What will be the role of the Democratic Party in our dictatorship?

[rogerashton]

Stalin said "There are many parties in the Soviet Union: the Communist Party in power, the rest in prison."

On the other hand, the Eastern European dictatorships (1945-89) often had the formal structure of coalitions, with the Communist Party running things but the Farmers' Party, or some such, having a minority representation in parliament (confirmed by the usual sham elections) and expected routinely to rubber-stamp Communist measures. And early in the NAZI regime, the Conservatives had that kind of role relative to the NAZIs, if I remember right.

Are there other alternatives?

If not, I suppose it is small wonder that a number of prominent Democratic politicians aspire to the second kind of role. But so far, it does not appear that the Repummunists agree.

[Prodemsouth]

1. Just to threaten Republicans that get out of line with the BFEE.

n/t

[rogerashton]

3. Th at would be a little different --

and maybe too sophisticated for the Repummunists. It clearly was too sophisticated for the 20th century totalitarians, who could not abide any real political competition! But it is an interesting idea, and maybe the b*****ds are smarter than they seem to me to be.

[Prodemsouth]

5. We have been constantly underestimating their cunning political and

campaign ability. Let me say this out loud: THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT STUPID, by thinking that we get in to trouble. Their campaigners were obviously smarter than the Democrats.

[wyldwolf]

2. operating from an undisclosed location

... led by General Wes Clark, carrying out raids against republican strongholds.

[rogerashton]

4. Do you really think

that the Democratic Party is capable of serious resistance to dictatorship? Or is that what you have in mind? (I'm not sure just how seriously to take your post).

[wyldwolf]

6. Both

But we'll never have to find out.

[flordehinojos]

7. The Democratic Party might become to the Bush Dictatorship what the Cuban

Dissidents are to Fidel Castro: A buch of headaches which usually end up in the CALABOZO A/K/A JAIL...
but someone among us might rise to have a voice as clear and as powerful as Salmond Rushdie's was to his country's (Iran?) Fundamentalist government; or as powerful as Les Walenska's was to the Polish Solidarity Movement ... or, as Nelson Mandela's was to Africa's Apartheid, or as Arundhati Roy's is to India's Corporatist Government... maybe there are a few of those voices amongst us rising already.
I think there are.

[GreenInNC]

8. lap dog

The Democratic Party will be a willing coalition partner to the Republicans. Sure there will be a few Democrats who protest but the majority will go along with Bush.

[bemildred]

9. Stooge, fake opposition. nt

[GreenArrow]

10. the "loyal" opposition party

or the loyal "opposition" party.

[Jim Sagle]

11. They''l be Colmes, the Pugs will be Hannity. We're almost there.

:puke:

[mazzarro]

12. IMHO - the democratic party is already doing what it can to show

the reThugs that it can be count on to be the "obedient opposition" party - the party will obey whatever edicts the reThugs decreed. I have no expectation the party will do otherwise so long as the majority of the party's leadership is in the palm of the DLC.

[rogerashton]

15. That rings some bells, but

as I said, there is no evidence that the Repummunists are interested.

[indepat]

13. There will be no real role

[vlad]

14. offense

I don't know about the 'party' itself, but we must not fight by opposition, on the defense. I for one refuse. I think we fight on the offensive, in our words, on our time, and by our terms. We must use the most important factor to movements, that of timing and opportunity.
We must think short and long term. And we must foresee the opposite reaction to our actions, and crush or insubstantiate them before they get to react.
I think we bind them and box them in, to an ever smaller hole in which they cannot explain their actions, cannot be seen as sane.
Morally, or otherwise.
I also think it would be wise of us to hunt down opposition research materials, and trump any new initiatives they plan to announce with information that is sensationalistic(because that flys in the media). On a constant defense, an agenda that cannot move will starve and fall before it even gets its own footing.
We do this on a grassroots scale pushing it to the mainstream. We have to figure out how long it takes us to force subjects out, who our allies are in that. And deliberately and sytematically control the conversation.
I don't know what the party does, but I think we here should discuss it.

[Crowdance]

16. The lipstick on the pig

Allowing the fascists to make it appear to the world as if this is still a democracy/republic--whatever. It'll allow the world to turn its gaze elsewhere while this nation is gutted.

[Gold Metal Flake]

17. Lampshades and soap.

JMO.

[leftofthedial]

18. even the harlem globetrotters need the new york nationals

to make it seem like a game

[rogerashton]

19. But Stalin didn't seem to need

even a "Farmers' Party."

[leftofthedial]

21. stalin was transparently totalitarian

the Murkan neoaristocracy need enough of us to still believe we are "free" to keep us participating in the consumer end of the corporate supply chain.

So, we have sham elections, reality TV, shopping malls and advertising/propaganda everywhere.

[InvisibleBallots]

20. Some Democrats to rubber stamp, some for token opposition

That's not what their role will be, that's their role right now.

[klyon]

22. none

if no one is listening, no matter what they say it will have zero effect

RIP the Democrat Party

KL