Dr. West should advocate strongly for the platform of the Green Party, but work closely in coalition with Biden/Harris to make sure the main thrust of the Green concerns are addressed and incorporated into the DNC platform. Working with the Biden/Harris administration they have the better chance to succeed; getting xprez PABlum back in office is detrimental to their overall goals, and the very existence of the Republic.
In 1932 Hitler ran against Hindenburg for President of Germany. He lost twice, with 35% of the overall vote. Hitler was supported by powerful industrialists, Hindenburg was supported largely by Social Democrats. The German Communist Party was a separate entity led by Thalmann, whose platform included labelling Social Democrats as fascists.
Hindenburg brought Hitler into his cabinet and made him Chancellor. Hitler insisted on putting Frick and Goring in charge of the police, and they quickly formed the Gestapo. In 1933, the Reichstag was torched (likely by thugs from the Nazi Party), and the Communists were blamed. Hitler then ordered the Gestapo to use emergency powers to arrest Communist and Social Democratic politicians, securing the 2/3 majority he needed to change the Weimar Constitution.
Now the form of government is not quite the same, and the events are not quite the same, and are in a different order, but substituting you-know-who for Hitler, Biden for Hindenburg, West for Thalmann, the DNC for the Social Democrats, the Green Party for the Communists, and the January 6th insurrection for the burning of the Reichstag, you begin to discern a disturbing vision of history repeating itself.
West is a clever and, I think, decent man, but in referring to the Biden administration as "a postponement of fascism" he will bring fascism on. Perhaps he wishes to burn the house down and start over, but be very, very, careful about what you wish for.
I'm sorry, Michael, but your analogy would have Biden bringing Trump into his cabinet, while the country is in the midst of an economic catastrophe. Neither of those two is remotely comparable to the current situation in USA, 2023. The only part that rings true to me is that Cornell West is a decent man.
Starting there, I'd want to ask him exactly what his campaign plans are. When he appeared on Bill Maher's show recently, he said he wants to go into the reddest parts of the reddest States, "deep into Trump country", bringing his message to already disaffected voters. If he actually does that, it could help build the foundation for a post-Trump, progressive working class political movement in places Democrats have long abandoned as "not competetive".
On the other hand, If Mr. West plans to campaign in Pennsylvania and Ohio, he could do real damage to the country. His opposition to Biden's "postponement of fascism" would in fact be hastening its arrival.
Jerry, you're quite right, which is why I was careful to say that the events are not quite the same. Nevertheless, there is a disturbing parallel between West's rhetoric and that of Thalmann, and a disturbing parallel between Trump and an actual fascist weaseling their way into government with the express intention of destroying it and taking over the police and armed services, while the establishment looked on.
Before January 6th 2022, who could have imagined even Trump attempting to attack the Capitol?
Good luck with West going "deep into Trump country." Did this do Don Shirley any good? My only vague hope is that West wants to so scare the bejesus out of the DNC that they will pass over Biden and nominate Sanders for 2024. But this seems unlikely and I don't buy his argument that the voters for Jill Stein, Ralph Nader, and Ross Perot were going to stay at home anyway.
The problem most of us have with this man stems from our inability to think on a level that he considers normal. Trump suffers from a common condition we refer to as "Dyslexia." In the fifties and sixties educators didn't recognize or even understand the disorder. As a result, many of us were pushed aside and left to our own secondary abilities to find a way to succeed. People afflicted with Dyslexia are very visual in their orientation. They are often in constant need of being reassured that they are OK, either by attention to their vanity, which can be used as a shield, or the endless desire to be better than others to compensate for their own inadequacies. Trump doesn't read, a primary sign that this condition is present and in control. Whether or not Trump realizes he has this ailment is secondary, it's the people within his immediate support group that should be providing guidance and direction to a man in need of some serious help. To leave Trump to burn like the fires in Canada is a mistake. Like a defective water heater, Trump is in need of a T&P valve, the man is a prime candidate for a stroke. We find ourselves in some troubled waters. President Biden is showing signs of his age and if Trump finds a path back to where he doesn't belong a stroke could leave this country with a prospective VP who could very possibly become our President, and I have little faith in Trump's ability to pick a qualified running mate. The last one was so bad that people wanted to hang him. In 44 BC a group of senators dealt with a situation they thought was out of control, let's hope we have progressed past that point for the Ides of March are again approaching.
I agree. But it would be interesting to heard Dr. West's and the Green Party's side on this issue. Maybe Mr. Reich could arrange for Dr. West to respond in this forum. Just a thought....
He would benefit from looking at the elections Professor Reich mentioned here. Does he REALLY want to hand a clearly mentally-disabled, sorry EXCEPTIONAL, man-child the 2024 election just to put his name in the spotlight for a few months?
I disagree that Putin was provoked. He has wanted an excuse to reconstitute the Soviet Union since his entire time in the political life of Russia. Yes, having NATO around him is a problem for him, but the geography of the Eurasian continents is such that those countries ARE surrounding each other, and those that banded together to resist Russian interest and vow to defend each other are bound to be close. And fear of Russian overreach into their territories is a real fear — The Iron Curtain was a barrier to the West, but it was a horror to those who lived behind it!
NATO might be seen as a provocation for Russia, but Putin has shown by his behavior that NATO still has a function in Europe. If he didn’t have NATO to blame, Putin would have found another way to get back his “empire.”
IMHO, the point I think West is making is that Putin's presidency was only made possible by Western perfidy, and this is actually quite plausible. Going back 33 years, to the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gorbachev agreed to allow Germany to re-unite, but only under one condition, which was a red line for the Russian establishment, that Germany would never be allowed to join NATO.
James Baker, along with Thatcher, Mitterrand and Kohl, then gave a solemn pledge that NATO "would not move one inch eastward" if Gorbachev allowed the united Germany to join NATO. And after much discussion, Gorbachev finally agreed.
Fast forward 5 years and that blithe, lazy, carpetbagger Bill Clinton, in between intern blowjobs, was now calling the shots in the White House. One day he said to his cabinet "Hey guys, why don't we allow Poland and Hungary to join NATO?" And nobody in his cabinet objected.
And not long after, the wretched Vladimir Putin, the quintessential "Mr. Average Dictator," was made President of Russia.
Yes, Bill Clinton created this mess. It wouldn't have happened without him.
You are not wrong from your standpoint but actual honest open debate about the origins of the Ukraine conflict was cut off early in this country by a broad propaganda campaign. If you are curious, go to the history books and start searching on line to discover more truths. The simple Putin is another Hitler evil man who wants to re-expand the Russian Empire is a canned response put forward by the US Government and main stream media. Is this really a battle between autocracy vs democracy, does Ukraine fit the model of a democracy. War is horrendous and the threat of nuclear weapons use is the worse. The question at this time is what is stopping a negotiated cease fire. What is on the mind of the average Russian concerning their fear of aggressive forces on their border.
In my view that's not the issue--the issue (most of our allies agree, along with Pope Francis who sent an ambassador to DC this week to plead the case) is whether we're all hands on deck for diplomatic solutions, or prefer to help the two countries litter each other with landmines, dead bodies, and traumatized children. Biden, whom I've defended on many counts here today, is a Cold Warrior. Diplomacy doesn't seem an option for him. It's true that US-led NATO has been breaking a solemn agreement by closing in on Russian borders, and though Putin is a tyrant and a madman, that doesn't mean we're in the right on that policy: in fact it makes sticking to our agreement more prudent. I trembled as Sweden and Finland joined NATO: soon a paranoid former empire will be surrounded by enemy guns, and war between nuclear powers far more easily triggered.
"Putin is a tyrant and a madman, that doesn't mean we're in the right on that policy."
Yes it does.
And we don't tell Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Balkans, et al what to do....they have sovereignty, a concept lost on Putin and Trump....and not addressed by the Nation.
We shouldn’t allow a country to invade another. Including and foremost, our own country. How many countries have we invaded? How many coups have we engineered?
