Reply #37: It appears that

[ProudDad]

it's completely devolved into one of the two right-wings of the Big Business Corporate War Party...

Maybe it always was...

During the 2008 pResidential race, I read the 1932 Democratic Party platform. The contrast with the 2008 campaign's timidity was STARTLING!

Check it out here (tidbits below):
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/the-democratic-party-platform-of-1932

Of course, to be fair, the FDR administration did VERY little that was in the 1932 platform -- just enough crumbs to save capitalism -- for a while...

I'm afraid that only the final collapse will substantially change anything but it would be refreshing to see a Democratic Administration that at least TRIED to do what needs to be done as the Earth warms up...

=====================================

In this time of unprecedented economic and social distress the Democratic Party declares its conviction that the chief causes of this condition were the disastrous policies pursued by our government since the World War, of economic isolation, fostering the merger of competitive businesses into monopolies and encouraging the indefensible expansion and contraction of credit for private profit at the expense of the public.

Those who were responsible for these policies have abandoned the ideals on which the war was won and thrown away the fruits of victory, thus rejecting the greatest opportunity in history to bring peace, prosperity, and happiness to our people and to the world.

They have ruined our foreign trade; destroyed the values of our commodities and products, crippled our banking system, robbed millions of our people of their life savings, and thrown millions more out of work, produced wide-spread poverty and brought the government to a state of financial distress unprecedented in time of peace.

The only hope for improving present conditions, restoring employment, affording permanent relief to the people, and bringing the nation back to the proud position of domestic happiness and of financial, industrial, agricultural and commercial leadership in the world lies in a drastic change in economic governmental policies.

<DIDN'T HAPPEN in 2009>

We advocate the spread of employment by a substantial reduction in the hours of labor, the encouragement of the shorter week by applying that principle in government service; we advocate advance planning of public works.

...

We advocate a Navy and an Army adequate for national defense, based on a survey of all facts affecting the existing establishments, that the people in time of peace may not be burdened by an expenditure fast approaching a billion dollars annually.
<HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA -- now it's bankrupting us to the tune of over $1.3 BILLION$ yearly!>

...

We advocate a firm foreign policy, including peace with all the world and the settlement of international disputes by arbitration; no interference in the internal affairs of other nations; and sanctity of treaties and the maintenance of good faith and of good will in financial obligations; adherence to the World Court with appending reservations; the Pact of Paris abolishing war as an instrument of national policy, to be made effective by provisions for consultation and conference in case of threatened violations of treaties.

...

equal rights to all; special privilege to none.
<Boy, Howdy, THAT Horse left the barn!>