Great article....and great ideas! I live in NY and I can't begin to tell you how much our two Senators have failed us. I would love to see some new blood challenge them but they use their positions to hand pick candidates. They are both pushing for Janet Mills for Senate...why???? They should just let it play out without interfering! The septuagenarians are running our party and it's time to stop. How I don't know...but it's killing us slowly.
If we can ever get this liberal coalition together, one of their goals should be to modernize the constitution by amending it. Our forefathers knew they couldn’t predict the future, so they purposely included in the constitution the provisions to amend it. We need new and modernized laws (with consequential ramifications for obstruction). This would reflect things like technology and privacy, biological innovations with ethics, space frontiers, etc. Not the least of these things will be to create term limits for the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary, and to end Gerrymandering. We need better controls on lobbyist, and we must find a way for civics to once
again be taught in our schools. However and unfortunately, I believe the only way America can ever get its footing back, is if we can take money completely out of the system! Gut Citizens United! Make congress want to be there out of love of country; it should be a calling and not a career. We need to mandatorily include feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and for the disabled. Yes, it’s time for an American refresh. Just some of my thoughts …
Not sure what you mean by liberal coalition. The Dem party has two very distinctive wings. One is called the Left or Progressives and the other is called the Liberals or moderates. The Left would love to change the Constitution but the Liberal leadership are loving the status quo. Granted they would rather be in control but their billionaire backers do ok with a Trump run government or even fascism. What we need to do, like Corbin said, is unite but the Left will never bow down to the Elitist leadership of the Party. We must convince the gaslighted Liberal voters that blindly trusting the wealthy Dem Elite to look out for us has failed over and over. How many times must they be bit before they see that the wealthy elite Dem leadership are pawns of the billionaires and major corporations. Remember Obama bailed out the banks and let the homes owners go bankrupt.
On Mills, and the Democratic establishment’s penchant for wasting money on crap candidates; the end result of which is losing eminently winnable elections to GOP nimrods.
Corbin, my man, right on point as usual. Nuff said.
Is anybody listening? Pray for unity and leadership to make it happen now. No time to waste.
Our country is quickly spiraling into a deep dark anti-democratic hole at the hands of this administration and we may not be able to recover if leadership, fresh and tenured, don’t heed your clear warnings and unify, for the people, to take back our country right now.
I’m a 72yo mil pilot ret, then 20 yr OT, who worked my way through college on the back of a Carter era SETA program teaching welding to the under-employed in rural Pa. Without that leg up from the gov in the mid 70s none of that would have been possible. I’ve been a dem all my voting life, but when I saw Biden live in SC just before the Clyburne endorsement I knew I was looking at a political party that was a sputtering force. Recently I sent this idea directly to one of Clyburne’s aids (heard nothing back): the party needs to begin to exercise the atrophied muscles of popular unified resistance by announcing a Gandhi (nonviolent) style resistance program - announcing ‘no shopping Fridays’ to continue indefinitely. The semi boycott of spending would not include food and would not target any particular product or company. This idea came from sleepless nights worrying how to kickstart the kind of feedback loop for unity you talk about. Give the people SOMETHING to do!
Buzz, I agree with your idea of diffuse economic pressure on Bezos & Walton family at WalMart & Target & Home Depot, etc! No purchases except food & meds on the designated day(s). The effectiveness of the backlash over taking Jimmy Kimmel off the air to Disney via travel cancellations & streaming service cancellations was $8B over half a week. Tesla Takedowns took longer but pressured Musk out of Doge! There has to be a clear demand to the business sector to stop complying with the dicktocrat’s illegal actions & to apply their pressure to his regime. I don’t think any one politician or group of politicians can lead these actions, though. The No Kings Coalition of nationwide advocacy groups has big momentum with yesterday’s millions but earlier with Tesla Takedowns & cutting off Disney over censorship.
The coalition did trainings on Strategic Noncooperation over the summer & has ultimate goals of ‘buycotts’ & potentially general strike. Strategically, their goal has been to build numbers of participants in order to make economic resistance more powerful…after building the muscle as you described😊 The follow-up call for next steps is Tuesday 8pm Registration link
Another important feature of the idea is it gives politically agnostic voters, poor and rich, homebound, disabled, don’t own a car, my spouse is MAGA but I’m not a chance to feel they are contributing to the fight. Democratize the fight. Allow those who are disgusted with oligarchs to poke back and take pride in it.
I live in Loudon county and the resistance is growing - conditions on the ground are apparent. The problem, though, is as you state it. We need new, young, progressive leadership. We need to oust the dinosaurs of the party and reclaim (big D) democratic roots. We need a new New Deal, the populist resistance spark of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, the working class concern of Roosevelt, Perkins, Ickes, the religious leaders, Ryan and Haas, who spoke truth to the faithful and grass roots support from unions, universities.
