mcoyote: I think perhaps Obama, having read that darn book by Doris Kearns Goodwin about how Lincoln surrounded himself with enemies, is chest-deep in a swamp of market fundamentalists who live to serve corporate America and neocons who think the only way safety can be bought is with guns and bombs.

Do you think Vice President Biden might rent the movie "Dave" and show it at the White House so President Obama can see what we MEANT by Change?

If you've never seen "Dave," it features Kevin Kline as a fellow who just happens to be the physical double of a right-wingish prez who has suffered a stroke. He is asked to impersonate the president until he recovers but, of course, when he is actually on the job cannot resist slashing the defense budget, beefing up social spending, and all the other good things we liberals hoped for.

A hundred billion spent on domestic issues might not be bad either, eh?

Rubbish.

Attacking Mr. Solomon, and others who supported Obama and the Dems, is essential. Remember Solly was a delegate, maybe even a DNS super delegate?

More importantly what is counterproductive is suggesting that folks aren't "left enough", whatever that means, or aren't "pure enough", whatever that means.

There are a number of implied assumptions behind this "not left enough for you" line of assault - and make no mistake, it is an assault, designed to silence people and terminate consideration and discussion.

To say that the “latest-greatest” Obama (for example) is being rejected because he is not quite perfect is to imply that he is kinda sorta there, or “in the right direction” or presumed to be an ally. What is being pointed out here is not that Obama, his supporters and The Dems fail some perfection test – an imaginary test that suggests that he/they are mostly OK but has a few flaws that only perfectionists would notice, and a test that the people being accused of using it are not using - but rather that these people are not at all, in any way, remotely, or vaguely aligned any of the working people and that the notion that they are aligned with us is all a carefully created and totally false illusion. What are presumed to be "flaws" – which a few of us are supposedly unwilling to overlook in our stubbornness and obtuseness – are actually accurate glimpses through the camouflage at the whole picture, not minor peripheral and insignificant flaws.

They aren't minor flaws in an otherwise perfect gem – they are indicators as to the true nature of this chunk of manure painted up to look like a gem so as to fool people. Looking through the holes in the fancy paint job at the interior of the object, and saying it is not a flawed diamond, it is a chunk of manure with a coat of paint hastily slopped on to make it look like a diamond is merely pointing out the hypocrisy and unreality of the liberal fetish.

On another level this assault is wrong-headed and destructive, and that is in the implied assumption that politics is a matter of personal taste - “well that is what YOU want but not very many people agree with you.” FORGET THAT. Politics is about the greatest good for the greatest number, not about “what I want.” The narcissistic belly button lint gazing is completely antithetical to working class solidarity, and is nothing more than an amusing little hobby for the pampered and spoiled and selfish latte' liberal.

Beyond the question of whether or not this particular person is "left enough", I also reject the assumption that we are all looking for a person to begin with, and that looking for a person is the essence of politics.

Barack Obama is the enemy. Looking for a person is the problem, not the solution. Insulting, frustrating, and silencing the most perceptive among us is what is destroying the possibility of a strong Left emerging, and is the tawdry and amoral House Negro work that keeps the ruling class in place. THAT is the fucking problem, and that is a LONG way from the snide and demeaning accusations that critics of Obama and others are being a prissy little perfectionists, carping and fault finding for the sake of irritating people or being a party spoiler.

This “you are being a perfectionist” propaganda is infinitely more destructive to the Left than anything that ever comes from the right wingers, and is one of the most important bulwarks of ruling class power.

This is not nit-picking. It is not "being negative." It is not being a "purist."

This is the whole battle.

We have tried being polite, reasoning with people, documenting the truth, respecting and considering people's complaints that we are being too harsh, too radical, that we are making attacks, that we are alienating allies, that we are hurting "the cause."

None of that has worked.

The years slip by. Conditions grow worse and worse, The danger grows and grows. The ruling class gets stronger and stringer. Polite nicey-nice "can't we all get along children and play nice?" is bringing no positive returns and there is nothing to lose by speaking the truth as harshly as needs be to get the message across.

How could you have voted for Nader or Mckinney in the last three elections and still be an Obama apologist? Doesn't make sense.

How convenient that you forget that Democrats as a group supported and let pass some of Bush's worst policies, including giving the green light to never-ending war in which we now do not have to declare war anymore as we invade country after country with drones, military strikes and subversion. The Senate "health care" plan, which Obama supports, is worse than no plan at all as it legislates that we have to pay to be extorted by insurance companies. Trying to scare us with "the Republicans are worse" argument doesn't work anymore.

"But I think many progressives are in a quagmire about attacking Obama not to give fuel to the teabaggers."

Exactly! and all by design .... "Oh my God, teabaggers! We must protect Obama from this threat!"

The attacks on Obama during the election - when progressives were starting to notice he might not be who they thought he was - was meant to corral restless progressives. "They're racists!" (this is what got to Dave Lindorff) "Sarah Palin wears super expensive clothing and she's dumb - and we progressives hate dumb people!" (this is all progressives in my town could think about.). It distracted them from Obama's record and stated objectives and his funding. And yes, I believe it's all stage managed. Why wouldn't it be?

