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Trump is the missing Labor Party


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2017 Aug 27, 7:15pm   13,918 views  75 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (55)   💰tip   ignore  

It occurred to me that ever since the Democrats abandoned their representation of working people in favor of non-stop identity politics, there has been a vacuum.

Democratic leaders assumed that working class and poor white people would simply continue to vote Democratic even while being demonized by their own party, since the Republicans remained the party of capital as ever, and still do not really represent working class and poor people. But this left poor whites, and poor white men in particular, with no representation in either party.

In steps Donald Trump, and starts saying exactly what the Democrats have failed to say:

* American workers have been badly screwed by globalization, particularly the wholesale shipping of US manufacturing to China.
* Illegal aliens drive down wages for poor US citizens.
* Obamacare has dramatically increased the cost of medical insurance, to the point where insurance for a family of four can easily be greater than rent or a mortgage.

The Democrats say that manufacturing is not possible for our economy anymore, but the massive examples of Japan and Germany doing just fine on modern manufacturing prove them wrong. What working whites hear is that the Democratic Party really doesn't care what happens to them, and maybe actually hates them just for their race or gender.

So whether by luck or skill, The Donald actually says the truths that Democrats still fail to acknowledge. Thus his "inexplicable" popularity among poorer white voters, who are then demonized yet again as racists by the Democrats, simply for wanting some representation in government.

I keep trying to understand exactly what happened, and I think this is a fair explanation. Trump needed to declare himself a Republican to get access to the party machinery, but in reality, he is a one-man Labor Party, something America has been missing.

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1   Patrick   2017 Aug 27, 7:19pm  

Yeah.
2   anonymous   2017 Aug 27, 7:41pm  

It is good point Pat made. Trump was known to hangout with construction workers and talk their language. Empathy.
3   steverbeaver   2017 Aug 27, 8:34pm  

I'm not so sure the Donks ever cared about the working class. It was all a ruse for votes and power. Not that the Republicans have been much better at caring about the people either...
4   Patrick   2017 Aug 27, 8:53pm  

steverbeaver says
I'm not so sure the Donks ever cared about the working class. It was all a ruse for votes and power.


At least the Democrats (Donks) used to pretend to care. Now the white working class doesn't even get that from them.
5   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 9:16pm  

EIther that or Brietbart, Drudge, Fox, etc are more effective than anyone can imagine.

Democrats are owned by the corporations and plutocrats too, but in reality democrats would do far more for workers than Trump ever will, but Trump is an effective con man and you've bought his bs about being an outsider and for you.

The other thing is that it's true that democrats need to make their message as exclusively as possible directed towards all workers without attention to separate groups, because the latter is used by right wing media to trigger the subgroups that are most susceptible to hating on the identity groups or at least feeling "hey, what about me?"

The effectiveness of the propaganda is well evidenced by the fact that for example someone could hear one story on NPR just one and because of the bias formed in their bubble, and the hate they hear on rigt wing media that they want to embrace, they will then say, "that's all NPR ever talks about." I'm talking people that are otherwise often capable of honesty and introspection.

6   mell   2017 Aug 27, 9:25pm  

Spot on. Esp. blue collar white males turned to Trump as they are being blamed by the Democrat and their leftoid brain-dead identity politics. I know a few in their "prime" (30s) years that are turning conservative and seeking smaller conservative communities to escape from this misandric and white/white-collar hating society/media.

7   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 9:30pm  

Patrick says

non-stop identity politics

It's funny really.

Are programmers more susceptible to being programmed ?

But again, I agree. If that's the effect of having any identity politics, then let's get away from it. DOn't give those programers of hate their ammunition.

Lol, Also, Soros needs to stop paying liberal protesters to be so violent out there.

8   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 9:34pm  

says

Trump was known to hangout with construction workers and talk their language. Empathy.

Was empathy the reason why he sometimes stiffed them, and was especially fond of using low cost illegal immigrants ?

