Nan had to read what she said to know what she said.
Via Observer:
Democratic “resistance” toward Donald Trump is used more often to resist push for changes and reforms from the Bernie Sanders progressive wing of the Democratic Party than it is against Trump.
“The radical nature of this government is radicalizing Democrats, and that’s going to pose a real challenge to the Democratic Party, which is to draw on the energy and the activism and the passion that is out there, but not let it turn us into what we despised about the tea party,” Congressman Adam Schiff said in a meeting with The Los Angeles Times. Schiff failed to elaborate on what he deems dangerous and despicable about the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Nor did he acknowledge the reality facing Democrats in that successful opposition to Trump won’t come from the party’s center—who failed to defeat him in the general election—but from its younger, populist base. This tone-deaf rhetoric from Democratic Party leaders, who would rather protect the status quo even if it means continuing to lose than cede any political power or privilege to progressives, is becoming the ethos of the Democratic Party.
On January 31, CNN held a town hall with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to address how Democrats are resisting Donald Trump. However, nothing is more anti-resistance than watching one of the wealthiest, out-of-touch members of Congress condescend voters.
When asked by a Yemeni refugee about what the Democratic Party can do to help her family, Pelosi blamed the entire crisis in Yemen on Trump. In reality, the crisis was caused by Saudi Arabian intervention, which was supplied with massive amounts of weapons exported by the Obama administration. “Your family is suffering because our president is reckless…and his administration is incompetent,” Pelosi said. “How and why they did this is because they’re grand illusionists. Every time they have a problem with something, they create another problem.” With this response, Pelosi shows that she either doesn’t know about the subject or she is just on autopilot to blame everything on the Republicans.
Pelosi repeated this condescending elitism to a millennial who asked her how the Democratic Party intends to court the growing number of millennials who are taking a more progressive view of the economy, which Sen. Bernie Sanders championed during his presidential campaign. The college student received the kind of answer about wealth and income inequality that one would expect from a member of Congress whose net worth is estimated at over $100 million.
“I wonder if there’s anywhere you feel the Democrats could move farther left to a more populist message the way the alt-right has sort of captured this populist strain on the right wing, if you think we could make a more stark contrast to right-wing economics?” the student asked.
Pelosi laughed and responded, “Well I thank you for your question, but I have to say we’re capitalists—that’s just the way it is.” Pelosi gave a similarly tone-deaf response in a December 2016 interview, claiming, “I don’t think people want a new direction,” in regards to making meaningful changes to the Democratic Party.
Pelosi elaborated on her response to the college student with an awkward economics lesson. She explained that corporate CEOs began making more money than their workers, thereby broadening income and wealth inequality. Despite grasping this explanation of income and wealth inequality, Pelosi somehow feels that the political status quo, which has only increased inequality, will somehow render a solution to the problem that it caused.
HT: Theo Spark