On 2013-01-24, at 11:03 PM, c b wrote:
> http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/01/24/obama-puts-wall-streets-worst-nightmare-in-charge-of-sec/
Actually, I found this piece in the same publication more interesting:
Hoping last year's poster boy, Tim Tebow, is eating his heart out.
On 2013-01-25, at 7:23 AM, Wojtek S wrote:
> Yeah, he is doing just about what is possible in the US plutocracy,
> although few on this list want to admit it. You and I are probably
> the only two lbo-sters who recognize the fact that a centrist
> politician like Obama is the best the left-of-the center in this
> country can realistically hope for. If by some odd chance a social
> democrat got elected, a fascist putsch or an assassination would
> likely follow.
There are no significant differences between the liberal parties in the US and abroad - between an Obama, a Clinton and a Carter, or a Blair, a Schroeder, and an Hollande. Nary a one. Obama, in fact, indicated a preference for social democracy while a student and community organizer and in his memoir, Dreams from my Father, and would very likely admit to the same sympathies in private today. The US Democrats and their social democratic kin abroad are based on the same social forces, have a common welfare capitalist political ideology and program, and have governed in much the same fashion. They have historically tried to mediate between the ruling class and the working classes, but sharply tilted towards the right as the unions precipitously declined in influence. Transplanted to the US, there's little doubt Blair, Hollande, Schroeder and other NATO social democrats would pursue the same domestic and foreign policy agenda as past and present Democratic administrations, including the unhesitating deployment of US military forces abroad in defence of the empire.
It's fanciful, to put it delicately, to suppose these European politicians would face a fascist putsch sponsored by Wall Street if they were to hold office, or would be at greater risk of assassination than Obama by some lone gunman with confused political motives. The US and European bourgeoisies are comfortable with both left of centre governments and right of centre ones, and arguably tend to favour the DP and European social democratic parties to impose austerity and mute the discontent of their restless working class followers in times of crisis. In any case, rest assured that no one in danger of provoking a fascist putsch is likely to get elected under the current political system.