The New Deal's "3 Rs" were Relief, Recovery, and Reform - more relevant in today's political, environmental and economic cesspools than ever before. But we will never get there if the bought and paid for politicians-for-life are not replaced. The talent is out there - you named them. But the party machine will buck them with funds, fear and falsehoods. The old order must be demolished to make way for the new. We are all empowered to bring that about if we support progressive candidates – not just with donations, but with our voices. Talk to your family, friends, neighbors, contact progressive groups and share the vision needed to unite and drive the change we must achieve. This country belongs to all of US and power belongs to the people – not entrenched politicians, billionaires or authoritarians.
Agree about new leadership, but in reality, the power doesn’t belong to the people, and it hasn’t since the national was founded. We can’t successfully reform what we don’t understand, and most Americans are clueless about the real levers of power. It’s all about tripartite governance, and the civics propaganda we got in school led us to think the tripartite was executive, legislative, and judicial (the Madisonian mythology); when in fact, the Madisonian element is the weakest leg on the three-legged stool. The other two legs, the Trumanist national security state, and the oligarchal deep state consisting of overworld (legacy and tech wealth) and underworld (organized crime) are far more powerful when it comes to policy implementation.
I think you have your finger on the pulse of Americans, who are sick and tired of being used and tossed away like Kleenex. I don't think the system can be "reformed." We have elected people like Sanders and AOC, only to be disappointed time and time again. The people who make the decisions are not really in Congress, or the President. We need people who can stand up to these billionaire parasites.
Hmm. This piece echos and better amplifies so much of what I’ve advocating; see my substatck where I expand on all this, per the vehicle of Jon Stewart’s interview with Ken Miller, and what you think of the Tyranny of the Binary (?). My thought’s thus far are certainly only semi coherent.. but its good to see a bunch of us concluding that the lack of ‘leaders’ per se is not the problem. Thanks and keep it up!
I agree with you, Corbin. What next? It seems to me the only way this enormous energy gets channeled in a positive way is for grassroots groups to engage in campaigns that focus on local needs. Real leadership -- and candidates -- will then emerge from unexpected places. That is what will exert pressure on the national party to back those candidates instead of primarying them with so-called centrists.
Love the focus on reforming the DNC with candidates who get it and are committed to working together.
The effort needs an umbrella to give it structure. The overarching message that is cutting through is “affordability”.
How about calling it the “Affordability Caucus” within the DNC but also making it clear that they are willing to work with Independents and Republicans who are aligned around affordability.
Gotta be honest, I've never seen this many insurgent challenges to the democratic establishment in my many years of observing American politics to be honest. Not sure many of the candidates running for office have either. Yet I know a good idea when I see one, and this is a good idea. I'd suggest taking it even a step further though and reach out to the Corbynite’s and the Greens in the UK as well. If fascist worldwide can link arms, so can the left.
Great article, Corbin! We went to San Mateo, California's NO KINGS yesterday and had a great time! I will share your article on my FB and Bluesky pages!
Thanks Corbin. I've come around to your way of thinking. We're always going to have to stay united when the egotist sells out to the corrupted money hoarder. But the system itself must be transformed. Right now it serves too few to be meaningful or just. WE MUST HAVE UNITY IN ORDER TO BUILD COMMUNITY. I'm ready. Let's do it!
Right on target, again -- as usual. If I may offer another point: relying on leaders is what brung us here. The hidden menace is the unequal economy we've been sold for centuries... yeah, centuries. -- That the weathy deserve it or have a right to it, neither of which is true. Our institutions have been carved by guess whose money to reflect their desires, not our needs. Our cultivation of agency and community cooperation has to extend to a growing understanding that we can have it all if we get rid of the phony economic rules that set them pretty while we bust ass for less than we need. How does a leader stand for this? Too wonky? Most of them understand messaging but not mechanics of governance and the deeply embedded myths of capitalism. Capitalism should belong to the people -- it could earn us what we need without the totally overboard extravagance and destruction all around us. We could all live comfortably and well, challenged to produce things for each other while working together, if we owned the economy the way they do, and the politics that come with it. How do we teach this?
Great article....and great ideas! I live in NY and I can't begin to tell you how much our two Senators have failed us. I would love to see some new blood challenge them but they use their positions to hand pick candidates. They are both pushing for Janet Mills for Senate...why???? They should just let it play out without interfering! The septuagenarians are running our party and it's time to stop. How I don't know...but it's killing us slowly.
