Wed 16 Apr 2008
A Political Neophyte’s Rant on the State of the Democratic Party
Posted by Greg Molyneux under Babeled, History, Politics, Society
Attention all Spendocrats, listen up!
It is time to dismount from your donkeys and offer up some good ole’ fashion practicality for once. Before I go on ranting from my virtual pedestal, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know squat about this whole political game. There is way too much filth I to wade through in a vain attempt to figure it all out. The one commitment I made from the onset of this exercise in futility was to never become a party lackey who simply tows the party line. I am too arrogant and I need to think for myself, and I was never one for labels anyway. Besides, does it really make much sense to have all of your decisions made before you even pretend to have a clue? Hell, I’d rather talk out my ass than have some suit do it for me.
That said, in my lifetime I have been routinely underwhelmed by what the political progeny of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison has brought to the table. Your party has been lackluster in both candidates and ideology - with Bill Clinton being the one notable exception (caution: I am warming quickly to the Elitist Barack Obama).
Fundamentally my biggest issue rests with the token Democrat fix-all solution of raising taxes; assuming throwing money at all our problems serves as the world’s greatest Band Aid. Believe me I understand and sympathize with the many social needs that plague our fellow citizens. Our health care system is a mess, social security needs to be addressed (and eliminated), a deserved welfare program is essential to the survival of our less fortunate, and the rising costs of education always is a concern. Not to mention our entire energy and transportation infrastructure needs a massive overhaul that would write off our reliance on coal burning fossil fuels into posterity.
Sadly, your wondrous strategy of ‘its cold in here so let’s throw more money onto the fire’ just doesn’t suffice. The hard earned money of my fellow tax payers is not worth your poor spending track record. Sure Republicans are no better with their cash handling skills, but at least they generally take less of it away from us. All this government consistently reaffirms to its people is its uncanny ability to spend more money than is collected via the income tax.
How is it that every successful company in this great country manages to perform a biblical miracle by walking on water and operating in the black? As a government, it is time you start treating citizens of this country in the manner they ought to be treated - as shareholders of these United States. We vote and let’s not forget pay you to work for us, act in our best interest, and ultimately run this country as though you have some semblance of legitimate mental capacity. Sorry, but the ability to finger paint is not the maximum requirement for bestowing us with the honor of your dedicated public service.
So my personal challenge is simple; why don’t you demonstrate real worth and prove to me and my fellow shareholders why we should vote for you and willingly invest more of our hard earned money into your social programs? Many of my fellow citizens want to assist our brothers in country to establish a stronger, more perfect Union. If only the members of our government could simply demonstrate competence which includes a lack of corruption, many of our problems would be solved. How is it that career politicians are allowed to stay in office, do next to zero work (sleeping with interns doesn’t count), raise taxes, offer no bid contracts to their brother-in-law’s company, and collect 6 pensions when they decide to finally hang it up after 37 years of sweat and toil in office? That’s right I am talking to you Mr. Lifetime Democratic New Jersey Senator Guy. But I mean seriously, it’s okay we can just raise taxes, the price of tolls (for the next one hundred years), and costs per click of your Internet time while we’re at it - with a double tax when you’re looking at porn.
But where the Democratic Party is most seriously lacking is leadership. Gone are the days of charismatic leaders like Jefferson, Jackson, Roosevelt, and Kennedy. Many of our greatest Presidents are your democratic kin and what are you doing to honor that legacy? Nothing. Merely resting on laurels that have long dried up. The only platform you can muster is to habitually disagree with your fated political adversary, the Republicans. Really, how tough is it to simply take the opposite stance on every issue? It is a tiresome and transparent ploy. Those are skills we all developed back in pre-school when we were busy flinging snot on the bathroom walls. Has it really resorted to “I know you are but what am I?”
Warning: Incoming Anecdote
Renowned democratic President, Andrew Jackson was famously told his party was made up of a bunch of jackass’. You know what he did, embraced it and turned it into the donkey symbol that would serve as the rallying cry of the once strong Democratic Party. General Jackson was a crazy S.O.B that could clearly care less if you called him names (this was a guy who killed people). He was just going to throw it right back in your face because he was tougher and crazier then you anyway. Jackson played the part of war hero better than anyone - telling the Supreme Court to go shove it when John Marshall ruled against Jackson’s presidential injunction. Retorting the Chief Justice’s decision to side with the Native Americans, making it illegal to remove the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral home in Georgia, Jackson cantankerously replied, “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!” Of course this led to the infamous Trail of Tears. As a man of principle he would not allow himself, his people, or his party to be stepped on. He walked softly and he carried a big stick long before the Rough Rider ever did.
This is precisely the leadership Democrats and the rest of this country sorely needs. Someone who is going to kick us all in the rear, calling us all out for the jackass’ we’ve become. It is a sad irony Democrats, you have regressed into a limp noodle party that does not have a clue, and as yet does not deserve the hard earned money of my fellow tax payers. I implore you, wisen up and earn our votes. This nation needs both sides of the political spectrum to come forward with standout candidates in order to drive our return to greatness. Until then, there is a quote I heard a while back that sums up the present state of the two party system quite nicely: “The Republicans are the Party with bad ideas, while the Democrats are the Party with no ideas.”
