Both Parties Are Not Alike

I keep hearing people saying that both parties are the same, because both the Republican and the Democratic Parties are corrupt. Yes, to some extent that is true...both parties are influenced by corporate interests, but that truly is where the similarities end.

Also, while the DFL is most definitely influenced by corporate interests, the GOP is owned by the Corporations, bought and paid for. There is in reality a gigantic difference between being influenced and owned.

Anyone who seriously believes that Corporate influence in a political party is all that matters is basically viewing politics in an extremely narrow minded way. Corporate influence in American politics is just one thin slice of the overall political pie and that is a severely limited way to judge an entire political party.

I'm a tail end baby boomer, born in 1964, I grew up in the era where JFK was the symbol of all that was right about the DFL. I am old enough to remember what the Democratic Party once was before it started leaning right and embracing more conservative values post Reagan. I have watched the DFL become the moderate Conservative party in the US as the GOP has become slowly but surely a far right religious extremist hate group that has no business even being in American politics anymore.

Today's Democratic Party is not the DFL of my youth, it no longer truly represents Liberal minded Americans...and yes, a new Liberal political party is desperately needed in the US...but seriously...anyone who thinks both the GOP & the DFL are opposite sides of the same coin has not been paying attention.

There is still a world of difference between the GOP and the DFL if you are a woman, LGBT, low income or a minority. The GOP is waging a war of oppression against everyone who isn't a rich white heterosexual male, and they are winning because they have convinced a generation of 20-somethings that both parties are exactly the same so there is no point in voting. They have spent the last 30 years dumbing down America through their corporate control of information and when mainstream media failed and the Occupy Movement rose up to try to educate and inform the Nation, the GOP seized on another way to hold on to their control...APATHY

The GOP had already seized control of the lunatic fringe with the Koch Brothers funded Tea Party...but the Occupy Movement threatened to educate and inform the children of Reaganomics, the youth that Fox News & the GOP had spent 30 years indoctrinating was suddenly on the precipice of becoming informed, joining forces with the Liberals and rising up against them. The GOP couldn't afford to let that happen.

But, how to nip it in the bud when America's youth yearned for revolution? It was actually quite simple and the GOP easily infiltrated the Occupy Movement and quickly spread the seeds of mistrust towards all politics...they played the Anarchy card and won big. They easily removed the possible threat of millions of young voters by getting them to believe that both political parties were equally evil and that voting was pointless. A political strategy that has worked countless times throughout history and America's disenfranchised youth were easy targets.

All politicians know that the easiest way to win an election is to convince the opposition not to vote...that their votes don't matter. Better yet, convince them that not voting is a form of protest and make them angry at everyone to ensure that they don't vote. Make them feel self-important, as if they know a secret and everyone else is blind. The GOP has succeeded in doing just this within the Occupy Movement by feeding their anger towards the Corporations to the point where they are blind to all other issues.

The Anarchy faction in Occupy has grown significantly over the winter...they are young and angry and are so focused of corporate corruption that they have a tunnel vision that leaves them blinded to all other issues except for how they relate to corporate corruption. Over the winter they have chased away many of the older and Liberal activist claiming the Liberals are trying to co-opt the Occupy Movement, all the while not even realizing they have become GOP puppets and that the Right Wing has effectively silenced them by convincing them not to vote.

There is currently a tug of war going on in the Occupy Movement between the Liberals and the Anarchists that threatens to derail the entire Movement...and all I can say is well played GOP...well played.

Socialism In America

I'm sick and tired of people acting like Socialism is a dirty word...that Socialism equates Communism or Fascism is utter ignorance...Every Government/Society employs an element of Socialism. The United States was designed to be both a Republic & a Social Democracy...that is Socialism at it's finest. Socialism does not infringe on Capitalism or a free markets when Socialism is employed properly in a society ~ When Socialism is at it's best...everyone prospers...not just the government, corporations, leaders, etc...the US used to be a proud Socialism Success story...the tax burden was distributed so that the very poorest, the children, the disabled, the elderly were taken care of...and the tax burden was decided on personal/business incomes...the more you earned the more you paid & when our tax structure was like that America was the greatest Nation on Earth, the land of opportunity...our bridges weren't collapsing, our teachers, public schools were the best in the World, our Military was strong & well funded...our Science was World class & we sent people into space....All while everyone prospered...the rich & corporations prospered quite well even while they paid more in taxes.

As much as the Right wing screams anti-socialism rhetoric...and tries to connect it with Communism & Fascism...the truth is that the right wing brand of Socialism is the one that most closely reflects both Fascism & Communism, since the Right Wing is all about oppressing & enslaving everyone that isn't a white heterosexual Christian male Millionaires & Billionaires.

Our founding fathers were very outspoken about not giving the government, the banks or the Industrialists more power than the people...that right there is Socialism at it's finest...at it's finest, Socialism encourages economic & business growth, gives the workers fair pay, benefits & safe working conditions, builds up our infrastructure, public works, schools, parks, science, etc...and provides for our weakest citizens at the same time...in a true Social Democracy everyone prospers & everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed & that is exactly what the United States was designed to be.

Capitalism works just fine in a properly emploted Social Democracy...Socialism & Capitalism are not enemies...in fact the most prosperous times in American history have been when there is an equal balance of Capitalism & Socialism. The concept that Socialism is against Capitalism is nothing more than Right Wing propaganda designed to scare weak minded & ignorant people...it is completely untrue...in actuality Socialism & Capitalism have co-incided beautifully for over 200 years in the United States...and anyone who says differently has no concept of what Socialism actually is.

 Socialism is a neutral concept that when it is employed properly makes the World a better place as it does in the United States since day one...in it's worse form it creates a caste system Society where the richest 1% rules over, oppresses & enslaves the poor...no matter what form it takes, Socialism is a part of every Society & government...The Right Wing wants us to become the bad kind of Socialistic Society where the rich enslave the poor...both that and the America where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed & the Nation prospers are  different types of Socialism.

 The United States was designed as a Social Democracy, and when we regulate Industry, and tax everyone fairly, our Nation prospers. Our military, infrastructure & public programs grow and prosper. Our people, when given the right tools to succeed such as free quality educations, also prosper. We also then are prosperous enough to take care of our elderly, disabled & children and are better able to help lift the American workers out of poverty. That is American Socialism at it's very best.