I guess you can argue that Trumps lies are better than the real things democrats would do simply out of a sense of what's right, without even sufficiently promoting themselves for everything they do that's in the people's interest.

People pay too much attention ON BOTH SIDES to what politicians say to win elections, and not enough attention to all of their platforms and policies and what they are really all about. Most of what you hear from democrats about identity politics or political correctness has far less to do with the laws and policies they will implement and far more to do with how right wing media will trigger people to vote against their interests.

9   mell   2017 Aug 27, 9:36pm  

Btw. this is not just an American issue. In Germany there's also a labor party missing as the Social Democrats, once a bastion for the common worker, have - in similar fashion - abandoned their base long ago for identity politics and the mainstream Christian Democrats have joined in (similar to mainstream Republicans) hoping that by cucking they can skim off enough votes. So far the (considered) "right-wing" AFD has been gaining every election and it will be interesting to see what happens in this one.

10   MisdemeanorRebel   2017 Aug 27, 9:40pm  

Patrick says

In steps Donald Trump, and starts saying exactly what the Democrats have failed to say:

And that's why the Cuck wing of the Republican Party - McConnell, Ryan, McCain, Graham - hate him. Their job was to make sure regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans won, or if the occasional "Real Conservative" won a seat or two, Corporate Socialism continued. Occasionally throwing a bone to a social conservative and economic conservative base in the form of having hearings on Terri Shiavo or the IRS. Dodging of course that the states regulate death laws and the IRS charges you what Congress wants them to, and goes after that nice range of taxpayer that has enough to bother disputing, but not enough to fight in court forever, a few million; but never big companies cheating their asses off.

Controlled Opposition - it's also why both parties like insoluble social/cultural issues so much. The Oligarchs do whatever they want, it's the economy they care about.

The best evidence is how McCain and Graham are pushing Open Borders, except for Canadian Drugs (and Booker, and Tester, and Pelosi...) Or that McCain spent millions in ads touting he was going to repeal Obamacare if re-elected; now he's an opponent. Because it was just for votes. Just like Booker will never vote for Canadian Drugs

11   anonymous   2017 Aug 27, 9:48pm  

marcus says

one story on NPR just one

Just one? Consider today's schedule of hour-long identity politics shows for example: (http://www.kqed.org/radio/schedules/daily/)

Why the Internet is Toxic for Women
Liberty Weekend Live Coverage of Bay Area Far Right Rallies and Counter-protests (about "white supremacist groups")
Writer and director John Ridley confronts the legacy of racism
How did Jose de Jesus die? A medical examiner explains, and we meet the Deniz Sahagun family and explain the immigration detention system.
How much of who we are is biology?

And of course the obligatory daily Russia-accusation-without-proof:

Post-modern techniques in Vladimir Putins Russia include Managed Democracy, Non-Linear Warfare and a kind of industrialized blackmail called Kompromattechniques designed to undermine truth itself. Are there parallels in Washington?

And this does not even begin to count the continuous identity politics stories in NPR news, usually one every other minute during any of their news shows.

I think you mean well and want to believe that NPR is about something other than identity politics, but that's just not true. NPR is mostly about inflaming divisions via identity politics, every day, all day long.

12   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 9:50pm  

rando says

And this does not even begin to count the continuous identity politics stories in NPR news, usually one every other minute during any of their news shows.

I listen to it every day on the way to work and not only do I not hear any identity politics, I also hear coverage of Trump that sounds neutral. Maybe it depends a lot on where you are. Local programming for SF must be way different than LA (KCRW).

http://www.kcrw.com/

13   Patrick   2017 Aug 27, 9:51pm  

marcus says

I listen to it every day on the way to work and not only do I not hear any identity politics, I also hear coverage of Trump that sounds neutral.

There are none so deaf...

