timemachineyeah
drives me up a wall living in a very very red district, like "no democrat is ever going to win any local election, let alone a real leftist" district, like "our school board members ran on who was the most anti-mask" red, like "I pass white supremacist signs on the way to buy weed" red
and being in the local leftist community and the guy who runs the anarchist book club and the lady who helps keep the warming shelters open and the people who marched on city hall when a local business was getting death threats for having a drag show are all members of a discord and we get on this discord and have frank discussions about how best to vote
the people who do the protests and the mutual aid and all the real work
going "okay, they're both fascists, but this one lacks ambition and seems happy to just glide in the position" or "they both suck, but this one can be reasoned with if you frame it patriotically enough" like we don't even have a democrat to vote for. we know what a vote is. we know what we hope accomplish with it. we know what it can do, and we know what it can't.
and going from those discussions to here where people think that your vote is some kind of fucking??? enabling maneuver??? as if someone isn't going to end up in that seat regardless of what you do???
we didn't build this system, we just live in it. we're just trying to survive. a vote isn't a statement of your values, it's not an endorsement, it's not a marriage contract, it's a strategic play you make to keep alive.
the biggest mistake I see leftists making is overestimating their own popularity. "well but everyone would be leftist if they just-" no, stop, 1) you can't possibly know that 2) everyone will not just
I'm done being lectured.
If moderates and liberals won't allow anyone to fight fascism head on then it's not just a possibility it's a guarantee. Fascism runs on misery and this country has plenty of it. Addressing unaffordable housing, healthcare and education would take the fight out of people. When people are busy living and enjoying their lives they don't have the time or energy to worry about what somebody else is doing.
And to establishment Democrats credit, they pay lip service to addressing these things but that's about it. They claim they can't do anything without the presidency, a majority, a super majority, a super majority without any defectors. There's always an excuse on why nothing is getting done. But losing isn't an option. So if the establishment Democrats want us to believe we can't accomplish anything through traditional means for decades then guess what, it's time to try something less traditional.
Enter the rail strike, a real opportunity for Democrats to show who's side they're really on. Here's a clear cut fight between workers and corporations. Time to bring these disagreements to a head and draw a line. What do they do? Under Joe Biden's direction 44 Democrat senators vote with 36 Republican senators to block the rail strike.
Liberals and moderates praise Biden for this. They praise Biden for siding against American workers. We are not on the same side.
If liberals and moderates truly believe Trump and MAGA are a threat, if they truly believe Democracy is worth protecting then it's time to compromise with leftists and progressives. If they won't do it now they never will. Which means the choice isn't between fascism and democracy. It's between fascism now or later.
I choose now. Let's get this over with.
I truly believe that Trump and MAGA are a threat, and while I consider myself pretty left, I clearly don't meet your definition. I'm willing to compromise. So tell me, what is your plan to keep to Trump out of the White House. As long as it's not starting our own genocide of everyone we disagree with (this one will be ok though because its the leftists doing the killing) and it's at least plausible, I'm game. What's your plan?
Name one material compromise Biden has made with progressives and leftists over his term. Name one situation where moderates and liberals wanted one thing, progressives and leftists wanted something else and a material decision was made in favor of leftists and progressives. There is not a single example.
Progressives and leftists are getting nothing out of this relationship.
Here's things Biden could do today:
I used to include "stop sending weapons to Israel" but now he's got Congress doing that. Fucking piece of shit.
And before you say "it's too late the election is here we gotta just gotta focus on that first". Fuck. No. You know why it's too late? Because liberals and moderates fucked around for too long. Biden fucked around for too long. Get it done now or fuck off.
Progressives and leftists cannot be both 100% responsible for Biden's loss while having a near zero, not half, not even half of a half, near zero influence on policy. You don't want to compromise with us? Fine. Elect your procorporate trash candidate on your own.
I'll premise this list of (far more than one) progressive thing Biden has done with something I'd like you to consider. It seems from your tone that you think progressives can only count something as a win if it hurts or angers the center-left. That's not the case. Now...the list:
Inflation Reduction Act, that a MINIMUM of $386B in green energy subsidies, tax credits and incentives and directs that money in a way that encourages domestic production.
$1 trillion Infrastructure package
Withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan
Lower prescription drug prices, specifically giving government the ability to negotiate those prices and capping others.
Millions in student debt relief
Thousands of simple drug possession pardons
$1 trillion in covid relief directly to families
Lower inflation than most of the western world
Doubled the child tax credit
Expanded gun background checks
Largest number of progressive judicial appointments in loving memory
CHIPS act
Repealed DOMA and ensured states must recommend same-sex marriages
ECRA takes away one avenue Trump used in his attempted overthrow of the government.
Rolled back racist and xenophobic travel restrictions
You mean the BBB stripped of everything progressives and leftists were excited about? It was a win for moderates and liberals. For leftists and progressives it was just another slap in the face.
So when you said "I’m willing to compromise" what you really meant is you'd like the opportunity to do some more finger wagging. Do you realize how pathetic this behavior is? You are offering nothing but speaking to me as if a stern lecture is going to whip me into shape. Are we on the verge of losing our democracy or not? Wake the fuck up and start offering real compromises to leftists and progressives or lose to MAGA. Make a choice.