tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post2841771099839782811..comments2024-03-29T02:03:49.151-04:00Comments on History Unfolding: The Democratic Party eats its ownDavid Kaiserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05020082243968071584noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-17915966524701877422019-02-25T09:49:30.210-05:002019-02-25T09:49:30.210-05:00Thank you very much, Madison. I hope you might tr...Thank you very much, Madison. I hope you might try one of my books some time. My email is KaiserD2@gmail.com .David Kaiserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05020082243968071584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-55847284759821792172019-02-24T15:16:56.056-05:002019-02-24T15:16:56.056-05:00Dear Mr. Kaiser:
Hi there! My name is Madison B...Dear Mr. Kaiser:<br /><br /> Hi there! My name is Madison B. I'm a high school student in Florida who recently did a project on a handful of your articles. I was unable to find your email, so I thought a comment on your blog would suffice. I wanted to tell you I had a wonderful experience working with you articles, my favorite being "How the U.S. Departure From Afghanistan Could Echo Kissinger's Moves in Vietnam". Each article furthered my knowledge on both current and past events and offered insight on many topics, which has intrigued me to continue learning more on each subject. Thank you!mbur1132https://www.blogger.com/profile/11630183586030178414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-24393650765516969912019-02-05T16:34:14.272-05:002019-02-05T16:34:14.272-05:00There is a widening split in the Democratic Party,...There is a widening split in the Democratic Party, but it is not about racism -- the split is about economics. The social justice braying is a symptom of the acuteness of that split on economic policy, just as the obsession with Russia,Russia,Russia is a symptom of a similar split on foreign policy.<br /><br />In both the case of the economic policy split and the foreign policy split, the key dynamic is the legitimacy of an elite establishment's leadership integrity. That establishment is quite willing to sacrifice effective politicians like Franken and possibly Northam to establish its own bona fides on a set of issues that are symbolically important to personal feelings of identity and grievance, but which carry no substantive implications or resource claims on the public purse.<br /><br />The Democratic political establishment, made up in a large part by professional political operatives only some of whom seek elective office, has a good thing going in the massive flow of campaign funds that they spend, and spending draw income from, not to mention their career opportunities in the networks of lobbying and think tanks and business corporations eager to protect their political interests. The preferred electoral strategy of this establishment is to seek to convert suburban formerly Republican women of means or professional status into Democratic voters. Adding professionals to the Democratic electoral and campaign finance base does not require fighting for populist causes that might cost money or make Wall Street hostile to the Democratic Party.<br /><br />Historically, the Democratic Party was defined in large part by its championing of populist causes and programs of economic assistance and improvement aimed at the many, not the few (to borrow Corbyn's phrase). The Democratic Party was once also the Party opposed to empire and in favor of de-colonizing the Philippines and later Panama, the promoter of "Good Neighbor" policies in Latin America.<br /><br />The Democratic Party establishment is about eating its own, but it is wrong to think of that process as being about individual politicians. The Party is about sacrificing aspirations for peace to bipartisan confirmations of a policy of perpetual and pointless war and costly empire. The Party establishment is about betrayal, promising "Medicare for All" with every intention of torpedoing that policy to curry favor with insurance companies and for-profit service providers.<br /><br />If you are not actually interested in pursing a promised policy program, then sacrificing effective politicians to show how much you care about symbolic issues is just a means to an end. Who needs a politician who is effective in the pursuit of policy anyway?<br /><br />Bruce Wilderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09631065564839959376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-35623495506065465072019-02-03T16:06:27.674-05:002019-02-03T16:06:27.674-05:00https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/24/...https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/24/new-secretary-state-ertel-dressed-blackface-halloween-2005/2649161002/<br /><br />This data point throws some cold water on your theory that Republicans always rally around their officials. There are other cases. You also forgot to mention that leading Republicans Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell called for scandal-plagued Roy Moore to quit his campaign for Alabama US Senator in 2017. Also, many Republican leaders told voters not to vote for David Duke in his race for governor in 1991. Btw, Northam is now saying he is not either person in that photo.Gloucon Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05218027862578514587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-50492848008018798502019-02-03T13:24:19.673-05:002019-02-03T13:24:19.673-05:00I