West stands with Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon and many other Pulitzer Prize winning journalists who were "in the room" during NATO negotiations in the 1980s and 1990s. To deny history is more evidence of the authoritarian and McCarthyist streak adopted by a Democratic Party and its media with their hands over their ears.
That simplistic accusation just proves my point. The Democratic Party has replaced the Republican Party as the McCarthyists. Do you think Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon, Naom Chomsky and Dr West stand with Putin? Martin Luther King Jr was labeled a communist for calling out US imperialism, which is what the Ukraine war is all about. Putin did Biden and his fellow imperialist warhawks a favor by invading Ukraine to be sure, and it is the job of liberal media and its followers to support their fearless leader regardless of the cost. Liberals will not respond to the example of what the US would do to Mexico if China or Russia had missiles aimed at us based there, because no US invasion, regime change, or bombing (Obama dropped 26,000 by the way) has been successful. How do you justify Ukraine's sabotage of Germany's energy supply the Nordstream Pipeline, covered up by the Biden administration? Or Biden's use of cluster bombs? Our war crimes are fine, Putin's are not. Fistbumping brutal dictators like MBS is cool, and sanctioning Israel's murderous apartheid of the Palestinian people is business as usual. Biden's continuous use of Trump-era immigration policies is inconsequential because it's not Trump doing it. The liberal double-standard will continue until we are hanging off a sliver of the earth, Robert Reich and the rest screaming "but Putin and Trump!"
I am not sure that I would agree with that. It seems he is upset over providing cluster munitions which cause so much collateral damage and have been outlawed by over a hundred countries. Eisenhower also warned of the military industrial complex and he was right. You can’t get good ends without good means,
Thanks for sharing the link. In reading the article, I had a different take away. He does not "stand with Putin/Trump". He presents as a pacifist, evidenced by this quote:
"The Democratic Party is a party of war and Wall Street targeting Russia and China. Let us save our democracy and world by dismantling U.S. militarism at home (as in Cop Cities) and abroad—as Martin Luther King Jr. painfully reminded us!"
Also, there is this excerpt which shows his disdain for Putin:
West has long been a critic of Putin, describing him as a "gangster" and "criminal" in past interviews. Since the Ukraine invasion, he has been opposed to foreign involvement in the country, calling for a cessation of all U.S. military aid abroad as part of his platform.
His comments show that he is an idealist with a passion for his beliefs which, unfortunately, do not deal with reality.
There will ALWAYS be a threat to keep people in line with one of the two parties owned by the richest of the rich and the upper middle class folk whose 401 K's are hitched to Wall Street.
There is no more effective way to manufacture consent that to make people afraid.
Paul Rubin: I support President Biden and am unafraid; So that is not the reason that I support him. He gets things done, even under duress and without co-operation from across the aisle. His governance as a President is superior to tfg. Period . He is a better leader who does not threaten and bully. He is a statesman.
Laurie, so true. People lose sight of what he has accomplished with a GOP House and a marginal Senate. To think a third-party candidate could accomplish anything is foolhardy. It's not the time to "make a statement."
Can we please dispense with the false equivalence of the Democratic and Republican parties?
Democrats voted for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, zero Republicans voted for it. There are Democrats in Congress who support public campaign financing. Two representatives from my state, Maryland, Jamie Raskin and John Sarbanes, have been working for public campaign financing for years.
No Republicans support public campaign financing. Republican majority states purge people of color from voter rolls, enact ID requirements to keep students, Native Americans and people of color from voting and gerrymander districts to maintain power. Alabama Republican legislators are defying the Supreme Court, maintaining one gerrymandered district out of seven for Black Alabamans who are 27% of the state’s population.
If you want democracy vote Democratic. If you want autocracy vote Republican.
Yes, both West and Nader are deeper and more progressive thinkers than Reich. When you fear monger and tell people not to run to for office-to reduce the number of voices, you are going against democracy. Bob's daily columns are aimed to keep you lathered up full of fear and hate. A great political operative in the Clinton Administration.
Glen Brown : Robert Reich's informative articles in this forum help me understand what is being discussed in the media. He de mystifies economic issues, like the 'debt ceiling 'crisis' and how it has been used by bad actors for their own nefarious purposes, for example. He gets us discussing things that should be discussed by those interested in self rule in our Democracy. Things like how extreme wealth Inequality do not help our desired way of living and self rule.
Re your suggestion Reich fear-mongers? Reich’s take is clear eyed “if-then” of splintering the left, inadvertently benefiting the right. Nader and West are not really ON the ballot, unserious use of imagination, “If I were king!” Despite wishful thinking, winning IS everything. And wrecking the pitch or playing field for personal 15-seconds of attention?, for good ideas but without a hope? Is inexcusable for a person with a vision and a conscience. PS Trump cannot run so this is at least partway moot.
If there weren't so much that is so easily said on a daily basis it would be a bit easier to agree (would the Republican Party of 2000 have sustained Donald Trump as its standard-bearer?)...
Dr West tells the truth, he is a humanist in the mold of Martin Luther King Jr, a man whose tenets have been long forgotten by the "moderate white liberal," of which there are too many on these boards and in the Democratic Party. These are the liberals who tell us how much better Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are than Trump, all the while backing half-baked and often racist policies that merely enable Trumpism to flourish.
The most progressive among us quite often DO miss saving the forest because they are so busy trying to save individual trees. I cannot understand why they do not seem to grasp that saving a few trees is not worth watching the entire forest burn to the ground.
Whether it's West or Manchin, any candidate, except a Republican, running from a third party position would give Trump the dream he desires. People must see this danger and let Biden and Trump fight a one on one battle in 2024. To give an edge to Trump would spell disaster for this country. The man is obviously unbalanced in his thinking, and his lack of leadership ability would throw our future to the wind, that being a category 6 storm in 100 degree waters. That is fuel for thought.
You mean Joe Biden? Plagiarist, supporter of Clarence Thomas, historical segregationist? A long history of being a malleable politician. Yes, better than Trump but not good enough - not by a long shot.
How about we stop dredging up ancient history and look at current performance and what we are actually facing TODAY? Are you suggesting that a RIGID politician without any such human foibles would somehow -- notwithstanding the nature of Congress, SCOTUS, and the various structural thumbs on the political and electoral scales -- be able to wave a magic wand and turn this country into the progressive dream-world you apparently envision? Follow the yellow brick road?
How about that we stop pretending that Biden is "good" simply because Trump is evil? Or that we stop pretending that putting an end to Trump will put an end to the movement of which he is a merely one head to the many headed hydra which, in fact, it is?
How about we stop creating myths about "good guys" and "bad guys" that leads us every time to fear driven "lesser of two evils" decisions.
One someone presents Biden as the opposite of Trump on grounds of integrity? I will continue to point out that Biden is an empty suit and a hack.
Yes, I voted for him. And when it comes to him, Trump or West, I will vote for Biden. But until then, I applaud the integrity and selflessness of Willamson, West, and others who push for a future that is better than Biden and those who own him.
With you on the analysis. But I would never ascribe selflessness to either Williamson or West. Most politicians are far from selfless, those two being no exception.
Paul-- For the House-Ways-and Means committee to weigh in on a court's decision in an attempt to dissuade the judge's verdict, boarders on criminality, either way it crosses the line. Considering Comer and Jordan are the ones throwing the stones its no wonder. The charges brought against Hunter Biden would have never happened if he wasn't the Presidents son. Cheap dirty politics played out by men with questionable integrality. This country has better things to do than chase after petty revenge.
Paul--How much time and money was spent chasing a bad dream that took 5 years to reach a columination, and the chasers are unhappy because they didn't draw blood, Biden's blood. Bring back Greene, at least her stupidity and ignorance was understandable.
With a lifetime career in politics, it seems there will be some fails. But for anyone to complain about Biden, who has actually accomplished more than any Democrat in recent history, despite being sabotaged by a couple of right wing Dems-in-name-only, shows a real lack of reality.
Paul--Trump is a throw back, by that I don't mean it's what his mother wanted to do with him after his birth. I mean all the man is missing is the knobby club and the unfortunate girl he is dragging by her hair, and I'm not referring to the short variety either. Trump is the most despicable example of a second generation Hitler clone this country has to offer. There is nothing that even remotely resembles an American ideal except in his mailing address.
It's important to me not forget that this is politics people are playing with. I didn't need to be malleable in order to achieve anything in this context. Who better to run a second time then an incumbent?
Dang AI. I meant to say it's important to me that we not forget this is POLITICS, people! Biden needs to be somewhat malleable in this very extremist political environment.
Linda--West is a man of vision and he stands for a position that represents a positive end, where as Trump thrives on greed and ignorance. The term unbalanced is easy to apply.
I doubt it. Most of us just get tired of voting. I don't see Biden doing anything about student loan debt. We are tired of being put down by the gop. Sorry if that's not what people want to hear on this forum. If we are ignored, we'll probably stay home.
Any other time and I would be cheering West on but the thought of another four years of Trump and the things he’s been saying about what he’s going to do, the likelihood he could decide to be “president for life” and have enough supporters to support that scares me. I saw a report yesterday of Navarro talking about a second Civil War unless Trump is put back in the White House and a poll stating there are 18 million Americans who think violence is acceptable to reach political goals and I worry.
Every day, my heart is in my mouth over what is going to happen to America. Prof. West, please do not risk contributing to the collapse of American democracy.
While it's unfortunate Cornel West feels obligated to run, this is a democracy, bro. Advise Biden and Harris (esp. Harris) to get in the ring and stop pulling punches. Harris needs to be given the go-ahead to be even more outspoken re: women's/all individuals' rights to their own bodies and Black voters' rights that are being demolished inch by painful inch. If the Dems had gone on the offensive to begin with, Cornel West would not have felt the responsibility to fill the void. Not his problem.
Dnkarr, I disagree with you on this in part. I do want to see Biden and Harris going more on the attack related to what Republicans are doing, but Dr. West running against them is a problem for our democracy and we will all feel it and pay for it if Baby Donnie wins again and he and his goons start tearing this nation apart. It will be very hard not to see Dr. West as the reason for it. It will be sad, but true.
Ruth: This problem should have been foreseen by the highly paid advisors with whom the Bidens and Harrises have surrounded themselves. Cornel West is not the problem; he is the response to a cliche of entitled Democrats who give lip-service to reform but who refuse to listen and respond to the progressive voices in their midst. So, of course, there is a Cornel West. It could have been anybody. Yes, I agree. Cornel West will be the scapegoat for their loss if in fact they do lose. There are quite a few cross-over well-heeled Republicans not too enthused about Trump, like the George Conway crowd. Maybe they'll cancel out the Cornel West supporters. But there is still time. Send out the warriors far and wide. If somebody in the admin had offered Stacey Abrams a prominant place at the table, that woulda been a nice gesture and mighta helped forestall the fallout of a Cornell West candidacy. But yeah, I get your point.
I agree completely. This is on the Dems and the best outcome is to for them to take this seriously, take a long look in the mirror and start showing up in real ways for progressives and others who they have been largely ignoring in deed if not word. Trying to crush and suppress this will likely backfire as there are real reasons West is running and gaining support which are not going away. If not West it will be someone else. It’s not a smart move on the part of the Dems to chronically ignore and betray (aside from lip service now again) large portions of people who should be their base and as a progressive Dems have essentially been doing that for the past 40 years, not to mention their complete abandonment of the working class, who were once the backbone of the party. I understand the very real threat of facism but tend to agree with West that if the D’s continue to refuse to step up to the moment and away from maintaining the status quo we are merely postponing this threat anyways. This is deeper than Trump, Biden, West etc and isn’t going to end here. It does not feel democratic to be told I must vote over and over again for a party that proves again and again that it does not work for me because the other choice is worse, even though that is true. We need other choices and that cat is not going back into the bag, no matter if we wish it would. Best case scenario is that the Dems take this ‘threat’ of West (a deeply moral man not afraid to say truth to power, whether or not you agree with his thoughts) seriously and use the opportunity to change course and show up better for the very people who should be their base. If they chose not to do so honestly it’s on them.
From your mouth to the Dems ears Renee. Some stupid petition isn't going to solve our problem, only action will. NOW! V.P. Harris needs to step up to the plate. Yes we need to see more of Stacy Abrams. The DNC needs to come up off some of those million dollar donations. And most of all Mr. Biden needs to be heard. As my high school football coach was fond of saying "Boys, the field ain't tilt your way."
Yes we must deal with the situation that we have ourselves brought to pass. To move forward we must analyze past mistakes so that we can indeed be successful in the future. But yes, the past is past -- no doubt about that.
dnkarr ; We must re-elect Joe Biden "warts" and all! He is the best candidate that we presently have, and there is nothing "Democratic" about "While it's unfortunate Cornel West feels obligated to run, this is a democracy, bro" self defeating B.S. 'Shooting ourselves in the foot' is not the way to go here, at this time, in this situation. Why work for tfg's 'win'? Who are YOU supporting?
You nailed it, Laurie! There are no other viable choices out there. Democracy or autocracy is on the ballot. Informative debates have preceded your comment, but their complaints will only confuse and muddle the essential issue, which Americans will make in the upcoming election. You don't have to look far to see that the choice is tRump, Putin, VS Biden, NATO.
Sad to say, but I think Dr. West has arrived at a point in his life when "tearing this nation apart" is exactly what he has in mind. It's a "save by destroying" tactic. He's making the same mistake that m
any people of high intellect make- letting the perfect get in the way of the good.
Dave, thank you so much. I was trying hard to think of a positive way to say what you just said. Why a politically inexperienced academic believes he would make a good either candidate or president is beyond comprehension. He will win a lot of Black votes and some "liberal" white ones, but they will be fighting against someone they have believed hasn't done enough for them instead of thinking about how much worse it will be to have Trump and Kump back in power. We need Dr. West to keep teaching and sharing and pushing ideas among our youth so our future will be better. That will not happen in a failed campaign and a Republican victory. He must know that, but sometimes ego does get in the way.
I agree. I cringe every time Biden talks about how we are all friends here. With friends like these, who needs enemies.
Can he not see they need therapy, not authority? This is why I do not feel safe with Biden. I do not trust in bothsidesism, aka false equivalencies.
Bullies and victims are not equivalent. Liars and truth tellers are not equivalent. Fascists and democrats are not equivalent. Sometimes he sounds like Trump after Charlottesville.
dnkarr ; Actually, Biden and Harris have gotten "into the ring" and are very strong in their statements lately. Harris pushing back at the 'right's' racist words and deeds and Biden doing the same, also talking about his accomplishments with our economy, which are significant.
How is that helpful to look at past performances, especially by VP Harris, who was new to the White House level of scrutiny? Let's look at their current statements, which have been getting stronger in recent months. I think they put the other side in the shade! No matter what!
The overarching goal in ‘24 should be eviscerating the current “Republican” party. Biden has led with balance, I.e. everyone complains, but he can achieve that goal if the Democratic Party understands that key requirement. Dr West among others should really support the premise and work in ‘24 and beyond to realign national priorities, including resetting the Supreme Court.
Secretary Reich, I have the greatest respect for you. I also really love Cornell West. He speaks Truth to Power. Maybe the Dems should work with him to fashion a really beneficial platform that will benefit the young, all POC, all women and everyone else we call our fellow citizens who want to preserve our democracy. And to make it flourish. The Democratic Party has peddled the same things over and over. That is why we need to look at other approaches to winning elections and to really helping people.
