A Disgusting Spectacle
No, it was not Trumplestiltsken, it was Morning Joe, which began today’s hour with the least charismatic, most monosyllabic one-word-answer-woman,(Usually “yup”) speaking to Fox News and introduced as the “Co-Chair of the Democratic Socialists.”
The host on Fox news ran a list up the screen with what were supposed to be the political positions of the Democratic Socialists of America.The list began with “abolishing the Senate” and moved on to “empty all prisons” “abolish all borders” and “the Supreme Court.” It was precisely the numb-nuts language of a moronic Democrat imagined by a mouth-breathing,all-in Trumper.
We all know what Fox is. Can’t blame them for trying consistently to undermine democracy and ass-lick the wealthy and powerful. We don’t have to watch. But for MS-Now, usually a Center to Center-Left program with highly educated articulate guests, discuss this as if it was rrepresentative of people like Bernie Sanders and Mamdani? With no evidence or certification that this woman was real or not a plant was irresponsible journalism of a high order. Where was Sam Stein or David Ignatius this morning? No-one I’ve ever met would believe that list of programmatic bullshit. Attributing it as the platform of the DSA is complicit with propaganda aimed at destroying DSA policies in the public mind.
Bernie Sander has never spoken this way, Mamdani has never spoken this way, the Progressive Caucus would never be so stupid to speak this way. So what we’re left with is a hysterical reflex on the part of those indebted to corporate capital (Their sponsors) to try their best to tamp down the growing progressive shift of the Democrats, whose fealty to the corporate sector has exhausted their voters.
Democratic Socialism is Capitalism with rules. Full stop. It’s that simple. Rules to protect laws, norms, candidates from the unseemly pressures of money, concentration on the needs of working people for childare, healthcare, affordable homes, and safety from weapons of war on our streets. The fact that Morning Joe chimed in blessing this piece of Fox bullshit with legitimacy, discussing it as the real program of a conscientious party filled with highly intelligent people, reveals MS-Now’s fear of true progressive politics, and explains why it is ALWAYS so easy to have self-styled ‘Conservatives” heading up our corporate media shows. This is the legacy of Clinton’s Telecommunications Act. God bless Amy Goodman, KPFA and listener supported radio. For Shame, Joe.
The Democratic Socialists of America have an extensive website. I recommend going there to read directly from them what they advocate. Here's the link:
https://www.dsausa.org/
Bernie Sander’s “Democratic Socialism” is capitalism with rules, AKA Social Democracy or Socio Democracy as they call it in Sweden. Calling it Democratic Socialism is a misnomer. Unlike the DSA, it is not a branch of socialism. The DSA, however, is one of the types of Socialism. (a good kind of socialism). They want to abolish capitalism, amongst other things. That’s not a bad thing, but using the word Socialist in their title scares a lot of people.
I prefer Social Democracy, which is capitalism with rules. I have heard Bernie call himself a capitalist. He doesn’t want to give up his millions. Neither would I if I had it.
I was just making a distinction between true Democratic Socialism and Social Democracy. The DSA are true Democratic Socialists, who want to abolish capitalism. Social Democracy is the correct term for Bernie’s platform, and can be described as “capitalism with rules”.