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Zorra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 04:55 PM
Original message
Why I disagree with DLC philosophy....
It seems to me that the DLC acts as a shill for wealthy special interests and multi-national corporations to convince Democrats that unrestricted free trade is beneficial to the people of America and the world,and to promote Democratic candidates that support these destructive policies.

The DLC talks a good game about what they believe. They purvey a Democratic Party agenda and some time honored Jeffersonian Principles while insidiously promoting what appear to me to be republican (Federalist) economic and imperialist policies. The bottom line is that they support basically unrestrained global free trade policies which have led to polarization of wealth, economic imperialism, outsourcing of jobs, worker exploitation, loss of US manufacturing jobs, etc. ad infinitum.

Here are a few articles from the DLC website. Read between the lines to find the corporate Snake Oil:

We believe that economic growth generated in the private sector is the prerequisite for opportunity, and that government's role is to promote growth and to equip Americans with the tools they need to prosper in the New Economy.

We believe America has a responsibility to lead the world toward greater political and economic freedom.

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=128&subid=174&contentid=3775

Some evidence of DLC globalist economic philosophy:

What legacy do they leave?

One that is a bit heartening for supporters of open trade: The American system proved able to both reject a misguided assault on basic principles, and accept specific and better-founded criticism of particular policies.

On the one hand, anti-globalization activists could not block initiatives of genuine historic import.

All their principal legislative targets -- Nafta, the Africa trade programme, the granting of permanent normal trade relations for China, and the creation of the WTO -- passed comfortably.

Less noticed but equally significant, Congress (which in the 1980s voted regularly to protect American textile mills and car factories) broke with such legislation in the 1990s.

Activists could claim some successes -- notably a four-year interruption in 'fast-track' legislative procedures and a two-year hiatus in full-scale WTO negotiations after Seattle.

But the success of the Doha Summit and House passage of 'Trade Promotion Authority' make these seem temporary and phemeral.

And that is why it is, in the end, a relief to see the anti-globalization movement fade.

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?cp=2&kaid=108&subid=206&contentid=250139

Thomas Jefferson, founder of the Democratic Party:

"I hope we shall... crush in its birth the aristocracy of our
moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our
government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of
our country." --Thomas Jefferson to George Logan, 1816.

"The selfish spirit of commerce knows no country, and feels no
passion or principle but that of gain." --Thomas Jefferson to
Larkin Smith, 1809.

Some comment on the beliefs of Thomas Jefferson and a quote by Noam Chomsky:

Jefferson was as motivated to prevent economic tyranny as he was to prevent political oppression. Even prior to the industrialization, he saw in embryo the monstrosity of the impending corporate control of America as early as 1816.

The United States is moving towards a single and splendid government of an aristocracy founded on banking institutions and moneyed incorporations. If that tendency continues, it would be the end of democracy and freedom. The few would be riding and ruling over the plundered plowman and the beggared yeomanry. (Chomsky, 1994)

Sadly enough, the worst fears of Jefferson have come true.

http://democracyunbound.com/jeffersonbridge.html

Here is a compendium of quotes on the dangers of corporate power:

http://www.pushhamburger.com/oct_pearl.htm

Corporations and other wealthy special interests control government policy in America. While the DLC, on the surface, promotes many Democratic platforms, they differ from real Democrats through their support of the unrestrained corporate free trade policies which have destroyed our economy and led to increased monopolization and worker exploitation through consolidation of corporate wealth and power, and the subsequent ever increasing control of the government and the people by the these corporations.

If we are to regain our Democracy, we need to elect leaders who will rework trade agreements in such a way as to benefit Democracy and the people of America and the world, and not just the corporations and the wealthy. The DLC's apparent belief that unrestricted global free trade is going to benefit America and the world is BS. It hasn't, it doesn't, and it won't. Corporations will make more money, further monopolize, and increase their power over our lives.

I am not anti-commerce. But I am against everything that subverts Democracy. And promoting policies which will further consolidate corporate power and wealth into oligopolies helps destroy Democracy. It is, simply, the essential nature of the beast.

