saw thomas frank give a guest lecture tonight

[dannybin1742]

has anyone besides me read this book? its a very good book describing the backlash culture of the right, interms of what keeps feeding it, what its doing, and how it helps the rich get richer.


i specifically like the the phrase "the movement was born to lose" purtaining to the fact that all the issues that these republicans get elected on in kansas -abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research etc.... are all issues that they will never win/change, but its used to galvanize the electorate and forget about economic issues and elect people who support their views, and make their economic situations much worse. case in point, the republicans have been in control of all three branches of government and they still have yet to change anything they campaigned on.

Bush- 2 months after the 2004 election was asked by a reporter what he plans to do about gay marriage his response (in short) "nothing"

senator brownback of kansas who runs his campaign partially on anti abortion used to be pro-abortion back in the day

jim nussle of iowa "family values man" gets a girl in oregon pregnantearly on in his career, divorces his wife, and marries another woman (not the one he got pregnant), and continues to campaign on his "values" ***this is not in the book, i thought i'd add it****

he also spent a fair amount of time talking about anti capitalist writing in the 1930s and how ann coutler and these others that push the anti-liberal stuff, have basically taken 30s literature, crossed out capitalist and written in liberal

he also had with him a paphlet that the republican part sent around to voters in 2004 right before the election that made suggestions the the democrats would ban the bible- appauling! people beleived it too

anyone else who read this book or has seen this guy talk, can comment

no i don't check spelling

 

[judasmachine]

I haven't read it or seen him, but would be very interested in doing so. My book queue keeps getting longer.

 

[dannybin1742]

yes this is an excelent book on how the republicans have convinced working americans to vote against their economic best interest time an again, the book focuses on kansas, but it is applicable to the entire US

 

[Todd33]

I got about 80% through it and forgot to finish it. It was a bit slow at times.

 

[Genx87]

Each party has their platform.
Repubs run on more conservative agendas like no gay marriage, anti-abortion, more faith based itiatives.
Democrats run on their own set of boogeyman called Welfare for the poor, going to save us from the rich by taxing them for their success, saving minorities, and isolationism.

The % chance that democrats will do anything to further their own platform vs the republicans furthering theirs is about the same.

 

[dannybin1742]

genx87, you should really read this book, you might be elightened finding yourself part of the backlash movement that comprises a very large percentage of the right

Repubs run on more conservative agendas like no gay marriage, anti-abortion, more faith based itiatives.

exactly, but these are issues that don't affect their poor and middle class voters in their daily lives, but when legistaion is passed to deregulate the farming industry, that does hurt them (freedom to farm act of 96- which has decimated family farms), yet they still vote repub even though they are the exact people who are destroying their lives


as to your comment about agendas, the ones that drive your party will never be passed AND kept as law, they are unattainable because of the interpretation of the constitution and the question of constitutionality, whereas the democrats agenda is attainable, but they need majority in congress, the pubs have had control of all three branches for a while now and none of their social agenda, which is what candidates get elected on has been passed

you will never change abortion
you will never ban gay marriage

but yet you candidates continually get sent to washington to try and do just this

ex:
a population of poor/middle class americans elect a candidate to washington to try to pass legislation to ban abortion, what they get in return in a tax cut for the wealthy (doesn't help them), and the process continues over and over again

HAVE you READ THIS BOOK?

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: dannybin1742
as to your comment about agendas, the ones that drive your party will never be passed AND kept as law, they are unattainable because of the interpretation of the constitution and the question of constitutionality, whereas the democrats agenda is attainable, but they need majority in congress, the pubs have had control of all three branches for a while now and none of their social agenda, which is what candidates get elected on has been passed

you will never change abortion
you will never ban gay marriage

but yet you candidates continually get sent to washington to try and do just this

If they ban abortion and gay marriage they will not have an effective slogan during election time.

These issues (& gun control) are the rallying cry of conservatives. Take them away and what platform do they stand on? Tax cut? Spending cuts in SS, education, healthcare and arts? They would lose in a heartbeat.

A lot of Republican politicians know this & they will keep chipping at these issues but never actually overturn or ban them.

Personally I would love to see abortion and gay marriage banned - either by congress or by the supreme court.

It's sad that as all other countries are becoming more tolerant as a society, we in the US are turning back our society towards the dark ages. USA used to be the bastion of liberty and freedom to choose - yes even your lifestyle - but no more.

 

[Tab]

I've had this book recommended to me multiple times, I guess I should pick it up...