805
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Screwthehole@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I'm left of centre, and here's my take - the "left" is fucking up so badly that the right is going to win.

Ever play a sport and you just trounce your opponent, but the coach says "you weren't that good! They were just that bad tonight."

This is the same thing. Trump and the GOP aren't doing some amazing job of campaigning and manipulating, they're just up against the weakest opponent who can't stop scoring on their own fucking net.

[-] Eldritch@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

First let me preface this by saying that I vote against Republicans as often as I get the chance to. Which on the rare occasion someone runs against them where I live. It is usually a democrat. So I am a staunch Ally of the Democrats. That being said.

I am left of center of what is generally considered left in the united states. The left isn't fucking anything up. The Left has been cut off from having a voice for nearly the last 100 years in the united States. Since at least McCarthy. What we've seen is a populous that has been beholden to an incestuous right wing relationship. Between two solidly right wing pro oligarch parties. Though to Liberal Democrats credit. They give lots of lip service to the concept of social democracy. And do eventually, once it no longer takes courage or bravery, do the right thing. Once they get tired of everyone shouting at them enough.

We need the economic tools we've spent the last hundred years vilifying. And we need a Resurgence of Education especially economic and political. People in the United States who think they are the left, and the way we are miseducated to define left are a joke. One that is crippling us and turning us against ourselves.

We need to rip and tear the largest corporations apart. We need to nationalize basic necessities. We need to abolish private or unaccountable funding of all elections that every level. And most of all we need to empower workers. It's only a start. But those are the things we have to do. And unfortunately my generation the Xers. All approaching 50 and 60 years old have largely abdicated and lost their chance to really impact or make a change. We need younger representatives in touch with what's going on now to write the laws that will lead us into the future. Instead of the regulations that will hold us in some nostalgically idealized past that never existed.

[-] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah the idea Dems are left is hilarious to me, social democrats in the streets, neoliberal conservatives in the sheets. The last cry of the left as a concentrated political voice was contained in aspects of the civil rights movement, but those aspects, like MLK's socialist insistence on economic redistribution through class projects, and his identity as a labor organizer, is completely whitewashed. It's condensed to Rosa Parks sat on a bus, MLK had a dream, LBJ passed the law.

The Dems stop at disparity frameworks because that doesn't threaten the political economy in any meaningful way, as long as people are fucked over proportionately it's okay. Rising income inequality, lowered standards of living, eventually something has to give to keep this speculative real estate project of a country going.

[-] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

One thing the political center lacks in America - and I say center because we don't have a truly leftist political party - is a vision for the future. They don't want a fundamental change in how the economy and government work, they just want to keep things steady and work around the edges.

The problem is the economy and government aren't working for most people and most people want them replaced.

Republicans have a vision. Yeah, it's a racist, sexist vision that will drag us back to the 1950s, but it's a vision they can communicate.

What's the Democrats' vision? I don't think it's mine, of worker cooperatives and high speed rail and free education and universal health care, paid for by shaking Bezos and Musk upside down until no more money comes out. As far as I can tell they just want to keep things going like they have since the 90s.

And then they wonder why they can't seem to get people to get excited to vote for them.

[-] Dark_Blade@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

This is certainly a part of it. In a time when Democrats should be uniting and putting forward their strongest faces to protect democracy from the GOP, they keep engaging in political gamesmanship because ‘c’mon look at this clown, there’s no way anyone will vote for him!’

Only problem is that people have, and people could once more, put this guy in the White House. And if it happens…well, everything’s fucked.

[-] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

There's no representation of the left in American politics, there's leftist but no political power of a left movement. The closest thing is the recent wave of workers unionization efforts which is at least encouraging.

[-] Pratai@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago
[-] Screwthehole@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I do. Where is the good Dem candidate with the platform attacking high cost of living, corporate takeover of housing, backing unions, and looking at funding education, ubi, etc?

It's be pretty easy to break this wide open and runaway with the election. If they wanted to.

[-] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

The Dems aren't going to run someone who attacks the economic base of the party is what it comes down to.

[-] Reptorian@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 year ago

Downballot Democratic candidates? That's where.

this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2023
805 points (92.2% liked)

politics

19089 readers
4038 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS