General Discussion

zentrum

(9,869 posts)

17. Establishment...

Sun Apr 23, 2017, 08:45 PM

Apr 2017

...meant something very different in those days. We had a much more progressive tax code, a hugely empowered union and working class, and no Citizen's United. The Democratic party actually had a functional left pressuring it to have strong union supporting positions. So "establishment" Dems took care.

Talking across the aisle to "fix" SS for instance, which is something that happened in the nineties, would have been unthinkable in those days.

Plus, despite McCarthy, we had a saner Republican Party that actually gave a damn about the country, unlike today's mainstream but nonetheless far-right Republican. This matters because since Reagan and the destruction of Unions, all of the DC power establishment has tacked rightward.

Plus, FDR was not considered "establishment' by the corporate establishment. They hated him. And he was the one who said , "I welcome their hatred". FDR, Kennedy, and LBJ were all to the left of today's party.

FDR and Bernie I think would be very comfortable together except for FDR's terrible Japanese internment camps.

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FDR was establishment Democrat, Harry Truman was establishment, John F Kennedy was establishment... [View all] LuvLoogie Apr 2017 OP

How dare you. nycbos Apr 2017 #1

Planned Parenthood and the Black Congressional Caucus comradebillyboy Apr 2017 #2

The world has changed since FDR and Truman. What you could do was different then. Extrordinary times JCanete Apr 2017 #3

he couldn't do much about racism and sexism JI7 Apr 2017 #4

or didn't, or the wheels turn slow. That's true and it can't be left to the sidelines. Sanders for JCanete Apr 2017 #5

my point is he wouldn't have had the support to do the things he did JI7 Apr 2017 #10

that's an interesting point. Hopefully that's not where we are today, because if it is, we won't get JCanete Apr 2017 #21

Not that much, evil is still evil and good is still good ... and it seems purism is in the eye of... uponit7771 Apr 2017 #19

My mother was unhappy voting for Carter because he was so conservative. wildeyed Apr 2017 #6

True, a lousy politician. maddiemom Apr 2017 #8

LBJ had vision and mad political skills. wildeyed Apr 2017 #9

yawn elmac Apr 2017 #7

Can anyone explain exactly what "establishment" is supposed to mean in this context? Steven Maurer Apr 2017 #11

Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2017 #12

Oh bullshit. Defining establishment varies from person to person. YOHABLO Apr 2017 #13

Thank you! NurseJackie Apr 2017 #14

Trump is anti-establishment and ran an insurgent rebellious campain IronLionZion Apr 2017 #15

FDR was not considered enough of a socialist by the left. athena Apr 2017 #16

Establishment... zentrum Apr 2017 #17

FDR? melman Apr 2017 #18

Times have changed, after Reagan crushed the Unions the establishment began looking elsewhere for $ Quixote1818 Apr 2017 #20

I've seen the Jamaal510 Apr 2017 #22