2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumStudent Op-Ed: "Hillary Is Not A Leftist"
16 hours ago | By RUSSELL GUILBAULT
The Spectrum, University of Buffalo
As the media and Hillary Clinton supporters continue to sidestep some very glaring issues with her role in this election and the sorts of policies she favors, I think it would be useful to try to outline them here especially since they paint a radically different picture of her policy and class leanings.
Firstly, Clinton has firmly established herself as a neocon of the highest order over her career as Secretary of State. She supports a barrier in the West Bank, advocated recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and blamed Hamas for the destruction caused by Israels disproportionate assault on Gaza last year.
She supports the Iran sanctions, and has asserted that no option can be taken off the table, including war a threat which, as Noam Chomsky noted, violates international law. She voted for the Iraq War Resolution and has refused to retract her support or to apologize. She condemned Snowden, supported the embargo of Cuba and the Patriot Act.
....SNIP.....more facts on the matter....
Clintons hawkish foreign policy alignment is already rather well known. Less frequently discussed, however, are her direct ties to Wall Street and the effects of those ties on her policies.
In Ben Whites article in POLITICO, he interviewed multiple GOP donors and financial executives, turn[ing] up a consistent consolidation candidate in Clinton.
One executive said that most people in the industry have a track record with her. Another, comparing her to more populist Republican candidates like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, called her relatively tolerable. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein spoke of his enthusiastic support for her in the 2012 election.
....SNIP...more facts....
The picture of American politics that emerges is one in which it isnt the distinction between Democrats and Republicans that matters, but that between populists and establishment supporters.
Establishment refers to the complex of lobbyists, donors, executives and lawmakers that has essentially total control of all policy decisions, a category in which Clinton decidedly falls.
....SNIP....It is clear, then, where Clintons class allegiance lies. And it is also clear that a Clinton presidency, while fine for the corporate-political establishment, would not be fine for the American people, who would suffer from her elitist policies.
Faced with this blatant betrayal of liberal ideas, Democratic supporters and all of us as citizens, need to start redirecting support to other candidates and organizations that stand for a system defined by genuine democracy.
http://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2015/11/hillary-clinton-is-not-a-leftist
There may be hope for US after all.
peacebird
(14,195 posts)The bigotry, racism, homophobia, greed....
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)celebrate.
We may or may not turn things around in 2016, but there's hope for future generations....as long as climate change doesn't doom them first, of course.
Rockyj
(538 posts)PLEASE contact this station! Look how there was only a few Hillary supporters in parade, but they go to commercial as soon as Bernie Sanders supporters came on screen!
THIS KIND OF SHIT REALLY SHOWS HOW MUCH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS GONE SO RIGHT they will lie, cheat and do anything for their corporate warlords!
retrowire
(10,345 posts)CharlotteVale
(2,717 posts)bigwillq
(72,790 posts)ybbor
(1,554 posts)Oh wait, these are just facts that don't make her look good. That's not a smear.
Who knew?
nxylas
(6,440 posts)In their world, it's always 1995, when the right has won all the ideological arguments and the Democratic Party needs to be purged of leftists in order to prevent another Walter Mondale-style blowout.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)Sort of makes sense of the madness.
It doesn't make it any easier to swallow though, because their outdated reasoning for continuing to go RW coincides with today's most urgent need for a massive leftward swing. We NEED to bring the country back to being run for People....
It's incredibly frustrating.
And this frustration is why GDP has become so acrimonious....
What does it matter if "Democrats" "win" if they are going to act as rethugs working for Moneyed Interests in office???
If the person just has a D next to their name does not mean they espouse actual progressive goals. We need a true progressive to bring the country back.
LittleGirl
(8,282 posts)as the best republican wall street can buy. I'm voting for Bernie and that's all I'm going to say about this.
spot on!
LiberalArkie
(15,713 posts)RiverLover
(7,830 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)I read it as "Stupid Op Ed . . ." Then read the article and thought, "That's not stupid, it's right on." Then I re-read the thread title.
Apparently, I need more coffee.
And, btw, I had several millennials phone banking with us this weekend. One was only 17 and couldn't vote yet but there she was, calling people in Nevada. I've written a few threads on this subject but can I just say, I LOVE THE MILLENNIALS!!!! LOVE. THEM!!!
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)That is so funny Taz.
BTW, thanks for the update & all you are doing, along with our amazing millennials!!!
Le Taz Hot
(22,271 posts)Bernie makes it easy. All we have to do is point to his 50-year history of walking the walk and the rest takes care of itself.
And I forget to mention. The 17-year-old's mom is an undocumented worker (we have many in the San Joaquin Valley) who I went out to meet when she came to pick her daughter up. I think I've talked HER into campaigning with us when we go to largely Spanish-speaking areas. Neither her nor her daughter can vote yet but I think I've talked both of them into campaigning for Bernie. LOL!
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)I have great faith in this younger generation if we haven't destroyed everything before we are gone.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)Romulox
(25,960 posts)brooklynite
(94,501 posts)Which is why she's so popular Democrats.
"Leftists" don't have a good track record of getting elected. Ask President Kucinich.