Mayor De Blasio got "blown out by Wall Street". The Democrats had a "bruising loss". And president Obama is a duplicitous and corrupt as ever.

...for a while now, that we have undergone a slow-motion "coup d'etat", and that they have indeed won.

They, of course, meaning Big Money.

The problem with the populist approach, as I see it, is that there's no political backstop to support it. The other side has the Kochs, Adelson, and the other Billionaire Boys Club members. Progressives have no such equivalent - labor unions are on their death bed, academia and entertainment have been infiltrated, and don't get me started about mainline religions.

In the first place, there are global, geopolitical forces that drive nation-states to compete in the system of global capitalism. Nation-states have an interest supporting strong capitalist economies in order to maintain a strong global position.

Then there are the individual capitalists. One billionaire can support a large network of full time political operatives, propagandists. and lobbyists -- enough to counter the efforts of a great many loosely affiliated non-professional interested citizens.

But when you have multiple billionaires working together in an organized and coordinated way, along with powerful corporations and other wealthy individuals, the bar gets raised mighty high indeed.

They've been at this for more than 30 years and they've been very successful in dividing the public and in reshaping how people's brains conceptualize ideas like liberty, justice, the common good, etc.

...is taking a local approach. By that, I mean devoting Dem dollars and energies to local and state elections. Local/state elections are where you build your power base, and the stronger that is, then the more likely that true progressives will get elected to national office. From there, you begin to repeal/roll back the anti-union laws and regulations, institute a modern version of the Fairness Doctrine, and do what we can to limit corporate influence in the universities and K-12 school system. Then, we on the left will have a chance.

But it all starts with the local and state elections - even School Boards are a start. The Repubs knew that, and their long game has paid off for them - unfortunately for the rest of us. We've got to start thinking long-game.

It may not be the answer that some people want to hear. Some people would probably rather hear about dramatic and decisive action that radically and permanently alters the political power structure and users in a new era of participatory democracy.

I think your answer is probably on the right track. The hard work of regaining control of the government by and for the people starts at home, one precinct and one local election at a time. It's the long haul.

I've thought about this a lot. I've been seduced by the dream of radical revolution, but I think that's probably fantasy for a number of reasons. Some people tout campaign finance reform as a silver bullet, but I'm skeptical that this is really THE solution. Voting reform, and changes to the two-party system have been touted as solutions.

In the end, I think you're correct. The local approach is the only solution. Create local coalitions and alliances. Grow and strengthen them into state and regional alliances. Grow popular and institutional support for government that responds to human needs.

..."All politics is local".

This also means that many of us may have to resign ourselves to the fact that the changes we seek to make, may not be made in our lifetimes. Structural change isn't necessarily to benefit our generation - it's for our kids and their kids, making sure that they have a better life than we do.

I agree - long haul is how the Repubs thought, and it's how those of us on the left will have to think.

New World Order bankster empire, seems to be lashing out blindly as it enters its death spasms.

Heard this on radio this morning.

Real nice.

We excused the crime of Iran-Contra and it has been all down hill from there.

Massive smoke screens, false elections, false flag operations, TORTURE, grand theft on a global scale, illegal surveillance and injustices and corruption on a scale never seen before.

WTF?

It's corruption from sea to shining sea. But there is nothing to see here. According to a (completely controlled) complicit media.

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crack the whip mindlessly not knowing that soon they will be forced to eat their own. The media simply nods approvingly--until they are told to do otherwise.

Pretty sure I know what's next, as I assume you do. It won't be pretty, but it may be necessary.

Do not hold your breath on significant reforms. The 2016 Democratic candidate will have to raise in excess of $1 billion directly and $1 - $3 billion in outside PAC support to compete in this current environment. He/she will have no choice. That's an American problem.

VT, it's a shining star IMHO...sweet...just sweet. TY for that Orwell quote too, you too shine, my friend...brightly.

I love the initiative in Vermont. I think it should be this country's #1 priority. I wonder if ALEC is going to flood into Vermont ahead of that House vote ? I hope Vermont sets a new standard for the rest of the nation. Thanks again.

