Is Liberalism finished?

[DevotedDemocrat]

Besides the fact that Obamacare's problems have made many hate the President and what Obamacare represents and pushed this country even further to the right, what else does Liberalism have to offer anyway? After passing "Universal Healthcare", there are no more big battles or issues that Liberalism seems to want to address. All Liberals focus on, it seems, are healthcare and gay rights....

Is Liberalism finished in the US?

[Torie]

No, not by a long shot. The inequalities in the US are likely to grow, rather than wane. And medical costs are straining the social safety net. Our feckless past is catching up with us. So in the end, I think the US at some point, will experiment with something substantially more socialist. If I live to my actuarial age, I might get to see how it all works out.

[All Along The Watchtower]

How many concern troll threads does this board need?

[Beet]

Child care costs are a very under discussed issue in US politics.

[Blue3]

DevotedDemocrat, stop with the nonsense threads. You've been doing this for months.

And we've already answered you, in multiple threads, on what the "liberal agenda" consists of and what future issues could be.


Immigration
Minimum Wage
Paid Sick/Personal Day & Parental Leave
Infrastructure
Government Reform (gerrymandering, universal voter registration, electoral college, etc.)
Education
Childcare
More to do on healthcare (importing medicine from Canada, allowing Medicare to negotiate medical prices, etc.)
Tax Reform
Entitlement Reform in our favor
Etc.

holding the line on countless issues that the GOP would make us regress on...



Just because you're caught up in the news cycle doesn't mean that liberals aren't trying to do a whole lot more. And we would be too, if we had control of House again.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Any (idiotic and unwarranted) doubt that this guy is LBJrevivalist is now out the window.

[ElectionsGuy]

Of course not. Was conservatism finished when Bush's agenda was getting exposed for what it really was (wars and massive spending)? No. Likewise, liberalism is not finished because of the recent Obama Care panic.

[Phony Moderate]

Given that 'liberalism' is an umbrella term for the 'the left' in America, then no.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

I was about to list all the issues that Democrats have been been focusing on not just recently, but for decades, but Starwatcher saved me the trouble.

I don't know where this meme that Democrats only care about gun control/gay rights/health care (all important issues for their own reasons, especially the last one) originated, but it's definitely one that I'm tired of seeing.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Given that 'liberalism' is an umbrella term for the 'the left' in America, then no.

Which is dumb, no matter what your own political views are.

[Хahar 🤔]

Hello, ModerateDemocrat1990.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hello, ModerateDemocrat1990.

[Peter the Lefty]

In the US, I actually think that the best days of leftism are ahead of us.  As for European social democracy, I have a feeling it'll be a very long time before we see another generation of awesome true socialists/social democrats in power like the ones in my signature, unfortunately.

[Person Man]

No, not by a long shot. The inequalities in the US are likely to grow, rather than wane. And medical costs are straining the social safety net. Our feckless past is catching up with us. So in the end, I think the US at some point, will experiment with something substantially more socialist. If I live to my actuarial age, I might get to see how it all works out.

When would that be?  It says you are 62. So you must think a lot of change is coming in the next 20 or 25 years or something?

[IceSpear]

Obamacare is not a liberal bill. So no, not even close.

[Antonio the Sixth]

no

[tik 🪀✨]

Does turning your thread's subject into a question mean your genitals were devoured by AIDS-raccoons?

[pbrower2a]

Obamacare is not a liberal bill. So no, not even close.

It is liberal by American standards. But that says much about our law-of-the-jungle economic order.

[Mordecai]

Besides the fact that Obamacare's problems have made many hate the President and what Obamacare represents and pushed this country even further to the right, what else does Liberalism have to offer anyway? After passing "Universal Healthcare", there are no more big battles or issues that Liberalism seems to want to address.

This is false and seems to be concern-trolling more than anything else. You completely ignore current economic and fiscal issues. See Starwatcher's list. You could possibly add to that list background checks for guns and closing the gun show loophole.

Also, Obamacare is just a band-aid to stem the bleeding on the gaping wound that is the American healthcare system. Liberals want single-payer universal healthcare but they know that's not going to happen at the present time, so they accept Obamacare because they know it will help more Americans get coverage.

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No, those are just the most recent issues at the present.

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No, there's still plenty to do.

[pbrower2a]

Here's where the money goes against where the politicians are.

You will surely notice that although Democratic politicians range from decidedly Left to about the middle of where the Republican Party is, the Republican party is by contrast very monolithic. The Tea Party types are the current mainstream of the GOP.

I'm going to figure that being comparatively Left in the Republican Party (that is, at the political center) is not a good way to succeed in local campaigns. Those who are decidedly to the left of the GOP mainstream are probably running in places where Republicans have no real chance. But those Democrats in the right of the spectrum include those who are in right-wing districts.  American politics is extremely polarized.  Competence matters far less than ideology. 



http://themonkeycage.org/2012/05/27/more-on-the-politics-of-the-super-rich/

Now the kicker: what the super-rich want in politics want, they get.

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http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2012/08/15/what-do-rich-political-donors-get-for-their-contributions/

This is since 1964. The tendency has only intensified.

The hyper-rich can buy most of the political process. If in some window of opportunity for liberal reforms that might challenge the hegemony of wealth in politics, the 'big-money boys' can now do even more than fund political candidates; they can buy media through which to disseminate Orwellian propaganda. They can smear anyone who fails to adequately expound the 'moral' stance that no human suffering is excessive if it gives the "Right People" greater profit or enhances the power of such people.

Anyone who gets in their way as an elected official is targeted for defeat, and willing stooges get lavish funding.

[Person Man]

Here's where the money goes against where the politicians are.

