Reply #79: No, I don't blame them [View All]

Especially after the ravages of Bush the Younger it's logical to want to return to better days. But it's a simplistic viewpoint, which underestimates the extreme damage and abuses wrought by the Bush era. We are not in the same situation as we were in the 90's in any sense. It would take an essay to even begin to define those differences--good analyses are posted at DU from time to time. I give the Clintons credit for some things they managed to do despite the relentless attacks on them, but policy-wise there are many disappointments and failures. Hillary's current campaign has convinced me more than anything else that she is not the presidential candidate for these times, never mind the worrisome "dynasty" factor. Her heart may be in the right place but she's in a compromised position politically, despite all the positive rhetoric. She's too entrenched with the old guard. Bill's tenure as president was important for at least bringing Dems back into the game. If it had been followed by a Gore presidency as it SHOULD have been in a true democracy, who knows where we'd be right now? NOT in the toilet, I wouldn't think.

The urge to return to the Clinton era is characteristic of a downtrodden mentality that says, "we can't have anything better, so let's try to go back there at least." It reflects a quite reasonable level of anxiety after our recent trials as pawns of the corporate masters, but it doesn't really acknowledge the larger opportunities raised by the utter abject failure of the fascist Neocons. We now have an opportunity for far-reaching and substantial changes. We need a totally different kind of leadership, a leadership that can chart the course of the future. We need a vision that's large enough to encompass ALL the country's people and their myriad problems, not pander to a relative few at the expense of the many.

After the shocks of the Bush era, I'm betting that the country is ready for this new course psychologically, but it will not occur without turbulence. It is clear that many in govt will resort to criminal behavior to control this country. Corruption at every level of our society is epidemic. Fear of dealing with the rot at our core is what really is at the bottom of our fears about the future IMO. It won't be an easy job, and most average people have enough to do without worrying about saving Democracy on top of it all. But it really is up to us--the people--to keep pushing the Powers That Be. There are no magic solutions. We won't be able to coast no matter who is president. The next 4-8 years will be rough.