If we can ever get this liberal coalition together, one of their goals should be to modernize the constitution by amending it. Our forefathers knew they couldn’t predict the future, so they purposely included in the constitution the provisions to amend it. We need new and modernized laws (with consequential ramifications for obstruction). This would reflect things like technology and privacy, biological innovations with ethics, space frontiers, etc. Not the least of these things will be to create term limits for the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary, and to end Gerrymandering. We need better controls on lobbyist, and we must find a way for civics to once
again be taught in our schools. However and unfortunately, I believe the only way America can ever get its footing back, is if we can take money completely out of the system! Gut Citizens United! Make congress want to be there out of love of country; it should be a calling and not a career. We need to mandatorily include feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and for the disabled. Yes, it’s time for an American refresh. Just some of my thoughts …
Not sure what you mean by liberal coalition. The Dem party has two very distinctive wings. One is called the Left or Progressives and the other is called the Liberals or moderates. The Left would love to change the Constitution but the Liberal leadership are loving the status quo. Granted they would rather be in control but their billionaire backers do ok with a Trump run government or even fascism. What we need to do, like Corbin said, is unite but the Left will never bow down to the Elitist leadership of the Party. We must convince the gaslighted Liberal voters that blindly trusting the wealthy Dem Elite to look out for us has failed over and over. How many times must they be bit before they see that the wealthy elite Dem leadership are pawns of the billionaires and major corporations. Remember Obama bailed out the banks and let the homes owners go bankrupt.
On Mills, and the Democratic establishment’s penchant for wasting money on crap candidates; the end result of which is losing eminently winnable elections to GOP nimrods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg1MSQ4A0uI&t=889s
Corbin, my man, right on point as usual. Nuff said.
Is anybody listening? Pray for unity and leadership to make it happen now. No time to waste.
Our country is quickly spiraling into a deep dark anti-democratic hole at the hands of this administration and we may not be able to recover if leadership, fresh and tenured, don’t heed your clear warnings and unify, for the people, to take back our country right now.
Thanks Corbin.
I’m a 72yo mil pilot ret, then 20 yr OT, who worked my way through college on the back of a Carter era SETA program teaching welding to the under-employed in rural Pa. Without that leg up from the gov in the mid 70s none of that would have been possible. I’ve been a dem all my voting life, but when I saw Biden live in SC just before the Clyburne endorsement I knew I was looking at a political party that was a sputtering force. Recently I sent this idea directly to one of Clyburne’s aids (heard nothing back): the party needs to begin to exercise the atrophied muscles of popular unified resistance by announcing a Gandhi (nonviolent) style resistance program - announcing ‘no shopping Fridays’ to continue indefinitely. The semi boycott of spending would not include food and would not target any particular product or company. This idea came from sleepless nights worrying how to kickstart the kind of feedback loop for unity you talk about. Give the people SOMETHING to do!
Buzz, I agree with your idea of diffuse economic pressure on Bezos & Walton family at WalMart & Target & Home Depot, etc! No purchases except food & meds on the designated day(s). The effectiveness of the backlash over taking Jimmy Kimmel off the air to Disney via travel cancellations & streaming service cancellations was $8B over half a week. Tesla Takedowns took longer but pressured Musk out of Doge! There has to be a clear demand to the business sector to stop complying with the dicktocrat’s illegal actions & to apply their pressure to his regime. I don’t think any one politician or group of politicians can lead these actions, though. The No Kings Coalition of nationwide advocacy groups has big momentum with yesterday’s millions but earlier with Tesla Takedowns & cutting off Disney over censorship.
The coalition did trainings on Strategic Noncooperation over the summer & has ultimate goals of ‘buycotts’ & potentially general strike. Strategically, their goal has been to build numbers of participants in order to make economic resistance more powerful…after building the muscle as you described😊 The follow-up call for next steps is Tuesday 8pm Registration link
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/858246/.
Another important feature of the idea is it gives politically agnostic voters, poor and rich, homebound, disabled, don’t own a car, my spouse is MAGA but I’m not a chance to feel they are contributing to the fight. Democratize the fight. Allow those who are disgusted with oligarchs to poke back and take pride in it.
Please read From Dictatorship to Democracy by Dr Gene Sharp and share it.
Thanks for saying so. I’m working to expand the volume of my voice and add others to chorus.
Hello Becky... DJT is the Anti-Christ, Pray for Divine Intervention...
It seems as so and I agree we definitely need divine intervention.
Real talk 🦜
Keep the connection and subscribe 🫂
I live in Loudon county and the resistance is growing - conditions on the ground are apparent. The problem, though, is as you state it. We need new, young, progressive leadership. We need to oust the dinosaurs of the party and reclaim (big D) democratic roots. We need a new New Deal, the populist resistance spark of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, the working class concern of Roosevelt, Perkins, Ickes, the religious leaders, Ryan and Haas, who spoke truth to the faithful and grass roots support from unions, universities.
