Will the left wing ever REALLY have a voice in America?

[Locut0s]

Let's face it the Democratic party is at best a central to central right leaning corporatist party. Under Obama we did see some slow movement in the right direction and some important legislation was passed but I think you are joking yourself if you think that the Dems truly represent the voice of the left in America. The right wing would like to paint Obama as far left and socialist when the truth is that they are if anything right of centre. Things like TRUE Universal Healthcare aren't considered far left in ANY other country on the planet. Unfortunately it seems the left will never get a true voice in government. Is there any hope of this happening in your opinion? Maybe if they ever do away with the 2 party system? Don't see that happening any time soon.

[MellowDem]

1. Not as long as it is a two party system...

If you think about it, of course a two party system will never be able to represent all the various groups in America, much less liberals.

[Johonny]

29. we have a one party system

Republicans aren't a political party anymore. They are a substance that talks like a political party, has a media that treats it like a political party, but essentially isn't interested in governing America and Americans. Their job is essentially to go through the motions of politics while they allow corporations take over governing aspects of the nation. All real politicians conservative, moderate, liberal are Democrats these days. Since they are only a minority (slim majority at the moment), it is no surprise liberals have such a small role in the government. They are part of a small part of a small part of the elected government. The largest part starting next year will once again be neither liberal, conservative or moderate, but basically fakes. They will go through the motion of elected office but essentially try to do as little as possible unless well the corporations need them to get off their butts and save them. These peoples main jobs in their mind is to make/take as much money and power for themselves and more important their "friends" where ever they may live.

[Leopolds Ghost]

41. Americans don't even have a forum for thinking those thoughts. At least not on the Internet.

You must be one of those evil populists, I heard they're all tea-baggers :sarcasm:

[stray cat]

2. A voice yes they already do but maybe not one capable of winning a national election

You have to convince the country you really do have the right answers

[sandnsea]

3. Too late now

There was a window in 2008. I really think we could have pushed the right off the cliff with this teabagger stuff. But the left went after the Democrats instead of the Republicans, so, well, They're Baaack.

Oh well.

[fascisthunter]

7. wow... that's a lot of bullshit there

[ibegurpard]

22. nothing new

[sandnsea]

26. There wasn't a window in 2008?

The Republican Party wasn't thrashing around in complete disarray??

[That Guy 888]

27. Circular firing squads only help rethuglicans. n/t

[sandnsea]

33. Really? No kidding??

:eyes:

Yeah, I think it's a little late to be talking about circular firing squads too. It's not like some of us haven't begged for the guns to be put down or pointed in the RIGHT direction.

I'm serious about the having wanted the Green Party to rise up and be the second party. I've pushed for it since 2004 when Republicans first started going batshit. I'm fairly sure that opportunity is gone now. They've regrouped and are currently too strong for a Green Party to displace.

[That Guy 888]

34. I'm probably too tired to understand your post

Are you saying that the Greens should take over the Democratic Party, or that the Greens should replace the Democratic Party? With media consolidation it would be a real tough fight that doesn't seem likely to be successful.

[polichick]

4. Honestly, corporate money runs this country - both parties...

If the left - which imo represents real progress and always has - is ever to have a voice, I don't think it will happen through the Democratic Party.

[Naturyl]

23. Agreed.

I enjoy posting on DU but I'm wondering how I'm going to be able to keep doing so when I really no longer believe for a second that the Democratic party has any real place for the left.

I am a leftist. There is currently no major party representing me in America.

[kath]

36. mega-dittoes.

The Dems are at best center to center-right.
NO party represents me. My two grandfathers, who were union organizers in the '30s and 40s, roll in their graves over what has happened to the Democratic Party.

[UrbScotty]

5. IF WE SPEAK UP... then yes. Otherwise, don't count on it.

[treestar]

6. Not until they learn to hang in there, not give up right away

when they don't get everything, and get their message across without insulting the voters and the Democratic Party, vote when they aren't "inspired" - you know do their civic duty and vote on their own, and learn to compromise and make incremental changes.

[fascisthunter]

8. it has more to do with money than ideas

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HuckleB]

10. Probably not in our lifetimes.

[guitar man]

11. Only after the next Great Depression

That's what it took last time, and it didn't last very long :(

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. Not when we duct tape the mouths of our best speakers.