Elizabeth, I disagree that Democrats are only saying the same things over and over. That is an interesting talking point, but Biden and Harris did talk about young people and how they were going to get the economy going and push for programs to help ordinary people. That may be similar to what was said in the past, but they have come through on a lot of those issues. Bernie Sanders' campaign helped a lot to focus Democrats more on working-class, middle income, and people in poverty. Republicans have no positive ideas at all for this nation's future. I am certain Dr. West has ideas that Biden and Harris would benefit from. His running, though is not a positive for anyone but Trump and Kump. It is a dilemma, but I think that now, it's about saving our democracy. I think if Biden and harris win, as I hope they will, Dr. West should be serving in the cabinet presenting his ideas to them and to Congress.
Yeah Elizabeth - like the Corp Dems worked with Bernie. Why would Cornel West wanna trust anything Corp Dems have to offer? Betrayal is their modus operandi.
Dnkarr: are you working for the Dark Side or What?! We have an election to win; or lose! Any sane person can see what is at stake! Maybe we will get lucky and tfg will be blocked from running because of his coup attempt!
Laurie, you and Dnkarr both belive the stakes are too high to allow Trump to win. That does not mean that the Dems can't make efforts to grow and solidify their coalition. Dems are better but are still influenced by the same moneyed interests because money is power, especially following Citizens United. No one, not even Dems, is speaking about ppl in poverty (Biden talks about the middle class). Both parties seem to be okay with the poor and the formerly incarcerated (there are probably other marginalized groups I haven't mentioned) being overlooked again and again. They are a hot potato that neither party wants to hold. They want and need someone to represent them! Just using the fact that the Republicans would be worse, doesn't and hasn't equated to policy that improves their lives. It doesn't motivate them to support Dems, it only makes them more frustrated and desperate... damned if they do and damned if they don't. Why not support someone that speaks for them? or let the system be torn down?, what do they have to lose (remember that same plea from Trump)? They aren't getting anywhere with The current party structure. Dnkarr is right, there is an opportunity to listen to their needs, collaborate with them on solutions and bring them into the coalition (as Rev. William Barber has pushed for years) rather than continue to expect their support in exchange for little to nothing. If they were a part of the coalition, there wouldn't be a lane for a 3rd party candidate to attract them.
What are you talking about Laurie? Just being realistic about why a radical progressive like Cornel West would not be interested in a friendly chat with Corporate Dems. The Dark Side? That kinda 'name-calling' is exactly why progressives move more and more to the fringes of the Democratic Party and consider other options.
It looks like you have not been able to "catch my drift" ; the dark side is Donald Trump and his captive 'republican' party! This is our election to lose! Perfection is unattainable here; we have to win. (If the 14th amendment is un usable. ).
Elisabeth IIer ; "The Democratic Party has peddled the same things over and over". that is what was said about Bernie Sanders. There are some truths that bear repeating ; especially in the Constitution. Go peddle your anti Democratic (Calling them "Dems says a lot), , anti Biden tropes is not going to make Democracy "flourish". You are more fascist sounding here. Rubbish!
Biden is winning with a strong economy and supports unions: for those who want to see that fact. He and Harris won the last two elections. Incumbents usually do better than non incumbents. We already have a President who has done some good things for US. Don't allow the 'perfect' to be the enemy of the good. We have been winning in case so many have not noticed. Our Freedom to self rule and striving to form to 'A more perfect Union' in Democracy itself is at stake! Why quit when we are ahead!?
I'm not a fan of the two party system, but if Donald Trump takes office as president in January of 2025, he will never voluntarily leave. This is no time to take this kind of a risk.
Hello? Did you see the news yesterday? --Floods, fires, heatwaves and the collapse of the gulf stream. Unfortunately, while Biden has done a few good things in this direction, he still kowtow's to the petroleum industry and Wall Street like a good neo-liberal. Certainly those like Trump and DeSantis are bent on destroying democracy but, does it matter if life as we know it is wiped off the face of the earth?
I had a science teacher back in middle school who used to say “Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades!” It annoyed me in school, but I think it applies well to this.
He should collaborate with the Biden team not compete with it. This is the specific thing where I’ve seen some progressives go astray, competing with each other rather than finding their common ground.
Professor, I note you didn’t mention “No Labels,” whom I expect will run a purported “centrist” candidate, thus necessitating progressive Democrats, as one subscriber recently had mentioned, to openly acknowledge their fundamental disagreements with the center, somewhat left Biden while also commending him for recognizing that much more, typically, can be accomplished by trying to understand and accommodate others’ positions rather than by ignoring or dismissing them. Given the stakes, I would hope one of our country’s most vital and eloquent public intellectuals, who, as much as the rest of us, laments the erosion of American values and rightly fears that the American spirit has been co-opted by private corporate interests, would, rather than run, press for whatever common ground he can persuade others to stand on.
Like many of us aging liberals , Cornell West best days are in the rear view mirror. We need to stay involved but in a way that promotes values. Assisting Trump in any way is just wrong.KKL
Just the way to preserve the Tweedle Dee / Tweedle Dum system today. A system that has been brainwashed into many of us for a long time. Why is it, that whenever a REAL candidate for WE THE PEOPLE (not them the corporations) comes around and decides to run on her/his OWN party, and not one of the oligarchical parties, we are hit with the doom and gloom that anyone outside of the Democratic/Republicon oligarchy cannot win? We are told just suck it up, and vote for the lesser of two corporate evils. How is it a democracy if both parties take contributions (what used to be called bribes) from the same corporate entities? It’s the same old “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doom) tactic, and it’s quite archaic. Isn’t it about time we had a choice for some non-corporate candidate. I say that we MUST build up the Green Party, as well as at least six or seven other parties, so that one party does not control either the House or the Senate. Coalitions would have to be made, and real compromise would be made in order to get anything passed. That compromise would come from several points of view, not just Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum. Until we have more of a selection of parties, can we have a real democracy.
Dr. West should advocate strongly for the platform of the Green Party, but work closely in coalition with Biden/Harris to make sure the main thrust of the Green concerns are addressed and incorporated into the DNC platform. Working with the Biden/Harris administration they have the better chance to succeed; getting xprez PABlum back in office is detrimental to their overall goals, and the very existence of the Republic.
We are threatened by Fascism. The Green Party misses the forest for the trees.
In 1932 Hitler ran against Hindenburg for President of Germany. He lost twice, with 35% of the overall vote. Hitler was supported by powerful industrialists, Hindenburg was supported largely by Social Democrats. The German Communist Party was a separate entity led by Thalmann, whose platform included labelling Social Democrats as fascists.
Hindenburg brought Hitler into his cabinet and made him Chancellor. Hitler insisted on putting Frick and Goring in charge of the police, and they quickly formed the Gestapo. In 1933, the Reichstag was torched (likely by thugs from the Nazi Party), and the Communists were blamed. Hitler then ordered the Gestapo to use emergency powers to arrest Communist and Social Democratic politicians, securing the 2/3 majority he needed to change the Weimar Constitution.
Now the form of government is not quite the same, and the events are not quite the same, and are in a different order, but substituting you-know-who for Hitler, Biden for Hindenburg, West for Thalmann, the DNC for the Social Democrats, the Green Party for the Communists, and the January 6th insurrection for the burning of the Reichstag, you begin to discern a disturbing vision of history repeating itself.
West is a clever and, I think, decent man, but in referring to the Biden administration as "a postponement of fascism" he will bring fascism on. Perhaps he wishes to burn the house down and start over, but be very, very, careful about what you wish for.
I'm sorry, Michael, but your analogy would have Biden bringing Trump into his cabinet, while the country is in the midst of an economic catastrophe. Neither of those two is remotely comparable to the current situation in USA, 2023. The only part that rings true to me is that Cornell West is a decent man.
Starting there, I'd want to ask him exactly what his campaign plans are. When he appeared on Bill Maher's show recently, he said he wants to go into the reddest parts of the reddest States, "deep into Trump country", bringing his message to already disaffected voters. If he actually does that, it could help build the foundation for a post-Trump, progressive working class political movement in places Democrats have long abandoned as "not competetive".