WOLF-PAC.com!

until we focus solely on COMPLETE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CCFR) and PUBLICLY FUNDED ELECTIONS!!! Everyone needs to demand CCFR! We can take away the money influence in our government, but not without a fight. The moneyed interest control our government, media, and military, and of course, they have a lot of money. Money does them no good if we can make this the issue in the elections to come and get the word out everywhere! Our environment is not waiting for us to get our shit together, something must be done soon! Wolf-PAC.com!

it won't happen until politicians are more afraid of the people than they are their campaign sugar daddies.

I am afraid that it will be too late to save us from climate change unless something happens to trigger the right protest at the right time.

Now instead of doing deals in a smoke filled room they do them in the open...they piss on our leg and tell it it is the trickle down we expected.

Because we let them! What will it take to get the American people in the streets ? I know that at least 48% of the people are to stupid to get it and the other 52% I guess don't care enough to really try and make a difference!

The Empire Strikes Back.

I think the corporate socksuckers are following me around, jumping on my posts.

Any message that doesn't toe the Party Line is swarmed within minutes, the messanger accused of being Republican, racist, and/or sexist.

And it pays off!

Won't let 'em win.

A swarm of particularly obnoxious sockpuppets defending low taxes on "investors". http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024711809

DU is growing stranger by the moment.

It's been like this for a very long time. And Obama is proof positive if you ever needed it. He's not the worst by any means, but he's in on it.

I have been voting since Johnson/Goldwater and it gets worse each year with Reagan and Clinton throwing us all under the bus AND laughing about it.

Some of us have known this for a generation or more.
It was obvious with Bill Clinton and his WalMart money.

...that young 'uns like Cenk and Ana might do, that us oldsters might chaff a little over. The Awake ones anyway. Call it poetic license.

I'm just glad they get it at all. And won't shut up about. They've picked up the baton and are using it to beat the MSM over the head with it! Daily.

- So I'm inclined to cut 'em some slack.

Yeah….

This is not news to me or anyone who HAS listened to what Chris Hedges has to say, or even just reads the headlines.

Love the picture of city tank, DeSwiss. I keep imagining how many of us hustings would stand in front of it and refuse to let it plow over the rest of us. I've tried to keep this happening on the local level, and so far, nobody seems to give a shit, as long as it hasn't reached their daily activities of living.

They call this LIVING?

Is THIS the best we can do?

The rich can spend all the money in the world on elections, but if we find a politician that can rally the majority around him because they believe in him, then the rich peoples money means diddly squat.

Obama proved this to be the case in 2008, sure he raised more than McCain, but he did it with really small donations by many supporters, thus out maneuvering the rich.

The problem is that once a politician accepts big money from the rich, then that politician loses some credibility with normal voters who are not prepared to donate anymore as they no longer trust the politician's allegiance, thus meaning the politician has to rely more and more on big money.

In the end the politician has lost all credibility with normal voters and has become completely beholden to big money to stay in office.

Donahue, Olbermann and Cenk. All gone because they would not lie for the corporations.

"The further a society drifts from Truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." George Orwell

"You bed-pissing rednecks are a fucking disgrace to this country."

Well said! Especially about Ann Fucking Romney and her dancing fucking horse subsidy.

that there are still those that believe there is a difference between the two major parties. Both are constantly being caught in corruption scandals and taking money from the same groups. But for a few rare exceptions, our govt. has been bought.

...Obamacare and stuff. Save lives. Help little sick kids.... emergency rooms thing of past..... Saved the world from financial Armageddon..... and other wonderful things......

I mean its not like they just go around killing people they don't like... a lot -- or kill mothers and their babies, er.... ah.... well, well, look at all the war criminals that he, ummm, no... ah..... Hey! and what about all those thieving bankers, uh......

- He likes dogs too......

There are no games with dogs. If they like you, they tell you. If they don't like you, they tell you that as well. They don't lie, they tell the truth. It's a shame that our politicians can't even learn that.