Justice Democrats - Movement Co-Led by Former Sanders Team Members

[Chris_Michael]

http://www.tubefilter.com/2017/01/23/the-young-turks-justice-democrats-politics/

I hate The Young Turks. I really do. However, I listened to a 4-hour discussion about what the Democratic Party needs to do to better themselves and to improve relations with the voters. Because let's be honest, what killed the Democrats this election cycle was insane dishonesty. It wasn't a whitelash. It wasn't a hate movement. It was pure dishonesty on their part. And if you are unwilling to accept that, then you're just a mindless zombie following anything with "Democrat" slapped on it.

One thing about politics is Tribalism. An example would be me never wanting to work with TYT to make a better Democratic Party. But I'll have to get over that if I want improvements in future election cycles.

As much as I despise Cenk Uygur, he has made a very clear point that I wholeheartedly agree with. It's time to get corporate money out of politicians' hands. Straight from the source linked, this is essentially the Left's version of the Tea Party. I don't know much about the Tea Party except that Mike Huckabee made a lot of money discussinf it. But whatever.

Will this movement get off the ground? I don't know. Will it fix anything? I don't know. Does anybody really want an honest Democratic Party? I don't know.

"Well, the Republ...". Shut the fuck up! This isn't about the Republicans. This is about how to better the Democratic Party. In context, I don't give a shit about the Republicans. What can be done to better DEMOCRATS? If we can force their hand and not allow for corporate intervention, I will be happy.

Or if not, can NOTHING be done to stop it? Are we just not going to try?

 

[handysr]

I've seen some of TheYoungTurks, but not enough to know whether or not I like them. Some of their stuff is idiotic, but some of their stuff is spot-on. I like to read, not listen, so I'm not going to dedicate time to stare at videos. Regardless of the political slant someone is talking about, many people are smooth talkers, and I'd rather have it expressed via the written word so I can see through their agenda better.

So there's this group of socialists that wants to further influence the democratic party... What, like they weren't liberal enough?!? I did see some discussions about this elsewhere, and it kind of ticked me off. The democrats are soooo pissed off about not just losing, but to losing to someone they can't overtly control, they are now making a public showing about how to better propogandize their position.

My hope is that people can see through their bullshit.

 

[Chris_Michael]

So there's this group of socialists that wants to further influence the democratic party... What, like they weren't liberal enough?!? I did see some discussions about this elsewhere, and it kind of ticked me off. The democrats are soooo pissed off about not just losing, but to losing to someone they can't overtly control, they are now making a public showing about how to better propogandize their position.

My hope is that people can see through their bullshit.

So this is the list of objectives this movement hopes to execute. I don't agree with everything on the list, and I certainly don't agree with TYT on much at all. Most of TYT is focused on identity politics. However, I'd rather see corporate money out of politician's pockets. All of the stuff on the list that I disagree with is nothing compared to that.

Explain the problems with this. I would be willing to compromise with some things to GAIN something important. Gun regulation? I don't want that necessarily, but I'm willing to make it happen if I can work to get something done about the rich stomping on the poor. The Death Penalty? I'm for it. 100%. But I'm willing to give it up as well.

What is wrong with the list? From the right OR the left?

AND I VOTED FOR TRUMP

I didn't lose. However, WE are losing as a country.

Pass a constitutional amendment to put an end to Washington corruption and bring about election reform. Super PACs should be banned, private donations to politicians and campaigns should be banned, and a clean public financing system should be implemented to end the takeover of our government by corporations and billionaires. Americans deserve free and fair elections – free from the corruption of big money donors. The Supreme Court has effectively legalized bribery. It’s time for an Article 5 convention to take our Democracy back from the brink of Oligarchy. Prior to passing this amendment, all Justice Democrats should reject billionaire and corporate donations when running for office to show the American people we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Ranked choice voting should also be implemented to make smaller parties a viable option. All provisions of the voting rights act should be reinstated, and gerrymandering for partisan gain should be eliminated.

Re-regulate Wall Street and hold white-collar criminals accountable. Despite engaging in systemic fraud and causing a subprime mortgage meltdown and the great recession, you can count the people from Wall Street who are in prison for their crimes on one hand. It’s time to prosecute the criminals, bring back Glass-Steagall, and re- regulate Wall Street to prevent another crash. Prison is not just for the poor and the middle class anymore. We will have cops on Wall Street, not just Main Street.

