Do We Need to Scrap the Democrats as Well as The Republicans?

 More than 40 years ago, I read Walter Karp's Indispensable Enemies. Karp presented the Democrat and Republican Parties as cooperative oligarchic parties. Later, I ran across a Gore Vidal essay, calling our two parties separate wings of the Property Party. Having lived in Indiana for most of my life, I have to agree with both views. 

Whether they remain valid is for me an open question. It seems to me since the days of Reagan that the Republicans mean to destroy the Democrats; this picked up speed with Karl Rove; and it is trying to achieve its final victory. Meanwhile, the Democrats appear to think the Republicans will return to cooperation of the old days. The last Great Auk may have thought the same as it laid eyes on another human being approaching it.

Two items which I think agree with and believe describe the problem with Democratic leadership:

Hey Democrats, wake the f—k up (SF Gate)

Democrats Need to Stop Shilling Books and Do Their Jobs

sch 3/13

After drafting and scheduling this post came the news of Chuck Schumer's fecklessness in achieving his Neville Chamberlain moment: 

Schumer appears to have talked himself into believing that by giving in to Trump and saving Republicans from their shutdown, he is protecting the institutional power of congress to have some say over spending. He insists that if the government is shut down, then the administration will have the sole authority over what services are deemed essential, and therefore they’ll seize total control of the government and maybe never bring back tens of thousands of federal workers.

The Daily Reid: What's the point of power

Other than Chamberlain, I am having trouble thinking of another historical analogy. The Directory giving up to Napoleon? No, that lacks the correct flavor. I do not know enough about the French Parliament that let Napoleon III take power. Nope, drawing a blank.

And further fecklessness seems apparent in Why Democrats Are Struggling on Trans Issues (Liberal Patriot):

Democrats don’t need to abandon their principles to win votes, but they should be more willing to engage in good faith on these issues and listen with an open mind—and understand that not even all trans people oppose some reasonable degree of compromise. A failure to honestly reckon with the party’s positions on these issues may leave them stuck in the political wilderness for some time.

And read the comments, too. When our activists act like their activists, where is the choice? I am all for protecting trans people from discrimination, but there are too many questions for me. The first starts with the term trans - is someone who has undergone gender reassignment surgery, or just someone saying they are females with all their maleness intact? Seriously, we need better discussions on this rather than lectures. Fickleness, again.

And then there is a bit of hope: Why Democrats need their own Donald Trump (or Bill Clinton)

sch 3/14

And the beat goes on: 

Chuck Schumer surrendered but these Democratic fighters did not! (The Dean's Report)

What Is Wrong With These Dems??? - by Toure

Seeing Trump - The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Appeasement Is Failing: Why Fighting Back Against Trump Is the Only Option (The Intercept)

Chuck Schumer Is Facing a Biden Moment - by Lauren Egan

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