Hillary Clinton is American, owned by financial interests to whom she is completely in thrall, a rabid neo-conservative warmonger, completely uncritical of Israel and focused for any claim to be progressive entirely on identity politics. Which is also a precise description of today’s Guardian newspaper. The once august and intellectual title is now a shrill cheerleader for far right Blairites and wealthy American feminists.
The Guardian is as unabashed in its support for Clinton as in its support for the Blairites. The stream of “feminist” articles about why it would advance the cause of women to have a deeply corrupt right winger in the White House is steadily growing into a torrent. It is a perfect example of what I wrote of a month ago, the cause of feminism being hijacked to neo-conservative ends.
Bernie Sanders is not perfect – nobody is. But he understands that obscene and still burgeoning wealth inequality is the greatest problem of western society, and that the state framework supporting crazed banking structures is the root cause of this. The support for him is a sign of the inevitable popular reaction to the extreme inequality of society. Sanders is channelling that reaction effectively.
The establishment therefore circles its wagons around Hillary Clinton. The hope is that women can be persuaded it is an act of misogyny simply to stand in her way. The other great establishment hope is that the Democrat party machinery is so strong in black communities, that black Americans can be in effect ordered to vote for a woman who epitomises the system which disadvantages them, rather than an apostle of genuine change in the economic order. I retain hope the establishment may find that black Americans are cleverer than that.
The machinery used to manipulate identity politics – racial and gender – is all that Clinton has. If Clinton beats Sanders, it will be the perfect demonstration of the fact that identity politics has become the enemy of progress in society.
In the field of identity, Bernie Sanders would be the first non-Christian President of the United States. Would that not be wonderful in a country whose politicians feel the need to genuflect to swarms of religious evolution-denying nutters who believe foreign wars are good because they presage the Rapture?
And would it not be great if the first President since Carter not in thrall to Israel were Jewish?
We can see where Bibi’s putting his very loud mouth here… (no, Ha’aretz isn’t his mouthpiece, granted, to its very great credit)
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.702148
Billary’s already bought and paid for as far as Israel goes. You mention Blair, who has been fairly subdued since Davos, but met Salman in Saudi Arabia yesterday, at the same time as the beheading of an alleged heroin smuggler. CF Blair’s frequent ravings about Islamist fundamentalists… The GOP choir is currently comparing Sanders to Blair – I hope this is inaccurate.
As for auditing the Fed, well, yes that’s a sound proposal but not the most pressing issues facing the USA presently and most of these issues can only be sorted out via fiscal policy rather than monetary policy.
Why, pray tell, do we need to audit the Fed other than to pressurise them into no longer using monetary policy to stimulate the economy? (Which is why the Republicans want it.)
Bort’s article is interesting, but slanted. Fair enough, if you are a middleman relying on someone else to actually make the product (brand, meme, vapourware) which pays your agency, your consultancy or the interest on your hedge fund’s loan, you are obliged to romanticise your value to the economy. But.
progress in technology has made it much easier to start a new company that grows fast….
requires the qualification …’and produces nothing whatever of tangible value’. And if you doubt me, try starting a manufacturing company. He’s talking about inflating little, ephemeral bubbles, for the most part. And where he isn’t, he’s talking about piratical monopolies like Microsoft.
“Everything is crooked and rigged.”
I wish I’d have said that because it is.
Of the 371 committed superdelegates (rich and powerful with special voting rights) only 14 have pledged to Sanders while 355 have pledged to Clinton. The remaining uncommitted superdelegates (341) while probably vote in a similar manner supporting their paymasters. This block is a “Democrat” nominee election-swinger and constitutes 15% of the vote.
From my view in the crow’s nest if that ain’t rigging I don’t know what is.
while = will
Of the 371 committed superdelegates (rich and powerful with special voting rights) only 14 have pledged to Sanders while 355 have pledged to Clinton.
Presumably because such people care about electability more than about pretty retoric. Which is exactly why you need them there in a primaries system.
In the UK, for example, I have no particularly strong view about the wisdom of electing Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party. But it is clear that, in a two-party system, if one of the parties consistently chooses leaders that are Corbyn-levels away from the median voter, they will be at a disadvantage. Since primaries tend to downplay electability, you need something to counterbalance that tendency.
