Those who keep urging "compromise", the left has done all of the compromising for the past 40 years. Deregulation and privatization are two core principles that the left has caved on that have gotten us to this point of destroying the middle class and the nation.
More recently, SinglePayer was a compromise. When that proved not enough for the CorporateMasters of the universe, a PublicOption was compromised. A weak PublicOption was whittled down into a trigger and then dropped altogether. There are no cost controls in Obama's healthcare legislation, but plenty of protections for continued gouging by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
By the way, SinglePayer wasn't our first, best proposal. We'd already been denied our first best proposal: A level playing field where we all could rise and share in the obscene corporate profits that come at the expense of so many people's lives. We've lost to a corporate mentality that it's a 'dog eat dog'-world, where making a living isn't enough (or even possible); only 'making a kiIIing'.
Had Republicans never been in power these past 35 years, had Democrats not crossed over to become the same bought-off corporate tools that Republicans are, free education through college, access to nutritious, clean and safe food and water, abundant clean and green and sustainable energy, and affordable housing and healthcare for everyone would've been the bare minimum standard of living for all Americans. But greedy OILy conservative politicians entered our lives and our government, and we're now on a fast track to the end.
In 2001, Bush's tax cuts for the rich promised to create jobs and wealth for all, and once again the left compromised and Democratic politicians caved. Since 2006, Democrats campaigned on ending Bush's tax cuts when they expired in 2011. And again, Obama gamed it and extended them.
The latest Democratic caving over the budget.
When the budget process began, Republican congressman PaulRyan came out with the first number that Republicans wanted to cut ($32 billion). Then there was a TeaParty revolt in the House, and Republicans in the House said "Fine, you win, $64 billion."
At $64 billion Democrats moved all the way over to where Paul Ryan was when the process began. So even if Democrats got that number (which in Washington would be considered a "win" for Democrats), Democrats went all the way over to where the Republican leadership thought their opening bid would be. Ultimately the cuts are going to be very dramatic, more so than anyone in either party thought was wise a few months ago -- NOBODY is representing the interests of the poor and middle classes.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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