Reality Check: The Democrats are the Real Problem

Obama’s candidacy is over; kaput. He’s already stated that he has no intention of stopping the war, so he has disqualified himself. That’s his prerogative; no one put a gun to his head. His op-ed in Monday’s New York Times just removes any lingering doubt about the matter. What Obama proposes is moving the central theater of operation from Iraq to Afghanistan. Big deal. Why is it more acceptable to kill a man who is fighting for his country in Afghanistan than in Iraq?

It’s not; which is why Obama must be defeated and the equivocating Democratic Party must be jettisoned altogether. The Democrats are a party of blood just like the Republicans, they’re just more discreet about it. That’s why people who are serious about ending the war have to support candidates outside the two-party charade. The Democrat/Republican duopoly will not deliver the goods; it’s as simple as that. The point is to stop the killing, not to provide blind support for smooth-talking politicos who try to mask their real intentions. Obama made his choice, now he can suffer the consequences.

Nancy Pelosi is a perfect example of what the Democrats are all about. Just look at the way she brushed aside the people who got her elected. They mean nothing to her. In a matter of months, the “San Francisco liberal” has achieved what former-Speaker of the House Hastert could only dream of; she’s driven the Congress’ public approval ratings into single digits for the first time in history making her the worst speaker of all time. She rubber-stamped the FISA bill, concealed what she knew about the CIA’s global torture programs, and vowed to stop any public effort to hold the administration accountable for its war crimes. (No impeachment) She has betrayed her most ardent supporters and single-handedly transformed an already-emasculated congress into a purely ceremonial body incapable of doing the people’s work.

At least Bush never betrayed any of his supporters. Never. Pelosi is worse than Bush, much worse.

And yet, liberals still insist that we should vote the Democratic ticket. In your dreams!

What leftist or progressive is not totally fed-up with the Democrats cagey “bait-and-switch” hypocrisy? Voting the Democratic ticket is not a sign of “hope”, it’s a sign of being a schmuck. The Democrats have done nothing to stop the war and will do nothing to stop the war. The Obama candidacy is merely a way to replace one group of genocidal maniacs with another. Who needs a charismatic, flannel-mouth glamour boy to lead us into battle when a senile fogy with “anger management” issues will do just fine.

Voters of conscience should reject that choice altogether. Just as they should reject the “lesser of two evils” theory which does not apply when ordinance is being dumped daily on innocent civilians. It has to stop.

Obama is not an antiwar candidate that is merely a fiction maintained by his public relations team. In fact, he wants to beef up the military with 65,000 additional ground forces and 27,000 more marines. He’s also stated that he will add “two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan” and encourage NATO to make “greater contributions — with fewer restrictions.” In his op-ed he boasted, “As president, I will make the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban the top priority that it should be. This is a war that we have to win.”

He also added this ominous warning:

“The greatest threat to that security lies in the tribal regions of Pakistan, where terrorists train and insurgents strike into Afghanistan. We cannot tolerate a terrorist sanctuary, and as president, I won’t. We need a stronger and sustained partnership between Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO to secure the border, to take out terrorist camps and to crack down on cross-border insurgents. We need more troops, more helicopters, more satellites, more Predator drones in the Afghan border region. And we must make it clear that if Pakistan cannot or will not act, we will take out high-level terrorist targets like bin Laden if we have them in our sights.”

Obama supporters should take their candidate at his word. What he is proposing is a dramatic escalation and expansion of the war into another sovereign country. How is this consistent with the demands of his base or the millions of Americans who believe that Obama represents real change.

It’s time for a reality check; the Democrats are the real problem not the Republicans. If the path to peace requires crushing the Democratic Party and its blood-thirsty candidates, so be it. The main thing is to stop the killing. If Obama won’t do it, we’ll find someone who will.

Mike Whitney lives in Washington state. He can be reached at: fergiewhitney@msn.com. Read other articles by Mike.

26 comments on this article so far ...

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  1. Donald Hawkins said on July 23rd, 2008 at 10:12am #

    It’s time for a reality check. Today on the Weather Channel the words at the bottom of the TV are The Weather Channel your hurricane authority. Today on CNBC you had the Obama man and the McCain man on the economy. The Obama man used the word unsustainable a few times and he did get that part right. I am starting to understand how this is playing out with climate change at least with policy makers and business people. It’s the bigger than me thing. The Earth is the authority and in the coming years show that authority more and more. The Weather Channel doesn’t have to worry about what to report on in the coming years they will have there hands full. The Obama man today when he said unsustainable about energy or for that matter the World economy was right on. It’s that unsustainable part that many want to hide from. The course we are all on Worldwide and the we part is humans as the Earth will be just fine is unsustainable. It to most people is no great mystery and is very easy to see. To solve the energy problem is only one part of a new way of thinking about ourselves and the Planet. The course we are on is unsustainable. The course we are on is unsustainable.

