The Real Democratic Party Platform - Democratic Underground

Warren Stupidity

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Sun Aug-08-10 12:30 PM
Original message

The Real Democratic Party Platform

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, State of the Union speech, January 11, 1944.

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Edweird

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Sun Aug-08-10 12:33 PM
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1. That was then. Now we have 'New Democrats'.

Edited on Sun Aug-08-10 12:35 PM by Edweird

The 'new dem' policies have more in common with Reagan than FDR.

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Warren Stupidity

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Sun Aug-08-10 12:39 PM
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2. I suggest we make the distinction formal.

I am proposing that we need a Real Democratic Party faction within the official Democratic Party. We need to fight back. We have a program that is comprehensive, moderate, and entirely feasible, a program first proposed by FDR.

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LWolf

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Sun Aug-08-10 01:46 PM
Response to Reply #2

9. I can support that. nt

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Davis_X_Machina

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Sun Aug-08-10 12:40 PM
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3. The background....

...and impact going forward of the Second New Deal is covered extensively in a great book, The Second Bill of Rights: FDR's Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need I, which no one here will read the moment they find out who the author is, more's the pity.

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GSLevel9

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Sun Aug-08-10 12:54 PM
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4. apparently most of those didn't "stick"... nt

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Warren Stupidity

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Sun Aug-08-10 01:03 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. not implemented outside of LBJ's three year effort.

We need to get back to our roots and take the party with us.

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Triana

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Sun Aug-08-10 01:06 PM
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6. The 'new' Dems have

wiped their a$$es with this, I'm sorry to say. They probably consider it 'quaint'.

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Warren Stupidity

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Sun Aug-08-10 01:23 PM
Response to Reply #6

8. which is why we need Real Democrats in the party.

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ibegurpard

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Sun Aug-08-10 01:18 PM
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7. k&r

though I'm sure someone will be along shortly to offer a revisionist perspective on FDR

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AllyCat

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Sun Aug-08-10 01:58 PM
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10. Love this. Where do I sign on?

Despite the gloom and doom of the Captains of Obvious on this thread, I see that you are moving beyond the blame and coming up with something better.

Thanks for posting!

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Warren Stupidity

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Sun Aug-08-10 02:06 PM
Response to Reply #10

11. good question: no clue

All I know is we need a Real Democratic Party faction to stand up and oppose the current leadership and do so with a program explicitly based on FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights.

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