Peter C,
I have been following Abby Martin’s series as well. Another great series. The interview with Roxanne Dunbar “Thanksgiving to ‘Redskins'” was a real shocker for me!
Actually, I believe teleSUR TV are hosting/producing both series originally. Perhaps it’s a joint enterprise? Yes I follow The Real News as well.
Apologies for going off topic Craig.
what is the number of films in her snuff movies collection?
The orgasm she is experiencing shown in her face, whilst recanting the death of another human being, invoking the other very “democratic” despot; that murdering bastard Julius Caesar!
“Feminism” is indeed the only way of denoting the faux “feminists” whose notions of “feminism” are divergent and in opposition to Feminist Theory that is based on eradication of inequality for women or men alike regardless of the gender and solely focusing upon the oppression of mass swaths of people due to “arbitrary classification”! The “feminist” are in fact engaged in misandry due to their singular failure as individuals that is translated into an inane visceral hatred of men.
There is no identity in hatred politics! It is the most pernicious and insidious class distinction that the haters are glad/content/exuberant not to be the hated!!
@Martinned,
I think we’d be better off auditing the US defence budget as a priority and all government largess to big corporations – reform of the Fed, whilst I’d admit is important, it’s not the primary concern presently – although I always have doubts about the NY Fed and its relationship with Wall Street, hence my horror when Obama made Timothy Giethner Treasury Secretary, which indicated clearly that the causes of the 2007/08 GFC would not be addressed.
Again, to me the auditing of the Fed is not a primary issue, fiscal policy or lack thereof is of concern as is a bonkers foreign policy that’s caused millions of deaths in the space of 15 years.
@Chris: Ah, so what you’d want to audit isn’t the Fed’s monetary policy, like Bernie Sanders and the Republicans, but its banking supervision role. That sounds like a perfectly sensible idea, although I wouldn’t hold my breath wrt outcomes, at least not as long as Congress is doing the auditing. That’s kind of like having an illiterate thief audit the police.
But yes, the US could do with something like a Court of Auditors. Unfortunately, under the Humphrey’s Executor line of cases, I don’t think it is possible to create such a thing in the US, so they’d have to settle for something akin to the NAO.
You have to admire the chutzpah, if nothing else. A former First Lady, Secretary of State and Senator is actually a progressive fighting the establishment? Nae bother.
Sadly I think the Southern Firewall may come into play and you’d have to fancy her chances against whichever tainted nominee the GOP throws up.
I find the Israeli angle proposed be Craig a touch simplistic given the Obama administration’s derisory view of Netanyahu and deal with Iran.
“Presumably because such people care about electability more than about pretty retoric. Which is exactly why you need them there in a primaries system.”
I don’t think so. It is because they have money and their votes are bought by big money to maintain the status quo. It’s a bit like Tony Buckingham donating to the Tories to protect his ill-gotten oil interests in Libya. It’s to make sure the corruption continues. You certainly don’t want these people choosing the candidate.
As far as I know, it has been the goal of the US Democrats since Franklin D. Roosevelt to create a universal health care system guaranteeing health care to all people. I’m pretty sure Hilary Clinton tried and failed to push it through.
Though the Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Americans gain health insurance, Sanders was on the US Senate committee that helped pen the ACA.
However I still think Hilary Clinton will defeat Sanders (mores the pity) and go on to be the 45th president of the USA. A result that would please her Zionist handlers, and allow Israel to remain off the leash.
Wouldn’t it be great for a change, to see the traditional Christmas tree on the lawn of the Whitehouse, this year, instead of the 40ft Hanukkah Menorah.
You have to admire the chutzpah, if nothing else. A former First Lady, Secretary of State and Senator is actually a progressive fighting the establishment? Nae bother.
But someone who’s been in Congress since 1991 is your idea of a progressive fighting the establishment? Be serious, anyone in a realistic position to win a major party nomination is almost by definition part of the establishment.
Hello Craig,
As for the first Jewish president of America, there’s a decent case to be made that it was LBJ. His mother’s family consisted of Huffmans, Aments, and Perrins, all Jewish names. No need for anyone to get huffy, this is from a Jewish newspaper:
http://5tjt.com/our-first-jewish-president-lyndon-johnson-an-update/
And nor is it simply genealogy – was there ever a president who loved Israel more than Johnson?