  2. Deadbeat said on July 23rd, 2008 at 10:27am #

    And what does the Left offer as an alternative? NOTHING!

    The fact is the Left has been active in retarding solidarity and the best example of that is the moribund anti-war movement. In 2003 the Left deliberately diffused the movement in order not to confront Zionism as it is constructed and practiced within the United States. It is unfortunate with all the in depth analysis coming from Mike Whitney that he misses this obvious problem and continues the practice of “blaming the Democrats”.

    Fuck the Democrats! We already know who they kowtow to. But what about the Left who seems to adhere to similar forces. The Left is playing a false role that has diverted energies into the Democrats. This was evident in 2004 and it was the Left that weaken itself. It was the Left that created for void now being filled by Obama and the Democrats. Thus now in 2008 the Left is virtually irrelevant.

    Until writers and analysts like Mike Whitney start to hone in on the Left, like Dr. Petras has, the continuous harping about the Democrats will only deepen the irrelevancy of the Left. The Left MUST provide a REAL alternative and that starts with the Left adhering to PRINCIPLES.

    When the Left begins to adhere to principles people will start to gravitate in a “leftist” direction because it embolden TRUST. Only with TRUST can you have SOLIDARITY and only with solidarity can you then derive real change.

  3. Eric Patton said on July 23rd, 2008 at 11:05am #

    Deadbeat writes:
    > And what does the Left offer as an alternative? NOTHING!

    Incorrect. There is participatory economics.

  4. rosemarie jackowski said on July 23rd, 2008 at 11:45am #

    The main difference between the Democrats and Republicans is that the Democrats are better at hiding the dead bodies. Look at how many STILL think the dems are opposed to the war.
    VOTE NADER.

  5. joe73072 said on July 23rd, 2008 at 12:01pm #

    gee Mike, how much is McCain paying you?
    will you get to name the next 3 SCOTUS justices?

  6. bozhidar balkas said on July 23rd, 2008 at 12:03pm #

    eh, that funni uncle had/has two sons: a good one and a bad one.
    the sons quarrell all the time but only ab issues that he allows them to talk/argue about.
    when serious issues arose, dad decided. dad had waged only ab 170 wars/skirmishes.
    he put his sons in charge of all those wars.
    that’s how it goes in a monopoly. some people speak of duopoly. but that is mere namecalling. so is “monopoly“
    namecalling explains nothing.
    precisely why nearly everybody uses it; uses it not explain anything.
    thank u

  7. Glis said on July 23rd, 2008 at 12:52pm #

    Say what you want about the dems, but you can’t deny that things were good with Clinton and bad with the Bush clan. That could be because of party or individual though…

    Either way…

    It shouldn’t be rep vs dem, it should be lower class vs upper class. You have nothing to gain by supporting either party. Both parties are run by the ‘haves’ and they’ve tricked all us ‘havenots’ into fighting each other and picking one of their two parties. The rich have found ways to divide and conquer flawlessly, be it homeland, color, religion, values, diet, weight… they are all mechanisms to have us fight each other while they plunder the country. The genius of the system is that they don’t only make us fight each other, they also give us a unified cause that supports their agendas. The only difference between the two parties is the mascott, and we cheer like idiots at a football game for our favorite team.

    Does any working class democrat seriously think they have more in common with Obama than they do with their republican co-workers, or those co-workers to McCain than their democrat friends?

  8. Elihu said on July 23rd, 2008 at 1:40pm #

    Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don’t write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don’t control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.

    One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices – 545 human beings out of the 300 million – are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason, they have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton- picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

    A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a SPEAKER, who stood up and criticized G.W. BUSH for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow Democrats, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto.

    REPLACE THE SCOUNDRELS It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts – of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist. If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in IRAQ, it’s because they want them in IRAQ.

    There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

    Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses – provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

    We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess.

  9. Maxwell Black said on July 23rd, 2008 at 3:32pm #

    Excellent article! Thank you for stating the obvious so eloquently. Seriously. Me and my monkey wrench are with ya buddy.

    Here is a joke I invented that’s almost funny: what’s the difference between the Democrats and Republicans? The Democrats might give you a reach around. Either way we’re F@#%ed! Teehee.

  10. Donald Hawkins said on July 23rd, 2008 at 4:42pm #

    Say all the energy being put into getting the economy’s going again and a miracle happens and it is off to the races again. I am almost sure it will be the shortest recovery on record, oil. That’s where the unsustainable part comes in and of course climate change that once past a certain point and human’s just get to watch and learn how to survive. Do policy makers know this or business people of course they do and yet keep moving forward on the same unsustainable path, why. Maybe most think someone else will solve the problem for them. In other words nobody is really in charge and the ones that could make a difference seem to enjoy head games and getting there face on TV. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing and this time it means nothing.

