Democrat Spinelessness

[kerryhall]

I have heard before that the apparent spinelessness of the Democratic party is just an act.

This seems pretty close to conspiracy theory to me, but it makes sense in the context of both Democrats and Republicans being capitalist parties. Can anyone shed some light on this? It would be helpful to analyze more. I'm sick of talking to Democrats who are stringing themselves along as they hope to one day find someone with a spine. I think it would probably enrage them somewhat if they were to learn it was just an act, lol, but of course my goal is to get them to abandon their capitalist party and focus on direct action.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

The Democrats are a party of the bourgeoisie as much as the Republicans are. They're not pretending to be spineless, they just know what their role is at this historical junction. The people who perceive them as acting spineless are liberals and progressives, not class struggle revolutionaries who know what class the Democrats represent.

[kerryhall]

Oh we already know what class they are representing of course, but our thoughts are irrelevant because we are already communists.

We have to win them over, so what is the best way to do that, if they keep saying "No, we just need to elect a Democrat with a spine!"

[Revolution starts with U]

They can't have a spine or they will get no support from the monied establishment.

Material circumstance tends to explain things far better than conspiracy theories ever could...even true conspiracies.

[piet11111]

We all know for whom they govern but they try to do so with a nice face always blaming outside factors for why they have to put on the thumbscrews.
But hey its temporary once the economy gets going we all get our pound of flesh right :laugh:

[kerryhall]

... but they try to do so with a nice face always blaming outside factors for why they have to put on the thumbscrews.


That's a good way to put it. So it pretty much is just an act.

Any more comments on this subject? I think a leaflet about this with the target audience being Democrats would be most useful to have. I think it would be quite eye opening for them, and probably make a lot of them angry.

[Jimmie Higgins]

We have to win them over, so what is the best way to do that, if they keep saying "No, we just need to elect a Democrat with a spine!"People have this view because in the absence of movements and other alternatives, the Democrats are free to talk left when they need to without actually doing anything about it. That causes the perception that they are spineless, but the reality is that the talking-left is just to get popular support and they are not spineless at all, they just have no intention on doing anything to help us if they can help it.

Well for one thing you can point out that they do have a spine and act quickly and decisively in the interests of business and war. Obama went to the mat and pushed hard for the bank bailouts (mostly in trying to convince Democratic supporters of the necessity of it). The Democratic Congress acted quickly for the banks too and also in giving money to the pentagon - it's only when their base demands them to protect social reforms and programs that they, at best, complain that it is "complicated" and that we have to be patient.

It's actually pretty easy to go through each issue right now and show how the Democrats, at best, give lip service to the needs of working people while fully backing the rule of the rich. It will be harder if they begin to more decisively try and get ahead of popular anger and begin passing some reforms in hopes of quieting discontent and keeping it within the bounds of the two-parties. Wisconsin might be an example of that because - in a self-serving way - Democrats did act (by running away) to help people defend union rights. So I think the best strategy is to maybe focus on the system and how it can not solve its economic problems without destroying our lives - if you can make inroads in that argument, then it is easier to show that the Democrats even at their most progressive are trying to preserve a fucked-up and unworkable system.

[brigadista]

they are there to do the work of their corporate masters...just saying:)

[kerryhall]

Is there a good leaflet that discusses this very topic?

[kerryhall]

Still looking for help on this. Even just a leaflet that discusses how the democrats are a capitalist party would be great. It comes up a lot, and I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here.

[kahimikarie]

We have to win them over, so what is the best way to do that, if they keep saying "No, we just need to elect a Democrat with a spine!"

I wonder this too. I used to read Daily Kos a lot, and it seemed to be a never ending cycle of fundraising for "tough"/"progressive" Democrats, then getting angry when they side with the GOP so fundraising to replace them with another "tough"/"progressive" Democrat and the whole cycle began again. And then occasionally you will have a Democrat who goes against corporate/war etc interests at times like Kucinich (not that I'm any fan of his) and a lot of them will talk about how he's crazy and alienating the Democrats from mainstream voters...

You could try "The Democrats: A Critical History" by Lance Selfa btw

[NewLeft]

I wonder this too. I used to read Daily Kos a lot, and it seemed to be a never ending cycle of fundraising for "tough"/"progressive" Democrats, then getting angry when they side with the GOP so fundraising to replace them with another "tough"/"progressive" Democrat and the whole cycle began again. And then occasionally you will have a Democrat who goes against corporate/war etc interests at times like Kucinich (not that I'm any fan of his) and a lot of them will talk about how he's crazy and alienating the Democrats from mainstream voters...

You could try "The Democrats: A Critical History" by Lance Selfa btw

But don't get me wrong, I would prefer Kucinich over any GOP. He represents a part of the capitalist class that could care less about the wars.

[thriller]

It depends who you talk to and where you are. In my neck of the woods, the Democrats are viewed as tough people fighting for the working class (obviously, they are not). This is only because they have tried to push back Scott Walker's agenda. Yet people gloss over the fact that his opponent last year, Tom Barrett, Democrat, was for ending collective bargaining rights as well. For me, when talking to a democrat, it's best to point out that when they do have a 'spine' it's usually to pass a measure that hurts the masses, rather than helps.