📊 Political Paradigm
This graph plots five 2020 presidential candidates according to their statements, actions, and policies (and policy proposals) considering history and the rest of the world.
There is a wide range, from the least hierarchical (most collectivist), anti-authoritarian society to the most extreme hierarchical (intolerant) authoritarian regime. Where do we find ourselves in this paradigm, and whose policies should win out? It seems pretty obvious. We all know corruption exists, and that the news media is not always perfectly straightforward and 100% honest, but most of us still feel that we have a general understanding of the big picture. Whether you read The New York Times, Washington Post, watch CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, or consume no news at all, you probably feel you have a general sense of how the world works. Unfortunately, most of us are wrong in our assessment of important details. We all know we are being lied to, but if we are wrong about who is lying and what those lies are, we will act against our own interests. For many, this graph seems to put the center in the upper right. Obviously, the Overton Window is placed on the graph where the corporate media tries to pass off as the center. ...now, somewhere between corporatism and fascism. Ever since Reagan, we've been sold the idea that a corporatist is a moderate.
This graph, which plots five 2020 presidential candidates according to their statements, actions, record, and policy proposals, may seem off to some. If your idea of the center, fits within the confines of the Overton Window, you may want to reexamine some basic facts.
The candidates who are the least authoritarian and the farthest to the left, Bernie and Warren, are placed near the center (of the graph, outside the Overton Window) for a reason. Warren is in the upper right quadrant because she leans more toward capitalism than social democracy. She voted (in 2017 & 2018) to increase military spending. She’s a capitalist, and she calls herself a capitalist. Even though, her record is problematic, she’s a great candidate by comparison. If we had no better option, it would make perfect sense to put our full support in her candidacy. But of course, Bernie is running. In Europe, he would be on the right, which is one reason why he’s placed near the center of the graph. Another reason, is that (even though he’s the most anti-authoritarian leftist in the race) he’s still to the right on the economy of both the Democrats and Republicans of the New Deal Era. During the 1950’s & ’60’s we taxed the rich over 90% on the top marginal tax bracket. Even Eisenhower, a Republican, taxed the rich over 90%. But, when AOC said 70% is moderate, the corporate media went nuts. This is how far to the right we have gone, and the inequality is destroying us. When we had a good economy, during The Golden Age of Capitalism (1945-1975), we taxed the rich more than anyone today has suggested, which is why Bernie is placed near mixed economies and Keynesianism on this graph. Bernie is a great candidate, the best we’ve seen so far, but he is a centrist if you can see the big picture. He is not extreme. The so called “crazy” leftists today, are simply people who are not right-wing. We just want to give everyone health care, like every other first world country, and tax the rich, like we did when we had a good economy. …and we want to deal with climate change, you know, so we don’t all die. The far left in today’s political paradigm, are actually the only people who are not crazy. In a world where extreme inequality and endless war are the norm, peace and equality are crazy ideas.
Science tells us we have about 10 years to reduce our emissions before climate change catastrophes become uncontrollable. This means we really have about ten months. We cannot afford to be delusional. We know that a corporate democrat will put the concerns of his donor base over the interests of humanity. If you’ve been paying any attention to politics at all, you know this to be true. The failure of corporate interests to lift up humanity, couldn’t be more stark. Socialism polls better than capitalism in America today. This is a new era, and a gaffe machine with vague platitudes won’t cut it. We need someone with broad base support across all districts. We don’t need someone who will fight for the big banks, weapons manufacturers, or the fossil fuel industry. We need someone who will fight for humanity.
Remember, 40% of the electorate are independents, who cannot vote in the democratic primary. Polling continues to show that they will come out to vote for Bernie in the general. They understand that Bernie is for the working class. Sanders has the most popular and aggressive policy proposals, the most individual donors, and the most enthusiastic energized base, with over a million volunteers. Bernie polls to beat Trump by double digits in the general, has the policies to fix what’s broken, and is the only candidate with the grassroots movement needed to push these policy proposals through. In 2016, they called him crazy. Now, they’re imitating him. Corporate centrists still try to dismiss him, as they follow those who are following him. He’s not only the leader of a movement, he’s the leader of the other candidates, as they strive to sound more progressive, more like him. So, it’s time we take a step back to examine the big picture, to support a real progressive, and, for once, elect a winning candidate.
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The #BlueWaveIsHere because the #ProgressiveWaveIsHere. The winning #BlueWave strategy is the #ProgressiveWave.
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Post by: Kurt Riebel: artist, activist
#ResistTheCorporatists @uResist
THE PROGRESSIVE WAVE IS HERE !
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1 comment:
I wrote this in August 2019. I no longer think of Warren as a good candidate. She's doing incredible harm to the movement. It's very, very sad, to see someone with so much potential, sink so low.
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