Democratic Party Platform--1900

[eridani]

I mostly like it, except for its support of the Chinese Exclusion Act and some other unneccessary xenophobia, and of course the total amnesia about Jim Crow. Greatgramma and greatgrampa knew a thing or three we seem to have forgotten, no?

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showplatforms.php?platindex=D1900

We declare again that all governments instituted among men derive their just powers from the consent of the governed; that any government not based upon the consent of the governed is a tyranny; and that to impose upon any people a government of force is to substitute the methods of imperialism for those of a republic.

We hold that the Constitution follows the flag, and denounce the doctrine that an Executive or Congress deriving their existence and their powers from the Constitution can exercise lawful authority beyond it or in violation of it. We assert that no nation can long endure half republic and half empire, and we warn the American people that imperialism abroad will lead quickly and inevitably to despotism at home.

<snip>

We are in favor of extending the Republic's influence among the nations, but we believe that that influence should be extended not by force and violence, but through the persuasive power of a high and honorable example.

We oppose militarism. It means conquest abroad and intimidation and oppression at home. It means the strong arm which has ever been fatal to free institutions. It is what millions of our citizens have fled from in Europe. It will impose upon our peace loving people a large standing army and unnecessary burden of taxation, and will be a constant menace to their liberties. A small standing army and a well-disciplined state militia are amply sufficient in time of peace. This republic has no place for a vast military establishment, a sure forerunner of compulsory military service and conscription.

When the nation is in danger the volunteer soldier is his country's best defender. The National Guard of the United States should ever be cherished in the patriotic hearts of a free people. Such organizations are ever an element of strength and safety. For the first time in our history, and coeval with the Philippine conquest, has there been a wholesale departure from our time honored and approved system of volunteer organization. We denounce it as un-American, un-Democratic, and un-Republican, and as a subversion of the ancient and fixed principles of a free people.

[davepc]

1. Which came as a reaction to the imperialist of McKinley

and the war of aggression against Spain based on a false premise.

who woulda thunk it.

You can't have a dialog about American imperialism today though, people tune you out.

[Ken Burch]

2. I'd like us to use the foreign policy and anti-monopoly planks NOW

(updated, of course, to reflect the present demons and victims.)

[welshTerrier2]

3. "we seem to have forgotten, no?"

yes, yes, yes, yes and yes ...

it is beyond frightening to compare the Democratic Party's platform of 1900 to today's Democratic Party ... the platform understands the evils of empire building as a foreign policy ... it preaches a "high and honorable" foreign policy ...

Compare the following statement on Cuba (after the Spanish-American war that was begun on a fabricated premise) issued by the Democratic Party to the words we hear today from far too many Democrats:

"The war ended nearly two years ago, profound peace reigns over all the island, and still the administration keeps the government of the island from its people, while Republican carpet-bag officials plunder its revenues and exploit the colonial theory, to the disgrace of the American people."

While some might defend the position of today's occupation supporters by pointing out that there is not a "profound peace", still the Democratic Party, fearful of being labeled un-American, refuses to make the case that bush's motives for war, from day one of his administration or before, have always been about colonial exploitation of Middle East oil reserves, petrodollars and regional control ...

and that's the problem i have with the Democratic Party today ... they refuse, presumably based on erroneously perceived political expediency, to tell the nation the truth ... without taking on a process of education and truth-telling, how can we ever make any progress towards convincing the American people that our way is better??? ... instead, we get leaders like John Kerry who make a case to send in more troops rather than explaining the corrupt objectives bush had for the Middle East in the first place ... arguing what perhaps would be a more effective military strategy, whether right or wrong, will not make an effective political campaign and it will not begin the critically needed process of education that might help prevent a recurrence of such evil ...

even Howard Dean, a generally forthright type, seems unwilling to tell the truth ... Dean's case, unless i've missed something, goes all the way to saying that bush lied about the evidence leading up to the war ... that's a fine first step ... but it still does not make the case that needs to be made ... we really have to understand that if Americans are not told the truth, if we allow information to be replaced with propaganda, if our media outlets are overly centralized and are vulnerable to political pressures, we will be condemned "to repeat the past" ... by failing to shed light on the real motivations for the Iraq invasion, not just that "the facts were fixed around the policy", we don't offer the enlightenment the American people need to be more wary of giving power away to imperialist leaders and their financeers ...

i am greatly disappointed by many in the party and many on these boards who see everything in terms of winning and losing elections ... i understand that gaining power is critically important ... and i understand that flexibility and compromise is essential ...

but there is no movement toward the kind of truth-telling we need ... and it is also important to point out that the dark cabal of American imperialism operates whether Democrats or republicans control the WH and the rest of the government ... again, too many are so blinded by their hatred for bush and their allegiance to the Party that they refuse to recognize the critical importance of firmly defining values, issues, and policies FIRST and then finding candidates to fight for these beliefs ... it is very wrong to only blame republicans ... we need to stop our government and those able to influence and control it from abusing American foreign policy in all our good names ...

some like to disparage these views as extreme ... they like to point out that this is left-wing dogma ... they disparage those who are critical of Democrats even though these Democrats fail to speak of, much less uphold and honor, the values embodied in the platform of 1900 ...

so, yes ... we seem to have forgotten the lessons of the past ... it is time for Democrats to relearn the lessons from the platform of 1900 and fight to realize a vision that understands that our country will be a better country and our world will be a better world only when we seek common ground with other nations instead of weak markets for our wealthiest and most powerful citizens and their corporate armies to exploit ... it is time for us to awaken the American people and turn out of office anyone, of any party, who provides the support of America's military, economic and political power to further the objectives of those who live only to amass wealth at the expense of the best interests of the nation ...

[CWebster]

4. Because the only strategy they know is

If we can't beat em', join em'--a holdover from the Clintons and the Clintons still operate like they are the face of the party. What Hillary would frame as "the real world" as she babbles on about some American dream while some Mother's son lays dead on a dusty street in Iraq.