You will surely notice that although Democratic politicians range from decidedly Left to about the middle of where the Republican Party is, the Republican party is by contrast very monolithic. The Tea Party types are the current mainstream of the GOP.

I'm going to figure that being comparatively Left in the Republican Party (that is, at the political center) is not a good way to succeed in local campaigns. Those who are decidedly to the left of the GOP mainstream are probably running in places where Republicans have no real chance. But those Democrats in the right of the spectrum include those who are in right-wing districts.  American politics is extremely polarized.  Competence matters far less than ideology. 



http://themonkeycage.org/2012/05/27/more-on-the-politics-of-the-super-rich/

Now the kicker: what the super-rich want in politics want, they get.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2012/08/15/what-do-rich-political-donors-get-for-their-contributions/

This is since 1964. The tendency has only intensified.

The hyper-rich can buy most of the political process. If in some window of opportunity for liberal reforms that might challenge the hegemony of wealth in politics, the 'big-money boys' can now do even more than fund political candidates; they can buy media through which to disseminate Orwellian propaganda. They can smear anyone who fails to adequately expound the 'moral' stance that no human suffering is excessive if it gives the "Right People" greater profit or enhances the power of such people.

Anyone who gets in their way as an elected official is targeted for defeat, and willing stooges get lavish funding.

The evidence is quite strong that the country is in the grips of very wealthy kingpins. Or using the TEA Party parlance, anyone with say 15 million dollars  and definitely more than 50 million or more are our "pimps".  The question is what, if anything can be do about it and even if something needs to be done about it. Is it even a good idea to wait until the next major calamity weakens them and the people are desperate enough to try something else?

[pbrower2a]

The evidence is quite strong that the country is in the grips of very wealthy kingpins. Or using the TEA Party parlance, anyone with say 15 million dollars  and definitely more than 50 million or more are our "pimps".  The question is what, if anything can be do about it and even if something needs to be done about it. Is it even a good idea to wait until the next major calamity weakens them and the people are desperate enough to try something else?

The calamity could be World War III (a war to extend a sphere of influence where it is welcome or to preserve a sphere of influence where it is unwelcome) or a new Civil War. Oh, people don't so love America that they want to be slaves of its elite? Fancy that!

World War III? One consequence would be that we would have our Constitution copy-edited in Moscow or Beijing.

 

[TNF]

One can only hope that the days of moderate heroism (aka liberalism) are numbered.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

The Affordable Care Act will ensure that Obama's "rainbow coalition" stays intact over the next two-three decades and that his presidency is remembered as one of the greats. In the same way that the industrial working class of immigrant descent celebrated FDR, agricultural and construction workers of immigrant descent in the 21st century will celebrate Obama for providing them with health insurance.

Concern trolls are the worst.

[pbrower2a]

The Affordable Care Act will ensure that Obama's "rainbow coalition" stays intact over the next two-three decades and that his presidency is remembered as one of the greats. In the same way that the industrial working class of immigrant descent celebrated FDR, agricultural and construction workers of immigrant descent in the 21st century will celebrate Obama for providing them with health insurance.

Concern trolls are the worst.

I most certainly hope so. But if the Republicans win the political trifecta in 2016 they will surely dismantle the Affordable Care Act -- and perhaps privatize Social Security in time for the next Bernie Madoff to fleece people who need a pension, practically give away the Interstate Highway System to monopolistic gougers, abolish laws establishing a minimum wage or banning child labor, or outlaw labor unions. America would be the sort of place that one critic describes with the warning: misery will follow you everywhere. America could become the 80-hour workweek with starvation wages. It would give Canada and even Mexico a big problem with 'illegal aliens'. Maybe even Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

No, no, no -- absolutely do not postpone or compromise the Affordable Care Act.   This is the signature legislation of Barack Obama, and it will mark him as one of the best Presidents that we have ever had. It is good for America, and that is justification enough for us. It may be imperfect, but if it is in place it can be reformed. Don't believe the Republican appeal to "repeal and replace". They have no replacement other than "get sick, run out of money, and die" with profits-first medicine.

ACA or not, the Hard Right has sought to dismantled liberalism since 2006. It could not stop Barack Obama in 2008 or 2012. It did get the House 'back' in the service of people who see working people as pack animals. The Hard Right would have readily gone after Barack Obama for failing to achieve the ACA as for accomplishing it.   

It's up to us to insist upon politicians who serve people instead of economic power. If you don't want America to become a nightmare for us Americans and a nightmare more dangerous than Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union ever was, then you have your responsibility -- don't just vote. Participate in electoral campaigns. If you despise your current Congressional Representative, Senator, Governor, or state legislator then work for the alternative who has a meaningful chance. I have done it, and it is far more fulfilling than a video game or some vapid TV show. Make campaign contributions. Write letters to the editor.

This is Thanksgiving. Know what you have to be thankful for. We have a heritage of freedom, and we can still protect it. It's far easier than facing the Japanese at Guadalcanal or standing up to the Nazi SS at Bastogne. It's far easier than enduring frostbite and hunger at Valley Forge. It's far easier than being a prisoner of war or North Korea or North Vietnam. 

If we fail America could be a very different place. It could be the sort of place in which you do not know what friend or relative would betray you to some secret police so that he could get a couple days at a resort while you are beaten or tortured. Even worse -- you could be tempted to do such and fall for the offer. It could be the sort of place in which European tourists take inexpensive trips to San Francisco and Yosemite -- inexpensive because most Americans can no longer afford such trips. It could be the sort of America in which sexual tourism is commonplace as in other places with ravaged economies. It could be the sort of country in which American young women become pen-pals of foreigners in the hope that they might marry someone in Poland, Brazil, or South Korea. 

It's all up to us. We still have the vote and usually some meaningful choice with the vote, and we had better use our votes wisely.