These "progressives" (a term which means not so much to me) may not be all that convinced that Obama is a reformer. Clearly that would seem to be both Krugman and Stiglitz case.

We'll see. Though, if Obama were really in the pocket of the interests he's'going after, it'd'be far easier for him to score a few victories...

I would be ashamed to admit that I had risen from the ranks. When I rise it will be with the ranks, and not from them Eugene Debs

Is he purposely trying to commit political suicide?


Ever since I learnt about confirmation bias I've started seeing it everywhere

The right doesn't have that problem. Their vision of the future is endlessly sunny. Oil, we just need to drill, baby drill. Global warming, heck it is 30 below outside, Jobs, we just need to lower taxes.

Their arguments are infantile but they carry the day amongst a population that can only be described as delusional.

It's hard to sell sustainability. It's hard to tell people that US cities are unsustainable. Suburbs in the US will prove the costliest bet ever made in human history.

But my fundamental critique of the US "progressives" is that their message doesn't seem to have any hopes of having a positive effect. I mean, telling the reformist government that it sucks may be therapeutic, but what is it supposed to accomplish?

It would seem to me that you are treating a loose group of people as an organization. Individuals and organizations act, but a loose group of people do not act, they react.

I would say in general they are reacting to feeling let down by the promises of the campaign. Which in turn is predictable after a campaign that successfully held up empty words like "hope" and "change" and let the voters project their favourite policies on it. After winning on such terms it would have took great propaganda efforts - constant campaigning if you will - to keep the supporters to see their favourite policies as the long term result of the actual policies enacted.

A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!