this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2024
228 points (96.0% liked)
United States | News & Politics
1922 readers
955 users here now
Welcome to !usa@midwest.social, where you can share and converse about the different things happening all over/about the United States.
If you’re interested in participating, please subscribe.
Rules
Be respectful and civil. No racism/bigotry/hateful speech.
Post anything related to the United States.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Right wing political propaganda is indeed everywhere, and that is a serious problem. However, encouraging citizens to "TUNE OUT" media in general is the opposite of a solution. The ONLY defense against misinformation is an informed public. Propaganda thrives in ignorance.
You attempt to sidestep this by suggesting that people look just at voting records, but that is a far from complete solution. First of all, voting records exist in the "everywhere" of right wing propaganda, because bills so often combine good and bad features that must be balanced. Politics is about compromise, and compromise greatly complicates voting records. Second, the party establishments get to decide what does or doesn't come up for a vote, which gives them tremendous power to manipulate what those voting records look like.
You and I have been paying attention for the same period, but clearly have different perspectives on what happened. I've watched for over 30 years as the Democrats have painstakingly done everything necessary to create the fertile soil for the right wing to plant the seeds of fascism.
Step one in creating a fascist movement is to create a disaffected population, and the message of "shut-up and vote" is exactly what gets that done.
No, Democrats and Republicans are not "the same", but they are more similar than they should be. Bill Clinton was right of even Reagan on several important issues. It was Clinton that dismantled the federal welfare state, and I see absolutely no evidence that he has grown to see the issues differently. He was not a victim of the times, he was leading the charge. Obama has likewise shown zero evidence that he has moved beyond the views of his pathetically ineffective presidency.
Biden was even further to the right in than Clinton, and his presidency has been surprisingly progressive. Credit where credit is due, Biden indeed has evolved. He's still not "my guy", but he is a rare instance where a prominent Democrat has learned something from his mistakes, and that should be acknowledged.
My message is "Stay informed and engaged, and make your voice heard. We should seek to be represented, not ruled by either party."