14   MisdemeanorRebel   2017 Aug 27, 9:55pm  

rando says

Post-modern techniques in Vladimir Putins Russia include Managed Democracy, Non-Linear Warfare and a kind of industrialized blackmail called Kompromattechniques designed to undermine truth itself. Are there parallels in Washington?

Yes, the Deep State and Oligarchical Control of Media.

Look at the corporations, banning Confederate Flags from Ebay for fucks sake.

15   mell   2017 Aug 27, 9:57pm  

marcus says

rando says

And this does not even begin to count the continuous identity politics stories in NPR news, usually one every other minute during any of their news shows.

I listen to it every day on the way to work and not only do I not hear any identity politics, I also hear coverage of Trump that sounds neutral

I still sometimes listen to it in the car, but you can't see the forest for the trees. Besides purely economical programs such as freakonomics I also used to like Forum and got to respect Michael Krasny, but for years now Forum has become extremely boring as the most "right" participant that is brought in is usually a centrist Democrat and 50% of the topics deal with identity politics and Trumps administration problems. NPR has gone downhill quite a bit and I think even Michael Krasny enjoys moderating Forum much anymore. I could see him giving it up within the next 2-3 years if not sooner.

16   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 9:58pm  

rando says

There are none so deaf...

MY drive is short and it's the news I'm listening to.

Yes, reality has a well known liberal bias, says the people that can't see in any way the degree to which this country has shifted to the right in the past 40 years. When I was a child there was a local senator Charles Percy, (chicago) who was far more liberal than nearly any democrat in the senate now.

Taxes were far more progressive then. And the middle class was flourishing. True, the country was still naive about propaganda back then. We even had the fairness doctrine.

Try to consider what politicians do or try to do (e.g. recentattempts with health care) rather than the bullsit lies they say to satisfy your hate.

17   Patrick   2017 Aug 27, 10:03pm  

marcus says

your hate

You know that no discussion ever happens after one side says "your hate", right?

C'mon.

18   Bellingham Bill   2017 Aug 27, 10:04pm  

but the massive examples of Japan and Germany doing just fine on modern manufacturing

Japan and Germany have export economies with concomitant weak currencies to keep their labor forces price-competitive with lower-wage locales

Shows they have maintained 1/4 their employment base in mfg, about what the USA had until 1980.

Blue is annual trade deficit as % wages (about half this trade deficit was just oil imports)

Red is annual real GDP % growth

The flood of cheap shit from China, Mexico and all the other cheap labor countries has given us a lot of economic growth, as we become a nation of consumers instead of producers.

We've built up an $8T negative NIIP but that's a bill that the mailman lost apparently.

Clinton was pretty conservative in his economics and while Obama was thought of as a reincarnated Che Guevara by the right in reality he absorbed a lot of University of Chicago crap in his time there as a law prof.

Democrats to their credit mostly (60%) voted against NAFTA, Republicans went 75% for it.

Thing is, since Carter the Dems have had control of government for 4 years, the first 2 years of Clinton and Obama admins. And that's only partial control as SCOTUS can still fuck with Dem legislation, like the Roberts court removing the mandatory Medicaid expansion from PPACA.

Trump being pro-labor is laughable as his conservative supporters regularly conflate "leftists" with radicalism.

Sorry Patrick, more Corporatism for you.

19   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 10:09pm  

If Trump had the ability to cause a brief but intense inflation (dollar value lost) that effected financial and real assets in an extreme way but caused real wages (i.e purchadsing power) to decrease significantly....let's put numbers on it - say this inflation caused his leveraged real estate empire to triple in real equity value, but the average American would be 20% worse off (permanently !) than they would have been had it not happened, is there anyone here that thinks Trump would not choose this ?

Really. Be honest now !

20   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 10:15pm  

Patrick says

You know that no discussion ever happens after one side says "your hate", right?

