We agree. We have about 3 years until the next presidential election cycle, maybe, and we either need to challenge the Democratic party, or improve it.
I have ideas about a targeted solution that would leave about 99.5% of the population better off, and provide the other 0.5% a peace they prove constantly on no uncertain terms by how they live they would never be capable of attaining in any other way.
I wish I was allowed to say it.
The gallows funniest bit about this whole situation is that the ones perpuating it aren’t happy either, even in victory. They could have 50 quadrillion dollars and their own space station mansion, and they still wouldn’t be satisfied, because our civilization rewards a very specific kind of dangerous mental illness.
They should be getting care in secure mental health facilities to keep society safe from their avarice, the kind they defunded for tax cuts through captured government.
Absolutely. Political funding is broken thanks in large part to citizens United. Campaign finance reform certainly should be a campaign item for any progressive candidate.
Not at all. I just mean we need to flood local politics with progressive candidates. When that happens, there’s not enough eyes on all the political posts so chances are greater that we can affect change.
im 100% onboard to get rid of the democrats but only once the republicans are gone or insignificant. If an alternative party starts winning elections I will take that into account to but right now and pretty much since 2000 not having republicans is my main focus as well as democratic primaries. One thing is I don’t think its good to vote for the democrat that can win. I vote the primaries based on who I actually want in the roll.
I agree on every point, though I do feel like alternative parties to the Democrats can be successful in local and state elections, much like how the tea party has found some successes in more local politics. And I would say if locally people start successfully voting in more progressive alternatives, it will result in irrefutable proof that progressive policies are the winning move.
But, that starts local. It starts small, not big. And it starts where politicians impact you the most, your local community.
These plans and ideas sound eerily similar to the ones I hear or read every election cycle. What about them would be significantly different this next time around?
Unfortunately, not much given that this is the framework of the American democratic process. But, I think talking about it, openly and inviting new ideas to the mix, and encouraging people to vote in every election is a needed part of the process, while pessimism without solutions serves nobody and hinders progress.
It’s appropriate to be frustrated, but eventually we have to channel that frustration into action or it will disincentive everyone else from even trying.
Personally, I wish we had the economic freedom and class consciousness necessary to effectively protest. Eventually our economic troubles might be bad enough to completely override our “gotta make ends meet” inertia, but I hope we can improve things before that happens.
Do you have any ideas as to what we could do differently or more efficiently? We joke about it, but even revolution isnt out of the question if you can get enough support, the problem as always is that broad support.
Well, I’ve now thought for that past two adminstrations that nothing meaningful can be done long-term until private money can be removed from politics altogether. To speak pragmatically, as you point out people want “gotta make ends meat” policy that impacts them meaningfully and immediately… and that’s gonna take a lot more than some $1000 one-time tax-credit.
Arguably, I’ve transcended “frustration”, though and I’m no longer convinced the Democrat party does anything but act as the controlled opposition party that is meant to crush any sort leftist movement. I sincerely doubt they will ever meaningfully address campaign-finance again in my life. The half-measures that they are known for are no longer adequate, but as long as they hold primaries I will cast my vote even though the establishment has already picked someone else. -A democratic system, indeed.
Here’s pragmatic, democratic Idea: Host all primary votes on the same day.
I can certainly agree with the money in politics being an openly corrupt system. Maybe that’s the rallying cry for the midterms? The neo liberal status quo is indeed bullshit, and you’re right that they just toss us breadcrumbs. This is a big enough breadcrumb to make a difference though.
I actually did this more before but the republicans have just infiltrated to much so even with local I have to vote anti republican. I live in a liberal state but a sorta conservative area (old school conservatives that are aghast at maga so its pretty much swung democrat but its risky to vote 3rd party. successfully fought of maga crazies trying to get into school boards and such.)
I think that’s appropriately cautious. It may be more safe and feasible in solidly blue cities/towns/districts, and it will have to get a lot more support than the tea party did for it to have any hope at spreading to “battleground” elections without serious risk.
There’s a lot of reasons they’re losing election. One of the least of which is that they are too far right.
