Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party?
Growing up, being uninformed and naive, I often wondered, if the Democrats are the party of working people and the Republicans are the party of the rich, since there are more of us, how do Republicans win elections?
But, now, being older and wiser, I realize that both parties belong to the very same rich ruling class. The difference is the Republicans tell working people very clearly, go screw yourselves, we are not interested in what you want or what you need . . . you are not part of our constituency.
George W. Bush made this clear several years ago while still president. While addressing a group of very wealthy men and women during a Republican fund raiser, that was being videotaped, he said, and I’m paraphrasing, it’s good to be with my real constituents.
Mitt Romney also spoke frankly while addressing his wealthy constituents while running for the presidency in 2012. Not realizing his address to his constituents was being videotaped, Romney stated that as much as 47% of the American people are freeloaders who pay no taxes and are dependent on the government for support.
Referring to Obama supporters, Romney said: ‘All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. My job is not to worry about those people—I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.’
Donald Trump made clear in the 2016 election that he had no use for Mexican immigrants, all Muslims, women, gays and lesbians, or the disabled. His appeal was and is to the white males, to whom he promised to make America great again . . . which probably means ensuring, once again, the continuance of white domination and privilege.
The Republicans are openly and proudly pro capitalists, imperialists, and militarists. The fact that there is a growing income and wealth gap between the elite and the workers in this country is of no concern to them. They do not pretend that they are who they aren’t.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are more subtle. They have convinced the working men and women that they are the party of the people. Yet, from 2009 to 2011, when the Democrats controlled the House and the Senate while Obama, a Democratic president, was in charge of the White House, life for the working class got worse and life for the ruling class was never better. The Democrats bailed out the corporations who created the economic disaster and passively watched the banksters foreclose, in record numbers, the number of homes of people who had been duped and could no longer meet their mortgage obligations.
Many who had worked their whole lives and were now retired and living off their pensions saw their pensions reduced or lost because of the financial crisis facing this country.
Yet, none of the financial criminals went to jail despite their crimes of fraud and misrepresentation.
Despite the fact that the Democrats claim to be of the people, they are also pro capitalist, imperialist, and militarist. The difference with the Republicans is that the Democrats are more subtle and represent a kinder, gentler capitalism.
The fact that the nature of capitalism is to exploit, as often as possible and for as long as possible, those who provide the labor, making it kinder and gentler is like putting a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage . . . it slows down the bleeding but can never stop it.
One cannot be pro capitalist and pro worker at the same time. Bernie Sanders ran for the Democratic nomination for president despite being a so-called Independent. The reality was that he caucused with the Democrats and for all intents and purposes, he was a Democrat.
Although Sanders had some good, progressive domestic ideas, he never challenged the essence of capitalism and his agenda would serve to provide nothing more than temporary relief to workers and the poor. He never confronted the US imperialistic and militaristic agenda.
Bernie was referred to as a socialist. But, a true socialist would confront the nature of capitalism and how it places production and distribution of goods and services into the hands of a few who derive great profits and benefits while the masses struggle to survive. The capitalist is an adversary of the worker and the struggle will not stop until capitalism and imperialism are defeated.
One need only look at the history of the US to see moments of progress for people slowly eroded over time and fights that were had in the 1930s and 40s and 50s (affordable housing, minimum, livable wages, health care, quality public education, etc.) come to the surface over and over again.
When Obama took office in 2009, he immediately turned his attention to the healthcare system and the tens of millions of Americans who suffered because they could not afford health insurance. Over 72% of the American people, including a very large number of healthcare providers, wanted a single payer option available for people who could not afford the premiums of private insurance companies or who were denied insurance because they were already suffering from chronic illnesses (pre-existing illnesses). Our Democratic president immediately withdrew the single payer option (an option that would have helped workers and the poor) from consideration.
While Bill Clinton, a Democrat, was in office, he helped implement NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, an agreement that was instrumental in helping thousands of jobs leave this country to go to countries that offered low wages to its workers. In other words, US workers were being placed in competition with workers from countries that paid significantly lower wages. Corporations, feeling no allegiance to US communities that relied on them for jobs, left for greener pastures elsewhere.
In 1996, Clinton was instrumental in changing the safety net (welfare) for people in need. This was reform of the welfare system. Clinton instituted TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, replacing AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). In this legislation, Clinton added work requirements for those receiving financial aid and ending welfare as an entitlement program. Recipients were required to begin working no later than 2 years after receiving financial aid and placing a limit of no more than 5 years for anyone to receive benefits paid by federal funds.
That means that a single mother must begin working within 2 years of receiving benefits despite the fact that she alone must care for a child. So much for “family values.”
Now we have Barack Obama, a Democrat, who not only refused to bring criminal charges against those banksters who committed fraud against the public and almost crashed the economy, but who also strongly supports TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership), another agreement that has the potential to send thousands more jobs to other countries. The only people to benefit from these agreements are the corporate elite.
Hillary Clinton, a Democratic candidate for the presidency has a love relationship with Wall Street, having given speeches to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms for over $200,000 per speech. She has refused to make the content of these presentations public. What do you think she said that she doesn’t want publicized?
Someone recently said, while Hillary Clinton was running against Donald Trump, “Donald will smack you in the face, but Hillary will stab you in the back.”
That, ladies and gentlemen, may sum up the real difference between the Democrats and the Republicans.
Dave Alpert has masters degrees in social work, educational administration, and psychology. He spent his career working with troubled inner city adolescents.
