[Camejo] The Democratic Party is different. They act as a "broker" negotiating and selling influence among broad layers of the people to support the objectives of corporate rule. The Democratic Party's core group of elected officials is rooted in careerists seeking self-promotion by offering to the corporate rulers their ability to control and deliver mass support. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Even this is no longer true. A crucial reason why control of political institutions (the Presidency, the Congress, governorships, etc.) has been slipping out of the hands of the Democrats is becaue they can no longer "deliver the masses". So the majority of the American bourgoisie have, since Reagan, turned to the Republicans to deliver another kind of mass support, from the Far Right.
Chronic atrophy of this key function of the Democratic Party is what has driven the American Left into its present state of hysteria. Give it up already. The Democrats are doomed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And to the people they offer some concessions, modifications on the platform of the Republican Party. One important value of the Democratic Party to the corporate world is that it makes the Republican Party possible through the maintenance of the stability that is essential for "business as usual." It does this by preventing a genuine mass opposition from developing. Together the two parties offer one of the best frameworks possible with which to rule a people that otherwise would begin to move society towards the rule of the people (i.e. democracy). -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now the framework's been inverted, the Far Right is now pulling the wagon (and will continue to do so even if Kerry wins), and the wheels are coming off.
It will be an interesting time, if nothing else.
-Brad Mayer