End billionaire and corporate tax dodging, fix the system to benefit middle-class and poor people. Corporations dodge $450 billion a year in taxes by using offshore tax havens. We should end this injustice, as well as chain the capital gains tax to the income tax, increase the estate tax, and implement the buffet rule so that no millionaire CEO pays less in taxes than his or her secretary. It’s time for a tax system that benefits the middle-class and the poor, and makes the top 1% and multinational corporations pay their fair share.

Defend Free speech and expression. We support the right to express unpopular opinions without fear of censorship. We support free speech on college campuses. The marketplace of ideas should be embraced. A vibrant debate is healthy for democracy, and we should cherish our first amendment. We also support net neutrality for a free and open internet.

Oppose bigotry. We must speak out against racism, sexism, xenophobia, and all forms of bigotry. Non-discrimination protections that currently apply to race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community and the atheist community. Making all Americans equal is not asking for special privileges, it’s asking for the rule of law – justice and equality for all as outlined in the United States Constitution.

Make the minimum wage a living wage and tie it to inflation. This is about justice and basic human decency. If you work hard and you work full time you shouldn’t live in poverty.

Ensure universal healthcare as a right. The United States should catch up to every other modern nation and implement a single-payer, medicare-for-all system. There’s no reason we can’t be #1 in the world instead of #37. It’s time to end the destruction of American healthcare by rapacious, price gouging, for-profit, private health insurance middlemen.

Universal education as a right. Educating the citizenry of a nation pays dividends in the long run, with the economy getting back much more than is initially put in. Crushing student debt for higher education would no longer burden young men and women trying to improve their lives through hard work. We should strive to have the best education system in the world.

End unnecessary wars and nation building. The United States maintains 800 military bases worldwide at a cost of $100 billion a year, this is money that can be spent at home creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure, and investing in the future of the people. The disastrous war in Iraq cost trillions, the war in Afghanistan is 15 years in with no end in sight, and we’re currently bombing 7 different countries. We spend more on our military than the next 8 countries combined. Despite countless lives lost and destroyed, terrorism has only gotten worse. It’s time to end the wars and the perverse monetary-incentive structure that makes politicians flippant about sending young men and women to die. Unilateral U.S. military force should only be used as a last resort to defend the nation. The current budget could be cut drastically if we used our department of defense for what it was intended – defending us, instead of waging interventionist wars.

End the failed war on drugs. The goal is legalization, taxation, and regulation. Prohibition only makes drug cartels more powerful, increases crime, and makes drugs more dangerous due to lack of enforced safety standards. What you put in your body is your own business, and your right. A free society should allow individuals to make their own choices about their bodies. While most users are recreational and moderate, rehabilitation and treatment should be provided for people struggling with addiction. Additionally, those serving time for non-violent drug offenses should be pardoned.

Create the new new deal. Our infrastructure gets a grade of D from the Society of Civil Engineers. The government should invest billions in rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, schools, levees, airports etc. There’s no reason why we can’t have the world’s #1 infrastructure.

Create the renewable energy revolution. Scientists are sounding the alarm on climate change. In order to avoid the worst case scenario and a dystopian future we need a massive green revolution. It’s time to drastically and immediately move away from fossil fuels and develop the technologies of the future. This will be a giant boon to both the private and public sector, as well as a necessary response to a global crisis. We can and we must be #1 in sustainable energy production in the world.

Block the TPP and all outsourcing deals that will further damage the middle-class. As a result of NAFTA, CAFTA, PNTR with China and the WTO, Americans have lost millions of decent paying jobs. It’s time to end the race to the bottom and renegotiate these rigged deals that only benefit elites. We should not sacrifice our sovereignty, the only people who are allowed to make laws for the United States should be the American people, not multinational corporations.

End Constitutional overreaches. Ban the NSA from bulk data- collection and warrantless spying. Shut down Guantanamo Bay and all extrajudicial prisons. Prosecute torturers and those who violated the Geneva Conventions, Nuremberg Tribunal, International law and US law. Return habeas corpus and due process. We shouldn’t be leading from behind on human rights, we must be the home of liberty. We should practice the values we preach.