On the other hand, If Mr. West plans to campaign in Pennsylvania and Ohio, he could do real damage to the country. His opposition to Biden's "postponement of fascism" would in fact be hastening its arrival.
.
Jerry, you're quite right, which is why I was careful to say that the events are not quite the same. Nevertheless, there is a disturbing parallel between West's rhetoric and that of Thalmann, and a disturbing parallel between Trump and an actual fascist weaseling their way into government with the express intention of destroying it and taking over the police and armed services, while the establishment looked on.
Before January 6th 2022, who could have imagined even Trump attempting to attack the Capitol?
Good luck with West going "deep into Trump country." Did this do Don Shirley any good? My only vague hope is that West wants to so scare the bejesus out of the DNC that they will pass over Biden and nominate Sanders for 2024. But this seems unlikely and I don't buy his argument that the voters for Jill Stein, Ralph Nader, and Ross Perot were going to stay at home anyway.
agreed.
Thanks for that historical analysis!
The problem most of us have with this man stems from our inability to think on a level that he considers normal. Trump suffers from a common condition we refer to as "Dyslexia." In the fifties and sixties educators didn't recognize or even understand the disorder. As a result, many of us were pushed aside and left to our own secondary abilities to find a way to succeed. People afflicted with Dyslexia are very visual in their orientation. They are often in constant need of being reassured that they are OK, either by attention to their vanity, which can be used as a shield, or the endless desire to be better than others to compensate for their own inadequacies. Trump doesn't read, a primary sign that this condition is present and in control. Whether or not Trump realizes he has this ailment is secondary, it's the people within his immediate support group that should be providing guidance and direction to a man in need of some serious help. To leave Trump to burn like the fires in Canada is a mistake. Like a defective water heater, Trump is in need of a T&P valve, the man is a prime candidate for a stroke. We find ourselves in some troubled waters. President Biden is showing signs of his age and if Trump finds a path back to where he doesn't belong a stroke could leave this country with a prospective VP who could very possibly become our President, and I have little faith in Trump's ability to pick a qualified running mate. The last one was so bad that people wanted to hang him. In 44 BC a group of senators dealt with a situation they thought was out of control, let's hope we have progressed past that point for the Ides of March are again approaching.
I agree. But it would be interesting to heard Dr. West's and the Green Party's side on this issue. Maybe Mr. Reich could arrange for Dr. West to respond in this forum. Just a thought....
West stands with Putin/Trump.
https://www.newsweek.com/cornel-west-blames-nato-russias-war-ukraine-1812320
Holy Crap! He sounds like Tucker Carlson and some other Republicans on this issue! Thanks for the link!
I respect Cornell West, but he would benefit from reading Timothy Snyder's books, particularly The Road to Unfreedom.
He would benefit from looking at the elections Professor Reich mentioned here. Does he REALLY want to hand a clearly mentally-disabled, sorry EXCEPTIONAL, man-child the 2024 election just to put his name in the spotlight for a few months?
“ ... just to put his name in the spotlight for a few months?”
Yes. Yes he does.
Excellent advice.
Even if West is correct that Putin was provoked, we shouldn't allow a country to invade another.
I disagree that Putin was provoked. He has wanted an excuse to reconstitute the Soviet Union since his entire time in the political life of Russia. Yes, having NATO around him is a problem for him, but the geography of the Eurasian continents is such that those countries ARE surrounding each other, and those that banded together to resist Russian interest and vow to defend each other are bound to be close. And fear of Russian overreach into their territories is a real fear — The Iron Curtain was a barrier to the West, but it was a horror to those who lived behind it!
NATO might be seen as a provocation for Russia, but Putin has shown by his behavior that NATO still has a function in Europe. If he didn’t have NATO to blame, Putin would have found another way to get back his “empire.”
OR am I wrong?
Exactly! Liddle fragile-egoed, effeminate Putin wants DESPERATELY to pass the Czar of a new USSR. It ain't gonna' happen!
It was Putin's attack on a sovereign nation that instigated even more nations, to join NATO.
You are probably correct.
IMHO, the point I think West is making is that Putin's presidency was only made possible by Western perfidy, and this is actually quite plausible. Going back 33 years, to the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gorbachev agreed to allow Germany to re-unite, but only under one condition, which was a red line for the Russian establishment, that Germany would never be allowed to join NATO.
James Baker, along with Thatcher, Mitterrand and Kohl, then gave a solemn pledge that NATO "would not move one inch eastward" if Gorbachev allowed the united Germany to join NATO. And after much discussion, Gorbachev finally agreed.
Fast forward 5 years and that blithe, lazy, carpetbagger Bill Clinton, in between intern blowjobs, was now calling the shots in the White House. One day he said to his cabinet "Hey guys, why don't we allow Poland and Hungary to join NATO?" And nobody in his cabinet objected.
And not long after, the wretched Vladimir Putin, the quintessential "Mr. Average Dictator," was made President of Russia.
Yes, Bill Clinton created this mess. It wouldn't have happened without him.
Pat GoudyOBrien I vote right
You are not wrong from your standpoint but actual honest open debate about the origins of the Ukraine conflict was cut off early in this country by a broad propaganda campaign. If you are curious, go to the history books and start searching on line to discover more truths. The simple Putin is another Hitler evil man who wants to re-expand the Russian Empire is a canned response put forward by the US Government and main stream media. Is this really a battle between autocracy vs democracy, does Ukraine fit the model of a democracy. War is horrendous and the threat of nuclear weapons use is the worse. The question at this time is what is stopping a negotiated cease fire. What is on the mind of the average Russian concerning their fear of aggressive forces on their border.
In my view that's not the issue--the issue (most of our allies agree, along with Pope Francis who sent an ambassador to DC this week to plead the case) is whether we're all hands on deck for diplomatic solutions, or prefer to help the two countries litter each other with landmines, dead bodies, and traumatized children. Biden, whom I've defended on many counts here today, is a Cold Warrior. Diplomacy doesn't seem an option for him. It's true that US-led NATO has been breaking a solemn agreement by closing in on Russian borders, and though Putin is a tyrant and a madman, that doesn't mean we're in the right on that policy: in fact it makes sticking to our agreement more prudent. I trembled as Sweden and Finland joined NATO: soon a paranoid former empire will be surrounded by enemy guns, and war between nuclear powers far more easily triggered.
The Newsweek article isn't thoughtful or informative. The Nation agrees with me and no doubt you that West should run as a Democrat, not a 3rd party spoiler, but writes about him seriously: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/cornel-west-democratic-primary/
"Putin is a tyrant and a madman, that doesn't mean we're in the right on that policy."
Yes it does.
And we don't tell Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Balkans, et al what to do....they have sovereignty, a concept lost on Putin and Trump....and not addressed by the Nation.
And then there's this:
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/
We shouldn’t allow a country to invade another. Including and foremost, our own country. How many countries have we invaded? How many coups have we engineered?
West stands with Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon and many other Pulitzer Prize winning journalists who were "in the room" during NATO negotiations in the 1980s and 1990s. To deny history is more evidence of the authoritarian and McCarthyist streak adopted by a Democratic Party and its media with their hands over their ears.
So...you stand with Putin?
That simplistic accusation just proves my point. The Democratic Party has replaced the Republican Party as the McCarthyists. Do you think Chris Hedges, Norman Solomon, Naom Chomsky and Dr West stand with Putin? Martin Luther King Jr was labeled a communist for calling out US imperialism, which is what the Ukraine war is all about. Putin did Biden and his fellow imperialist warhawks a favor by invading Ukraine to be sure, and it is the job of liberal media and its followers to support their fearless leader regardless of the cost. Liberals will not respond to the example of what the US would do to Mexico if China or Russia had missiles aimed at us based there, because no US invasion, regime change, or bombing (Obama dropped 26,000 by the way) has been successful. How do you justify Ukraine's sabotage of Germany's energy supply the Nordstream Pipeline, covered up by the Biden administration? Or Biden's use of cluster bombs? Our war crimes are fine, Putin's are not. Fistbumping brutal dictators like MBS is cool, and sanctioning Israel's murderous apartheid of the Palestinian people is business as usual. Biden's continuous use of Trump-era immigration policies is inconsequential because it's not Trump doing it. The liberal double-standard will continue until we are hanging off a sliver of the earth, Robert Reich and the rest screaming "but Putin and Trump!"