Okay, not you personally (although you are sometimes blinded by hate of Muslims - what you call being in touch with a reality that some of us deny out of a desire to keep America what it is). Are you going to tell me that Brietbart, Alex Jones and others don't work the hate angle ? That is knowing that there are some that really want to immerse themselves in hate ? Or that some truly feel hate towards liberals, and that they want to help them confirm those emotions ?

Are you going to tell me that you've never listened to Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh or Alex Jones or other talk radio and heard them very obviously appealing to hate ?

21   MisdemeanorRebel   2017 Aug 27, 10:16pm  

Bellingham Bill says

Democrats to their credit mostly (60%) voted against NAFTA, Republicans went 75% for it.

In the early 90s, when there were still Old School Democrats, 40% voted for it, including many that become party leaders of today like Pelosi. NAFTA happened BEFORE the Republicans took back Congress, the 60/40 split by the Democrats guaranteed it's passage. It should have been 99% against.

Almost all modern Democratic Politicians at the Federal level, and most at the State Level, are diehard Neoliberals. The crazy idea we have a shortage of unskilled workers, and adding more mostly unskilled people to the nation, is also a universal belief. We also have no shortage of entry-level professionals, either. There's actually a STEM glut.

.

Meanwhile people who say immigration is wonderful plan to retire to homogenuous countries that really don't allow any immigration, indeed they paid Brazilian Japanese to leave the country. I believe Japan took twenty-four (24) refugees last year, most of whom had Japanese ancestry. But they gave a lot to the UN Refugee Programs to avoid criticism. We should do the same.

22   Patrick   2017 Aug 27, 10:25pm  

I never said Trump is a great human being, only that Trump is the sole representative in government who is at least saying the right things about the concerns of labor.

That makes him our Labor Party. The Republicans really didn't want him. He's definitely not a Democrat either, and least not a new style identity-politics Democrat.

23   Patrick   2017 Aug 27, 10:43pm  

Could be just salesmanship. I'm not entirely sure how much he really intends to do, or can get done given the opposition, even within his own party.

What I am entirely sure about is that the opposition (Democrats and the media) have become utterly unhinged and care about nothing except getting back at Trump because of his taunts:

A Washington Post/Abc News poll published July 19 found that 52 percent of Americans don’t believe the Democratic party stands for anything beyond opposing Trump. Even 42 percent of nonwhite voters agree that Trump-bashing is all the party is focused on.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/450207/liberal-elite-class-warfare-working-class-helps-trump

24   marcus   2017 Aug 27, 11:53pm  

rando says

poll published July 19 found that 52 percent of Americans don’t believe the Democratic party stands for anything beyond opposing Trump.

What should they stand for when they have so little power ? Does 52% sound like a high number to you in that context ?

You see what you hear as opposing Trump for the sake of opposing Trump, many of us see as a very rational fear of what an unstable narcissistic liar and man child will do to ruin this country, that is on top of all the plain and obvious to any honest person things he's already trying to do. Opposing Trump is being rational honest and patriotic.

If you answered this honestly,

marcus says

If Trump had the ability to cause a brief but intense inflation (dollar value lost) that effected financial and real assets in an extreme way but caused real wages (i.e purchasing power) to decrease significantly....let's put numbers on it - say this inflation caused his leveraged real estate empire to triple in real equity value, but the average American would be 20% worse off (permanently !) than they would have been had it not happened, is there anyone here that thinks Trump would not choose this ?

then you would have a clue as to why many democrats fear and oppose Trump so much.

25   joeyjojojunior   2017 Aug 28, 5:04am  

"I never said Trump is a great human being, only that Trump is the sole representative in government who is at least saying the right things about the concerns of labor.

That makes him our Labor Party. The Republicans really didn't want him. He's definitely not a Democrat either, and least not a new style identity-politics Democrat."

Have you heard of Bernie Sanders? Elizabeth Warren? Those are people who would actually do what they say and not just give it lip service to fool unsuspecting voters.

