Missing in Action… A Democratic Party Action Plan

 

With the Republican Senate’s passing of “Trump’s Most Cruel Bill” and soon the Republican House’s reconciliation, close to 12 million Americans will lose healthcare coverage. There will be $1.2 trillion in spending reductions, mainly targeting Medicaid and food stamps. It’s estimated that 40% of nursing homes and rural hospitals will close. And the federal deficit will expand by $5 trillion over the next decade.

Today, it’s become the norm to see masked, heavily armed goons abducting people off our streets, handcuffing them and disappearing them into unmarked vehicles... no visible law enforcement identification and no warrants. Next stop? El Salvador or perhaps Florida’s newest, the Ron and Don “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades swamps.

Trump’s bill also contains a13-fold increase in ICE’s budget making it the largest secret, masked, police force in the US. It also includes nearly $100 billion to build detention facilities like “Alligator Alcatraz” throughout the nation.

In only a few months of the Trump administration, we literally have devolved into one of those despised, lawless, South American “Banana Republics” we ridiculed in the past. Due process, equal protection under law, freedom of speech, all disappeared and have become just memories from the old days, with solidification of Trump/MAGA authoritarianism now the norm.

Sadly, many of us, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin or even political party, remain blissfully ignorant of the disaster which is overwhelming us all.

Where is our vaulted defender, the fourth estate... the traditional Media? They remain voiceless, kowtowing to Mr. Trump as though he’s just another law-abiding president, knowing that asking a probing question will mean ridicule and banishment from the White House Press Corps.

And what’s with the Democratic Party?

While the Senate and House Democrats are fighting their best, the party itself remains a spinless mess of silly putty. No leadership. No spirit. No plan to block the Trump/MAGA dissolution of our Constitution.

With so much dependent upon manifesting courageous leadership, the Democratic Party presents as a big inspiring zero. I have yet to see a compelling outreach message to convince me to vote for a Democrat.

Look at the Party’s website. Does it represent all American voters? Does it present convincing text, graphics, photos and videos and speak convincingly to All Americans, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin or even political party?

A few weeks ago, a letter surfaced via former Sec. of Labor and University of California Professor, Robert Reich. It was supposedly written by former Rep. Liz Chaney to the Democratic Party.

She didn’t write it. It was supposedly written by someone named Dr. Pru Lee.

Still, the message is prescient. If it or something similar were implemented it could catalyze the spinless Democratic Party into a new Super D Party… coordinated, effective, decisive… for all the American people… no one left behind.

Here’s hoping for a transformative miracle to prevent a Trump/MAGA authoritarian catastrophe.

And here’s Dr. Pru Lee’s post:

Will Dem Party Leadership Find Their Courage?

When it comes to failure to recognize change or emerging innovative ideas, the books are crammed with corporate leadership’s failure to grasp onto the coattails of impending change and make the leap forward. Management of companies like Kodak, IBM, Xerox, Sears, etc., are emblematic of failed leadership, blunders, and outright ineptness.

You may even remember some of those companies when they were powerhouse behemoths. The leadership of each made decisions that seemed logically correct to them at the time when they were on top of the heap in their respective business areas – no doubt decisions to “stay the course” selling technology, products or services that made them millions of dollars in previous years. The only problem: times changed. And, management failed to perceive that change and failed to react accordingly, to provide their companies with courageous leadership when it was required.

Lack of courageous leadership is a classic failure of management and is repeated in countless ways each day.

Lack of courage, or cowardice, can also infect political leaders.

For example, the Democratic Party leaders are clearly showing a courage deficit when it comes to Bernie Sanders as their potential candidate.

It’s sad isn’t it when leaders disregard the wishes of their own people. For instance, “Polling consistently shows that most Democrats approve of key parts of Sanders’ economic agenda, including single-payer health care, the Green New Deal, tuition-free college, student debt forgiveness, a $15 minimum wage, breaking up big banks, and paid family leave.”

“For each of those issues except single-payer health care, a more modest percentage of all Americans — but still a majority — signal their support.”