  11. Max Shields said on July 23rd, 2008 at 6:14pm #

    Sounds like we’ve got some Dem trolls injecting the truth with their silly talk.

    As far, DB, as what the Left has done, I suppose they’ve been busy bugging the hell out of you ’cause you can’t find enough topics to jump on an continue to make the same remarks; and then there’s the f*cking zionists you manage to wedge into your diatribes.

    Mike’s written an accurate if not obvious piece. It never hurts to keep the word out there that Obama is McCain. Fric and Frac doing their little dance. Now let’s see who should we bomb next? Fric wants to keep the good times rolling in Iraq, Frac wants to open a new front in Pakistan and their both fighting like little children over whose got the balls to use nukes on Iran and “protect” Israel.

    Vote Nader.

  12. Giorgio said on July 23rd, 2008 at 6:55pm #

    Oh, Dear Mr Mike Whitney, really, for God’s sake! and crying out loud!
    Is this just what you have say?

    “The main thing is to stop the killing. If Obama won’t do it; we’ll find someone who will.”

    And not a word about Ron Paul!?
    I’m completely baffled….
    ….and by the way, who is this someone you have under the Houdini hat? would you care to let us know?

  13. Giorgio said on July 23rd, 2008 at 7:20pm #

    Deadbeat! You’ve HIT the Nail on its Head, mate!

    “The Left MUST provide a REAL alternative and that starts with the Left adhering to PRINCIPLES.

    When the Left begins to adhere to principles people will start to gravitate in a “leftist” direction because it embolden TRUST. Only with TRUST can you have SOLIDARITY and only with solidarity can you then derive real change.”

    And Ron Paul is a man of PRINCIPLES and one we can TRUST!

    Forget the LABELS: Democrat, Republican, Leftist, Liberal, Progressive, whatever…these are just meaningless tags with no real substance….

  14. Sam said on July 23rd, 2008 at 7:49pm #

    So Mike tells the truth in his article about—what I call—the Dead Democratic Party—they are dead as far as working for “We The People” and the US Constitution—and “joe73072” attacks Mike for telling the truth. How typical.

    Notice that “joe73072” didn’t dispute a word of Mike’s article. Instead, “joe73072” just attacks the messenger (Mike) for saying it.

    That is so typical of Dem koolaid drinkers. They can’t bear to hear the truth about their pathetic, useless Bush-enabling party. They put D party-line above the US Constitution and the truth. That’s the same thing the Repugs do.

    Thank you for your article, Mike.

    At least “joe73072” didn’t call you a “Rove operative.” That’s what the Dem koolaid drinkers usually call me when I tell the truth about the Bush-enabling Dems.

    Nader/Gonzalez or Cynthia McKinney for anti-war, pro-US Constitution positive change

  15. Jeremy Wells said on July 23rd, 2008 at 9:28pm #

    There is a real existing alternative to Obama and the Democrats. This is undoubtedly the Greens Cynthia McCinney and Rosa Clemente. The Greens are organized and exist and have a worked out platform. They specifically oppose the wars (and not their expansion as Obama), sustainable economics, etc. They have 200 members elected to various government bodies already! A major accomplishment.

    There is nothing comparable to the Greens for this existential period between
    now and the November election. Internationally the Green parties have all capitulated to corporate capitalism (as the Democrats in this country). I have protest voted for third parties for years.

    THE GREENS ARE NOT A ‘LESSER EVIL’ CHOICE! THEY ARE A
    “GREATER GOOD” CHOICE THAT EXPRESSES FAR BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE MOST OF OUR VALUES OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND WORLD PEACE.

    Not Ralph Nader … running again as an individual. Raph should withdraw and
    give his support to the Greens.

    Not Ron Paul! A libertarian supporter of gangster capitalism. Run-amok capitalism, without regulation or control, with minimal or no taxation, are
    raping the economy of this country and the world.

    (I am a life-long socialist, fan of WSWS socialist perspectives, but registered to the Green Party over 10 years. The total collapse of the Democrats and Obama over the last 2 years has made support of the Green Party imperative. Despite all the
    flaws of the Greens….. get involved and help fix them!)

  16. Sam said on July 23rd, 2008 at 10:46pm #

    Jeremy,

    I agree with most of what you said, except for your comment about Ralph Nader.

    He and Matt Gonzalez (independent/nonpartisan candidates) have as much right to run for president as anyone else. I agree with them on the issues.

