A Progressive Third Party

[Edward theurj Berge]

With the realization that Sanders will probably not win the Democratic Party nomination, and that said establishment Party is corrupt beyond repair, there has been a spate of internet articles on what to do with the Sanders campaign machine. One option I hear frequently is to take all that momentum and organization and form a progressive third party, one that challenges both the establishment Democratic and Republican Parties. We've come to realize that the Democratic Party is too far gone to the dark side of corporate cronyism never to return to its own progressive roots. In the posts that follow I'll provide my jeremiad on this.

[Edward theurj Berge]

After watching some of the GOP convention, and reading ever more about it, Trump and the GOP must be defeated in the next election. Watching some of Trump's and the others' speeches I could swear we went back in time to Nazi Germany. I know the regressives say it's politically incorrect (PC) to play the Nazi card, but in this case reality and accuracy trump (so to speak) so-called PC. So-called, by the way, because Trump and the GOP continue to conflate progressives calling them racist xenophobe demagogues as PC when in fact they are indeed racist xenophobe demagogues. Of course, since they gave up on facts they can no longer tell the difference, and explaining it away as PC is just more red meat in their Nazi--there, I said it--delusional plan for another fascist takeover.

Now I'm still all for a progressive third party movement, and will continue to work toward that end. But in this election I'll have to vote for, and encourage others to vote for, corporate Shillary. Yes, she is a lousy candidate in terms of progressive reform, but when faced with the reality of the next Nazi Reich, and I do think that's accurate, the Big Shill is no where near that bad. Unfortunate we have to once again choose between the lesser of two evils, but the far greater evil will no doubt do irreparable damage to the US for decades to come. As but one example, think the Supreme Court. As another, think of going back to no government subsidies for healthcare, or cutting the already meager social security. Looking at the GOP platform that is just the very beginning. Again, it is no exaggeration to assert that millions of people will literally die because of Trump and the GOP agenda.

[Edward theurj Berge]

I also posted this on the FB IPS forum. In the following response I am in complete agreement about Shillary. But it is just a spoiled brat's way of saying "fuck it, I don't care how it hurts millions of people because I am mad." Joseph's response, quoting another:

"If I get another admonishing finger wagged in my face - just one - along the lines of "What, you want a President Trump," there will be asses kicked sideways in all directions. I've had it.

I WARNED YOU about what a vulnerable bad-idea candidate Clinton is. But no, she's the fucking Anointed One, the only one that can win until she fucking loses. By all rights, she should be 25 points ahead of Trump across the board, but she's not, because she's a fucking terrible candidate and you know it. She's got more baggage than Samsonite.

So I'm supposed to take a blade to my own conscience and vomit up a vote for her because of your bad decision-making? Fucking hell with that. You bought it, you ride it, all the way to the end. A god damned ham sandwich could beat Trump in a general election. You went and picked the one human who could actually blow it, and now that's on me?

Fuck and that. I will vote my conscience in November - and yeah, if it's close, that will factor in - but if I get another half-assed "Yeah but" lecture, you're gonna get banhammered so fast you'll be gone before you know you had an accident. She's your candidate. Live with the fucking pain.

If she can't beat FUCKING DONALD TRUMP, she has no business in the race to begin with. I'm not here to haul your water or paper over your mistakes. You had other options, and you fucked it up. Don't put that on me."

Joseph:  My sentiments are with Cornell West. He's my kind of "mad man." I will vote my conscience and values, not the "lesser evil" argument that continues to reproduce the same unsustainable neoliberal policies.

Me: While I admire the principle I abhor the consequences of a Trump Presidency and complete GOP control of government. We're talking the literal deaths and untold suffering of millions in the populace. I'm not willing to contribute to that for the sake of purity of principle.

Meanwhile, I will continue to promote a progressive third party so that eventually we won't have to choose between another Clinton or another Hitler. I'm in it for the long game on principle.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Hartmann on a Trump Presidency below. Who gets hurt by this? Not us well-off, white progressives, except for our privileged pride. Is our pride worth the damage to come for so many others? And to the environment from climate change deniers? If you think the Big Shill will be that bad than your privileged ideology is blinding you.

[Edward theurj Berge]

From Robert Reich's FB post  (below) on Trump's acceptance speech. He compares it to the communist witch hunts of the 50s but won't go back to Hitler in the 30s. Too bad he's accepted the regressive framing that to compare Trump to Hitler is PC. I saw Hitler revived in Trump's speech, and to hell with being called PC by a fascist Party.

"It was the most negative, fear-mongering acceptance speech in presidential history – completely devoid of uplifting vision or inspiration. Trump’s America is endangered by violent enemies within and without, and the entire rationale for his election is to keep the nation safe from them.
Not since the communist witch hunts of the 1950s or the urban riots of the 1960s have America’s fears been stoked like this. Trump is demagogically turning the economic and racial anxieties of the white working and lower middle class into a monstrous paranoia. He has a chance of succeeding if Hillary and the Democrats don’t counter next week with a powerful and credible message of hope."

[Edward theurj Berge]

Hartmann on the election inflection point below. It is a BFDeal that he compares to the 1932 elections. The US and Germany were the hardest hit by the depression. The US went to way of FDR's social democracy, while Germany went the way of fascist Hitler. We are at the same inflection point. Granted Clinton is no FDR social democrat and Sanders would have been far better. But unlike Hartmann being unwilling to say that Trump is another Hitler, I will say it. These are the stakes.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Bill Moyers on Trump's coronation here. It was all doom and gloom that only Trump could save us from: "I alone can fix this." Blatant dog whistles were sounded to rile "the angry, resentful, disaffected white American" against all manner of invaders, including the evil Democrats with their human rights and all that commie shit.We should be afraid all right America. But not from Trump's imagined enemies but by Trump and the GOP.

[Edward theurj Berge]

Olbermann gives Trump the psychopathology test.

[DavidM58]

Hillary Clinton may lead us on the slow road to hell, and we may be like the frog boiling to death in water without a clue...but Trump, on the other hand, could spark the fast crash.  At least on the slow road there is some chance of course correction. I appreciate Thom Hartman's reflections above.

[Ambo Suno]

Hi David - I enjoy reading this brief biographical framing of Hillary Rodham Clinton that rings 'realistic' to me. There feels to be some heart and psyche and temperament and personality and real inner life conundrum, conflict and ambivalence. I like that there is some complexity in the rendering.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/wp/2016/07/22/2016/07/22/...

DavidM58 said:

Hillary Clinton may lead us on the slow road to hell, and we may be like the frog boiling to death in water without a clue...but Trump, on the other hand, could spark the fast crash.  At least on the slow road there is some chance of course correction. I appreciate Thom Hartman's reflections above.

[DavidM58]

Thanks Ambo for the link.

[Edward theurj Berge]

The new movie Clinton Cash was just released.

[Ambo Suno]

I think Tim Kaine knocked his introductory speech in Miami out of the park. I think Hillary made an excellent choice for VP.

This YouTube video of yesterday's speech starts with music and crowd-watching. Skip ahead to about 45 min. Clinton talks for 5-15 minutes and then hands it over to Kaine who does a very good job of presenting himself, the challenges for them and the country, and he doesn't spare the legitimate, I think, critique of The Donald.

https://youtu.be/O_TrqJOmCNY

Maybe someone has a link to a trimmed down version of his whole speech.