So even though you don't think it's what you're doing, you're choosing neutrality. And "neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim."
I'd consider myself more a leftist than not, but I'm not blind. Events like this make it quite clear how much worse the other option is. Neither side actually cares, so I'm going with the side that does the least harm, even though I don't think it goes far enough.
You're free to call yourself whatever you want but all you're doing is repeating moderate talking points for them. Whatever your beliefs are, your actions support moderate politics. The same politics which have failed to address Trump.
Of course. Hasn't everyone? But the moderates hold all the power, both in Washington and in the media; which means that if they won't make a compromise with the left, they'll make a compromise with the right. And remember, there currently is no moderate right.
Again as someone from a minority wing I'm not "letting" them do anything. If I'm not a part of a large enough wing to warrant compromise then I'm not a part of a large enough wing to have an impact. Moderates can't keep controlling the narrative that people like me are at fault while also being irrelevant. They need to pick one. Until they do, I'm going with I'm irrelevant.
Moderates criticisms of leftists and progressives score much much higher than the other way around. I'd like to see that change. If it changes here it will either mean everyday opinions have shifted or cause everyday opinions to shift.
People need to start telling moderates as the majority voting bloc when Democrat candidates lose it's their fault.
If I'm not a part of a large enough wing to warrant compromise then I'm not a part of a large enough wing to have an impact.
You're binarizing something that is definitely not binary; this is a far, far more complex system than that, and assuming it to be this simple is incredibly naive. Your actions may very well be enough to tip something over in one direction, but not in the other. In fact, that's most likely to be true; adding a few more individuals to a critically endangered population of animals probably won't cause them to suddenly bounce back, but removing them from that population is very likely to cause their extinction.
Moderates criticisms of leftists and progressives score much much higher than the other way around. I'd like to see that change.
Me too. Very much so. But would you listen to someone who said you weren't worth making deals with? A quarter-century of progressives taking this tactic have only pushed Democrats further to the right and moved the Overton Window away from the world we'd like to see. Do you really think continuing on this course is likely to change the outcome?
People need to start telling moderates as the majority voting bloc when Democrat candidates lose it's their fault.
Cool message. Are you cool with millions of people dying and democracy in the US ending entirely in order to send it?
The stakes are too high. Jack Posobiec, on stage at CPAC yesterday, said, "We’re here to overthrow democracy completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6th, but we will endeavor to get rid of it & replace it with this right here." The "this" he was talking about was his own clenched fist. And the people present, including Steve Bannon, cheered him loudly. Trump is speaking there tomorrow, and if you think he's going to rationally give a repudiation of what Posobiec said...well, that would explain your viewpoint, honestly.
I want you to see the privilege you're exercising in order to say this. I know you feel like you are being ignored, and maybe you are, but the fact that you're able to make this statement means that you're not in a cage on the Southern border, or hemmed in on the ground in Gaza, or pinned down by Russian fire in Ukraine. You have the privilege to be this petulant, and I want you to recognize that.
If you do, and you've decided that this is how you want to spend that privilege--rather than helping get progressive or leftist candidates on ballots, rather than holding existing politicians to account, rather than helping people in your community who need food and shelter, rather than being a resource for oppressed people fleeing red states--that's your decision. But again, don't make the mistake of calling us immoral for being willing to tear down the system from the inside rather than standing on the outside complaining that nobody inside will listen.
You’re binarizing something that is definitely not binary; this is a far, far more complex system than that, and assuming it to be this simple is incredibly naive
I'm just gonna keep repeating this to you: If you really consider yourself a leftist or a progressive then stop fighting leftists and progressives. Take all this energy and direct it towards moderates.
"If you really care about the train barreling toward the people tied to the track, stop trying to slow down the train and direct your energy toward getting rid of the villain who ties people to the track."
Again with the "you guys." I really don't know where you get the idea that I'm all-in on Democrats somehow.