And don’t laugh too hard Republicans; you too are far from perfect and John McCain will lose the 2008 Presidential Election - whether it is Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. And I hope to God it is Obama.

April 16th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Hell Ia still pulling for Ron Paul. Quit laughing.
Seriously our party system has been screwed for decades. Since Reagan ther has not been a real change in anything when we had a change in President. Sure the names and party affiliations changed but not the politics or the business of politicians.
You make some valid points but somethings are not going to change until the people in a majority demand it. It may even take a revolution and a second civil war.
I am not advocating such practices but I am merely giving my opinion that most Americans have their heads shoved so far up their asses that it will take something like a revolution to get them to remove their heads from their asses.
To the first second and any person that wants to challenge that you have just proven your own ignorance and have apparently shoved your head up your ass.
America is a business being run by business men. If it were not so then you not see so few rich bastards getting richer by shipping so many jobs over seas. It was not a business then something would have been done about social security long ago. America is in the business of helping business not people and certainly not it’s own citizens. Our government responds with more urgency and sinks more money into foreign interests than the growing concerns of a population that needs and has cried out for help. We all know something needs to be done about health care we have been saying it for years and nothing has happened. Nothing. Social Security has been debated for years and nothing has happened. If you wan to fix the problem follow the money then cut off the supply.
Sadly none of the current candidates is anything more than choosing the lesser of the 3 evils. Which for me right now would be Obama. If Clinton gets in office I am moving to another country.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Jim you sent shivers up my back with the comment about a second civil war.
I’m not advocating it either, but I’ve been saying for years that this very thing will happen unless something changes in the relationship between ruler and ruled.
We are drifting apart as a people. We’ve been conditioned into a state of mass distraction via the powerful force of media. Nothing is more powerful than the media - all media.
When things suck listen to your i-pod. When things suck pop in a dvd. This is a new phenomenon in human relations - this intervention of technology to distract and pacify you from the true state of things.
I fear we won’t see our nation’s demise until it is too late to stop it. And by demise I don’t necessarily mean the total destruction of America - I mean the destruction of what it MEANS to be America.
The question is…how far have we strayed from the founding philosophies of our forefathers. Is this what they would have wanted for their cultural descendants?
April 16th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
And the only problem with throwing money at problems is that the government never seems to pay attention to what doesn’t work.
Spending money on problems can work wonders if the strategy is well-thought out and properly executed.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Shiver me this. The last time we were in this situation say back in the sixties we had a minor revolution. The only problem was too many burns outs using drugs to find the answers instead of their heads. Either drugs or blind rage.
But we need a cultural revolution first. Which means to say we need to pick a culture. Back then they got behind music. These days we don’t have music that changes minds, we have music that obliterates minds. Every revolution has some culture base to build from. Some icon to rally behind. Back then their were to many icons and it was too easy to shut them down. You have to one iconic cat that people will get behind and follow.
Which is completely contradictory to everything I stand for as an individual however it is easier to use charisma to lure the idiots away from the dark side or is to the dark side, whatever. It’s that charisma that is needed to appeal to a large mass that will inspire people to believe the rhetoric coming out his mouth is the real deal.
Now Hitler may have been a sociopathic murdering mad man but he could work a f***ing crowd into a frenzy like nobodies business.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:05 am
The hypnotic power of confidence is a scary thing in the wrong hands, and an awesome thing in the right hands.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Anybody watch the Democratic debate tonight?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Well said Greg!
We now live in a country where gas costs over $3 per gallon, property taxes are astronomical, car insurance is rediculous, and health care is unaffordable for the average American. Maybe I’m crazy, but isn’t raising taxes the worst possible action. How much more are we going to be shaken down? For this reason alone, I think McCain will win the 2008 Election. The only possible way for a Democratic victory is the unification of Hillary and Obama supporters, which is hard to imagine at this point in time.
I understand that people don’t like to be labeled, however, these people fit into a category themselves…the category of people who don’t like to be labeled. Just because someone is a free thinking individual doesn’t excuse them from sitting on the fence. I don’t care if you make some decisions that are considered right and some that are considered left. But for God sakes make a decision and plant your feet firmly in that decision.
If you are undecided on an issue because after careful consideration and critical thinking, the issue seems too gray, that is one thing and completely understandable. But don’t sit on the fence because you care more about or are afraid of what other people think about your stance. I see too many of these people today. And Greg, I am not saying you are this..you are one of the most intelligent critical thinkers I have ever known. You know the kind of person I am talking about…the American who thinks success will come to them without work. The only place that success comes before work is in a dictionary. This is America, and as long as you strap your boots on and work hard, you will survive in this social-darwinistic system we call capitalism. As a successful IT professional, you understand this as I saw you work your butt off through school and in your internship.
With regard to a second civil war, I think I want to be on the side that supports the right to carry arms..lol.
