Lou Dobbs: I'm a Populist and proud of it

[cryptique]

From CNN.com today:

 

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Dobbs: I'm a populist and proud of it

 

POSTED: 8:13 a.m. EST, November 15, 2006

 

By Lou Dobbs, CNN

 

Editor's note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears every Wednesday on CNN.com.

 

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Democratic victory last week has our political elites in both parties and in the national media squealing like stuck pigs. Way to go, America, we may be on the way.

 

It seems nothing frightens our free trade and pro-illegal immigration orthodoxies more than putting the common good and the national interest above dominant special interests, corporate America and, of course, our darling elites in both political parties and the media.

 

The Bush administration long ago took polemics and false choices to a high art form. On the issue of the war in Iraq, this administration has starkly defined our choices, until recently, as "stay the course" or "cut and run." Any critic of our conduct of this war, like me, has been declared unpatriotic. Any critic of this administration's faith-based economic policies that drive its free-trade agenda, like me, has been labeled an economic isolationist.

 

But now the name-calling and labeling is reaching a new level, and from all quarters. The political, business and media elites have called me a "table-thumping protectionist" because I want balanced and mutual trade, because I want this country to export as much as it imports. They've called me a racist, nativist xenophobe because, in order to win the war on terror, the war on drugs and to stop illegal immigration, I want our borders and ports secured.

 

Over the past week, pundits and savants of both the left and the right have been trying to simultaneously define me and the newly elected Democratic victors in the Senate and the House by accusing us of being populists. What a dirty little word. Horrifying.

 

I admit to being, among many other things, a proponent of populism. But I do believe my critics should look up the definition before they sling the word at me like a filthy epithet. On second thought, it may be to them, because a populist is, after all, nothing more than "a supporter of the rights and the power of the people." In fact, I'm a damn proud populist.

 

Since the election, there's been an incredible confluence of one of the nation's most liberal online magazines -- Slate -- with one of the world's most traditional establishment newspapers -- The Financial Times -- to decry what Slate columnist Jacob Weisberg calls the ascension of the "Lou Dobbs Democrats."

 

Weisberg decries what he sees as my "economic nationalism" and instructs us that such nationalism "begins from the populist premise that working people aren't doing so well. But instead of blaming the rich at home, it focuses its energy on the poor abroad."

 

The Financial Times also published Weisberg's column, obviously equally unsettled with the possible turnaround in the new Congress, which could inconveniently lead to some mild discomfort for the Times' corporate masters and some marginal improvement in the lives of America's middle class.

 

Both Slate and The Financial Times resist saying what I've been saying loudly and clearly: We're in a class war, and our middle class is losing, and losing badly. But I do blame and have blamed the rich, corporate America and our political elites in both parties who have permitted the unabated assault on middle-class working men and women and their families. And by God, I hope they're right about the Lou Dobbs Democrats, and I hope they find some Lou Dobbs Republicans in the fight to return our government to the people.

 

I have never blamed the poor of Mexico, China or India for corporate America's avarice and our political elites' cowardice. I blame us for forgetting that the United States is first a nation, and secondly a marketplace or an economy, and I blame us for being taken as fools by both political parties for far too long. It is not nationalism by any stretch of the imagination for me to remind those in power that our political system, our great democracy, makes possible our free-enterprise economy, and not vice versa as the elites continually propagandize.

 

From the right, The Weekly Standard lamented that the Lou Dobbs Democrats "didn't just attack the GOP's corruption and malfeasance; they embraced a more thoroughgoing economic populism...." The conservative Standard is obviously more upset that the newly elected Democratic senators and congressmen want to focus not only on the corruption and incompetence of the Republicans, but -- God help us -- many of our new officeholders also actually want to see this great free-enterprise democracy work for all Americans. No wonder the orthodoxies on the left and the right are convulsing.

 

Human Events Online, another conservative publication, attacks my sincerity and conviction with the bizarre notion that because -- as it says -- I can "afford a bottle of Cristal or Dom Perignon" that my concern for the middle class is really nothing more than crocodile tears. Human Events didn't quite get the fact that as flawed as I am, as many mistakes as I've made in my life, the one thing I haven't done is forget that I was born poor, both parents working, and I've never forgotten those who have made my opportunities in this country possible.

