Wall Street healthcare will never be affordable. Dividends, multi-million dollar CEO salaries and the extra bureaucratic costs add 30% or so of non-care costs.
Decades of lobbying and pleading Democrats and Republicans to push legislation that benefits working people has produced only marginal, token gains at best. Here we are at the brink of societal collapse. Lobbying is a failed strategy and misdirects our resources and efforts. Channel the energy and resources into replacing them with
Another problem is that voting for Democrats is, with apologies to Forest Gump, like voting for a box of chocolates. You might get a nice, caramelly Medicare for All Health Care is a Public Good Democrat. Or, once you bite into it you end up with that crappy hollow Democrat who votes with Republicans, or won't vote for a progressive policy until it's been watered down and privatized.
I try to start by rejecting the "nature hypothesis." If this is just "humans" being humans then we are in trouble. There's no reason to write what we are writing. What are the relevant structures? Republicans at this point have no problem lining up behind MAGA. Why? MAGA is scary to politicians. They have a solid voting bloc. But they are not scary to the corporate elite. Their goals are easily coopted by economic elites. So long as MAGA is cheering brown people being beaten up and thrown in concentration camps, the corporate elite can continue to steal to their hearts content. There's no liberal or left equivalent. Popular left policies that even liberals and many conservatives embrace, like Medicare for All, are rejected by the economic elite. Democrats remain enthralled to their corporate funders and their proxies...the so-called "moderates" who will have enough legislative power to scuttle any popular left measure. As it stands, Democrats cannot win without these "moderates." But they also can't win without progressives. Until this is resolved in some meaningful way it will take much more than a Democratic supermajority to accomplish anything. It will require a specifically progressive supermajority...and that's not in the cards. The "left" is not going to have a movement that economic elites are willing to dance with. Small "d" democratic movement building, including a discourse that can organize an overwhelming public support that the economic elite dares not contradict is necessary. We are nowhere close to that. Consequently, a Democratic victory this fall and in 2028 is only going to disappoint and likely bring us right back to where we are now in 2030 and 2032.
Even voting for one is like voting for a box of chocolates — they say anything on the campaign trail to get votes, but in reality “you nevah know what you gon get.” 🤣🫠
Everything you’ve said resonates. There are a few other people doing exact what you’re doing. I already support some of them with my limited means. I’d like to know who you’ve identified to work with. Both candidates and wranglers like yourself. When we organize we win. But we don’t need multiple lone rangers.
This reflects the distrust and disillusionment with our leaders in DC who have become puppets of the rich and corporations based on our broken quasi Democracy. Until we fix our Democracy and get big money out of it completely - there will be no progress in the USA. 65% of all citizens/parties agree on the biggest issues - dealing with Global Warming, better wages, no more stupid wars, and common sense gun laws to name a few. If we got rid of the electoral system - we would not be in the horrible predicament based on tyranny of the ignorant MAGA minority. I am for a peaceful break up of the country - with a 10 year relocation plan. As a hard working Blue State citizen paying the highest taxes in the country - I am sick of carrying the dumb racist red states on my back. Let’s break up peacefully before it gets real ugly again.
I hope your list of candidates include people who care more about helping the people who need help in our country and way less about going after Donald Trump because of the things he’s done it’s time to help people not be mean
We're not even walking at this time. I'd like to see justice, but first let's try to get society back up and running. History will castigate the evil. The uniparty is corrupt and fighting each other has become a profitable game for them. 😢
Here's a "cheap" solution to money in politics. What about a boycott movement whereby we the voters refuse to vote for anybody--regardless of party or platform--who takes corporate donations. In this way, we turn corporate donations from a rigged advantage to a fatal liability. In other words, we turn that corporate donor money into dogshit just by refusing to give it value by voting for its beneficiaries. America's Undoing is where it's at and Corbin is doing the macro strategizing that no else is doing. I think we need to pursue both expensive and cheap solutions. The cheap ones involve looking at what we-the-voters, we-the-consumers, etc., go along with that we could just stop going along with--and making a movement out of it.
Just no, sorry. If you want to make an actual difference in time to save the planet, it’ll require taking THIS energy and using it to build a viable third party. You could start something truly incredible, or help build an existing party like the Greens out. That you insist on trying to preserve rotten fruit is hugely disappointing.
There’s a way to combine those lifts, and maybe make the systemic transition quicker. That’s to endorse candidates who share the anti-corporate coup vision, and dispense with the label parsing.
Kshama Sawant is running for a congressional seat against a corporatist Dem and a bozo from the GOP. It’s not a primary, and it’s not an open seat, but she is far and away the best candidate running, nationwide.