It’s a bit of a shame that Johnson took office by way of Kennedy being assassinated, but you know… shit happens. And think of all the good he did for Israel! Let’s declare it ‘sad but worthwhile’.
Meanwhile closer to home, Labour MP’s had a inhouse shouting session, over the pros and cons of Trident on Monday night.
Andy Burnham claimed the deep divide over Trident may be impossible to fix.
Some Labour MP’s hinted pro-Trident MP’s could fight the 2020 GE on a separate manifesto.
Corbyn really needs to grab the party by the scruff of the neck and sort it out
“As long as democracy is the worst system except for all the others, the analogy fails completely.”
The peculiar representative system used in the USA is not very democratic. And it is certainly far from being the only alternative to a non democratic system. If you like I will explain this further, with reference to the Electoral College, the Senate, the enormous and gerrymandered House Districts, the funding system and the registration system which disenfranchises large parts of the population. But most people know these things.
“Presumably because such people care about electability more than about pretty rhetoric. Which is exactly why you need them there in a primaries system.”
For a democrat, or someone who regards democracy as the best of the alternatives, you certainly have a curious idea of what the word means. You are arguing here, firstly that unelected members of the Convention are needed to ensure that the elected members do not make mistakes ( I presume that you are a fan of the Lords, though you will regret that they no longer have the powers that they did before 1911).
You also seem to be suggesting that the flaw in the Primary system is that it allows the voters to decide. And that the said voters are incapable of choosing rationally.
I don’t think that you are a democrat at all, Martinedd, just another law student rehearsing the reactionary snobbery so current in legal circles.
Spot on, Craig. Keep on keepin’ on.
I read a book, The Ideology of Tyranny, that attempts to trace the lines of postmodern identity politics back to a rather shady character (Bataille).
I recommend it.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2518459.The_Ideology_of_Tyranny
So far as Sanders’ prospects in the South are concerned the nest article to read is this
http://www.blackagendareport.com/victor_of_fear_blacks_and_dems
In policy terms the black communities of the South are closest to Sanders. Glen Ford explains the problem.
There’s nothing progressive about the Clinton’s in general, they been involved (Bill anyway) in US politics since 1979, when he became governor of Arkansas.
Only the Bush family have remained longer in the US political spotlight in recent times, and have achieved comparatively little, that has benefited American society as a whole.
Chris? Try nominal-chris, pseudo-chris or hypocrite.
I agree with you Craig. Clinton is the worst choice of any of them. I’m not convinced Sanders would be able to beat Trump, though.
Chris Rogers
“Yes, its wonderful how that Zionist hag and whore of Wall Street Investment Banks is treated as some kind of Goddess..”
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Even if Mrs Clinton is a “Zionist hag” – whatever that means – is that really the most important thing about her? So important that you start off your contribution with that?
It does not matter who is president…because… “We got a real chance at this New World Order” GW Bush 1991. Nobody is going to derail the NWO, that is what he was saying over 20 years ago!
Martinned
Very good to see you back again.
But not everyone seems pleased. This is the sort of response you’re likely to get more of if you continue to express points of view which diverge from the ênsée unique on this blog:
“I don’t think that you are a democrat at all, Martinedd, just another law student rehearsing the reactionary snobbery so current in legal circles.” (from “Bevin”).
As some would say: playing the man instead of the ball.
pensée unique
“The orgasm she is experiencing shown in her face, whilst recanting the death of another human being, invoking the other very “democratic” despot; that murdering bastard Julius Caesar!”
The madness has become even clearly defined in the photograph of her in this article.
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/hillary-baltics-screaming-russians-are-coming-actually-theyre-leaving/ri12734
I am sure the neocon plan now is to turn Europe into a colony of failed states.
Mog
“I read a book, The Ideology of Tyranny, that attempts to trace the lines of postmodern identity politics back to a rather shady character (Bataille).”
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Careful there, Mog, you’re threatening the monopoly of a certain contributor from beyond the seas who usially starts off his “comments” with a “I recently read..” or 3I have just read..” (title of a worthy and impressive work follows).
To think this corrupt and amoral Zionist shill could be the next US puppet president, is daunting to say the least.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kypl1MYuKDY
What does it say about Westminster, that they follow the USA’s lead.