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Why does a state like California that has supermajorities in both houses of the legislature not have a livable wage, housing guarantees, universal healthcare, and other very progressive policies? (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 months ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I keep being told it's because of the Republicans that we can't have nice things. So what gives in California? We should be overflowing with progressive policies.

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[–] alsaaas@lemmy.dbzer0.com 28 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

The USA has a two faced one party system. Two sides of the same coin or "good cop/bad cop" if you will.

Both parties serve the rich, support imperialism and so on. In terms of economics they have the exact same function of serving the 10% over the 90%.

In terms of domestic affairs the good/bad cop dynamic really kicks in. The reps are ultraconservative, while the dems try to mud the waters with their slight progressiveness, in the end only coopting those things as not to endanger capitalism.

The best you will get from the dems is a
"I'll try to not make things worse - for now. Vote for me or my buddy elephant over there will beat you up".
(the not making things worse refers to their social policy, not their economic ones. Those will still get progressively worse for the working majority, even if it might be a bit more indirect. All the dems really are is a silken glove over the iron fist of capital).

And tbh, for everyone outside of the US it doesn't make a difference whether the bombs the policeman of the world drops wherever they please & the bags of money they send to genociders/reactionaries/fascists/terrorists have prideflag & BLM stickers on them, or not...