I don’t like all of Thomas Massie’s libertarian leanings, but he gets the fact there has been a corporate coup, and we need to meaningfully address it.
Butch Ware is the Green candidate for governor in CA, and is far and away the best candidate, light years ahead in advocating for the policies we need. The plethora of Dem candidates running are hurl worthy; picking the best Dem is a fool’s errand.
Start contacting, and endorsing, the best candidates, regardless of label. That will drive the Overton Window back towards giving us the coalition of elected officials we need.
If I were 20 years younger and in better overall health I would love to run for Congress myself. I was raised by parents of "the greatest generation". I can remember in the mid to late 60's my father having to pay almost 80% of his pay in taxes. He never complained. He knew what being poor meant. His family had been devastated during the depression. Since coming home from WWII he also realized just how blessed he was; both by God and by circumstances; most of which flowed from the federal government under programs enacted by a progressive leader who led us out of the Republican mess that was the great depression. He didn't mind helping others who had not been as fortunate as he was. Since this was pre civil rights era, he made sure that he also contributed in ways that he could to support people of color who were always struggling due to the damage that had been placed upon them by no fault of their own. We lived comfortably, however we did not squander our money. We lived within our means. My father was fortunate enough to have found a house he could afford that would be comfortable for his family. Houses were being built everywhere to accommodate all the GI's retuning from the war and using their GI bill funds. Life was good. For most everyone. There were very few simi-millionaires and billionaires had never even been thought of. No one was that greedy! Greed is going to be the downfall of not just us in the USA, but or civilization itself. There is only so much available; land, resources, etc; and when just a tiny few hold sway over almost all of it (and are still not satisfied!) the rest of us become expendable. We can; and must; stop this. It will not be easy. We have allowed this slow motion train wreck to continue for so long that those entrenched in power and position will not relinquish that power or money very easily. But, we can do it. There is relatively few people who hold that kind of power and wealth; there are billions of us world wide. They know if we ever quit quibbling over the small stuff; which both parties constantly keep stirred up to prevent us from unifying; we will conquer them relatively easily. But the will must be there. And we must get past our pettiness that serves to keep us apart when in reality, we are closer than we think. I hope I, for one, can find a way to contribute to this noble cause; it will take all of us; whether it be in monetary value or help in holding events or just cheerleading for the candidates. If we all come together and work towards what we know is for all of our best; this really will be a win for not just our country but the entire world and maybe soon we will all be a bit better off and closer to each other. And even the wealthy and greedy will be just fine. They may lose their billionaire status on paper, but they too will be able to live just fine. Maybe, like the dolls for Christmas that president Trump so ineloquently tried to tell us about, the once was billionaire class may have to learn to make it on just 1 Learjet, just one super yacht, and maybe just 3 houses. They'll still be fine. They won't starve or have to live on the streets, and maybe; just maybe neither will anyone else.
Thank you, Corbin. You are right about what needs to happen and I like your plan for actually building a movement to make it happen. I do believe a shift is building. In March, I attended Denver's assembly as a delegate -- this is the Democratic Party's process for determining the platform and who gets on the ballot. A young "Justice Democrat"-endorsed candidate, Melat Kiros beat 19 year encumbant, Diana Degette by 30 points netting her 60 more delegates. A move to add to the party platform a commitment to reject war in the Middle East and oppose the genocide of Gaza passed! The assembly of about 1400 was comptised of many older seasoned "Democrats" (who typically represent party loyalty and leadership) but also a large contingent of young delegates. The young were organized, spoke out and won!
I believe Degette is in for a real race. (Just one tiny example of what I see and feel is happening across the country.)
Another process of remaking the SCOTUS (which must happen if we are to have any hope of rebuilding from the destruction of this billionaire coup d'etat) is to pass legislation to restructure the power of the judicial system, aka expand the power of district courts, and expand the number on the SCOTUS, thus nullifying the power of the corrupt 6, and adopt and enforce ethics rules.
One minor suggestion is to look at Republicans as well as Democrats to back. Even in deep red districts, folks would likely vote for someone offering solutions other than farm subsidies, tax cuts, and permanent foreign wars.
Wall Street healthcare will never be affordable. Dividends, multi-million dollar CEO salaries and the extra bureaucratic costs add 30% or so of non-care costs.
HMOs destroyed our affordable health care.
https://davcer.substack.com/p/wall-street-healthcare-will-never
https://davcer.substack.com/p/wall-street-health-care-ii-costs
Decades of lobbying and pleading Democrats and Republicans to push legislation that benefits working people has produced only marginal, token gains at best. Here we are at the brink of societal collapse. Lobbying is a failed strategy and misdirects our resources and efforts. Channel the energy and resources into replacing them with
I’m not suggesting the lobbying of the party. I’m suggesting the beating of its leaders. Regime change.
