this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2024
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Leftism

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[–] jlou@mastodon.social 203 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

If the Republicans are going to call the Democrats communists and socialist regardless of how moderate a campaign Democrats run, Democrats might as well lean further left on economic policy. Appealing to the right does nothing because the right can appeal to the right better than the center-left can

@leftism

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 106 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

None of that will work anymore. The far right owns the house, the senate, the government enforcement agencies, and the Supreme Court. We're nearing the end of the monopoly game and you don't get anything extra for landing on free parking. The restraints for any of the rich and powerful just got taken off.

[–] Mirshe@lemmy.world 61 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Pretty much this. The Business Plot succeeded, it just took another 100 years. Now they have their Mussolini-like strongman, and a fully captured legislative and judicial system, all without a March on Rome.

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[–] ShareMySims@sh.itjust.works 43 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Which is precisely why they don't. They don't exist to threaten the establishment, they are part of it, and are there to provide the illusion of choice so that the public feel like we're helping while those in power do whatever they need to at our expense to keep that power. Playing by the rules and within the systems they have set out for us can and will only ever maintain the status quo.

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[–] Moneo@lemmy.world 33 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

This assumes the dems have any interest in actually improving the lives of Americans.

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[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 158 points 2 weeks ago (12 children)

Yup. Democratic leadership would rather trump win than run a left-facing campaign and candidate. What's the definition of insanity?

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 96 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Democratic leadership has to call corporate donors before they can make any decisions

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[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 38 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

100%

Here in deep-red Missouri the $15 minimum wage passed in a landslide, but for some reason, all Democrats wanted to talk about was tax cuts that no one thinks they'll actually pass anyway.

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[–] JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee 34 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

The Democratic Party is basically dead now. Time to sit back and watch the MAGAs eat themselves. Clock ticking.

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[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 85 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)
[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 weeks ago

All of the Zionists need to be tossed out.

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[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 80 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I can't believe the Dick Cheney fans forgot to vote

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 48 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Tens, literally tens of voters Liz Cheney brought to the table.

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[–] AfricanExpansionist@lemmy.ml 64 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

But Dick Cheney! Dick Cheney!

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[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 61 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

America's far left is just normal shit.

"Hey how about everybody gets food and can see the doctor"

"How about suck my dick and be my slave"

"Whoa whoa you two, let's be civil. Especially you, first guy 😠"

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[–] LustyArgonianMana@lemmy.world 56 points 2 weeks ago

They refuse to actually campaign and address people's concerns. They gaslight, minimize, denigrate, guilt trip, and verbally abuse people and then are surprised Pikachu when no one is happy or motivated to vote for them.

"You owe it to your country to vote." "You are a bad person/stupid/russian shill etc if you vote for anyone but Kamala."

These things just stroke your ego and are otherwise thought terminating. They do not get votes. Like holy fuck, if you just listen to people's concerns and talk with them, it tends to work.

But with Citizens united, campaigns focus around a capitalist spending strategy like it's Election Christmas. Bernie Sanders, Stacey Abrams, and AOC all had what I'd call "authentic" campaigns, where they requested help with canvassing and phone calls before they requested donations. Like donations were fine, but most emails and texts were asking for workers, volunteers, and physical help. Those requests were completely absent from Kamala's campaign.

The status quo just doesn't want the common person to have political literacy. If they teach us how to canvas, then we'll do it for someone who isn't status quo. If they show us how to run for office, then we will just run ourselves like AOC did. They are in direct conflict with themselves because they are trying to suppress anything except status quo Dems.

[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 51 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Remember Primaries? Of course that would require the DNC not to turn out the lights when they hear something they don't like.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

"But you had one with Biden and he appointed Harris so you chose that!!!"

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"I didn't hear anyone calling for other candidates."

That was a response I got from a guy when I brought up the botched primary all thanks to Biden's hubris.

Like, no shit Sherlock, we couldn't call for anyone else, there was no time!

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 weeks ago

Biden left his run so late they just appointed someone else and "that'll do!"

And then called us naive idealists for wanting... Checks notes democracy when the democracy is at stake.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 weeks ago

My ballot had two choices: Biden and uncommitted. I voted uncommitted.

A primary with one name on the ballot is not a primary.

[–] ronflex@lemmy.world 49 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Absolutely, we need to place blame where it belongs. Democrats fucked up bad, it is basically 2016 all over again

[–] MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 45 points 2 weeks ago

It's worse.

[–] figjam@midwest.social 18 points 2 weeks ago

Everyone is terrible here. In the past I could forgive Republicans because "they didn't get who he was." They know and don't care. Billionaires fighting each other over who gets hegemony is boring. This is their world and we just happen to live here.

