considering going independent or throwing my support dollars to the Greens. Let's get more folks like Bernie Sanders in the Congress!
Better watch out! But BEST WATCH OUT for Bushist Poppylism; it's already hog-tied the occupant of their sty at 1600 Pennsylvania and blackmailed the rest of DEM at the other end of the Avenue!! As for the Supremes, we already know what comes of THEIR briefs!!! For all these porcine perps their lipstick hasn't worked, Off with Their TALES!!!!
There are only two parties in the USA...Fascist and Fascist Lite
yes, but more precisely: neo-Fascism and neo-Fascism Lite(TM)
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
The Democratic Party is a futile waste of time and money. Only a new umbrella Party that unites authentic progressives to field opposition candidates to the Dim/GOP globalist plutocratic Machine can be effective against it.
metal
Wouldn't that be too small a group to do anything? How would you persuade the swing voters?