this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2025
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Pragmatic Leftist Theory
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The neolibs are too far right. The tankies are doing whatever that is. Where's the space for the people who want fully-automated-luxury-gay-space-communism, but realize that it's gonna take a while and there are lots of steps between now and then? Here. This is that space.
Here, people should endeavor to discuss and devise practical, actionable leftist action. Vote lesser evil while you build grassroots coalitions. Unionize your workplace. Participate in SRAs. Build cohesion your local community. Educate the proletariat.
This is a place for practical people to develop practical plans to implement stable, incremental improvement.
If you're dead-set on drumming up all 18,453 True Leftists® into spontaneous Revolution, go somewhere else. The grown ups are talking.
Rules:
-1. Don't be a dick. Racism, sexism, other assorted bigotries, you know the drill. At least try to default to mutually respectful discussion. We're all on the same side here, unless you aren't, in which case kindly leave.
-2. Don't be a tankie. Yes I'm sure you have an extensive knowledge of century-old theory. There's been a century of history since then. Things didn't shake out as expected, maybe consider the possibility that a different angle of attack might be more effective in light of new data.
-3. Be practical. No one on the left benefits from counterproductive actions. This is a space informed by, not enslaved to, ideology. Promoting actions that are fundamentally untenable in the system in question, because they fulfill a sense of ideological purity, is a bad look. Don't do that.
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I love that my existence has to be 'earned' according to these people. If Blue Circus isn't entertaining enough to 'earn' their vote, me and everyone else endangered by a fascist administration can go fuck ourselves.
Some of us may die, but that's a sacrifice the Purity Brigade is willing to make.
And what happens when team blue decides your minority group is an acceptable sacrifice, as they're currently doing for trans people? They already threw the Palestinian Americans on the pyre, and they're going for trans folks next.
The problem with looking the other way when some other group is thrown under the bus is that inevitably your ticket will be called. In 2028, it's going to be trans folks and their allies that are being bullied into supporting a conservative democrat like Newsom, even though he would take the Democrats the same direction as British Labor.
I just can't understand this hubris and arrogance. You actually expect people to vote for their own annihilation.
The vast majority of Dem politicians remain in support of trans issues.
The Dems have supported Palestinian genocide for at least the past forty fucking years. In that time, Dems have improved markedly on trans issues.
It's not as simple as you want it to be, but since simplicity would absolve you of your actual, real complicity in both the genocide of Palestinians and the additional crimes and genocides of the Trump administration, you crave simplicity.
You're absolutely right, this is why the civil rights movement should have refused all participation in American politics until LGBT rights were established as well.
By your logic, the Dems should have been throwing an ever-greater number of minorities under the bus since... what, the entire 20th century? Yet demonstrably, they have become more minority-positive, not less. I guess facts don't matter when you have fascists to carry water for, though, huh?
"Please vote for less annihilation."
"Actually, I'd prefer more."
Sorry for finding self-destructive behavior that damages others as well both repugnant and strategically idiotic?
But sure, tell me how the Harris admin would have been more-destructive or even simply as-destructive towards Arab and Muslim-American communities than the fucking Trump admin, I'm dying to hear about how opting for the fascist was the real act of self-preservation.
It's not my vote they have to earn, it's the millions of people who are suffering under the current economic conditions. Telling them the maeket is better than ever while they can't make ends meet isn't going to swing any voters. Democrats need to either literally militarize against Trump or start offering tangible things to people that will help them. People know that Trump is bad, they just hope that he manages to change their situation somehow. But the Democrats dont care about working people (neither do the Republicans) and only want to help their boss/landlord.
That's a question of strategy, and I agree entirely. Dems are not offering what they need to be offering.
My point is that "Dems need to EARN my vote" is not a morally acceptable position for any individual to take, and should not be accepted as such - it's no different than saying "Marginalized demographics need to EARN the right to survive" - with the added humiliation and helplessness of being dependent on someone else's 'performance' to earn our lives.
I think you overestimate the electorate. Most Americans are not 'tuned-in' to politics.
I'm sorry, but that's simply how politics works. I'm going to vote for the politician who's giving me the best deal. If Democrats can't do it, I'm voting for the Green Party.
"I prefer the deal for fascism that lets me pat myself on the back, over the deal against fascism" is not a very non-fascist thing to say.
Good ol’ accelerationism.