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[–] RandAlThor@lemmy.ca 49 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

It's pretty stupid of Dems to think that white conservative racists are going to vote for a black-indian woman? WHAT were they thinking?!!!

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

They were thinking exactly what they were paid to think.

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[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 43 points 2 weeks ago

Yea but they won’t court the “left”(what little of a left exists in America) because the DNC doesn’t want leftist or even center-left policies, they like and want center-right policies that republicans 30 years ago pushed.

[–] shasta@lemm.ee 40 points 2 weeks ago

The problem with that strategy is that moderate Republicans don't watch the news. They believe that all other Republicans are just like them and hold all the same beliefs, because all their friends are in the same echo chamber. So then they believe all Republican politicians are the same way. They intentionally don't pay attention to the news because it is full of sensationalism and depressing things they can't personally control like terrorism and mass shootings. They still believe it's important to vote, because that's the patriotic thing to do, and they can just fill the bubbles next to every name marked REP and not have to worry about doing research and learning facts. It's just the easy way and they've lived their whole lives doing things the easy way because of white privilege and generational wealth, but any low points in their lives they will consider to be "hardship" so they "know" that anyone living in poverty is just not trying hard enough, because they personally made it through that "struggle" with barely more than the average effort they usually contribute to anything.

How do I know this? I was raised in a family that is exactly how I described here. The only reason I'm not just like them is that I went to public school and made friends with kids who did not come from the same background. It took about 17 years to finally see all the flawed logic and head-in-sandness before finally breaking free and forging my own path based on my own beliefs.

[–] RickRussell_CA@lemmy.world 32 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I mean, there's a whole lot that went wrong, but the big one was subverting the democratic process with primaries that didn't really pick a popular candidate (2016 and 2024).

The primaries are the time for the candidate to energize a base of support. Harris has never energized anybody, and it was silly to think that affection for Biden would carry her.

Conservatives vote in force to signal their loyalty to their chosen community.

Progressives stay home when they perceive that their community doesn't chose them. Harris' vote totals at the end of this will sit somewhere below Biden 2020, for that reason.

[–] HuntressHimbo@lemm.ee 29 points 2 weeks ago

I wouldn't leave 2020 out. Having politicians ahead of Joe Biden pull out to endorse him ahead of super Tuesday was really irregular and didn't result in a good candidate either

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[–] RangerJosie@lemmy.world 32 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's intentional. A conscious decision made by the DNC.

[–] Five@slrpnk.net 31 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

They don't want to give up their share of rich donors and insider trading privileges.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Exactly. In bourgeois "democracy" political parties serve the wealthy Capitalists and Imperialists that can afford to buy them. Socialism is the only path to actual democracy.

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[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 32 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)
  1. Get organized. Join a Leftist org, find solidarity with fellow comrades, and protect each other. The Dems will not save you, it is up to the Workers to protect themselves. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and Freedom Road Socialist Organization both organize year round, every year, because the battle for progress is a constant struggle, not a single election. See if there is a chapter near you, or start one! Or, see if there's an org you like more near you and join it, the point is that organizing is the best thing any leftist can do.

  2. Read theory. A good primer is Blackshirts and Reds. It will help contextualize what fascism is, what causes it, and how to stop it. I can offer a good introductory reading list regarding Marxism if you'd like, but this is a good starting point.

  3. Aggressively combat white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, and other attacks on marginalized communities. Cede no ground.

  4. Be more industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your problem-solving capabilities. Not only will you improve your skill at one subject, but your general problem-solving muscles get strengthened as well. Theory guides practice, which sharpens theory to be reapplied to better practice.

  5. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others. The Democrats will not save us, we must save each other.

  6. Be persistent. If you feel like a single water driplet against a mountain, think of the Grand Canyon. Oh, how our efforts pile up! With consistency, every rock, boulder, even mountain, can be drilled through with nothing but steady and persistent water droplets.

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[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago

Yay oligarchy.

[–] blazera@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Democrats just aren't going to be the progressive party. How many times are you going to fail to learn this lesson?

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[–] RangerJosie@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

How's that "Schumer Strategy" working out for ya?

The DNC knew it would fail. That was the plan. Perhaps not this spectacularly, but they knew it wouldn't work. They did their job. They defended the interests of Capital.

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[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 19 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

Looked at the dem votes for the last few elections and it looked consistent except for biden. Who somehow got way more than normal.

2008 69 mil 2012 65 mil 2016 65 mil 2020 81 mil 2024 66 mil

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 29 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

votes for Biden were "anything oh god anything but this."

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[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

One quote from last night stuck with me (though I can't remember who said it): "Republicans have been trying to grow their party for 4 years. Democrats have only been trying to grow their party for 4 months."

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