To me, this is where the rubber meets the road. Where the wheat gets separated from the chaffe. For me, this is almost a make or break issue in deciding which Democratic candidate to support.
This is about economic justice. The Dem party alleges to be the party of the middle class and the little guy. This is supposed to be their bread and butter domestic issue. Their signature issue, as it were. These corporate-written phony "free" trade agreements are, fundamentally, the ultimate symbolic test for who stands with the middle class, and who stands with their K street lobbyist corporate paymasters.
Edwards is right out front on this. Good on him. No more lame NAFTA-style phony free trade agreements. Not without fundamental reforms, to include equitable labor and environmental standards. Criteria which mitigate a race to the bottom, for the lowest wages.
Where are the other Dems? Silent so far. Do they answer to their K street paymasters? Or do they stand with the party of FDR and Truman?
The reason I think this issue is so important, in so many ways, is that it speaks in a fundamental way to what the Dem party is supposed to be about. And if they can't stand for economic justice, what can they stand for?
I've heard it said that you can't have social justice, without having economic justice. In other words, forget about all the social interest groups in the Democratic party - i.e., the pro-choice lobby, the civil rights lobby, the environment lobby. Don't get me wrong. These are all REALLY important issues and constituencies. CRITICAL. I stand shoulder to shoulder with those constituencies.
But, without economic justice for the middle class and working Americans, these social issues go nowhere. They're dead on arrival. Because a working class that is fearful for their jobs and pensions, paranoid of outsourcing, and pessimistic about their economic future, isn't going to give a sh*t about the white spotted owl, or a civil right bill in congress. A electorate fearful about their economic future, is easily exploited on the wedge issues by the fearmongers and the Karl Rovians.
http://www.davidsirota.com/
This is about economic justice. The Dem party alleges to be the party of the middle class and the little guy. This is supposed to be their bread and butter domestic issue. Their signature issue, as it were. These corporate-written phony "free" trade agreements are, fundamentally, the ultimate symbolic test for who stands with the middle class, and who stands with their K street lobbyist corporate paymasters.
Edwards is right out front on this. Good on him. No more lame NAFTA-style phony free trade agreements. Not without fundamental reforms, to include equitable labor and environmental standards. Criteria which mitigate a race to the bottom, for the lowest wages.
Where are the other Dems? Silent so far. Do they answer to their K street paymasters? Or do they stand with the party of FDR and Truman?
The reason I think this issue is so important, in so many ways, is that it speaks in a fundamental way to what the Dem party is supposed to be about. And if they can't stand for economic justice, what can they stand for?
I've heard it said that you can't have social justice, without having economic justice. In other words, forget about all the social interest groups in the Democratic party - i.e., the pro-choice lobby, the civil rights lobby, the environment lobby. Don't get me wrong. These are all REALLY important issues and constituencies. CRITICAL. I stand shoulder to shoulder with those constituencies.
But, without economic justice for the middle class and working Americans, these social issues go nowhere. They're dead on arrival. Because a working class that is fearful for their jobs and pensions, paranoid of outsourcing, and pessimistic about their economic future, isn't going to give a sh*t about the white spotted owl, or a civil right bill in congress. A electorate fearful about their economic future, is easily exploited on the wedge issues by the fearmongers and the Karl Rovians.
http://www.davidsirota.com/
Last edited:
