Interview · moment 7 of 10
Will the Democrats Ever Change? The System Beneath the Politicians
from We're Toast with Russ Baker · #118
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
5 minGuest
Tim and Russ debate whether Democrats will roll back executive power or just repeat Obama-era drone strikes and Wall Street ties, whether it's the people or the system that's broken (with a jab at AOC), and how the military-industrial complex traps even well-meaning people.
- 28:19Tim questions whether Democrats will strip executive powers once back in office or simply consolidate them like Obama did.
- 29:05The modern Democratic Party doesn't appear to be the party of progressives, dedicated instead to perpetual war and financial sector dominance.
- 30:02Tim argues there are no signs the Democratic Party will change, though local-level candidates emerging from nowhere offer some potential.
- 30:34He wonders if the problem is bigger than just swapping out individual people—whether it's systemic rather than personal.
- 31:07The media consistently diminished Bernie Sanders and built up Hillary Clinton during the 2016 race, making clear their preference.
- 31:52Tim refuses to fetishize hope; he questions what would actually change if Bernie Sanders had been elected president.
- 32:21How do you unwind a military and national security state that's been building since before World War II?
- 32:56Until society acknowledges the nature of the system, everyone working within it—including Bernie supporters at contractors—remains complicit.
- 33:20The system itself is designed to make people slaves to the machine through law school debt and economic pressure.
- 33:32Everything from universities to textbooks is designed to perpetuate an unfair system, and real change requires acknowledging this first.