never thought I'd agree with the National Re...I never thought I'd agree with the National Review, but this time I do:<br /><br />https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/02/social-justice-warriors-conservative-christians-share-moral-instinct/Pmathews1939https://www.blogger.com/profile/11875439585157447036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-4767381757425801112019-02-03T10:24:05.379-05:002019-02-03T10:24:05.379-05:00The criticism you make of the current Democratic P...The criticism you make of the current Democratic Party concerning identity politics is longstanding, and I have argued in response to your past blogs that the result of the march toward greater inclusion of women and minorities in what is still a white, male dominated culture has been beneficial for our society. But now I agree with you that taken to ridiculous extreme, support for minorities and women exascerbates the political divide in a way not only disfavoring the Democratic Party, but also the country. The cases you cite of Senator Franken and the Virginia governor, two capable Democrats, are worthy examples. There is no limit. When will the revisionists begin to argue that President Lincoln’s decision to emancipate slaves was more a political and soft power act than a moral one? <br />It seems that the election of an incompetent, narcissistic, ignorant buffoon to the highest office has revisited among Democrats the canard that “In American, anyone can grow up to be President.” Hence the plethora of Democratic candidates for the office. All one has to do is eliminate the competition through lies, innuendo and revisionism to win the day. None of the candidates for president in the next election has a good chance to dethrone the current incumbent because they are carving out an extreme position that will resonate negatively with the majority of the electorate, still white.Savage27https://www.blogger.com/profile/14048571616203532473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-35129728992021743902019-02-02T16:57:54.509-05:002019-02-02T16:57:54.509-05:00There was in recent years a similar trick in Ger7m...There was in recent years a similar trick in Ger7many. Aademic credentials of politicians turned out to be faked, mostly phds that were full of plagiaries. This led to resignations and I believe some avid seekers of such mistakes in further politicians. This seems legitimate. <br /><br />If one is a minority and a racist then in this case it would make sense to take a fine tooth comb to all white male politicians'background for a whiff of non pc behaviour. Maybe 90% could be forced into resignation by shaming. Of course this could backfire as minority racism, jesse jackson's description of NYC as hymietown and probably endless other examples as minorities feel safe to say whatever they want whereas whites must be terribly careful similar to the freedom women enjoy against men. Reverse discrimination can't work for long. People get stubborn, angry when they sense injustice. Imagine Northam becoming a republican upon deciding that democrats are actually racists against whites, so why bother. You might get a wave of party switchers. Republican party would become quite progressive then with all the new recruits but minorities and women would have little say. This might be the end game. Like the nonsense in Europe with conservative antimuslim parties everywhere. The left tries to woo muslims but in the end they can start their own minority parties. In the USA of course there is no proportional representation so an afro american or latino party or women's party would be a no starter. <br /><br />They say a revolution eats its own children. This revolution against white power has been running since the 60s. If it results in an extreme left wing democratic party, allowing moderate republicans to gain power or worse radical republicans, to roll back all govt progress since 1900 then it will fit the proverb. A revoluton that never ends is self consuming. Ed Boylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01753383765150492163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8746692.post-84154292416091646192019-02-02T13:51:38.479-05:002019-02-02T13:51:38.479-05:00Professor
Great post, paragraph after paragraph.
...Professor<br />Great post, paragraph after paragraph.<br /><br />Too many things to comment on here.<br /><br />If one is looking for internal purity, then neither the Democratic Party, nor the global multicolor world, is a place to look for it.<br /><br />I was reminded of this old remark: "I'm willing to lead but I'm not willing to preside over people who are cannibals." Gingrich<br /><br />The Democratic Party is in ideological, cultural, linguistic, symbolic, civilizational, and mixed mulatto racial freefall.<br /><br />Nothing can pull it out now.<br /><br />Nothing, but nothing, could ever pull the US back to dominance, but something like populist crusading demagogic conservative globalist Christian Jewish right fascism. I don't that kind of thing will emerge here. <br /><br />Rightist Nationalism socialism is also a dead letter now under globalization, regardless of Trump's protectionist efforts.<br /><br />All the bestBozonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18078858723231122013noreply@blogger.com