Forum Post: The false equivalence of left and right

In numerous postings in the OWS forums and chats it is suggested that both the left and right failed us; that neither side of the political sphere has worked and so should be abandoned, and that they merit equal scorn. While replacing the existing system with a new economic and political model is a worthy effort that we fully support, we feel compelled, before bidding adieu to the current paradigm, to remind the movement of the source of our present woes, and how we got to this point. It is the radical conservative movement in the United States almost exclusively, that has brought us the current state of affairs. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

During the Reagan and Bush I years 1981 - 1992: • Destruction of economic and financial protections (banking deregulation) that led to the Savings and Loan crisis and bailouts (sound familiar?); the market crash of 1987 • Record deficits and recession

During the Bush II and Cheney years 2001 - 2008:

• Two wars with simultaneous record corporate theft (tax breaks), resulting in a squandered budget surplus that turned into a record deficit

• The continued assault on smart, effective government through defunding and appointing of stooges to agencies, self-fulfilling into a disabled government that no longer serves the common good, resulting in record public distrust of government

• The destruction of financial protections (more banking deregulation from the 1990s coming home to roost) resulting in the housing bubble and crash.

• More bailouts (that word again), and recession.

• A wholesale attack on environmental protections which resulted in the BP oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in history

• Incessant ideological rigidity in congress with no regard for the common good that resulted in stalled, ineffective government

• The use of media to foment anger and disgust resulting in record political division among the public

• The use of billionaire-funded media smear groups to blame progressives for conservative disasters including the Iraq war

It should be noted that public theft by running up big deficits is intentional.

Deficits are used as ruses to destroy popular programs like Social Security and Medicare, which the radical right hasn't been able to accomplish legislatively.

So when we look around at the mess, bear in mind that this is conservative policy carried out according to plan.This is not incompetence: they like it this way.

They do not want a government that works. They want government for profit.

To the extent that Democrats are also responsible it is because they have adopted conservative policies, either out of ignorance, or as a wrong-headed strategy to win elections, thinking they have to "be conservative to win". The Democrats generally do not desire progressive outcomes and have in sum thwarted the progressive agenda.

Had progressives a real voice in government there would have been no Iraq war.

We would have insurance companies off our backs via single-payer health care.

We would have ceased all support and giveaways to fossil fuel interests and been well on our way to a clean-energy, carbon-free future.

We would have restored smart, effective government, and protections supporting a just economy that works for all.

We would have clean elections, transportation for all, and healthy, safe food.

This too is not an exhaustive list. We have gotten none of these things.

So the suggestion that left and right have both failed is simplistic and unfair. There has been no left, because the left has been shut out.

The onus is on the radical conservative agenda and it is their world in which we are now living.

It may well be time to scrap the current system and start over, and we fully support that effort. But responsibility for our current condition should be correctly placed.

See you in Liberty Square!

www.knowyourvalues.org/occupy