“That said, support levels among all Americans drop significantly once voters are informed about the policies’ costs.”

I, for one, am looking for an epiphany of sorts, or the proverbial “bravery pill” that the Dem leaders can swallow to help them find their spines, recognize that the nation is calling for a clear change of leadership in the White House and the U.S. Congress, get out of the way, and smooth the path for the person who will make that change happen. Additionally, it’s clearly up to the Dem leadership to find a way to secure what their people are demanding.

Source Links:

50 Examples of Corporations that Failed to Innovate, Katrina Aaslaid, valuer.ai, 22 Nov 2018.

Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders, Lisa Lerer and Reid J. Epstein, nytimes.com, 28 Feb 2020

Trump lashes out at Fox News for new poll showing him losing to all the Democratic candidates, Aaron Rupar, vox.com, 28 Feb 2020.

Polls show most Democrats, many Americans back key Bernie Sanders' policies, Louis Jacobson, politifacts.com, 25 Feb 2020.

Dem Leader Sanders Freak-out is Not About Politics. It's About Power, Rob Kall, opednews, 2 Mar 2020.

About Life and Death

Turning Republicans out of office in November is about life and death... our life and death. "Our" meaning 99.99% of people throughout the world.

I hate politics. Little to nothing good seems to come of political parties, "debates", pontificating, and the candidate's propaganda mills.

But it was refreshing to see Mr. Moore say a few truthful words following the Democrat's latest "debate".

"I'm talking about the old hacks that run this (Democratic) party... if we let them... if they're going to drive this train, we are going to lose."

Miraculous Enlightenment

Will the Democratic Party leadership blow it this November and lose our American experiment completely to Trump-Republican-neo-fascism?

My guess is that they will - unless they are blessed with a miraculous enlightenment.

During the past election the Democratic leadership bungled a “sure win” by managing to not expand their base, screwed-up building local organizations, failed to motivate and turn out traditional core Democrats and worked tirelessly to exclude Progressives from the party.

Meanwhile, the Trump-Republicans amassed a formidable machine, in no small way, the result of yeoman-like work gerrymandering, excluding voters of color, restricting registration and voting rights, disenfranchising Democrat-leaning voters, artfully sculpting “alternative” media, and reshaping social media via Big Data manipulation.

The result?

Former Secretary of Labor, Dr. Robert Reich describes itthis way, “Trump controls the Republican Party, the Republican Party controls the House and Senate, and the Senate and Trump will soon control the Supreme Court.” Reich continues, “Republicans also control both chambers in 32 states (33 if you count Nebraska) and 33 governorships. And in many of these states they are entrenching their power by gerrymandering and arranging to suppress votes.”

I’m not trying to second guess the “divine parameters” of God’s epiphany, but, I’ll bet the Boss Leaders will need to adopt some radical moves, among them actively bringing Progressives into the party and supporting candidates that will address the “pocketbook” issues we all care about – housing, education, wages, healthcare – plus, repair all the immense damage done by the Trumpsters.

When it comes to the epiphany business I know things happen in strange and beautiful ways. I hope it happens soon.

O, Canada - Capitol Steps

Capitol Steps

Published on Mar 27, 2016

After Super Tuesday, the most Googled search term was "how to move to Canada."

Musical satire and parody from the Capitol Steps.  We perform every Friday & Saturday at the Reagan Building in Washington, DC.  Visit us at http://www.capsteps.com/

[From our latest album, "What to Expect When You're Electing,"  available at capsteps.com, iTunes, and Amazon -- plus albums from our first 30+ years!]

Can't Do It Again

The way things are goin' looks like it will be the same old Democrats this November... LOSERS.

Sad to think that the USA... the Great American Experiment in Democracy... will fail due to their greed and love of corporate dollars, just like the Republicans. We know where the Republicans and Mr. Trump stand.

What other reason could there be for failing to "have the back" of the American people?

This time, I fear there will be no "do it again"second chance for the 99.9%ers.

Steely Dan - Do It Again - 1972