Once again, Jefferson:

"The selfish spirit of commerce knows no country, and feels no
passion or principle but that of gain." --Thomas Jefferson to
Larkin Smith, 1809.

:dem:Kucinich
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Faygo Kid Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 05:39 PM
Response to Original message
1. DLC: Architects of 2002 debacle
By trying to be "Bush Lite," the DLC and their adherents got us kicked royally in the butt in the 2002 elections. Given a choice between Bush and Bush Lite, people will (ugh) go for Bush. The Democrats need aggressive, principled arguments against this dangerous regime - not Daschle's go along to get along.
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DrFunkenstein Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 05:46 PM
Response to Original message
2. If The DLC Got Behind A Candidate That Rejected These Characteristics?
Would you find that candidate "tainted" by that endorsement?

If Paul Wellstone was endorsed by the KKK, would you reject Wellstone?
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Zorra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 07:15 PM
Response to Reply #2
7. Depends.....
Those types of endorsements would make me very suspicious. I would do as much research as possible on the respective candidates to see if I could find a reason for the endorsements.

Normally,I believe, organizations support a candidate because that candidates' views and/or former legislative actions coincide with the interests of the organization endorsing the candidate.

In a case such as the Greens endorsing Dennis Kucinich, it is easy for me to understand the reasons for the endorsement. But if the DLC suddenly endorsed Kucinich, I'd be shocked and very suspicious, and I'd try to find out why. If the DLC endorsed Joe Lieberman, on the other hand, I believe I would already understand why because of seemingly apparent philosophical and ideological similarities between the organization and the individual.

Why would the KKK ever support someone like Wellstone? Maybe if the person he was running against vowed to jail all KKK members without a fair trial, or something of that nature. Naturally, under those types of circumstances I would still support someone like Wellstone.

Would I find a candidate to be tainted if endorsed by the DLC? Would I support someone like Wellstone if he were endorsed by the KKK?

My support or non-support of the "candidate" in question would be relative to my understanding of the respective organizations' motives behind their endorsements.


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Eloriel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 05:56 PM
Response to Original message
3. I am certainly glad to see the new crop of
DLC truth-telling threads at DU.

Wish I had my old hard disk back, with all my links on the DLC.

Keep up the good work.

Eloriel
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Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 06:00 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. Happy Birthday!?! er, here's one of your old DLC threads!!!
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Zorra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 06:20 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. Wow, thanks.....
Great info.
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Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 06:22 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. I just retrieve. All credit goes to Eloriel! She's one of the best!
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Clete Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 07:23 PM
Response to Original message
8. So what do we do to bring them more in line with
traditional Democratic Party principles? I mean we can't break off into our little happy liberal party, then we might as well all become Greens. We need to get them away from the Republican Lite ideals and more into what used to be the party of the worker and the underepresented minorities. The DLC, although not directed by remote control from the PNAC, like the Republicans, still seem to me to be idealistically appealing to white men with near conservative or Libertarian leanings.
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Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 07:36 PM
Response to Original message
9. Found some more archived links.....
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Gman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 08:06 PM
Response to Original message
10. Think about it...
would you rather have a puke conservative nut case right winger in office that wants to gut anything and everything we have ever had, or a DLC sponsored candidate that may not give you everything you want (e.g. votes against free trade), but does cast votes in favor of many if not most of the things you cherish. I'll take the latter any day.

They used to say the definition of a liberal was someone who got 95% of what he/she wants and bitches about the other 5%.
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doc03 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Oct-09-03 08:55 PM
Response to Original message
11. agree about DLC
I work in a steel mill and our union always backs the Democrats.
In the rank and file I feel like I am the only Democrat left. How can you argue with them, if you critisize Bush the comeback is always "Clinton passed NAFTA". Also they say Bush put the steel tariffs in and saved our jobs. How can you disagree, they're right. It comes down to the working man votes on NAFTA, guns, gays and God. The Democrats no longer seam to represent the working man and the GOP has brilliantly made Democrat=liberal.
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