Annabel Park and Eric Byler: We're at "The Tipping Point." Are We Really?

by: lowkell

Sat Feb 26, 2011 at 10:18:37 AM EST

Park and Byler then list "Ten Wake Up Calls" - Egypt, Wisconsin, growing income inequality, the "Great American Rip-off," the BP disaster, the "House of Representatives run amok," the "Stiglitz Defict-reduction plan," etc. -  they "predict will help define February 2011 in America."

Are these really "tipping points" for America? As much as I wish they were, I don't believe they are. In fact, everything I'm seeing indicates the opposite - that we're treading water at best, backsliding at worst, in the quest to make America a better, more truly prosperous, better educated, healthier, fairer, more just and peaceful, greener/cleaner America. To kick off the conversation, here are a few thoughts from a smart, progressive, politically astute friend of mine.

I agree with much of that analysis. I'd also add a few more concerns: 1) the media is almost completely dumbed down and corporatized, providing almost no decent coverage of anything (e.g., see anything on today's protests around the country in support of Wisconsin unions?); 2) there is simply no serious progressive movement in this country, just one extreme-right-wing party and one center/center-right party (and one that adopts much of the extreme-right-wing party's framing); and 3) our political system is almost completely incapable of doing what needs to be done to get us out of the mess(es) that we're in, whether we're talking about long-term structural deficits, environmental/energy challenges, whatever.  

Finally, with specific regard to Park's and Byler's wake-up calls, I don't see how Egypt - even if it succeeds in achieving Democracy, not just another military regime or, even worse, an Islamist-dominated government - is meaningful for the United States. What's the relevance? As for growing income inequality, that just keeps getting worse and worse, no end in sight as the tax code becomes increasingly regressive and as other forces, such as globalization, cause a "race to the bottom" for the working and middle classes. With regard to the BP oil disaster and other environmental catastrophes, what has our political system done to address those? I'm not seeing it. Finally, with regard to the Wisconsin situation, the bottom line is that even if progressive forces battle to a semi-acceptable compromise there, the fact is that organized labor in this country has been declining for decades, again with no end in sight. Heck, here in Virginia we've got top Democratic leaders - Kaine, Warner, Deeds, Armstrong, you name it  - who proudly defend "right-to-work" (aka, "right-to-be-poor" union busting). How does any of that add up to a "tipping point?" Got me.