For Clinton & Krugman, 'Hardheaded Realism' Amounts to Protecting...Interests of the Richest People

[Karmadillo]

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/clinton-and-krugman-hardheaded-realism-amounts-protecting-interests-richest-people

For Clinton and Krugman, 'Hardheaded Realism' Amounts to Protecting the Interests of the Richest People in America
The demeaning attacks on Bernie Sanders speak volumes about Hillary Clinton's worldview.
By Les Leopold / AlterNet January 27, 2016

Here are three telling quotes about this year's election:

"In theory, there are a lot of things to like about [Sanders'] ideas. But in theory isn't enough. A president has to deal in reality. I am not interested in ideas that sound good on paper but will never make it in real life." —Hillary Clinton, Jan. 21, 2016

"The point is that while idealism is fine and essential -- you have to dream of a better world -- it's not a virtue unless it goes along with hardheaded realism about the means that might achieve your ends. ... Sorry, but there's nothing noble about seeing your values defeated because you preferred happy dreams to hard thinking about means and ends. Don't let idealism veer into destructive self-indulgence. —Paul Krugman, NYT, Jan. 22, 2016

"In the United States, our findings indicate, the majority does not rule—at least not in the causal sense of actually determining policy outcomes..... [We] believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened." —Gilens and Page

Team Hillary (which includes economist/columnist Paul Krugman) is worried about major defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire. Their counter-attack is clear—Bernie is all pie in the sky, he isn't facing up to the realities of Washington. And as Krugman puts it, Sanders and his supporters are letting "idealism veer into destructive self-indulgence."

But these demeaning attacks say much more about Clinton than they do about Sanders. In effect Clinton is admitting (as is Krugman) that we have to accept American plutocracy as a given that, at best, can be modified around the edges. Neither Clinton nor Krugman believe a progressive populist uprising (that Sanders is calling for and counting on) could possibly modify our elite-driven system. After all, if such a movement is possible, Hillary is likely to lose. Therefore it must be declared impossible, off the table, unrealistic and so on.

Clearly Clinton and Krugman accept that elite rule not only shapes our current sense of reality, it is our permanent reality.

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