These things need to be taught in school but they aren't. Kids might start to look for other mechanisms of psychic coercion and .... just think what that could lead to!

$Big Money$ buys candidates as an investment. The advertising industry and media then sells them to us and the initial investors profits increase. duh. This is the same industry that sells sugar coated corn cereal to our children, Viagra to our men, anti-depressants to our teens and endless wars.

They sold Obama to progressives. It was a masterful campaign. I was in awe of it. It had it's own intrinsic beauty ... in a very dark kind of way. Go again to Obama's video, "Yes We Can!"

Beautiful, seductive evil.

"But attacking the left for not not being left enough is counterproductive"

How so? Not being left enough is what landed us here, for God's sake!

McCain would have had massive protests in the streets had he been elected and done what Obama is doing. Obama can get away with it. It's a beautiful thing, the human ability to manufacture consent. I suppose the technique is useful, has been useful in the distant past, tribal past. But those tribal leaders who psychologically coerced the people also had to walk among them, vis a vis. Not so today. We only get a media pastiche of our dear leaders.

I agree, Gary. If people can't learn and change, there is no hope at all.
I am a former Obama suporter. Smarter people than me studied him more carefully and voted for third party candidates in the last election. I made a mistake but have learned...no more votes for Democrats or Republicans (except if I lived in a district with someone like Grayson).

May I put Mr. Solomon's "crime" in perspective?

If one beats up someone else, that can be forgiven.

If one murders ten people, the damage can never be removed or forgiven.

Mr. Solomon helped murder millions of people he now proposes to be helping with his writings.

Let's call a truce, can we? Had he supported McKinney or Nader, Obama still would have won. The election is determined before we vote. It was the way the money wanted it this time. The two-party takes turns. Gore "lost" in order to save the Democratic Party and I think he knew it.

Progressives were livid: "We could have had Gore the environmentalist in the White House had it not been for egotistical Ralph Nader!" (and Gore won a prize even though the League of conservation Voters gave him a poor rating! Scam alert!) This sailed right past many progressives.

You see, the third party movement was getting out of hand - remember Nader in Portland, Oregon! 10,000 excited, motivated people! a real movement was breaking out. Can't have that! Gore's loss killed third parties in one fell swoop. The Supreme Court had to be called in, just so that Gore could lose. Gore would have been an Obama. It's the corporatocracy who sets the agenda, not some whore politician. duh. There is no doubt in my mind that third parties would have grown, not shrunk under a Gore presidency.

Now I'm just waiting for what other techniques they have up their sleeves. Fomenting the teabag movement is just a start! These people are soooo good at what they do. That's why they are getting so rich while we are getting screwed!

Sioux Rose

Thank you, Gary. The resident trolls may speak of the need for the left to unite, but then they act as the first ones to throw stones at prominent persons ON the left.

These 2 psychological problems thwart change:

1. Lots of people really do not see any way outside of the duopoly. They truly think a 3rd party will just take votes away from what they perceive as the lesser of two evils/parties. They literally cannot envision OTHER.
2. Some have stakes they are afraid to jeopardize. I think DM Green can't afford to become so radical that he'll lose his job as a professor. Solomon has his gigs to protect. Not everyone is willing to go to jail, become impoverished, or die for "the cause."

Up until Obama, the merger of both parties was less evident. Sure, Clinton enacted a basically pro-corporate Republican set of policies, but since the economy appeared to be doing well (the damage invoked by these devices had not yet come into evidence) few connected the dots. The lobbies, a ridiculously pro-corporate capitalism Supreme Court did not have a chokehold on one of the government branches. In short, things were not yet entirely corrupted. Now the rot sits in plain sight. Obama is NOT apt to get the same sytle free pass. People are angry and scared, and the media is helping to channel that anger at inappropriate targets. THAT is a big problem. Still, the military's cannibalizing the nation's funds at a time like this is a significant factor that MUST be exposed. I am glad Solomon is reaching for that Touchstone.

He was a Democratic delegate for Obama in 2008.

"This is not stupidity. This is evil."

Good point. Our government, and the corporations that control it, are not run by "stupid" individuals, and to call them "amoral" is inadequate. We are talking about evil, pure and simple.

Very well said.

Starve the beast. Resist and defy.

Sioux Rose

FD: Excellent analogy, or illustration. If someone in the forum is a good cartoonist, this item should be drawn and sent to publications. Granted, in today's publishing climate only an extreme Left magazine would probably consider printing it. But it may be worth a shot. A picture is often worth 1000 words, especially when words themselves have been diluted to the point they are nearly divested of meaning!

You beat me to the punch. We must never forget that Mr. Solomon is part of the hypocritical left. He is part of the ruling elite, therefore, his desires and interests are always bound up with the rich and powerful.

The sad part is that he does not see himself as part of the ruling elite problem.