The New Deal's "3 Rs" were Relief, Recovery, and Reform - more relevant in today's political, environmental and economic cesspools than ever before. But we will never get there if the bought and paid for politicians-for-life are not replaced. The talent is out there - you named them. But the party machine will buck them with funds, fear and falsehoods. The old order must be demolished to make way for the new. We are all empowered to bring that about if we support progressive candidates – not just with donations, but with our voices. Talk to your family, friends, neighbors, contact progressive groups and share the vision needed to unite and drive the change we must achieve. This country belongs to all of US and power belongs to the people – not entrenched politicians, billionaires or authoritarians.
Agree about new leadership, but in reality, the power doesn’t belong to the people, and it hasn’t since the national was founded. We can’t successfully reform what we don’t understand, and most Americans are clueless about the real levers of power. It’s all about tripartite governance, and the civics propaganda we got in school led us to think the tripartite was executive, legislative, and judicial (the Madisonian mythology); when in fact, the Madisonian element is the weakest leg on the three-legged stool. The other two legs, the Trumanist national security state, and the oligarchal deep state consisting of overworld (legacy and tech wealth) and underworld (organized crime) are far more powerful when it comes to policy implementation.
https://substack.com/inbox/post/176216221?utm_source=podcast-email&publication_id=4149341&post_id=176216221&play_audio=true&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&utm_content=watch_now_button&r=eov1&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
I was at the Knoxville rally - it was awesome! Thank you for recognizing us ❤️
I think you have your finger on the pulse of Americans, who are sick and tired of being used and tossed away like Kleenex. I don't think the system can be "reformed." We have elected people like Sanders and AOC, only to be disappointed time and time again. The people who make the decisions are not really in Congress, or the President. We need people who can stand up to these billionaire parasites.
Maybe Corbin is wetting our whistles, seeing if we have the gumption to support his campaign. Ill be your Huckleberry boss, let's do this.
Hmm. This piece echos and better amplifies so much of what I’ve advocating; see my substatck where I expand on all this, per the vehicle of Jon Stewart’s interview with Ken Miller, and what you think of the Tyranny of the Binary (?). My thought’s thus far are certainly only semi coherent.. but its good to see a bunch of us concluding that the lack of ‘leaders’ per se is not the problem. Thanks and keep it up!
I agree with you, Corbin. What next? It seems to me the only way this enormous energy gets channeled in a positive way is for grassroots groups to engage in campaigns that focus on local needs. Real leadership -- and candidates -- will then emerge from unexpected places. That is what will exert pressure on the national party to back those candidates instead of primarying them with so-called centrists.
A No Kings in Knoxville. Well, knock me over with a feather.
Love the focus on reforming the DNC with candidates who get it and are committed to working together.
The effort needs an umbrella to give it structure. The overarching message that is cutting through is “affordability”.
How about calling it the “Affordability Caucus” within the DNC but also making it clear that they are willing to work with Independents and Republicans who are aligned around affordability.
I’ll be launching an attempt soon.
Gotta be honest, I've never seen this many insurgent challenges to the democratic establishment in my many years of observing American politics to be honest. Not sure many of the candidates running for office have either. Yet I know a good idea when I see one, and this is a good idea. I'd suggest taking it even a step further though and reach out to the Corbynite’s and the Greens in the UK as well. If fascist worldwide can link arms, so can the left.
Thank you East TN.
This is very well written and I agree 100%. Do you mind if I share this?
Not even a little. Share away
Great article, Corbin! We went to San Mateo, California's NO KINGS yesterday and had a great time! I will share your article on my FB and Bluesky pages!
Thanks Corbin. I've come around to your way of thinking. We're always going to have to stay united when the egotist sells out to the corrupted money hoarder. But the system itself must be transformed. Right now it serves too few to be meaningful or just. WE MUST HAVE UNITY IN ORDER TO BUILD COMMUNITY. I'm ready. Let's do it!
Right on target, again -- as usual. If I may offer another point: relying on leaders is what brung us here. The hidden menace is the unequal economy we've been sold for centuries... yeah, centuries. -- That the weathy deserve it or have a right to it, neither of which is true. Our institutions have been carved by guess whose money to reflect their desires, not our needs. Our cultivation of agency and community cooperation has to extend to a growing understanding that we can have it all if we get rid of the phony economic rules that set them pretty while we bust ass for less than we need. How does a leader stand for this? Too wonky? Most of them understand messaging but not mechanics of governance and the deeply embedded myths of capitalism. Capitalism should belong to the people -- it could earn us what we need without the totally overboard extravagance and destruction all around us. We could all live comfortably and well, challenged to produce things for each other while working together, if we owned the economy the way they do, and the politics that come with it. How do we teach this?