I agree with you. It’s time to stop pleading to deaf ears and just take over government.
Another problem is that voting for Democrats is, with apologies to Forest Gump, like voting for a box of chocolates. You might get a nice, caramelly Medicare for All Health Care is a Public Good Democrat. Or, once you bite into it you end up with that crappy hollow Democrat who votes with Republicans, or won't vote for a progressive policy until it's been watered down and privatized.
That’s humans. Not just democrats.
I try to start by rejecting the "nature hypothesis." If this is just "humans" being humans then we are in trouble. There's no reason to write what we are writing. What are the relevant structures? Republicans at this point have no problem lining up behind MAGA. Why? MAGA is scary to politicians. They have a solid voting bloc. But they are not scary to the corporate elite. Their goals are easily coopted by economic elites. So long as MAGA is cheering brown people being beaten up and thrown in concentration camps, the corporate elite can continue to steal to their hearts content. There's no liberal or left equivalent. Popular left policies that even liberals and many conservatives embrace, like Medicare for All, are rejected by the economic elite. Democrats remain enthralled to their corporate funders and their proxies...the so-called "moderates" who will have enough legislative power to scuttle any popular left measure. As it stands, Democrats cannot win without these "moderates." But they also can't win without progressives. Until this is resolved in some meaningful way it will take much more than a Democratic supermajority to accomplish anything. It will require a specifically progressive supermajority...and that's not in the cards. The "left" is not going to have a movement that economic elites are willing to dance with. Small "d" democratic movement building, including a discourse that can organize an overwhelming public support that the economic elite dares not contradict is necessary. We are nowhere close to that. Consequently, a Democratic victory this fall and in 2028 is only going to disappoint and likely bring us right back to where we are now in 2030 and 2032.
Even voting for one is like voting for a box of chocolates — they say anything on the campaign trail to get votes, but in reality “you nevah know what you gon get.” 🤣🫠
Everything you’ve said resonates. There are a few other people doing exact what you’re doing. I already support some of them with my limited means. I’d like to know who you’ve identified to work with. Both candidates and wranglers like yourself. When we organize we win. But we don’t need multiple lone rangers.
Hey Susan. Who is it that you’re supporting that you reckon is doing this already?
This reflects the distrust and disillusionment with our leaders in DC who have become puppets of the rich and corporations based on our broken quasi Democracy. Until we fix our Democracy and get big money out of it completely - there will be no progress in the USA. 65% of all citizens/parties agree on the biggest issues - dealing with Global Warming, better wages, no more stupid wars, and common sense gun laws to name a few. If we got rid of the electoral system - we would not be in the horrible predicament based on tyranny of the ignorant MAGA minority. I am for a peaceful break up of the country - with a 10 year relocation plan. As a hard working Blue State citizen paying the highest taxes in the country - I am sick of carrying the dumb racist red states on my back. Let’s break up peacefully before it gets real ugly again.
Have been waiting for just that
We are NOT United in any sense of the word
The stark differences are obvious and the fact that we pay the federal govt to use our tax dollars
pay salaries for ICE!!!!
I hope your list of candidates include people who care more about helping the people who need help in our country and way less about going after Donald Trump because of the things he’s done it’s time to help people not be mean
It’s “mean” to hold child rapists and genocidal war mongers accountable? Sorry but we can walk and chew gum at the same time my friend.
We're not even walking at this time. I'd like to see justice, but first let's try to get society back up and running. History will castigate the evil. The uniparty is corrupt and fighting each other has become a profitable game for them. 😢
Here's a "cheap" solution to money in politics. What about a boycott movement whereby we the voters refuse to vote for anybody--regardless of party or platform--who takes corporate donations. In this way, we turn corporate donations from a rigged advantage to a fatal liability. In other words, we turn that corporate donor money into dogshit just by refusing to give it value by voting for its beneficiaries. America's Undoing is where it's at and Corbin is doing the macro strategizing that no else is doing. I think we need to pursue both expensive and cheap solutions. The cheap ones involve looking at what we-the-voters, we-the-consumers, etc., go along with that we could just stop going along with--and making a movement out of it.
Just no, sorry. If you want to make an actual difference in time to save the planet, it’ll require taking THIS energy and using it to build a viable third party. You could start something truly incredible, or help build an existing party like the Greens out. That you insist on trying to preserve rotten fruit is hugely disappointing.