    I especially like Matt Gonzalez and supported him when he was President of our Board of Supervisors. I campaigned for him when he ran for mayor against Mayor Gavin Newsom here in San Francisco. Matt came very close to winning even though he was far out-spent. So I don’t at all think that Nader/Gonzalez should withdraw and give their support to anyone.

    Anyone who wants to vote for them should. I will either be voting for them or McKinney/Clemente, if there is an election in November.

  17. bozhidar balkas said on July 24th, 2008 at 6:00am #

    nader explicitly condemns isr’s treatment of pals. he also wd withdraw troops from iraq.
    he is for medicare like the one in canada.
    this is good enough for me. but i’m a canadian; i can’t vote.thank u

  18. Giorgio said on July 24th, 2008 at 6:12am #

    “Not Ron Paul! A libertarian supporter of gangster capitalism. Run-amok capitalism….”

    What an OBSCENE comment!

    Where the HELL did you get that notion from, JW?
    Enlighten me! and in the process take off the blinkers and let the Greens support Ron Paul!

    UNITED “WE THE PEOPLE” SHALL OVERCOME…

  19. Giorgio said on July 24th, 2008 at 6:33am #

    “Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes? ….”

    “We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess.”

    GEE WHIZ, Elihu, YOU SOUND LIKE A RON PAUL’S MOUTHPIECE !!!
    Aren’t you infringing on his copyrights?

  20. Donald Hawkins said on July 24th, 2008 at 6:57am #

    Unsustainable, that’s what you are.
    Unsustainable, though near or far.
    The path we are on is so unsustainable.
    We can hide but will do no good, so unsustainable.

    The oil is so unsustainable, that’s what you are.
    Unsustainable, though near or far.
    The answer is right before our eye’s.
    That’s why it’s so incredible.
    And yet so unsustainable.

    Drill, drill, drill, so unsustainable
    The answer is right before our eye’s.
    That’s why it’s so incredible.
    And yet so unsustainable.
    We can hide but will do no good, so unsustainable.

  21. Scott Fox said on July 24th, 2008 at 2:06pm #

    Both Democratic and Republican leadership are entirely corrupt traitors, and have been for, oh, about 50 years.

    Nader is controlled opposition funded by Rockefeller.

    That leaves us only one sensible choice: Ron Paul.

    …or maybe McKinney

  22. Giorgio said on July 24th, 2008 at 4:47pm #

    “That leaves us only one sensible choice: Ron Paul.”

    – who is controlled by NOBODY!

  23. JN said on July 24th, 2008 at 9:12pm #

    If you really want to change things, firstly, VOTE FOR McKINNEY. She is by far the best candidate.

    Secondly, & more importantly, ORGANISE! ACT! ESCALATE!
    Build a radical, committed mass-movement for Socialism/Democracy & to end the wars.

  24. Candance Krekler said on July 26th, 2008 at 8:43am #

    Politicians are what we the people have allowed them to become. For so long we have hid our eyes and asked no questions allowing them to do as they please, like spoiled children only when there actions have gone above and beyond do we look and now here we are. We need to clean house both houses should be cleaned and putting a limit on the time one can serve should be installed to prevent what we face now. It is so easy to blame the President for all our troubles but in reality we know the houses have the power and are no longer serving the people but are used for political gain.
    SO AMERICA IT IS TIME TO TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK.
    VOTE ON ISSUES, EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS TO THE PROPER PEOPLE (not just on blogs or with others
    Stand up and be counted!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  25. j. Barnett said on July 27th, 2008 at 6:33pm #

    We have a big mess to clean up in ower country and in WASHINGTON, to have all these people and no answers we have one hell of a problem, to well payed, and so out of reach, it’s funny how we hear change, however we still keep the old and wasted in congress, isn’t about time to face facts, we need a downsizing, cutting the fat, the waste, we need to start cutting pay, at a age get them out, the two parties really is like the kettle calling the other black, we have people making money up the ass, oil, everything they can get there hands on to get rich, that’s fine, but you fat cats, don’t tell us how you feel ower pain, you feel nothing, the sad part, we should vote to throw you all out, to bring this country in a dam mess like you all have, personally, none of you know what to do, it’s gone to far, and your all to BLAME, not the AMERICAN PEOPLE, you, CONGRESS, the PRESIDENTS, past, todays, to get a country where we have no work, homes, health care, and keep bringing in inports, people that we have to support, soc.ser. for them, care, you guys should all share your paychecks, you all have reached your peak, now you want to sell this half black to us as ower answer, might as well the end is near, don’t ask questions just tell us he’s the best, bull shit to you all.

  26. Dissident Voice : Obama, The Prince of Bait and Switch said on July 30th, 2008 at 9:19am #

    […] the loss of electoral power — because their collaborators are, as the American writer Mike Whitney put it succinctly, “bait-and-switch” Democrats, of whom Obama is the […]