Ban arming human rights violators. We recently gave Saudi Arabia billions in weapons and watched the civilian death toll in their vicious bombing campaign in Yemen tick up. We continue sending Egypt arms as they violently crack down on peaceful protesters. Israel received $38 billion in aid and promptly announced new settlements. The first step to peace is not enabling nations who regularly violate international law. We must be bold enough to stand up to human rights violators who aren’t just our enemies, but our allies. We don’t weaken our allies by holding them accountable, we strengthen them.

Enact common-sense gun regulation. 92% of Americans want expanded background checks, 54% want a ban on assault weapons, and 54% want a ban on high capacity magazines. This should be implemented along with a federal gun buyback program to cut down on the 300+ million firearms in circulation. Over 30,000 Americans die every year from gun violence, including over 10,000 homicides. The time to act is now to address this public health crisis.

Ensure paid vacation time, sick time, maternity leave, childcare. The United States is one of just three countries in the world that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave, the others being Oman and Papua New Guinea. We are the only industrialized nation that doesn’t offer paid vacation time. This should be changed immediately.

Abolish the death penalty. Humans are fallible, we’ll never get the right answer 100% of the time. 4% of the people on death row are not guilty of a crime and have been wrongly convicted. A system that puts innocent people to death is indefensible and should be reformed. We want justice for the American people but killing innocent people on death row is the exact opposite. These ideas represent what the Democratic Party was supposed to represent

 

[hardyoungbuck28]

I followed TYT during the primary because they were one of the only voices for Sanders that allowed me to retrieve info "on the ground". Lots of discrepancies that were never mentioned in MSM. I agreed with a majority of their narrative. However they were becoming more and more incendiary and subjective. So I stopped. NPR, CSPAN, and AM talk are where I get my news.

I was on the campaign as UNA until the conventions came around. I changed affiliation to DEM so that I could go to the district convention as a delegate for The Bern. I lost narrowly to someone who was already playing politics weeks before the convention. He is now the de facto head of the party locally. At the convention I witnessed democracy being implemented right before my eyes. I determined the most effective course of action was to remain Dem and change the party from within. It has been an uphill battle...

I do believe that the progressive movement is inevitable. Millenials are the most educated, diverse and progressive generation in history. Gen X was the most liberal generation before them. The entire Millenial generation will be eligible to vote in 2020. They do have the lowest voter turnout, but I think DT will help with that.

Sticking to the issues is key for the Dems. To hell with identity politics. Dems need to target unaffiliated voters/independents. Stick with education, health care, infrastructure, clean energy, and family benefits. The DEMS have a winning argument with all these issues. Get money out of politics. Regulate the banks, and the corporations. Close loopholes/havens. Stay away from religious/personal issues. Abortion voters will not be convinced of anything other than what Jesus said. Even then, they will use circular logic to circumvent any discourse. However an abortion voter *may* be convinced that access to education and healthcare result in lower fertility rates, therefore lower abortion rates. An abortion voter *may* actually give a shit about their environment and can be enlightened to the gyre of atrocities that fossil fuel production and consumption creates. The list goes on, but the Dems did a fucking abysmal job of voter outreach and issue discussion. We have the winning policies for the people, we just have to let them know.

There are people who are moderately politically informed that can generate ostensible logic surrounding an issue; i.e, the wall. People who are less informed, (quite a few), adhere to these radical policy positions with passion and fervor, especially when they are economically, socially, and educationally burdened. So of course, the natural scapegoat is misplaced. Again. Many times over.....

Then there are those people who are substantially informed politically and despite all of their research and knowledge on any given issue, they are quickly labeled as condescending elitists. Which may ring true, but it does not negate the facts. Further polarizing voters on the issues irregardless of the direct or indirect impacts.

Dems gotta work on packaging the message, and adjusting it for the audience while remaining loyal to the core of the message.

I have said from the beginning that DT will be good for progressives in spite of himself. The reaction/response to conservatism, capitalism, patriarchy, oligarchy, etc. will further galvanize the progressive movement as well as highlight the hypocrisies of the converse. Right now, conservatives think that's what they are witnessing. But I disagree. They are witnessing the last gasp. Historically speaking, they are misaligned with the ideology that moves humanity forward. Evolution always wins.

 

[JackLuis]

I've seen some of TheYoungTurks, but not enough to know whether or not I like them. Some of their stuff is idiotic, but some of their stuff is spot-on. I like to read, not listen, so I'm not going to dedicate time to stare at videos. Regardless of the political slant someone is talking about, many people are smooth talkers, and I'd rather have it expressed via the written word so I can see through their agenda better.