Apparently!
Yikes-didn’t see this. He’s right in there with RFK Jr on this issue. Scary!
could this be AI? could he have a brain tumor? is he suffering from Dementia? Am I wrong that Putin attacked a sovereign nation?
I am not sure that I would agree with that. It seems he is upset over providing cluster munitions which cause so much collateral damage and have been outlawed by over a hundred countries. Eisenhower also warned of the military industrial complex and he was right. You can’t get good ends without good means,
Thanks for sharing the link. In reading the article, I had a different take away. He does not "stand with Putin/Trump". He presents as a pacifist, evidenced by this quote:
"The Democratic Party is a party of war and Wall Street targeting Russia and China. Let us save our democracy and world by dismantling U.S. militarism at home (as in Cop Cities) and abroad—as Martin Luther King Jr. painfully reminded us!"
Also, there is this excerpt which shows his disdain for Putin:
West has long been a critic of Putin, describing him as a "gangster" and "criminal" in past interviews. Since the Ukraine invasion, he has been opposed to foreign involvement in the country, calling for a cessation of all U.S. military aid abroad as part of his platform.
His comments show that he is an idealist with a passion for his beliefs which, unfortunately, do not deal with reality.
How about a serious, thoughtful talk between Prof Reich and Prof West?
There will ALWAYS be a threat to keep people in line with one of the two parties owned by the richest of the rich and the upper middle class folk whose 401 K's are hitched to Wall Street.
There is no more effective way to manufacture consent that to make people afraid.
Paul Rubin: I support President Biden and am unafraid; So that is not the reason that I support him. He gets things done, even under duress and without co-operation from across the aisle. His governance as a President is superior to tfg. Period . He is a better leader who does not threaten and bully. He is a statesman.
Laurie, so true. People lose sight of what he has accomplished with a GOP House and a marginal Senate. To think a third-party candidate could accomplish anything is foolhardy. It's not the time to "make a statement."
Can we please dispense with the false equivalence of the Democratic and Republican parties?
Democrats voted for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, zero Republicans voted for it. There are Democrats in Congress who support public campaign financing. Two representatives from my state, Maryland, Jamie Raskin and John Sarbanes, have been working for public campaign financing for years.
No Republicans support public campaign financing. Republican majority states purge people of color from voter rolls, enact ID requirements to keep students, Native Americans and people of color from voting and gerrymander districts to maintain power. Alabama Republican legislators are defying the Supreme Court, maintaining one gerrymandered district out of seven for Black Alabamans who are 27% of the state’s population.
If you want democracy vote Democratic. If you want autocracy vote Republican.
When you are dead, your financial well being is irrelevant.
The sign on the camp will say. "Arbeit macht frei." But gas is the final solution.
Yes, both West and Nader are deeper and more progressive thinkers than Reich. When you fear monger and tell people not to run to for office-to reduce the number of voices, you are going against democracy. Bob's daily columns are aimed to keep you lathered up full of fear and hate. A great political operative in the Clinton Administration.
When you take chances supporting those who cannot win against a Fascist. You are risking having your fears realized, unless you like fascism
Spot on Laurie!
Republican talking points
And your proof is?
Nader helped defeat Al Gore in 2000. Freedom of speech is great, but is not an end in itself. The risk is election of demagogues like Trump.
IMHO this may be another disinformation campaign to support Trump, if not devised in Russia, supported by it.
I agree with you. This is less a matter of Freedom of Speech and more a matter of strategy
Glen Brown : Robert Reich's informative articles in this forum help me understand what is being discussed in the media. He de mystifies economic issues, like the 'debt ceiling 'crisis' and how it has been used by bad actors for their own nefarious purposes, for example. He gets us discussing things that should be discussed by those interested in self rule in our Democracy. Things like how extreme wealth Inequality do not help our desired way of living and self rule.
Re your suggestion Reich fear-mongers? Reich’s take is clear eyed “if-then” of splintering the left, inadvertently benefiting the right. Nader and West are not really ON the ballot, unserious use of imagination, “If I were king!” Despite wishful thinking, winning IS everything. And wrecking the pitch or playing field for personal 15-seconds of attention?, for good ideas but without a hope? Is inexcusable for a person with a vision and a conscience. PS Trump cannot run so this is at least partway moot.
If there weren't so much that is so easily said on a daily basis it would be a bit easier to agree (would the Republican Party of 2000 have sustained Donald Trump as its standard-bearer?)...
Absolutely true
Have you ever heard West talk? That is not just fascism, it's corporate fascism, and West certainly is not missing that.
Dr West tells the truth, he is a humanist in the mold of Martin Luther King Jr, a man whose tenets have been long forgotten by the "moderate white liberal," of which there are too many on these boards and in the Democratic Party. These are the liberals who tell us how much better Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are than Trump, all the while backing half-baked and often racist policies that merely enable Trumpism to flourish.
Solomon is correct.
Are we going to shoot our selves in the foot again as with W Bush? This is most serious and some unity must prevail.
I don’t think for a second that the collapse of our Republic can’t happen. It can!
Agreed. The next presidential election too important to fuck up by taking votes away from Biden.
The most progressive among us quite often DO miss saving the forest because they are so busy trying to save individual trees. I cannot understand why they do not seem to grasp that saving a few trees is not worth watching the entire forest burn to the ground.
Right on, Tovarich!
Whether it's West or Manchin, any candidate, except a Republican, running from a third party position would give Trump the dream he desires. People must see this danger and let Biden and Trump fight a one on one battle in 2024. To give an edge to Trump would spell disaster for this country. The man is obviously unbalanced in his thinking, and his lack of leadership ability would throw our future to the wind, that being a category 6 storm in 100 degree waters. That is fuel for thought.
Besides, who in their right mind would want to put a criminal and a pathological liar in the White House, again.
You mean Joe Biden? Plagiarist, supporter of Clarence Thomas, historical segregationist? A long history of being a malleable politician. Yes, better than Trump but not good enough - not by a long shot.
How about we stop dredging up ancient history and look at current performance and what we are actually facing TODAY? Are you suggesting that a RIGID politician without any such human foibles would somehow -- notwithstanding the nature of Congress, SCOTUS, and the various structural thumbs on the political and electoral scales -- be able to wave a magic wand and turn this country into the progressive dream-world you apparently envision? Follow the yellow brick road?
How about that we stop pretending that Biden is "good" simply because Trump is evil? Or that we stop pretending that putting an end to Trump will put an end to the movement of which he is a merely one head to the many headed hydra which, in fact, it is?
How about we stop creating myths about "good guys" and "bad guys" that leads us every time to fear driven "lesser of two evils" decisions.
One someone presents Biden as the opposite of Trump on grounds of integrity? I will continue to point out that Biden is an empty suit and a hack.
Yes, I voted for him. And when it comes to him, Trump or West, I will vote for Biden. But until then, I applaud the integrity and selflessness of Willamson, West, and others who push for a future that is better than Biden and those who own him.
With you on the analysis. But I would never ascribe selflessness to either Williamson or West. Most politicians are far from selfless, those two being no exception.
Paul--You may be correct to a degree. But when push comes to shove Biden is a better choice than Trump by a long shot.
Paul-- For the House-Ways-and Means committee to weigh in on a court's decision in an attempt to dissuade the judge's verdict, boarders on criminality, either way it crosses the line. Considering Comer and Jordan are the ones throwing the stones its no wonder. The charges brought against Hunter Biden would have never happened if he wasn't the Presidents son. Cheap dirty politics played out by men with questionable integrality. This country has better things to do than chase after petty revenge.