 

Also disturbed by the perturbation in their political universe and liberal orthodoxy, Newsweek columnists Fareed Zakaria and Jonathan Alter attacked my positions on illegal immigration (I'm against it) and border security (I'm for it).

 

Zakaria refers to "CNN's Lou Dobbs and his angry band of xenophobes" and Jonathan Alter describes those who agree with me as "nativist Lou Dobbsians." But Alter and Zakaria are far too bright to not know better. I've never once called for a restriction on legal immigration -- in fact, I've called for an increase, if it can be demonstrated that as a matter of public policy the nation requires more than the one million people we bring into this country legally each year.

 

And what does it mean to be a nativist in the United States in the 21st century when ours is the most ethnically and racially diverse society on the face of the earth? Both Alter and Zakaria are smart enough to know the answer to that question, and they know better than to write such drivel. Neither Zakaria or Alter can substantiate their disappointing attempts at labels with a single thing I've ever said or written. I say what I mean and I mean what I say.

 

What we all need to be about now is honesty and forthrightness. And the truth is, our political, business and media elites have abandoned the cornerstone of this great nation: equality of rights, equality of economic opportunity and equality of educational opportunity.

 

And, yes, I'm an ardent and fervent believer in the first three words of that radical populist document, which begins with the words "We the People."

 

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

He is awesome. Every time I watch his show, I find myself nodding in agreement. I even agree with him on stuff I didn't know I agreed with him on, if that makes sense.

Unfortunately, he makes people think, and I guess that hurts their heads, so they don't like him.

[anodyne]

i like him about 75-80% of the time. on the rest, i disagree but respect that he ususally makes a good argument for his positions. he's a reasoner rather than an ideologue. that's refreshing.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

He can suck an egg, mostly.

[bjorn_skurj]

I like his ceaseless pointing out that the middle class is getting the shaft, but he does go against most economic thinking, which calls for less protectionism, not more. And if the borders ARE ever secured, that would drive up the price of weed, which is a hot-button issue for me, as I'm sure you can imagine.

[anodyne]

he's a vocal critic of the administration's pro-business policy, which is nice to hear. then again, i'm pretty much a socialist protectionist. when i've heard dobbs, he's pointing out the ineptitude of policy in iraq and our outsourcing's effects here. i don't catch him too much, but i generally like what i've heard.

 

i'm pretty anti-borders in general, so i don't get a stiffy for him talking about building a wall or anything. i don't advocate returning the land from the mexican war, but our policies now are broken badly and a wall won't fix it. the solution to a 12 foot wall is a 13 foot ladder.

[Beltmann]

He can suck an egg, mostly.

That's impressive, but it'd be more impressive if he could actually finish it.

[anodyne]

i can eat 40 eggs in an hour.

[bjorn_skurj]

I'm trying to cut back on the eggs myself. Cholesterol is a little high.

[Beltmann]

i can eat 40 eggs in an hour.

Scrambled?

[Tweedling]

Best current Prime Time combover.

 

I like his ceaseless pointing out that the middle class is getting the shaft, but he does go against most economic thinking, which calls for less protectionism, not more. And if the borders ARE ever secured, that would drive up the price of weed, which is a hot-button issue for me, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Grow Your Own! No mexican dirt weed is worth the damage to your lungs.

 

 

I'm a capitalist.......I'll sell you some eggs.

[bjorn_skurj]

Best current Prime Time combover.

Grow Your Own! No mexican dirt weed is worth the damage to your lungs.

I'm a capitalist.......I'll sell you some eggs.

I'm reasonably sure the stuff I get is domestic, but any crimp in the supply chain would drive prices up across the board.

[Dreamin']

The best bud comes from BC anyway. Be kind to your northern neighbours.

 

PS, I am not a fan of NAFTA. If Canada is stupid enough to allow private insurance to cover our public health costs, it could open the floodgates to US insurance companies and we might not be able to stop the full-scale privatization of health care (which has weak protection under NAFTA). ... And don't get me started on softwood lumber.

 

Lou Dobbs is beginning to sound like an American version of Maude Barlow. How weird is that?

[Dreamin']

Lou Dobbs is beginning to sound like an American version of Maude Barlow. How weird is that?

Sure enough!

 

I never thought I'd say this, but God bless Lou Dobbs for drawing attention to this very important issue. The Security & Prosperity Partnership (how Orwellian is that?) sends a chill down my spine. This is how my country will die.

