Would getting rid of Trump make America better for its citizens in material terms?

Yes he is loud and abysmal but his policy program (as Paul Krugman has said) is standard right Republican + corruption + incompetence. President Pence won't feed your children and President Clinton won't stop drone strikes or inequality. Its great to have a symbol to unite against and I agree with all the criticisms. If you want a progressive America, it needs more comprehensive change though.

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Ynotisay · M

Legislation is only going to change so much in America and there is no magic wand. That said, the uniting together against a common enemy has been obvious to me my entire adult life. And it was never more obvious then at the height of the recession. Except maybe now.

The enemy are those who have manipulated and created the rules to create a country in which 1% of Americans own the same amount of wealth as the other 99%. It's not rocket science.

And yet for some reason, tens of millions Americans continue to fight on BEHALF of the very people who are screwing them the most. They're told to blame the blacks, the browns, the dirty libs or whomever, and they do.

While Trump has ZERO legislative success to date, most everything he's done, including staffing, nominations and clearly his Executive Orders, is about one thing and that's creating a greater disparity in wealth. This game is intended to make the rich richer. That's not an opinion. It's a cold hard fact that, for whatever reason, some choose not to recognize. As long as they think a wall is going to be built they're on board.

I used to feel sorry for folks who were busting their asses and getting played by the very, very few at the top. As a Progressive I've never wanted ANY American playing by the rules to not get what they deserve. I feel a bit differently today when it comes to Trump supporters. I see them as being responsible for what's happening now and what will happen down the road. They were conned and now everyone has to pay for it.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Ynotisay: Yes Trump is hypocrisy personified and I agree completely that he is worse than any Democrat on any measure of egalitarian populism.

However, he has tapped into something. If the Democrats had been fighting for the working class he would not have been able to sell that narrative. We can blame people for being wrong (and ignorant perhaps) but the why matters. As does analysis of how to win them back. The working class should lean left. That they don't is a problem.

Fernie · F

@Ynotisay: there IS a magic wand...it is WE THE PEOPLE!!!!

Ynotisay · M

@Burnley123: I don't agree. Historically, and DEFINITELY since Reagan,it's always been the Democrats who fight for the working class and the GOP fights for the corporate class. That's easily provable.

Now, does the Democratic leadership wave a flag, highjack patriotism, demonize minorities to white people and all the other tricks of the trade the GOP uses?

They don't. That's the difference. And they can't. Democrats work to move forward with issues. Republicans move backwards. The narrative can't exist in the Democratic platform in the same way it can with the Republicans. But what they absolutely freaking need is someone speaking DIRECTLY to that dude on the tractor and waking him up. Warren and Sanders are doing just that. But look at how they're viewed. Left wing nut jobs, right? It's a lost cause until that dude on the tractor really gets hammered by policies and wakes up. That's on him.

Ynotisay · M

@Fernie: I agree. But "we the people" have a shared enemy now and it clearly doesn't matter. "We the people" is only "some of the people" and, unfortunately, some of the people does not a revolution make.

Fernie · F

@Ynotisay: a new revolution is in the works. What is happening to me and MILLIONS of other people has never happened before and millions of us will fight against this fascist regime that wants to KILL US

Ynotisay · M

@Fernie: We'll see. But I don't envision decades of apathy and systematic brainwashing to be overcome overnight.

Fernie · F

@Ynotisay: systematic apathy is what got this moron into the white house.....he has done ONE GOOD THING.. and that has been waking up the zombies...I hope enough people are aware enough to use it against him

Ynotisay · M

@Fernie: Hope so. Let's not forget though that it was the lowest voter turnout in 20 years. The last midterms was the lowest in 70 years.

Fernie · F

@Ynotisay: I totally get why people are not voting...here in Massachusetts...we voted yes for legalizing recreational weed...the legislation did not like that and are telling us that our votes mean nothing...they will do what THEY want to do

Ynotisay · M

@Fernie: Really? I thought I read they were just delaying it for a bit until they could work some things out with stores. In California we're having to wait until next January which means one more trip to the "doctor" to lie about my "condition." I hate that. I'm not a liar.

Fernie · F

@Ynotisay: we voted for legalizing recreational weed...yet..."they decided that they don't want that so instead of honoring our vote /opinion they will do what THEY want...the total opposite of democracy

Ynotisay · M

@Fernie: I just looked in to it. What I don't get is that the taxes were included in the ballot legislation. There MUST have been some loophole that allowed officials to jack up the taxes to a place where it would be cost-prohibtiive for some. In CA we actually voted "no" on legal weed in the previous bill because the loopholes became known and people were smart about it. Blows my mind that we're still battling over weed. Such a joke.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Ynotisay: [quote]Historically, and DEFINITELY since Reagan,it's always been the Democrats who fight for the working class and the GOP fights for the corporate class. That's easily provable.[/quote]

The Democrats are to the left of the Republicans but my understanding is that the party moved to the right during the Reagan era, which resulted in Bill Clinton and acceptance of many of the tenants or Reagonomics. Like New Labour in Britain, it is a party that has cleaved to the centre, and a post-Reagan centre. Sanders and Warren being exceptions.