Paul--How much time and money was spent chasing a bad dream that took 5 years to reach a columination, and the chasers are unhappy because they didn't draw blood, Biden's blood. Bring back Greene, at least her stupidity and ignorance was understandable.
Paul, Do you understand what Fascism is? It doesn’t seem that you do.
This is not fear mongering..have you been asleep?
Seeking Reason; Maybe he is working for someone. Idealism does not always work with reality, no matter where he is coming from.
With a lifetime career in politics, it seems there will be some fails. But for anyone to complain about Biden, who has actually accomplished more than any Democrat in recent history, despite being sabotaged by a couple of right wing Dems-in-name-only, shows a real lack of reality.
Paul--Trump is a throw back, by that I don't mean it's what his mother wanted to do with him after his birth. I mean all the man is missing is the knobby club and the unfortunate girl he is dragging by her hair, and I'm not referring to the short variety either. Trump is the most despicable example of a second generation Hitler clone this country has to offer. There is nothing that even remotely resembles an American ideal except in his mailing address.
Which mailing address: He has a few.
Laurie--That's what the horse said after being asked if he had any oats.
It's important to me not forget that this is politics people are playing with. I didn't need to be malleable in order to achieve anything in this context. Who better to run a second time then an incumbent?
Dang AI. I meant to say it's important to me that we not forget this is POLITICS, people! Biden needs to be somewhat malleable in this very extremist political environment.
"flexibility is a sign of mental health".
Chuck--I'm a registered Republican and I'm voting for Biden. The alternative is sheer stupidity.
Chuck--And what universe did you wake up in where everything was backwards?
When you say "the man is unbalanced", which man are you speaking of West or Trump?
Linda--West is a man of vision and he stands for a position that represents a positive end, where as Trump thrives on greed and ignorance. The term unbalanced is easy to apply.
The term "unbalanced" applies to the guy under the red hat.
I doubt it. Most of us just get tired of voting. I don't see Biden doing anything about student loan debt. We are tired of being put down by the gop. Sorry if that's not what people want to hear on this forum. If we are ignored, we'll probably stay home.
Yes. Well said.
Any other time and I would be cheering West on but the thought of another four years of Trump and the things he’s been saying about what he’s going to do, the likelihood he could decide to be “president for life” and have enough supporters to support that scares me. I saw a report yesterday of Navarro talking about a second Civil War unless Trump is put back in the White House and a poll stating there are 18 million Americans who think violence is acceptable to reach political goals and I worry.
The Northern states fought the Civil War because the alternative was unacceptable. History rhymes.
Jan, I share your concerns.
Every day, my heart is in my mouth over what is going to happen to America. Prof. West, please do not risk contributing to the collapse of American democracy.
While it's unfortunate Cornel West feels obligated to run, this is a democracy, bro. Advise Biden and Harris (esp. Harris) to get in the ring and stop pulling punches. Harris needs to be given the go-ahead to be even more outspoken re: women's/all individuals' rights to their own bodies and Black voters' rights that are being demolished inch by painful inch. If the Dems had gone on the offensive to begin with, Cornel West would not have felt the responsibility to fill the void. Not his problem.
Dnkarr, I disagree with you on this in part. I do want to see Biden and Harris going more on the attack related to what Republicans are doing, but Dr. West running against them is a problem for our democracy and we will all feel it and pay for it if Baby Donnie wins again and he and his goons start tearing this nation apart. It will be very hard not to see Dr. West as the reason for it. It will be sad, but true.
Ruth: This problem should have been foreseen by the highly paid advisors with whom the Bidens and Harrises have surrounded themselves. Cornel West is not the problem; he is the response to a cliche of entitled Democrats who give lip-service to reform but who refuse to listen and respond to the progressive voices in their midst. So, of course, there is a Cornel West. It could have been anybody. Yes, I agree. Cornel West will be the scapegoat for their loss if in fact they do lose. There are quite a few cross-over well-heeled Republicans not too enthused about Trump, like the George Conway crowd. Maybe they'll cancel out the Cornel West supporters. But there is still time. Send out the warriors far and wide. If somebody in the admin had offered Stacey Abrams a prominant place at the table, that woulda been a nice gesture and mighta helped forestall the fallout of a Cornell West candidacy. But yeah, I get your point.
I agree completely. This is on the Dems and the best outcome is to for them to take this seriously, take a long look in the mirror and start showing up in real ways for progressives and others who they have been largely ignoring in deed if not word. Trying to crush and suppress this will likely backfire as there are real reasons West is running and gaining support which are not going away. If not West it will be someone else. It’s not a smart move on the part of the Dems to chronically ignore and betray (aside from lip service now again) large portions of people who should be their base and as a progressive Dems have essentially been doing that for the past 40 years, not to mention their complete abandonment of the working class, who were once the backbone of the party. I understand the very real threat of facism but tend to agree with West that if the D’s continue to refuse to step up to the moment and away from maintaining the status quo we are merely postponing this threat anyways. This is deeper than Trump, Biden, West etc and isn’t going to end here. It does not feel democratic to be told I must vote over and over again for a party that proves again and again that it does not work for me because the other choice is worse, even though that is true. We need other choices and that cat is not going back into the bag, no matter if we wish it would. Best case scenario is that the Dems take this ‘threat’ of West (a deeply moral man not afraid to say truth to power, whether or not you agree with his thoughts) seriously and use the opportunity to change course and show up better for the very people who should be their base. If they chose not to do so honestly it’s on them.
From your mouth to the Dems ears Renee. Some stupid petition isn't going to solve our problem, only action will. NOW! V.P. Harris needs to step up to the plate. Yes we need to see more of Stacy Abrams. The DNC needs to come up off some of those million dollar donations. And most of all Mr. Biden needs to be heard. As my high school football coach was fond of saying "Boys, the field ain't tilt your way."
Stacey Abrams is an asset not fully used.
dnkarr: Since we don't have " The dial of destiny" time machine, what "should have been done" cannot be remedied. We must look forward to the win!
Yes we must deal with the situation that we have ourselves brought to pass. To move forward we must analyze past mistakes so that we can indeed be successful in the future. But yes, the past is past -- no doubt about that.
dnkarr ; We must re-elect Joe Biden "warts" and all! He is the best candidate that we presently have, and there is nothing "Democratic" about "While it's unfortunate Cornel West feels obligated to run, this is a democracy, bro" self defeating B.S. 'Shooting ourselves in the foot' is not the way to go here, at this time, in this situation. Why work for tfg's 'win'? Who are YOU supporting?
You nailed it, Laurie! There are no other viable choices out there. Democracy or autocracy is on the ballot. Informative debates have preceded your comment, but their complaints will only confuse and muddle the essential issue, which Americans will make in the upcoming election. You don't have to look far to see that the choice is tRump, Putin, VS Biden, NATO.
Sad to say, but I think Dr. West has arrived at a point in his life when "tearing this nation apart" is exactly what he has in mind. It's a "save by destroying" tactic. He's making the same mistake that m
any people of high intellect make- letting the perfect get in the way of the good.
Dave, thank you so much. I was trying hard to think of a positive way to say what you just said. Why a politically inexperienced academic believes he would make a good either candidate or president is beyond comprehension. He will win a lot of Black votes and some "liberal" white ones, but they will be fighting against someone they have believed hasn't done enough for them instead of thinking about how much worse it will be to have Trump and Kump back in power. We need Dr. West to keep teaching and sharing and pushing ideas among our youth so our future will be better. That will not happen in a failed campaign and a Republican victory. He must know that, but sometimes ego does get in the way.
We are in agreement, Ruth.
I agree. I cringe every time Biden talks about how we are all friends here. With friends like these, who needs enemies.
Can he not see they need therapy, not authority? This is why I do not feel safe with Biden. I do not trust in bothsidesism, aka false equivalencies.