Anyway, you don't have to "give in." We just have to recognize that the only party who has a ghost of a chance of (a) getting into office and (b) doing things we want is the one that put Biden on the slate.
If your person is popular enough he will win, if not, we’ll that’s the horse that y’all bet on knowing how so many of us feel.
I don't have any more control over the DNC than you do, so stop acting like this is any more than a tantrum. You don't need to convince me. You just need to find a way to deal with your anger that doesn't result in the deaths of millions.
I really don’t know where you get the idea that I’m all-in on Democrats somehow.
Because you're spending your time and energy lecturing leftists and progressives. Unless you can somehow show me that you're spending more time lecturing moderates then your actions are full support for Democrat politicians regardless of what your actual beliefs are.
Bro, I'm not taking homework from you. I have no need to prove myself to you. You're going to either need to trust me on this, or just shut up about it, because I'm not going to provide you audio recordings of me talking to my current neighbors or people back in my hometown, or my private text conversations with people who I grew up with, or my Facebook comment discussions with people I barely know. I don't harangue people on Lemmy about leftism because most of the people on Lemmy are already predisposed to our side.
Don't mistake online life for the only part of real life.
I really don’t know where you get the idea that I’m all-in on Democrats somehow.
I explained and explained how you could debunk that idea. I never suggested you had to. But until you do your comments say you're "all-in on Democrats".
I don’t harangue people on Lemmy about leftism because most of the people on Lemmy are already predisposed to our side.
And yet you defend moderates at every turn. Buddy, you're a moderate. You're a full blown Democrat establishment supporter. If you really are on the side of leftists and progressives then fucking stop fighting with us.
I'm not defending anyone. I couldn't care less who wins; I just want the GOP to lose, and I know what has to happen for that outcome. I just want to prevent actual, literal carnage by showing you what your petulance is going to lead to.
Now we're getting somewhere. So we've established you believe I'm petulant because I'm resolved not to vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 primaries. Now tell me how you describe moderates? Are they worse than petulant? Or do you have nothing but nice things to say about them?
I have nothing but bad things to say about them. They're way worse than petulant. But they're the ones with all the cards.
But wait a second. This time you just said you wouldn't vote for Biden in the primaries, not that you would stay home in the general. Let me be clear--please vote your conscience in the primary. I want to see Biden at least voted against in enough numbers that he has to address it (I don't have any confidence that he won't be the nominee, there's just no way he doesn't carry the superdelegates). Just don't stay home at the general.
you're spending your time and energy lecturing leftists and progressives.
I'm really not. I type quickly, and I'm here anyway. My time and energy goes into my family and my community, which is why I actually care about what happens in November in more than just the abstract.
Buddy. You are literally spending time arguing with us. I didn't say you didn't spend time with family or community. Just that you are here and putting time and effort arguing with us.
If you aren't spending a greater amount of time and energy lecturing moderates guess what? That's where we get the idea you're "all-in on Democrats". Because you spend more time and energy defending them than criticizing them.
This whole discussion is you defending the state of things as just the way it is. You're defending moderates for putting us in this position. You call me names but I've yet to see you show any kind of animosity towards moderates.
I'm not defending the state of things. I hate the way things are, but this is the world we have to work in.
Also, am I calling you names? I don't think I am. And I definitely don't have any warm feeling toward moderates. They're just the ones holding the keys.
Cool, just tell that to all the Palestinians that Ogles wants to kill. I'm sure that'll make them feel better that it's not you in particular who bears the responsibility for their deaths.
Stand up in the primaries, we're in the general election now. This is the only strategy that works with FPTP.
The 6 months before the general election is the only period when you don't want to create division. That gives you 3 years and 6 months for critical discussion which is fairly reasonable.
We did. There were a wide range of leftist and progressive candidates to chose from. Moderates said "none of those we choose this old guy who's gonna block strikes, force federal workers back into the office and supply weapons to Israel."