New Blood, New Visions, and a New Political Party.

"Working class people, especially progressives, must come to understand that our interests are not being served by hitching our political wagons to either the Democratic or the Republican Party. The Republicrats represent a capitalist system that has given rise to class division, the unequal distribution of wealth, private ownership, and a system of wage slavery that does not serve democracy, but plutocracy. It condemns workers to being the property of their employers. Capitalism is the opposite of Democracy. We are only deceiving ourselves—falling into an old trap—by casting our votes in a system that not only excludes the majority of us, but also treats us with utter contempt."

This writer rambles on about the same things I have, about the need for a new political party. I don't see why he says "especially progressives" though, since the problems affect us all, and it would take us all to make any meaningful changes. He also advocates dumping the entire current system, while I'm not sure that's necessary. I believe we can successfully make due with the system we have, but major changes need to be made that only a loud vocal majority can achieve. Unless the majority takes a stand, only a small special interest will be heard making noise that will be ignored be the powers that be. So I don't see why "especially progressives", since that seems to be saying that they, more than non-progressives, need to be made aware there's a problem. I would think it was the reverse. It's those that have been going along with the flow, not rocking the boat, and just accepting that those in charge are doing what's best for us, that need to be enlightened.

One of the biggest problems he doesn't address is information. Without the truth being spread in a way that the average person will understand what's going on, and get mad enough to want change, nothing will happen. The information problem is the media. With most media being owned by an ever shrinking number of billionares and corporations, who support the status quo, they will use their powers of persuasion to lull the people into thinking that everything's ok, and that "those radicals" are against the "American way of life", and want to subvert Democracy. Or more likely, just ignore any desenting opinions. This isn't the 60s when there was a seemingly infinite number of independent news outlets, they've all been acquired by a small number of mega corporations that are among those that have subverted the current system by buying candidates.

He also doesn't address the problem of why it became subverted in the first place; greed. Not the greed of those with the money, but the greed of those that are supposed to be representing us. Regardless of what system is put in place of this one, you're going to have those in government who are going to be corrupted by big money. I don't have the answers either, but unless the financial profit is removed from those in office, no form of government would be any less susceptible then this current one.

One hint as to the authors' solution is at the begining where he mentions "private ownership" as one of the problems of this capitalist system. This seems to suggest that he would like to see an end to it. I definately disagree. I don't see how you prevent the corrupting influence of big business by eliminating private ownership, while allowing people to create small businessnes for themselves, that can grow and benefit society. Maybe that's why he says "especially progressives". Maybe he thinks that everything should be owned by the State. If that's the case, then the people will have no more say regarding the course of their lives than the average Soviet citizen had. Let's not go there.

The original ideals of this country were right, but we must remove the corruption. If we can't cleanse this system, we can't prevent it from infecting any others we may create in it's place. So let's save this one.