I am reluctant to write these words, because being a Democrat has defined me politically for so long. It has been the way I expressed a set of political beliefs to the world around me. I believe in fairness and equality for all, a better life for those who are the most downtrodden in our society. It has been a way for me to express my disdain for the status quo, a way for me to let the world know that I support the little guy in the face of big business and industry. It was a way for me to easily say "I am wholeheartedly against the policies of the republican party" in a way that people can understand easily. What I am coming to realize, slowly, is that saying that I am a "Democrat" is no longer short-hand for the things that I believe. The party has shifted away from its own platform, the platform that enticed me to join the party in the first place, and has moved, inch by inch, to the side of big business. The Democratic party has aligned itself against the interests of the majority of Americans.
A while ago, I was a supporter of the party structure. I was one of the people that defended the actions of Democrats (even though I had some misgivings) against those of us who were warning that the Democratic party is no longer a vehicle for progressive change. I was the person who defended the actions of the White House and national Democrats even though I felt, deep inside, that what they were doing locally and nationally was completely and totally off kilter. I was wrong, and for that I am sorry. I rejected out of hand the cassandras here who were saying that the Democrats have moved so far right that they mirror the republican party from the 1970's. I thought they were simply were republican trolls or plants, trying to dampen the vote for Democrats. What I have come to realize is that they are progressives trying to prevent the mass Democratic migration to the right.
The truth is that the party structure has moved to the right, way to the right. While there may be some Democratic true believers out there trying to make the party emulate its platform and keep the promises it made to the people, the great preponderance of Democrats aren't interested in the rest of us. They are interested in keeping things the same. Keeping things the same means more money for the people who donate to their campaigns. Keeping things the same means more money for big bankers (and themselves!!!!). They could give a god damn about us, really. Its all about amassing wealth, and then holding on to said wealth for dear life, and I for one, AM CHOOSING to stop this crazy train now before puts us all in the poor house.
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