two contradictory truths about the Democratic Party

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." Apparently, Emerson was referring to the challenge of people committed to respecting the past updating their point of view when new information becomes available.

I would emphasize that the human mind has to be able to believe contradictory things to function in society. We have to have a framework for understanding society even though there are exceptions to our framework. We have to believe people in power are behaving reasonably and ethically or the legitimacy of society is open to question.

I am going to grapple with one of my own inconsistencies. I believe the following about the Democratic Party.

1. It is an essential bulwark against the immoral policies of the Republican Party.
2. It is a tool for enabling the elites to control dissent and movements that challenge the existing power structures. Further the Democratic Party exists to kill progressive reform.