"Every Man A King, But No One Wears A Crown."
Article in NYT about the gaining momentum of the economic populism movement in the US. Groups such as the EPI and the AFL-CIO are coming together and gaining strength, and apparently clashing with more moderate democrat groups such as the Hamilton Project, as to what direction the democratic party and America as a whole should be moving in. The article also discusses the fact that since the dems hold only a small majority in congress and because the President has veto power, probably no real change is going to be coming down the pipeline, even the minimum wage hike to $7.25 by 2009 has been and will continue to be an uphill battle, I guess this is the downside of checks and balances. Sometimes I wonder how these congressmen can look themselves in the mirror, or look an American worker in the eye, all the promises they made out on the campaign trail, all the big talk, apparently isn't going to amount to much more then two dollars more an hour and lower interest rates on student loans...I understand about fighting the battles that you can win, but it doesn't seem like the democrats are fighting much at all, people say thats just the way it is, that change is slow, but I look back to the 1930 Congressional elections and the subsequent 1932 presidential election of FDR and all the big changes (e.g. Social Security) that can happen when those in congress and in the white house are willing to take on the big challenges. I wish there was a congressmen today who stood up and took on the big fights of universal health care, income inequality, free trade etc, all those things you stirred people up with on the campaign trail, instead of worrying about reelection and your campaign coffers, I wish there was a congressman who at least stood up and said what he believed and actually fought for it, thats why we vote, we vote for an elected representative to act as our voice, to act as the voice of the people, and any Congressman who does anything less is a coward and not fit to be a congressman, as a country we face big problems, we need big changes and bold leaders.
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NYT "Here Come the Economic Populists"