So there's this group of socialists that wants to further influence the democratic party... What, like they weren't liberal enough?!? I did see some discussions about this elsewhere, and it kind of ticked me off. The democrats are soooo pissed off about not just losing, but to losing to someone they can't overtly control, they are now making a public showing about how to better propogandize their position.

My hope is that people can see through their bullshit.

Handy, it is true the todays Democratic Party has perverted the principles that FDR made famous. The Party is not now liberal it is neo-liberal. TYT wants to correct that and drive the party to serve all the people not just the 1-2% that fund the jobs of the leadership. TYT wants the Party to serve the people in general.

TYT wants to take money out of politics, ( good luck with that). They may not be 100% correct but they are at least not advocating War, Colonialism, and international terrorism the name of Freedom.

 

[KingOrfeo]

So there's this group of socialists that wants to further influence the democratic party... What, like they weren't liberal enough?!?

Well, no, they weren't. Too much corporate/Wall Street/1% influence. That's one reason why Hillary lost. The people don't want the plutocracy we've got now, and many somehow believed only Trump could get rid of it, partly because the Dems form no credible opposition to it and have not for decades. If that changes, if the Dems become a truly left-populist, anti-oligarchical party, then the Dems will win.

 

[handysr]

So this is the list of objectives this movement hopes to execute. I don't agree with everything on the list, and I certainly don't agree with TYT on much at all. Most of TYT is focused on identity politics. However, I'd rather see corporate money out of politician's pockets. All of the stuff on the list that I disagree with is nothing compared to that.

Explain the problems with this. I would be willing to compromise with some things to GAIN something important. Gun regulation? I don't want that necessarily, but I'm willing to make it happen if I can work to get something done about the rich stomping on the poor. The Death Penalty? I'm for it. 100%. But I'm willing to give it up as well.

What is wrong with the list? From the right OR the left?

AND I VOTED FOR TRUMP

I didn't lose. However, WE are losing as a country.

Well, no, they weren't. Too much corporate/Wall Street/1% influence. That's one reason why Hillary lost. The people don't want the plutocracy we've got now, and many somehow believed only Trump could get rid of it, partly because the Dems form no credible opposition to it and have not for decades. If that changes, if the Dems become a truly left-populist, anti-oligarchical party, then the Dems will win.

Chris, I agree with some of your quoted items, but others I thought were immaterial. One man's trash is another's treasure, right? You would likely agree with some of mine, and think others are immaterial. It's my opinion that it's like that throughought the country, and how about instead of bickering over insanely stupid bullshit like "identity politics", how about if everyone joins together to actually enforce laws on the books now, and further the goals that most sane people can agree on?

There's no reason to bargain away things in a compromise. They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.. You are not getting my damn guns. Trying to do so is a bad idea.

Stop all the reams of regulations about base Constitutional freedoms already. Actually, you know what? I'll make a compromise after all. I'll say that once the laws limiting the Constitutional amendments are removed, then I'll be happy to vote to allow your wish of "Ensure paid vacation time, sick time, maternity leave, childcare." even though I don't think the government should be dictating what benefits any company should offer their employees.

And Orfeo, I totally agree that there's way too much big-money-groups influencing the democratic party, as well as being a big part of why hillary lost. I'd go further to say that the republicans aren't very much better. The other parties have much less influence by the highest bidder, but that isn't because they are less corrupt, it's because they aren't bigger or more powerful, so any cash thrown their way isn't as valuable.
As much as I dislike many of the ideals of the democratic party, and don't want to see them in a position of power where they could enact those things into law, I do think that getting rid of the corruption would help their cause and win back some voters.

What I'm hoping for is that the next election features a politically naiive business person that isn't already rich and powerful, with few to no rich backers that think they are owed something.

 

[KingOrfeo]

What I'm hoping for is that the next election features a politically naiive business person . . .

Such would make a very bad POTUS.

. . . that isn't already rich and powerful, with few to no rich backers that think they are owed something.

And such would have no hope of getting elected.

 

[KingOrfeo]

There's no reason to bargain away things in a compromise. They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.. You are not getting my damn guns. Trying to do so is a bad idea.

Face it, your guns don't matter. They don't. They are good for home defense or hunting, that's all. You cannot use them to defend your freedom. They are politically useless.