You are right, collecting more taxes from people will do nothing if the government (both parties) continue to spend like they do. Spending must be addressed before taking more of everyone’s hard earned money. The government has to understand that most people can barely afford to pay their bills yet even think about having kids (more taxpayers!) Ok I got nothing else.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Jon I agree with most of what your saying…but I don’t think this ideal should be written as if it were stone-cold truth:
“This is America, and as long as you strap your boots on and work hard, you will survive in this social-darwinistic system we call capitalism.”
It is that mentality that is also a distraction from the fact that millions of Americans do just what you say and rather than achieve upward mobility, end up flatlining or even worse getting deeper into financial crises.
Ok, now I want everyone to tear me apart:
After the Cultural Civil War is over why don’t we just regroup as the American Union, raise taxes to 66% and basically emulate the European Union into a successful sunset of a couple centuries.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I like Europe.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I like Europe too, but 66% tax? I’ll organize my own revolution and throw a tea party. I am trying to save for a wedding and kids here…lol
April 17th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Jon,
Yeah I know it sounds crazy, but that extra 33% is the difference between European and American societies.
Taking home 66% of your income sounds awesome on paper for everyone - rich, middle, and poor. But the only one of those three that significantly profits is the rich.
Once rent or mortgage, health insurance, car insurance, college tuitions, food, utilities, GAS, toll roads, retirement savings, cost of a funeral that involves a casket and a burial - once all these are factored in…well its no wonder that you rarely find somebody in the middle class who can rest on their laurels and not worry about their net savings.
All of the above fees are pretty much constants for everyone, but the 66% is always variable.
Europe rocks because the government takes care of almost all the above fees except for housing, gas, and toll roads. My cousin in Spain spent the last 8 years lazily getting a degree because it was free. What an idea, free education. And wait, he doesn’t have to worry about his health insurance not covering his broken arm because….everything is covered.
Greed costs you peace of mind, and if you don’t believe me go to pretty much any country in Europe - its a very relaxing experience.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
And the greed part combined with that few who make out like bandits from their 66% is the reason nothing in politics has changed since Reagan, and why everything revolves around big business - there is too much at stake for this lucky minority who weild enough power to stave off any real change that would force them to actually share their wealth for the benefit of the society they supposedly are working for.
So tell me again, what is the measure of patriotism?
April 18th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Just because someone has achieved financial excellence, doesn’t mean they should be forced to do anything. This isn’t Russia Danny!
In a perfect idealistic world, the filthy rich would give a lot more to the poor. It is my personal opinion that no one really needs more than 3-5 million dollars for themeselves even if they are the CEO of Earth.
However, the right to collect and save as much money for yourself as possible is an individual right, just like the right to have an abortion. You can’t start taking our rights away unless you support communism.
It is very true that if you work hard, you will succeed in the capitalistic model. When you come out of high school, don’t major in the history of basket weaving and expect to fast-track your career. Pick a hot area of the job market and work hard. Sometimes you have to do something you don’t like so that you can later do what you want. Even if your soul-passion IS basket weaving, listen to your guidance counselor, get a degree that pays off, make some money and open up a basket weaving operation with your hard earned cash. You know, some animals have to burrow for hours in mud just te get their prey. Don’t expect the world to hand you the basket weaving operation right out of college. Such a view of life is way to idealistic.
What is the measure of patriotism you ask? The strong survive and the weak die off. There are the haves and the have nots.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:49 am
I have been to Europe 4 times, not just one area of it either…11 different countries and I even crossed over to Africa. You are absolutely right, it is more relaxed than the instant-gratified and crazed up region of America we live in. But if you want to see a place that makes Europe seem stressful, check out Hawaii.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am
LOL, ah man you’ve been comin out with some zingers. So, about the basketweaving, supposedly there’s this course down in Florida where you can major in Underwater Basketweaving. Don’t ask me the purpose of it, but it sounds weird enough that I might have to go back to school when I have my midlife crises.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Also, I still agree with most of what you are saying but do you disagree that reducing your income to 33% still allows you to get filthy rich if you plan your career and investments correctly?
I mean its not as if there aren’t filthy rich individuals in Europe.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Oh and Hawaii…I’ll be writing a post on my experiences there. The good (it’s so beautiful and remote), the bad (the Islanders make no secret of their resentment for Americans), and the ugly (I had a spider the size of my fist chase me in my friend’s house and it was horrible)
April 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
If I am making $60,000 a year right now, that means I am netting about $40,000 which is just enough to be a homeowner and afford average living expenses. If I were to reduce that net $40,000 to $20,000 I would be in serious trouble trying to make a life for myself. Andrew, like I said, I am thinking as a homeowner in life now, trying to build equity, save for a wedding, and save for kids. Every dollar is important to me.
“If your young and not liberal, you dont have a heart. If you are older and not conservative, you don’t have a brain.” - Anonymous
April 18th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
As an American you would be in serious trouble with 66% tax if we none of the fees I stated in comment # 11 were covered by your taxes. But I think you’d make out alright if they were covered.
Jon what would you think of a sliding scale income tax: the less you make the lower your percentage of tax, the more you make the opposite?