I also find it somewhat ironic that Patrick says "there are none so deaf" to another poster. That's how many feel trying to show Trump voters that he doesn't have their interest at heart. He's a used car salesman and everything he does is going to help himself and hurt the working class. All his talk about illegals and Islam is just to distract the base while he screws them over hard.

26   CBOEtrader   2017 Aug 28, 5:22am  

marcus says

Democrats are owned by the corporations and plutocrats too, but in reality democrats would do far more for workers than Trump ever will, but Trump is an effective con man and you've bought his bs about being an outsider and for you.

Tpp, nafta, the wall, rejection of anti working class white identify politics, rejection of political correctness, celebrates police and army personnel, and fights to repeal the ACA...

What has the DNC done to help working class people?

27   marcus   2017 Aug 28, 6:04am  

CBOEtrader says

Tpp, nafta, the wall, rejection of anti working class white identify politics, rejection of political correctness, celebrates police and army personnel, and fights to repeal the ACA...

Is that meant to be your list of things Trump has done for the worker ?

28   bob2356   2017 Aug 28, 6:24am  

rando says

I never said Trump is a great human being, only that Trump is the sole representative in government who is at least saying the right things about the concerns of labor.

That makes him our Labor Party. The Republicans really didn't want him. He's definitely not a Democrat either, and least not a new style identity-politics Democrat.

What he is saying and what he is doing are far apart. Look at his cabinet. Those that aren't generals have spent decades cutting labor's share of the economic pie to enhance their own wealth. Cutting down on immigration? Where are the raids and prosecutions of employers? Look at the changes at the Labor department. Fiduciary rule? Overtime? How about other departments. Where is he representing the concerns of labor/middle class? Oh wait the answer is:

CBOEtrader says

Tpp, nafta, the wall, rejection of anti working class white identify politics, rejection of political correctness, celebrates police and army personnel, and fights to repeal the ACA...

You know TPP wasn't passed don't you? Trump didn't take anything away or change anything. TPP wasn't going to happen anyway. There is no wall. What law has been passed rejecting idenify politics/rejection of political correctness and how much has it improved the wages of labor/middle class? How has celebration of police/army improved the wages of labor/middle class. Repealing the ACA will improve life for labor/middle class how exactly?

Every time some one asks the question what has Trump done for labor/middle class the trump robots answer is look how bad Obama was. Propaganda works.

29   🎂 Tenpoundbass   2017 Aug 28, 6:28am  

Don't be a hack Jazz

30   anonymous   2017 Aug 28, 7:46am  

Hahahahahaha. That's a good one, Patrick!

only that Trump is the sole representative in government who is at least saying the right things about the concerns of labor.

----------

What is he even saying, much less doing, wrt the concerns of Labor?

That the brown folk from the south are stealing your jobs? So build a wall to keep them out, and you'll bigly have great jobs?

That the brown folk from the Far East are using religious tactics almost identical to yours, to screw you out of a job? If maybe we go to war there, then you'll have a great job?

31   anonymous   2017 Aug 28, 7:58am  

If Trump were the Labor Party, he never would have went Sessions.

The most populist position out there right now is ending the War on Drugs. The blooming Cannabis industry is the only American outlet for Economic growth and jobs right now, yet they are doubling down, fighting against American Freedom and the citizenry.

Wake the Fuck up

32   Y   2017 Aug 28, 8:14am  

To be fair the republicans started this policy of "bring the dude down at all costs" the day obama took office. What we see now is just payback from the left. Its all out of control.
Which is why hurling trump at the mess to blow it up is proving to be a good strategy.
Look whats coming down the pike. Kasich and Higginwhothefuck.
Uninification party coming. Will be swept into office as the oldtimers are swept out of the way...
rando says

What I am entirely sure about is that the opposition (Democrats and the media) have become utterly unhinged and care about nothing except getting back at Trump because of his taunts

33   anonymous   2017 Aug 28, 8:40am  

To be fair the republicans started this policy of "bring the dude down at all costs" the day obama took office. What we see now is just payback from the left. Its all out of control.

