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What is the point of watching the Brett Kavanaugh hearings? It was very obvious what Kavanaugh was. Ralph Nader called Kavanaugh a corporation masquerading as a judge. That’s pretty much it. There is a lot for potential “#Resistance” Democrats to resist. And they asked some questions worth asking. We should certainly be very scared of Brett Kavanaugh. Even if he wasn’t in corporations’ pockets, we should be very scared of Brett Kavanaugh. But it did seem like a rather obvious point to bring up, the whole being a corporate ideologue thing.
The hearings seemed to be a sort of draft combine for 2020 Presidential candidates. A lot of familiar names were very agitated, and rightly so. I thought the questions asked were important and I certainly am not one to say that quote on quote social issues are less important than economic issues. I really think that would be a stupid thing to say. I have no problems with the questions asked. But it was noticeable what questions were left out.
I did find a very tidy Huffington Post recap of the third days of the trial. Maybe the other days were more fruitful. The questions went like this: Racial profiling from 9:43 ET to 10:58. Roe v. Wade 10:58 to 1:15. Trump 1:15 to 3:19. Nixon (in other words, Trump) 3:45 to 4:29. Note: at 4:06 the girl’s basketball team Kavanaugh coaches just in time for Kavanaugh to propose stripping them of their reproductive rights. Pan to Coach Brett: “Remember ladies, if the other team makes one shot on us you should spend the rest of your life in economic servitude just so you can learn the lesson your sex ed class I defunded failed to teach you.” Roe v. Wade 4:29- 4:35. Bob Mueller 4:35 to 5:33. Birth control 5:33 to 5:52. Just as I was sure there was zero differences between the two parties the Republicans ask Kavanaugh about sports at 5:52 and then we go to dinner. Trump 6:36 to 6:42. Mueller 6:42 to 7:08. Gay marriage 7:08 to 7:14. Roe v. Wade 7:14 to 7:46. Back to Republicans complimenting Kavanaugh on putting cameras in the courtroom 7:46 to 8:18. LGBT discrimination 8:18 to 9:05. Gun control 9:05 to 9:10. And then….Unions!!! Let’s go! The party is getting started. Here comes the resistance. 9:30 to 9:40. 10 minutes of fame. Then to explaining the Bill of Rights 9:40 to 9:46. Employment discrimination 9:46 to 10:05. Trump 10:05 to 10:14.
These are the Democrats, take them or leave them. They are not interested in touching any issue that involves the working class. At this point I don’t think they could even touch a member of the working class without washing their hands. Hate Trump? They got you. Hate discrimination? They got you. Hate guns? They got you. Love the FBI? They got you.
Reproductive rights look to be a target of this particular judge that the left should take seriously in the upcoming months. But it is a misnomer that the Democrats are always on the side of women in this regard. Despite 75% of Democrats and 60% of Independents supporting the right to choose, Democrats still too often cater to the mysterious third way. The question is, why? It is perhaps because they simply don’t want women voting, they are just too progressive. Likewise, Democrats refuse to take voter disenfranchisement among people of color seriously, fearing their votes as well. That doesn’t mean the Democrats are ready to give away Roe v. Wade. They will be ready to give it up in 10 years of course when the Republicans come up with something more extreme.
Now anyone with democracy in mind cannot say that the Democrats are much of a party, let alone a resistance party. Where were the concerns about the EME Homer City Generation, LP v. EPA case where Kavanaugh sided against an EPA rule forcing states to take responsibility for their pollution downstream and downwind? Where were the concerns about White Stallion Energy Center v. EPA, where Kavanaugh rejected the Clean Air Act, stating the EPA should have to consider the costs for power plants to pollute us with toxic chemicals? Or there is Mingo Logan Coal Company vs. EPA, where BK Have It My Way sided against the Clean Water Act. Or in Coalition for Responsible Regulation, Inc. v. EPA, where the man had the audacity to state that the regulation of air pollutants did not include regulating greenhouse gases.
Publictizen.org found that: “In 18 of 22 cases involving consumer and regulatory issues or matters of administrative law, Kavanaugh sided with corporations against agencies, or with agencies against public-interest challengers.” Furthermore, “In 11 of 13 environmental cases, Kavanaugh sided with corporations or states challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or other federal agencies for being too protective of the environment, or against environmental groups seeking stronger environmental enforcement.” And also: “In 15 of 17 cases involving worker rights, Kavanaugh sided with employers against employees or employees’ unions, or with employers against the National Labor Relations Board.” But where were the questions about regulations, the environment or worker’s rights?
Let’s play out a fantastical scenario. Democrats ride the magical blue wave in Congress, beat Donald Trump, and have control of the country by 2020. What would happen? Oh yeah, it would be similar to Barack Obama’s first two years in office where nothing happened. It is clear that while Democrats may be different from Republicans on many talking points, both parties are beholden to corporate power.
It is clear that neither party is ready to tackle the mass extinction, the deregulation of the state, the corruption in our political system, the assault on worker’s rights or the imperial powers that be. Continue on the path we are on (the duopoly path) and we will all become extinct very soon, becoming more poor and more poisoned by the day. It is clear that supporting the Democrats means supporting a system that is self-imploding.
Air polluted, water poisoned, unions busted, longer hours, lower wages, education defunded, infrastructure crumbling, poverty punished, prisons expanded, military budgets bulging, storms brewing. This is the path we are going down. This is the reality for most people at the mercy of the truly valueless Democratic Party. Here was the perfect chance to show you stood for something. Trump trotted out his corporate villain and all one had to do was to bring up his record. The Democrats told us where they stood by saying nothing at all. And as Donald Trump brings the world closer and closer to its tipping point, nothing is simply not enough.