Bullies and victims are not equivalent. Liars and truth tellers are not equivalent. Fascists and democrats are not equivalent. Sometimes he sounds like Trump after Charlottesville.
Your post lets me believe that you were "cradle rolled into a Cult". like your profile for this forum says. Trolling expert.
I don’t understand what you mean. Elaborate, please.
dnkarr ; Actually, Biden and Harris have gotten "into the ring" and are very strong in their statements lately. Harris pushing back at the 'right's' racist words and deeds and Biden doing the same, also talking about his accomplishments with our economy, which are significant.
Laurie: Key word - "lately". If it had been sooner, like all along, we might not be in this position.
How is that helpful to look at past performances, especially by VP Harris, who was new to the White House level of scrutiny? Let's look at their current statements, which have been getting stronger in recent months. I think they put the other side in the shade! No matter what!
The overarching goal in ‘24 should be eviscerating the current “Republican” party. Biden has led with balance, I.e. everyone complains, but he can achieve that goal if the Democratic Party understands that key requirement. Dr West among others should really support the premise and work in ‘24 and beyond to realign national priorities, including resetting the Supreme Court.
It is everyone’s problem! My god, wake up!
Secretary Reich, I have the greatest respect for you. I also really love Cornell West. He speaks Truth to Power. Maybe the Dems should work with him to fashion a really beneficial platform that will benefit the young, all POC, all women and everyone else we call our fellow citizens who want to preserve our democracy. And to make it flourish. The Democratic Party has peddled the same things over and over. That is why we need to look at other approaches to winning elections and to really helping people.
Elizabeth, I disagree that Democrats are only saying the same things over and over. That is an interesting talking point, but Biden and Harris did talk about young people and how they were going to get the economy going and push for programs to help ordinary people. That may be similar to what was said in the past, but they have come through on a lot of those issues. Bernie Sanders' campaign helped a lot to focus Democrats more on working-class, middle income, and people in poverty. Republicans have no positive ideas at all for this nation's future. I am certain Dr. West has ideas that Biden and Harris would benefit from. His running, though is not a positive for anyone but Trump and Kump. It is a dilemma, but I think that now, it's about saving our democracy. I think if Biden and harris win, as I hope they will, Dr. West should be serving in the cabinet presenting his ideas to them and to Congress.
Yeah Elizabeth - like the Corp Dems worked with Bernie. Why would Cornel West wanna trust anything Corp Dems have to offer? Betrayal is their modus operandi.
Dnkarr: are you working for the Dark Side or What?! We have an election to win; or lose! Any sane person can see what is at stake! Maybe we will get lucky and tfg will be blocked from running because of his coup attempt!
Laurie, you and Dnkarr both belive the stakes are too high to allow Trump to win. That does not mean that the Dems can't make efforts to grow and solidify their coalition. Dems are better but are still influenced by the same moneyed interests because money is power, especially following Citizens United. No one, not even Dems, is speaking about ppl in poverty (Biden talks about the middle class). Both parties seem to be okay with the poor and the formerly incarcerated (there are probably other marginalized groups I haven't mentioned) being overlooked again and again. They are a hot potato that neither party wants to hold. They want and need someone to represent them! Just using the fact that the Republicans would be worse, doesn't and hasn't equated to policy that improves their lives. It doesn't motivate them to support Dems, it only makes them more frustrated and desperate... damned if they do and damned if they don't. Why not support someone that speaks for them? or let the system be torn down?, what do they have to lose (remember that same plea from Trump)? They aren't getting anywhere with The current party structure. Dnkarr is right, there is an opportunity to listen to their needs, collaborate with them on solutions and bring them into the coalition (as Rev. William Barber has pushed for years) rather than continue to expect their support in exchange for little to nothing. If they were a part of the coalition, there wouldn't be a lane for a 3rd party candidate to attract them.
What are you talking about Laurie? Just being realistic about why a radical progressive like Cornel West would not be interested in a friendly chat with Corporate Dems. The Dark Side? That kinda 'name-calling' is exactly why progressives move more and more to the fringes of the Democratic Party and consider other options.
It looks like you have not been able to "catch my drift" ; the dark side is Donald Trump and his captive 'republican' party! This is our election to lose! Perfection is unattainable here; we have to win. (If the 14th amendment is un usable. ).
Elisabeth IIer ; "The Democratic Party has peddled the same things over and over". that is what was said about Bernie Sanders. There are some truths that bear repeating ; especially in the Constitution. Go peddle your anti Democratic (Calling them "Dems says a lot), , anti Biden tropes is not going to make Democracy "flourish". You are more fascist sounding here. Rubbish!
There's still a viable controversy regarding Al Gore's concession in 2000.
Of course there is.
Biden is winning with a strong economy and supports unions: for those who want to see that fact. He and Harris won the last two elections. Incumbents usually do better than non incumbents. We already have a President who has done some good things for US. Don't allow the 'perfect' to be the enemy of the good. We have been winning in case so many have not noticed. Our Freedom to self rule and striving to form to 'A more perfect Union' in Democracy itself is at stake! Why quit when we are ahead!?
I'm not a fan of the two party system, but if Donald Trump takes office as president in January of 2025, he will never voluntarily leave. This is no time to take this kind of a risk.
Hello? Did you see the news yesterday? --Floods, fires, heatwaves and the collapse of the gulf stream. Unfortunately, while Biden has done a few good things in this direction, he still kowtow's to the petroleum industry and Wall Street like a good neo-liberal. Certainly those like Trump and DeSantis are bent on destroying democracy but, does it matter if life as we know it is wiped off the face of the earth?
I hope you do not believe the Republicans aka Donald Trump, cares a bit about climate change. He took the US out of Paris Climate Accords. Remember?
Why would you think I believe that? Of course I don't. It's nice that Biden cares. It's not enough.
A lot better than not caring!
I had a science teacher back in middle school who used to say “Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades!” It annoyed me in school, but I think it applies well to this.
But useless if you are going to give Wall Street and the Petros a pass.
I respect and admire Cornel West, but our democracy is under attack like no other time in history.
He should collaborate with the Biden team not compete with it. This is the specific thing where I’ve seen some progressives go astray, competing with each other rather than finding their common ground.
Professor, I note you didn’t mention “No Labels,” whom I expect will run a purported “centrist” candidate, thus necessitating progressive Democrats, as one subscriber recently had mentioned, to openly acknowledge their fundamental disagreements with the center, somewhat left Biden while also commending him for recognizing that much more, typically, can be accomplished by trying to understand and accommodate others’ positions rather than by ignoring or dismissing them. Given the stakes, I would hope one of our country’s most vital and eloquent public intellectuals, who, as much as the rest of us, laments the erosion of American values and rightly fears that the American spirit has been co-opted by private corporate interests, would, rather than run, press for whatever common ground he can persuade others to stand on.
I respect and admire Cornell West. He should not run. These stakes are too high
Please beg him to withdraw for all the reasons you cite.
Like many of us aging liberals , Cornell West best days are in the rear view mirror. We need to stay involved but in a way that promotes values. Assisting Trump in any way is just wrong.KKL
Just the way to preserve the Tweedle Dee / Tweedle Dum system today. A system that has been brainwashed into many of us for a long time. Why is it, that whenever a REAL candidate for WE THE PEOPLE (not them the corporations) comes around and decides to run on her/his OWN party, and not one of the oligarchical parties, we are hit with the doom and gloom that anyone outside of the Democratic/Republicon oligarchy cannot win? We are told just suck it up, and vote for the lesser of two corporate evils. How is it a democracy if both parties take contributions (what used to be called bribes) from the same corporate entities? It’s the same old “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doom) tactic, and it’s quite archaic. Isn’t it about time we had a choice for some non-corporate candidate. I say that we MUST build up the Green Party, as well as at least six or seven other parties, so that one party does not control either the House or the Senate. Coalitions would have to be made, and real compromise would be made in order to get anything passed. That compromise would come from several points of view, not just Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum. Until we have more of a selection of parties, can we have a real democracy.