Several recent posts have asked if the current political alignment is more accurately cast as

[Atticus]

corporate interests vs. the common working class rather than the cliched conservative vs. liberal.

Personally, I think the "corporate" frame more accurately focuses on the actual forces we are fighting but, I think we might be even more specific.

Years ago, I read something that just "clicked" as the true bedrock purpose underlying all undertakings of the Republican Party. It's just two words: cheap labor.

Some of their policies, such as consistent opposition to raising the minimum wage or extending unemployment and insurance benefits are pretty obvious. But, look at their "social" policies or even their foreign policy. The end result, if they succeed, is to divide and frighten the "little people" who actually work for a living, i.e., the common man.

They set blacks against whites; blacks against browns; whites against anyone of color. They drive wedges between the generations, between the sexes and between gays and straights. They have attempted, over the last several decades, to force those who would actually implement the teachings of Christ from "Chistianity".

They have used their media control to literally innoculate the average American with fear. "Don't question your government lest you help the terrorists who are committed to slaughtering us and spreading their evil Islam throughout our Christian nation!"

And, while we sit and scowl at each other and call each other names and sit out elections to protest our allies' imperfections, the plutocrats who own and control the shadowy business coalitions that own and control the GOP smile and know that this will be another good decade for "the market".

[msongs]

1. politcally it's the right versus the far right lol nt

[villager]

2. But what do we do about the plutocrats who own and control the Democratic party?

I think that's the source of much of the spirited dialogue here....

[Atticus]

3. Point taken. Plutocrats have the same goals no matter whose politicians they are

"operating".

We need to take their toys away from them and it shouldn't make any difference whether the toy has an "R" or a "D" after their name.

[FreakinDJ]

4. I think the 2010 election will be decided by who best represents

theirselves as defending Working Class families from the corporate interest which ave led this country down the toilet

[Atticus]

5. I hope you are correct, That's what SHOULD happen. But, let's acknowledge that

"defending working class families" is what the TeaBaggers claim to be doing and, with the help of a complacent and co-opted media, that claim is being accepted by some independents.

[FreakinDJ]

12. Thats right - and the DEMs have yet to rise to the challenge

Reinstating the Glass-Steagal Act would be a good start. Standing up to Health Insurance Cos would be even better

[lunatica]

6. It also helps them have a volunteer military

Poverty makes for large armies when that's the only way left to survive. It's been like that throughout history.

[BadgerKid]

10. Hearsay has it that mercs are paid well.

At least that's the term two entirely different people I have met have used to describe the ongoing military action. Big money for high-risk ventures, all paid via contractors, is my understanding, but I could be wrong.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Neither Political Party Represents The Economic Bottom 98% Of America

And that will continue to happen until we can force one party to represent us. If we keep appeasing the Democrats because they suck a little less than the Republicans, we all lose.

We need to make the Democrats understand that, in order to get into office, they need our help.

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. Try consequentialists v. deontologists n/t

[Jim Sagle]

9. It's the Reaganite Democrats vs. the Evangelical Republicans.

Real Democrats have no voice whatsoever in DC.

[Edweird]

11. Cheap labor. Remember that when 'immigration reform' rears its corporatist head.

IF you compare and contrast our system to that of Canada's, it should make a little more sense.
They have high wages, high standard of living, universal healthcare, protectionism, and strictly controlled immigration.
We are headed in the opposite direction, and for whatever reason, so-called 'democrats' have taken the banner from the republicans and are now leading the charge to third world conditions.

[clear eye]

13. And they're in the endgame of destroying responsive gov't

by wholesale looting of the Treasury w/ neverending corporate entitlements like the misnamed Healthcare Reform bill and mostly unregulated speculation by Wall Street w/ public money. (There is such a thing as real healthcare reform, but the bill from the Senate expected to be rubberstamped by the conference committee ain't it.)

But the reason people are making a distinction b/t Republicans and corporatists, is that not all corporatists are Republicans. As the mechanisms of getting elected are concentrated more and more in corporate hands, a greater % of all elected officials seem to serve those masters.

After our economy can no longer pretend to function, they expect to take advantage of the resulting unrest to pound the final nail into democracy's coffin. Unmitigated oligarchy is very profitable for the ruling class.

There seems to be a disconnect at DU b/t seeing corporatism as the problem, and actually working for reforms to decrease its influence, including support of FENA (voluntary public financing of campaigns) and hand- or mechanically- counted ballots.

[MindandSoul]

14. Excellent analysis! I totally agree with you!

[clear eye]

15. Wages go down in a broken economy, and they're in the endgame of destroying responsive gov't

by wholesale looting of the Treasury w/ neverending corporate entitlements like the misnamed Healthcare Reform bill and mostly unregulated speculation by Wall Street w/ public money. (There is such a thing as real healthcare reform, but the bill from the Senate expected to be rubberstamped by the conference committee ain't it.)

But the reason people are making a distinction b/t Republicans and corporatists, is that not all corporatists are Republicans. As the mechanisms of getting elected are concentrated more and more in corporate hands, a greater % of all elected officials seem to serve those masters.

After our economy can no longer pretend to function, they expect to take advantage of the resulting unrest to pound the final nail into democracy's coffin. Unmitigated oligarchy is very profitable for the ruling class.

There seems to be a disconnect at DU b/t seeing corporatism as the problem, and actually working for reforms to decrease its influence, including support of FENA (voluntary public financing of campaigns) and hand- or mechanically- counted ballots.

See my detailed post on this issue in another thread.