Wise Policies Over Feuding Parties

The Blue Road to Trump Hell, How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way for Autocracy, December 2025, free as ebook, by Norman Solomon

This book scrutinizes how the behavior of many Democrats assisted Trump’s electoral triumphs. That scrutiny is important not only for clarity about the past. It also makes possible a focus on ways that such failures can be avoided in the future.

The last chapter, “2025 and Beyond,” assesses how top Democrats responded to the escalating repression from the Trump regime after his return to the White House. …

What has routinely passed for the Democratic Party’s opposition to the Trump regime comes across as little more than forgettable rhetoric and rote activities. Holding town halls around the country, or raising money to file lawsuits against the Trump administration’s lawless actions, or appealing for funds to defeat Republicans in the next election are all well and good. But simply following party “leadership” that isn’t leading much of anywhere is no substitute for daily grassroots outreach and systematic organizing in communities nationwide. An individual is no match for history, but many individuals propelling social movements can be another matter.

Comment:

By Don McCanne, M.D.

Many of us who are passionate about health care reform thought that we could achieve it by electing a president, Senate, and House composed of Democrats. With definitive evidence that the US has by far the costliest health care system in the world, performing near the bottom of wealthy nations, fixing our insurance would seem to be straightforward: enact and implement the single payer system proven elsewhere, a refined Medicare for All.

Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Although the public supports progressive policies, including Medicare for All, those policies have been inadequately supported by the party that theoretically represents these views – the Democrats.

There have been many attempts to explain this phenomenon. In “The Blue Road To Trump Hell,” Norman Solomon provides an historical analysis of why this is so: It is primarily due to defective politics within the Democratic Party. Although Solomon’s analysis might be viewed by some as controversial, in my view he is correct: the controversy stems from flawed reasoning by the element that controls Democratic Party funding and internal politics. Bernie Sanders (an Independent) far better represents what the Democratic party should fight for.

So what can we do? Many have disagreed with my opinion that we should set aside politics and concentrate on policy instead. Yet people of many political stripes do want affordable and accessible health care for themselves, and most also agree that insurance which enables everyone to have health care is desirable.

So what about policy and politics? Is it more important to have strong disagreements on personalities and personal interactions? Or is it more important to find agreement on policies which have the potential to benefit everyone? Or should we be deeply absorbed in politics that serve some people well but that are detrimental to so many others?

I would say that it’s no contest. We should try to achieve that which benefits everyone.

Back to health insurance policy. Let’s all get together and choose a model that is accessible, universal, comprehensive, equitable, and truly affordable for each of us. Maybe it’s time to dump politics since they seem to be so divisive and chose our legislators based strictly on policies they support. Why should any political party claim squatter’s rights on policy?

Politics is designed to promote disagreements when we really should be aiming at cooperating to achieve mutual agreement. Beneficial policies should support all of us, and detrimental policies should be flushed down the drain. Let’s leave the party designation off of our ballots while informing ourselves on the policies that the candidates support, regardless of political affiliation.

Yes, this is far out thinking, but what we are doing now is definitely not working. Do we want a future of Trumpism, or a future of peace, justice, and solidarity?

https://healthjusticemonitor.org…