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Some thoughts on the two major political parties
Posted on December 20, 2016 by Dave Alpert
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party?
Growing up, being uninformed and naive, I often wondered, if the Democrats are the party of working people and the Republicans are the party of the rich, since there are more of us, how do Republicans win elections?
But, now, being older and wiser, I realize that both parties belong to the very same rich ruling class. The difference is the Republicans tell working people very clearly, go screw yourselves, we are not interested in what you want or what you need . . . you are not part of our constituency.
George W. Bush made this clear several years ago while still president. While addressing a group of very wealthy men and women during a Republican fund raiser, that was being videotaped, he said, and I’m paraphrasing, it’s good to be with my real constituents.
Mitt Romney also spoke frankly while addressing his wealthy constituents while running for the presidency in 2012. Not realizing his address to his constituents was being videotaped, Romney stated that as much as 47% of the American people are freeloaders who pay no taxes and are dependent on the government for support.
Referring to Obama supporters, Romney said: ‘All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. My job is not to worry about those people—I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.’
Donald Trump made clear in the 2016 election that he had no use for Mexican immigrants, all Muslims, women, gays and lesbians, or the disabled. His appeal was and is to the white males, to whom he promised to make America great again . . . which probably means ensuring, once again, the continuance of white domination and privilege.
The Republicans are openly and proudly pro capitalists, imperialists, and militarists. The fact that there is a growing income and wealth gap between the elite and the workers in this country is of no concern to them. They do not pretend that they are who they aren’t.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are more subtle. They have convinced the working men and women that they are the party of the people. Yet, from 2009 to 2011, when the Democrats controlled the House and the Senate while Obama, a Democratic president, was in charge of the White House, life for the working class got worse and life for the ruling class was never better. The Democrats bailed out the corporations who created the economic disaster and passively watched the banksters foreclose, in record numbers, the number of homes of people who had been duped and could no longer meet their mortgage obligations.
Many who had worked their whole lives and were now retired and living off their pensions saw their pensions reduced or lost because of the financial crisis facing this country.
Yet, none of the financial criminals went to jail despite their crimes of fraud and misrepresentation.
Despite the fact that the Democrats claim to be of the people, they are also pro capitalist, imperialist, and militarist. The difference with the Republicans is that the Democrats are more subtle and represent a kinder, gentler capitalism.
The fact that the nature of capitalism is to exploit, as often as possible and for as long as possible, those who provide the labor, making it kinder and gentler is like putting a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage . . . it slows down the bleeding but can never stop it.
One cannot be pro capitalist and pro worker at the same time. Bernie Sanders ran for the Democratic nomination for president despite being a so-called Independent. The reality was that he caucused with the Democrats and for all intents and purposes, he was a Democrat.
Although Sanders had some good, progressive domestic ideas, he never challenged the essence of capitalism and his agenda would serve to provide nothing more than temporary relief to workers and the poor. He never confronted the US imperialistic and militaristic agenda.
Bernie was referred to as a socialist. But, a true socialist would confront the nature of capitalism and how it places production and distribution of goods and services into the hands of a few who derive great profits and benefits while the masses struggle to survive. The capitalist is an adversary of the worker and the struggle will not stop until capitalism and imperialism are defeated.
One need only look at the history of the US to see moments of progress for people slowly eroded over time and fights that were had in the 1930s and 40s and 50s (affordable housing, minimum, livable wages, health care, quality public education, etc.) come to the surface over and over again.
When Obama took office in 2009, he immediately turned his attention to the healthcare system and the tens of millions of Americans who suffered because they could not afford health insurance. Over 72% of the American people, including a very large number of healthcare providers, wanted a single payer option available for people who could not afford the premiums of private insurance companies or who were denied insurance because they were already suffering from chronic illnesses (pre-existing illnesses). Our Democratic president immediately withdrew the single payer option (an option that would have helped workers and the poor) from consideration.
While Bill Clinton, a Democrat, was in office, he helped implement NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, an agreement that was instrumental in helping thousands of jobs leave this country to go to countries that offered low wages to its workers. In other words, US workers were being placed in competition with workers from countries that paid significantly lower wages. Corporations, feeling no allegiance to US communities that relied on them for jobs, left for greener pastures elsewhere.
In 1996, Clinton was instrumental in changing the safety net (welfare) for people in need. This was reform of the welfare system. Clinton instituted TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, replacing AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). In this legislation, Clinton added work requirements for those receiving financial aid and ending welfare as an entitlement program. Recipients were required to begin working no later than 2 years after receiving financial aid and placing a limit of no more than 5 years for anyone to receive benefits paid by federal funds.
That means that a single mother must begin working within 2 years of receiving benefits despite the fact that she alone must care for a child. So much for “family values.”
Now we have Barack Obama, a Democrat, who not only refused to bring criminal charges against those banksters who committed fraud against the public and almost crashed the economy, but who also strongly supports TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership), another agreement that has the potential to send thousands more jobs to other countries. The only people to benefit from these agreements are the corporate elite.
Hillary Clinton, a Democratic candidate for the presidency has a love relationship with Wall Street, having given speeches to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms for over $200,000 per speech. She has refused to make the content of these presentations public. What do you think she said that she doesn’t want publicized?
Someone recently said, while Hillary Clinton was running against Donald Trump, “Donald will smack you in the face, but Hillary will stab you in the back.”
That, ladies and gentlemen, may sum up the real difference between the Democrats and the Republicans.
Dave Alpert has masters degrees in social work, educational administration, and psychology. He spent his career working with troubled inner city adolescents.