--------------

Kudos for the honesty.

Many seem to magically forget the context of the eight years prior. When The Right used lies and fueled hate to disrupt government at any cost.

There's a reason why all these people floundering about, trying to muster up reasons to support Trump and his Republican Party, can only attack "the opposition ". It's because they have nothing positive to support on their side.

I've asked countless times for evidence to the contrary, and never can anyone anywhere offer an answer. It's pathetic

34   HEY YOU   2017 Aug 28, 9:03am  

How much outsourced imports have Trump & his family's business brought into America from China at the cost of American jobs?
How much imported crap have Republican labor bought in the last 8 months?

We need to declare a national Emergency!
Republicans are in the midst of a Hypocrisy epidemic.

35   HEY YOU   2017 Aug 28, 9:10am  

errc says

It's because they have nothing positive to support on their side.

It's Obama's fault!
It's Hillary's fault!
It's the Left's fault!
It's Antifa's fault!
It's LBGTQ's fault!
It's abortionists' fault!
It's brown peoples' fault!

Still sounds like nothing to me.

36   mell   2017 Aug 28, 9:22am  

errc says

There's a reason why all these people floundering about, trying to muster up reasons to support Trump and his Republican Party, can only attack "the opposition ". It's because they have nothing positive to support on their side.

I've asked countless times for evidence to the contrary, and never can anyone anywhere offer an answer. It's pathetic

Republicans attacked Obama from the get-go by all means, but they didn't have the help of the media like the left has with their fight against Trump. Also the Republican party had been in disarray for a while already, what happened was that the Democrats took it to a whole new level with their identity crap and surpassed the Republican party in their demise.

37   anonymous   2017 Aug 28, 9:24am  

mell says

errc says

There's a reason why all these people floundering about, trying to muster up reasons to support Trump and his Republican Party, can only attack "the opposition ". It's because they have nothing positive to support on their side.

I've asked countless times for evidence to the contrary, and never can anyone anywhere offer an answer. It's pathetic

Republicans attacked Obama from the get-go by all means, but they didn't have the help of the media like the left has with their fight against Trump. Also the Republican party had been in disarray for a while already, what happened was that the Democrats to it to a whole new level with their identity crap and surpassed the Republican party in their demise.

Thanks for proving my point

Now get back to constantly attacking the left while supporting the Republicans without question, like a good Independent

38   MisdemeanorRebel   2017 Aug 28, 9:36am  

errc says

Kudos for the honesty.

The other honest point: The Media did not participate in the demonization of Obama, and indeed all but Canonized him. Today, the MSM is acting like the propaganda wing of the #CNTL-Left.

39   mell   2017 Aug 28, 9:43am  

errc says

Thanks for proving my point

Now get back to constantly attacking the left while supporting the Republicans without question, like a good Independent

There's nothing to prove. Sometime the lesser of two evil is simply that, the better choice. I'd like to see somebody like Ron or Rand Paul or Kucinich in the oval office, hardly mainstream Republican. And as long as the left will keep pushing identity politics my stance won't change, as they are poisoning society with it. You can see the fabric of American unity coming apart because of this needless divide.

40   mell   2017 Aug 28, 9:57am  

To put it another way, Trump simply is saying "I got this, you just go back and take care about your family and wok and we will handle all the politics". Whether you think he got it or not is largely irrelevant, but that is exactly what people want. Everybody has a family member they worry about or they need to take care off, everybody is busy with work making a living, do you honestly think they want to hear about made up academia bullshit such as "systemic racism/sexism" or "microaggressions" and all the other shit that is hurled at them from other politicians on a daily basis? 99% of Americans are hard working people with well intent towards others regardless of gender or race or whatever and they are fed up with discussion shit like this, instead they would like to hear about the economy and jobs.

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