Fox and a ton of local stations still love Trump and so do corporations getting their tax breaks and deregulation.
I’m interested in someone else, marty. Besides, it’s kind of a problem for “shifting” that she’s thousands of miles away and in a relationship. Not nearly as much fun, but I have to settle for quashing racist bullshit.
1 Like
What’s the difference between Bernies socialism and the one you guys want? Is it still going to be a meritocracy ?
Ask here…
2 Likes
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I felt really, really optimistic and hopeful leaving the protest Sunday. So many people of all ages, races and socioeconomic classes all acting out with so much love. People everywhere handing out food and water. Older black people that couldn’t march telling us how grateful they were that we were out there in solidarity. So many different things to inspire so much hope and optimism.
Back to reality the rest of this week, and I’m filled with nothing but rage and a deep seeded anger at the system. Reactivated FB to follow protest news and such and was inundated with a wave of ignorance from dumb, middle class white people decrying the protests and backing the police. This country feels like it’s teetering on the brink of some meaningful, systemic changes, but I don’t think these protests are necessarily the answer. We may have better chances implementing widespread civil disobedience (Indian Independence) than small acts of violence. Whether that’s a general strike, shutting down the transportation infrastructure of a major city, or something else, I’m not sure.
If anyone has any ideas of direct action that I should be taking, let me know. Selfishly, I’m really sick of feeling like shit every day and being filled with rage. I need to channel it somewhere productive.
4 Likes
For all intensive purposes, I agree!
1 Like
I think this will lead to absolutely no meaningful reform. I hope I’m wrong, but I really don’t think I am. The federal government is hopeless, and all these cities with awful, racist, violent police departments are run by so-called liberal democrats. The iron law of institutions will hold, as always. Maybe cops will think twice knowing there is a real threat of jail. But in terms of a major legislative response, I just don’t see it.
2 Likes
It’s already led to the arrests of like a dozen evil cops that would ordinarily go free. In a week!
It’s literally the “the beatings will continue until morale improves” meme playing out.
2 Likes
I’ll give you something to cry about…!
1 Like
Lib cities can easily take the guns from police - plenty of people will be willing to take the $230k/ year to do paper work.
To add to this a little, I really think the biggest flaw of liberals is underestimating the need to win. The whole ballgame in politics is acquiring and using power. Democrats are simply not focused enough on winning and get way too hung up arguing about principles and with each other. And when they manage to avoid tripping on their dicks and get meaningful power, they never maximize it to deliver results. Somehow, even today, a huge number of Democrats don’t understand that politics is fundamentally about defeating your opponents at any cost in order to achieve your policy goals. Grandpa Joe is going to spend his whole damn campaign and presidency talking about bipartisanship, or something.
3 Likes
They do all kinds of shady things to pull it off. They help each other steal money the exact same way they help each other cover up police brutality.
You aren’t wrong and the whole thought behind my earlier post on whether violent vs. peaceful protest is better at bringing change was backdropped by what you are saying.
When you break it down, actual progressives have no power and no path to power. As I have posted for over a year now (all the way back to my dustup over this with nun) the Dems are literally a bigger obstacle to change than the Republicans. Dipshits like Chuck, Nancy, Cuomo, Biden, Obama, and on and on have no intention of making any meaningful changes to the status quo. Their job is to placate the left while enacting largely right wing policy and enabling the corporate smash and grab economy we have at this point. By making sure the “left” party is no better in actual practice than the right you accomplish two things.
First you block actual leftists from ever gaining any power. You do this through the DNC and the entire DNC fundraising apparatus. It takes someone as talented as AOC to have any chance of beating that. The idea that there are hundreds of AOCs out there that can overthrow the 80 year old entrenched and bought and paid for Dems all at once is absurd and is never happening. Secondly, and maybe more importantly, because everyone on the actual left knows you are FOS you create a massive amount of apathy and cynicism in the entire electorate.
For those of you who remember nun think about what his basic premises were. The dems and the system are going to fix this. If somehow we pay really close attention to IMPEACHMENT and MUELLER everything will be ok. It is complete and utter fantasy and I think basically everyone here realizes that now. But the vast majority of Dem voters do not. The proof of that is the 2016 primary.
Which means the path forward here to actual change has to happen outside of the current system, because the system itself is the problem.
6 Likes
Too many Dems think diplomacy can solve everything.
1 Like