By Jim Hightower
Here’s
a jarring headline: “Economic Populism Is a Dead End for Democrats.”
That’s
the title on a recent op-ed piece written by a couple of longtime political
flacks for Wall Street and published, naturally, in The Wall Street Journal.
Take
it from me, when the barons of big money start rolling out this kind of
scolding screed, it’s not because they really think populism is a loser, but
because they’re terrified by the fact that it has already gained mass appeal
and is on the move all across grassroots America.
But
this group is to authentic Democratic Party principles what near beer is to
stout — only, not as close. Third Way is just the same old Wall Street way.
While it wears a Democratic mask, it pushes for policies that are Wall Street
fantasies, including gutting and privatizing Social Security.
Why
would a group wanting you to believe that it has genuine Democratic genes be an
advocate for further enriching Wall Street’s Republican elite at the expense of
America’s middle class and the poor?
To
find out, just peek behind Third Way’s organizational curtain. You’ll see that
its funders and governing board include no one from labor, senior
citizen, consumer, environmentalist, small-farmer, student, African American,
Latino, and other core Democratic constituencies. Instead, of its 29 board
members, 20 are Wall Street bankers, hedge fund hucksters, or venture capital
vultures.
Third
Way dead-ends at Wall Street. So, fronting for the selfish interests of its
backers, it doesn’t want any party championing economic populism. But the
people do, and that’s who Democrats should heed.
OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator,
writer, and public speaker. He’s also editor of the populist newsletter, The
Hightower Lowdown. OtherWords.org
