Opinion of Democrats with a positive opinion of Ronald Reagan

[TNF]

They tend to be horrible even for ostensibly 'Democratic' reasons: Irish or Italian ethnic collectivists with a hard on for reactionary unions like the Teamsters. All these traits are perfectly Democratic - and perfectly abominable.

In the IBT's defense, it at least realized that backing Reagan in '80 was a bad idea the minute after it did so, and hasn't endorsed a Republican since. (Of course the Democrats aren't much better, but yeah, the IBT endorsed Nixon and Reagan, so...)

Anyway, it's perfectly logical for Democrats to have a positive opinion of Ronald Reagan, given that they're the real heirs to the policies he promoted, be they privatization (Obama's trying to gut the TVA after all), lowering the overall tax burden we impose upon the rich (perhaps not in terms of outright income taxation but in terms of actual taxation, that is, Capital Gains Taxation), sending American troops to any number of foreign lands at the behest of corporate capital, and sabber-rattling with Russia.

[TNF]

They tend to be horrible even for ostensibly 'Democratic' reasons: Irish or Italian ethnic collectivists with a hard on for reactionary unions like the Teamsters. All these traits are perfectly Democratic - and perfectly abominable.

In the IBT's defense, it at least realized that backing Reagan in '80 was a bad idea the minute after it did so, and hasn't endorsed a Republican since. (Of course the Democrats aren't much better, but yeah, the IBT endorsed Nixon and Reagan, so...)

Anyway, it's perfectly logical for Democrats to have a positive opinion of Ronald Reagan, given that they're the real heirs to the policies he promoted, be they privatization (Obama's trying to gut the TVA after all), lowering the overall tax burden we impose upon the rich (perhaps not in terms of outright income taxation but in terms of actual taxation, that is, Capital Gains Taxation), sending American troops to any number of foreign lands at the behest of corporate capital, and sabber-rattling with Russia.

Apparently the unions see the Democrats as better, since they keep endorsing them.

The relationship between the Democratic Party and organized labor is that of an abusive husband (the Democrats) and a battered wife (labor). The bureaucrats directing the labor movement are clinging to the Democrats for want of remaining relevant, but there's no indication that, if offered the choice, the rank-and-file wouldn't ditch the party for something bigger and better, if such an option existed, that is.

[TNF]

The problem is that, sans the IWW, the American unions are all worthless.

I don't think I fully agree with that sentiment. There are plenty of good, class struggle-oriented unions that are doing a lot of good work. The Chicago Teachers' Union, the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union, and the school bus drivers' union immediately spring to mind. But I do understand where you're coming from; the problem is that years of pummeling have pushed much of organized labor firmly into Gompersism, which is a path straight into irrelevancy. The only thing that will save American labor unions is an upsurge in radical left-wing activism (that is, actual left-wing activism, not this liberal stuff about privilege and whatnot) like we saw in the 1930s.