Not when we turn our backs on the likes of Howard Dean and Alan Grayson. No, we will not. Not when we are okay with Dino's.

[Starry Messenger]

13. Not through elections.

[Chan790]

39. No War but Class War!!

We really need a much more ideologically-aggressive brand of leftism domestically.

[leftstreet]

14. Obama was given a mandate IN SPITE OF the 'Socialist' label

what does that tell ya?

[mediaman007]

15. The left lost its power with the degradation of labor unions!

Corporations spent a lot of money to limit labor growth and sew "rugged individualism."

[mmonk]

16. I doubt I will stay here long enough to find out.

Or if I can't get out, live long enough.

[Locut0s]

19. Where do you plan on going? nt

[mmonk]

20. Well first I plan to somehow get my sons a future in Canada.

If I can somehow follow, I will. If I can't, I will die knowing I did the best for them. One has a lifelong medical condition and the other is autistic. They are smart but I'm not sure they will survive this primitive country in a new battle of the fittest landscape.

[scheming daemons]

17. Not if they keep kneecapping the most left-wing President we've had in generations

Obama is the most left-wing President we've had since Truman.


Yet the left-wing keeps chopping him down.


When we learn to accept 80% good as "good enough" instead of demanding 100% or nothing, we'll learn how to use our voices wisely.

[Chan790]

40. Triangulating horseshit! n/t

[subterranean]

18. Maybe in a few states. In America as a whole? Not likely.

Certainly not as long as we have corporate-financed elections and corporate-controlled media.

[Naturyl]

21. Not likely unless there are some major paradigm changes.

And I'm not sure how that might happen.

[kwenu]

24. Nope. At least not anytime soon.

[cliffordu]

25. did it ever????

[Raine]

28. Sadly I don't believe so

not when our own side continually throws us under the bus and always scapegoats us.

[grahamhgreen]

30. After the complete collapse of the county maybe...

[Radical Activist]

31. Not when we eat our own.

As was done to Obama.

[kctim]

32. Not until

they stop blaming everything but their policies, and stop falsely believing only they hold ALL the answers and everybody who disagree's with them is 'stupid.'

Besides:
80% of us Democrats approve of President Obama while only 20% do not. IF the left did not have a true voice in the Democratic Party, those numbers would be reversed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Not as long as the Left decides to take soem steps

1.- Organize, organize organize...

2.- take to streets...

3.- Follow on the footsteps of what was a REAL left in the past.

These days the American left, whatever it is, is a figment of everybody's imagination... for the reasons stated.

It does exist, but it was neutered decades ago. And until the left, whatever it is, finds a way to do this... picking up a history book or two would help... it will keep having no voice.

you really do not have to listen to those who have NO organization.

I'd love to change the system, it needs changing, but it ain' happening in my lifetime.

[paulflorez]

37. Unite, SPEAK UP in unison, find a common enemy that ALL Americans hate and ATTACK

Seriously, no mercy. This is WAR. Choose a few simple principles that everyone can agree on, hammer at those and choose a target to fight.

[struggle4progress]

38. We will if we begin to do organized grassroots work, instead

of whining

[eridani]

42. Not until the left wing learns to be more professional

That is, running primaries to take out unacceptable Dems, and winning, and winning general elections. That is to say, dropping all this shit about how it has to get worse to get better and taking electoral politics seriously.

[Skittles]

43. not without REAL DEMOCRATS

[Douglas Carpenter]

44. probably not..America is a deeply, deeply indoctrinated society

Any serious progressive discussion is pretty much relegated to the fringes of the Internet and Academia and geographic pockets here and there.

When the most serious talking point on MSNBC, the most liberal of the mainstream commercial networks is, "will Obama now move to the center?" things appear pretty much hopeless.

Any candidate who advocated things that would be completely mainstream in the rest of the western world, like single-payer universal health care, worker voice in management, moving the economy toward production rather than rabid and uncontrolled speculation or anyone who challenges the assumptions of the need for America's massive military machine - will be quickly relegated to the fringes and will be treated in mainstream circles with far, far less respect afforded to lunatics like Christine O'Donnell, Sarah Palin, New Gingrich or James Inhofe.