I’m just not convinced that starting from scratch is the path. I hear it. I do. I think there is a massive lift either way.
There’s a way to combine those lifts, and maybe make the systemic transition quicker. That’s to endorse candidates who share the anti-corporate coup vision, and dispense with the label parsing.
Kshama Sawant is running for a congressional seat against a corporatist Dem and a bozo from the GOP. It’s not a primary, and it’s not an open seat, but she is far and away the best candidate running, nationwide.
I don’t like all of Thomas Massie’s libertarian leanings, but he gets the fact there has been a corporate coup, and we need to meaningfully address it.
Butch Ware is the Green candidate for governor in CA, and is far and away the best candidate, light years ahead in advocating for the policies we need. The plethora of Dem candidates running are hurl worthy; picking the best Dem is a fool’s errand.
Start contacting, and endorsing, the best candidates, regardless of label. That will drive the Overton Window back towards giving us the coalition of elected officials we need.
Having a better USA 🇺🇸 and therefore a better world is always worth working for.
If I were 20 years younger and in better overall health I would love to run for Congress myself. I was raised by parents of "the greatest generation". I can remember in the mid to late 60's my father having to pay almost 80% of his pay in taxes. He never complained. He knew what being poor meant. His family had been devastated during the depression. Since coming home from WWII he also realized just how blessed he was; both by God and by circumstances; most of which flowed from the federal government under programs enacted by a progressive leader who led us out of the Republican mess that was the great depression. He didn't mind helping others who had not been as fortunate as he was. Since this was pre civil rights era, he made sure that he also contributed in ways that he could to support people of color who were always struggling due to the damage that had been placed upon them by no fault of their own. We lived comfortably, however we did not squander our money. We lived within our means. My father was fortunate enough to have found a house he could afford that would be comfortable for his family. Houses were being built everywhere to accommodate all the GI's retuning from the war and using their GI bill funds. Life was good. For most everyone. There were very few simi-millionaires and billionaires had never even been thought of. No one was that greedy! Greed is going to be the downfall of not just us in the USA, but or civilization itself. There is only so much available; land, resources, etc; and when just a tiny few hold sway over almost all of it (and are still not satisfied!) the rest of us become expendable. We can; and must; stop this. It will not be easy. We have allowed this slow motion train wreck to continue for so long that those entrenched in power and position will not relinquish that power or money very easily. But, we can do it. There is relatively few people who hold that kind of power and wealth; there are billions of us world wide. They know if we ever quit quibbling over the small stuff; which both parties constantly keep stirred up to prevent us from unifying; we will conquer them relatively easily. But the will must be there. And we must get past our pettiness that serves to keep us apart when in reality, we are closer than we think. I hope I, for one, can find a way to contribute to this noble cause; it will take all of us; whether it be in monetary value or help in holding events or just cheerleading for the candidates. If we all come together and work towards what we know is for all of our best; this really will be a win for not just our country but the entire world and maybe soon we will all be a bit better off and closer to each other. And even the wealthy and greedy will be just fine. They may lose their billionaire status on paper, but they too will be able to live just fine. Maybe, like the dolls for Christmas that president Trump so ineloquently tried to tell us about, the once was billionaire class may have to learn to make it on just 1 Learjet, just one super yacht, and maybe just 3 houses. They'll still be fine. They won't starve or have to live on the streets, and maybe; just maybe neither will anyone else.
Thank you, Corbin. You are right about what needs to happen and I like your plan for actually building a movement to make it happen. I do believe a shift is building. In March, I attended Denver's assembly as a delegate -- this is the Democratic Party's process for determining the platform and who gets on the ballot. A young "Justice Democrat"-endorsed candidate, Melat Kiros beat 19 year encumbant, Diana Degette by 30 points netting her 60 more delegates. A move to add to the party platform a commitment to reject war in the Middle East and oppose the genocide of Gaza passed! The assembly of about 1400 was comptised of many older seasoned "Democrats" (who typically represent party loyalty and leadership) but also a large contingent of young delegates. The young were organized, spoke out and won!
I believe Degette is in for a real race. (Just one tiny example of what I see and feel is happening across the country.)
Another process of remaking the SCOTUS (which must happen if we are to have any hope of rebuilding from the destruction of this billionaire coup d'etat) is to pass legislation to restructure the power of the judicial system, aka expand the power of district courts, and expand the number on the SCOTUS, thus nullifying the power of the corrupt 6, and adopt and enforce ethics rules.
One minor suggestion is to look at Republicans as well as Democrats to back. Even in deep red districts, folks would likely vote for someone offering solutions other than farm subsidies, tax cuts, and permanent foreign wars.