[WilcoFan]

Sure enough!

 

I never thought I'd say this, but God bless Lou Dobbs for drawing attention to this very important issue. The Security & Prosperity Partnership (how Orwellian is that?) sends a chill down my spine. This is how my country will die.

 

 

Yes. That would do it. Us Americans are too stupid (another Dobbs article from today) to pay attention to what our president is up to. You guys in Canada need to fight this because God knows that this country was bought and paid for a long time ago. We are too far gone.

[Dreamin']

Maude Barlow is a firecracker and we need more people like her. I joined the Council of Canadians after reading her book. Well, I tried to read it, but it broke my heart and I had to stop. No one in the Canadian media was paying attention to the SPP (probably because there has been so much secrecy around it) before Maude started making noise. Lou Dobbs appears to be doing the same thing in the US. It's a start.

[WilcoFan]

Maude Barlow is a firecracker and we need more people like her. I joined the Council of Canadians after reading her book. Well, I tried to read it, but it broke my heart and I had to stop. No one in the Canadian media was paying attention to the SPP (probably because there has been so much secrecy around it) before Maude started making noise. Lou Dobbs appears to be doing the same thing in the US. It's a start.

 

 

I read an awful lot and keep up with the news. Your link to the SPP was the first I have heard of it as a named concerted effort. It's just not covered here. Surprise, surprise. The only thing I have heard about in the same vein is the proposed super highway that would connect Mexico to Canada. Not a fan.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I will be on this one like a dog in heat now.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Maude Barlow is a firecracker and we need more people like her. I joined the Council of Canadians after reading her book. Well, I tried to read it, but it broke my heart and I had to stop. No one in the Canadian media was paying attention to the SPP (probably because there has been so much secrecy around it) before Maude started making noise. Lou Dobbs appears to be doing the same thing in the US. It's a start.

 

 

 

 

I have one thing to ask of my Canadian friends:

 

If you are going to start killing (or even being mean to) US American tourists in an attempt to forstall this SPP stuff, could you wait until AFTER my vacation to the Canadian Rockies?

 

And anyway, would it be SO bad to joined with us? After all, we gave the world Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, The Supremes, Jenna Jameson and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. I mean, we're really nice folks once you get to know us...for the most part.

[Dreamin']

Canadians love American tourists - especially when our dollar is strong. The only thing to worry about in the Canadian Rockies is rutting elk... and maybe the odd bear or two.

 

Please don't mistake our distaste for the policies of the Bush administration for anti-Americanism. Think of us as standing in solidarity with the majority of the American people. Just like you, we value our sovereignty, the environment, fair trade, human rights, etc. The Council of Canadians was founded by people like Margaret Atwood and Farley Mowat, so I'm pretty sure you could take them if things got ugly.

 

BTW, I can honestly say that I really like just about every American I've ever met and I still enjoy traveling to the US despite the fact that I have no rights there (which is a little scary).

[bjorn_skurj]

Oh, now now. The only visitors to America who should be scared are Muslims.

[Dreamin']

Oh, now now. The only visitors to America who should be scared are Muslims.

I've never understood the meaning of "white privilege" quite so clearly as I do now.

[bjorn_skurj]

Do black people in Canada get the same hard time they do here?

[cryptique]

Do black people in Canada get the same hard time they do here?

There are black people in Canada?

 

 

 

 

 

 

_{I know, but someone had to ask the question.}

[WilcoFan]

Do black people in Canada get the same hard time they do here?

 

 

Nope. Racism only exists in America.

[Dreamin']

Don't get me wrong, white privilege exists north of the border too.

 

In other news, Canada has a no-fly list now.

 

Critics also point to the ordeal of Canadian Maher Arar' date=' who was sent by U.S. officials to Syria, where he was detained and tortured for more than a year. Despite being exonerated by federal inquiry in Canada, Arar remains on a U.S. watch list.

 

Muslims are already subjected to increased scrutiny at airports and the no-fly list could add to that, said former Alberta MLA Larry Shaben, now president of the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities.

 

"I think it's just an excessive layer of bureaucratic interference," Shaben told CBC News. "Among Muslims, there's a great similarity in names and it's very easy for names to be the same or similar."[/quote']

I wonder if they would be so keen on these lists if more terrorists had names like Smith.