American Populism
Egalia has posted an article by Paul Krugman over at Tennessee Guerilla Women about populism in the recent election. I love it! Here's (imho) the best part:
Ever since movement conservatives took over, the Republican Party has pushed for policies that benefit a small minority of wealthy Americans at the expense of the great majority of voters. To hide this reality, conservatives have relied on wagging the dog and wedge issues, but they’ve also relied on a brilliant marketing campaign that portrays Democrats as elitists and Republicans as representatives of the average American.Fabulous! We are tired of the very few rich getting richer and the many, many poor sinking further down into the abyss! It's about time someone started talking seriously about raising the minimum wage and reining in the immense power of the big drug companies!
This sleight of hand depends on shifting the focus from policy to personal style: John Kerry speaks French and windsurfs, so pay no attention to his plan to roll back tax cuts for the wealthy and use the proceeds to make health care affordable.
This year, however, the American people wised up.
Let's hope the Democrats remember what we elected them to do and begin making the playing field a little more level from the starting gun. If they diverge from this course, God help us in 2008.
You can read the whole article here.
tags: economic justice / US Congress / US politics
posted by Cheryl @ 11:15 AM
4 Comments:
Wagging the dog and wedge issues? HUH? I need a translator lol
Love Yvonne
Wedge issues is easy...bringing up subjects that will divide certain groups of people, as in how the Republicans are always harping on gay marriage because this is something that conservatives and liberals are very far apart on which will create further divides. This failed for the Republicans this year as more Americans thought other issues (Iraq and other foreign policy debacles, the economy and economic fairness, and corporate and governmental corruption, etc.) were more important than silly things like gay people getting married.
Wagging the dog is more difficult to explain. To the best of my understanding, it means trying to craft public opinion and appearances to suit your goals. Or it means creating a public diversion to take people's minds off the real issues. So we invaded Iraq is the action. The real purpose was not to make things better there but to allow the "president" to expand the power of his office, to allow his corporate friends to steal from American taxpayers, to get oil, etc. You claim the issue is one thing ("war on terror") when the goal is something else (stripping away our civil rights). It's like political sleight of hand.
Hope that's clear enough and I hope that's right.
xoxox
Ok I am with you now. My Mum used to call them "arse talkers". Basically you would be so busy watching them talk through their arses and telling bullshit, You wouldn't notice what their mouth and hands were doing.
Thanks for explaining.
Honestly, what is the big fucking deal about gay people getting married? Even if they made it so it was only a civil ceremony. Then the church would not be involved and couldnt preach about it's offensive and immoral and all the other crap.
As far as I can see, If 2 people love each other, no matter their race, sex, religion or sexual preferences, They should be allowed to marry.
And yeah I know I am preaching to the choir again :)
xoxoxoxoxox
Yeah...there's a lot of "talking through their arses" here, as well!
I don't know that I'd ever even want to get married again, but it'd sure be nice to know we could enjoy some of the benefits of marriage should I ever make that decision again. And I've long said you would call it a purple flying elephant for all I care...just give me the tax incentives, inheritance and joint property ownership, hospital visitation and medical decision making, etc...
xoxox
Post a Comment
<< Home