Full disclosure I am anarchist/anarco communist. Yes democrats should move left. But it isn’t some sort of Panacea that would see them suddenly start winning elections regularly. Democrats moving left would see a lot of the party’s funding evaporated. Which on one hand would be good. Because a lot of that funding is coming from some of the worst people. But on the other hand. Campaigns have been made very expensive. It would put Democrats at a distinct disadvantage, and see them losing just as much if not more than they already are. Without that money. Yet it is still the lazy go to answer.
The truth is Democrats don’t even need to move left one iota to start winning again. All it needs to happen is for us to stop leaving everything to National leadership. Which is bought and owned. Completely disconnected from all constituency other than the donors. We need to revitalize state democratic parties. Have them take leadership back.
We have a year and a half to reform the Democrats before the midterm elections. If they win then just because of pure backlash without reform, they’ll take it as a neoliberal status quo mandate and use it as an excuse to sleepwalk into entrenched fascism even more.
In this thread I’ve had two separate people mention the major problem with campaign finance or money in politics. And I think I have to agree, part of the reason that the Democrats are so disappointing because they serve the same masters.
Maybe that could be a concentrated goal and and the rallying cry for the Democrats approaching the midterms, that you shouldn’t even try to run on the Democratic ticket unless you’re going to push for campaign finance reform that ends citizens united. That might be a big enough change to start improving our democratic system.
We agree. We have about 3 years until the next presidential election cycle, maybe, and we either need to challenge the Democratic party, or improve it.
Instead of pessimism, do you have any ideas?
I have ideas about a targeted solution that would leave about 99.5% of the population better off, and provide the other 0.5% a peace they prove constantly on no uncertain terms by how they live they would never be capable of attaining in any other way.
I wish I was allowed to say it.
The gallows funniest bit about this whole situation is that the ones perpuating it aren’t happy either, even in victory. They could have 50 quadrillion dollars and their own space station mansion, and they still wouldn’t be satisfied, because our civilization rewards a very specific kind of dangerous mental illness.
They should be getting care in secure mental health facilities to keep society safe from their avarice, the kind they defunded for tax cuts through captured government.
Small donations only.
Absolutely. Political funding is broken thanks in large part to citizens United. Campaign finance reform certainly should be a campaign item for any progressive candidate.
Primaries are a good time to improve it.
1000%, let’s encourage people to vote in democratic primaries anytime we see this “both sides” sentiment. Thank you!
Let’s encourage progressives to actually run.
Are suggesting that there were no progressives that ran in the last Democrat Primary?
-I ask because I voted for one, but I was only allowed to after the presidential candidate had been selected.
Not at all. I just mean we need to flood local politics with progressive candidates. When that happens, there’s not enough eyes on all the political posts so chances are greater that we can affect change.
im 100% onboard to get rid of the democrats but only once the republicans are gone or insignificant. If an alternative party starts winning elections I will take that into account to but right now and pretty much since 2000 not having republicans is my main focus as well as democratic primaries. One thing is I don’t think its good to vote for the democrat that can win. I vote the primaries based on who I actually want in the roll.
I agree on every point, though I do feel like alternative parties to the Democrats can be successful in local and state elections, much like how the tea party has found some successes in more local politics. And I would say if locally people start successfully voting in more progressive alternatives, it will result in irrefutable proof that progressive policies are the winning move.
But, that starts local. It starts small, not big. And it starts where politicians impact you the most, your local community.
These plans and ideas sound eerily similar to the ones I hear or read every election cycle. What about them would be significantly different this next time around?
Unfortunately, not much given that this is the framework of the American democratic process. But, I think talking about it, openly and inviting new ideas to the mix, and encouraging people to vote in every election is a needed part of the process, while pessimism without solutions serves nobody and hinders progress.
It’s appropriate to be frustrated, but eventually we have to channel that frustration into action or it will disincentive everyone else from even trying.
Personally, I wish we had the economic freedom and class consciousness necessary to effectively protest. Eventually our economic troubles might be bad enough to completely override our “gotta make ends meet” inertia, but I hope we can improve things before that happens.
Do you have any ideas as to what we could do differently or more efficiently? We joke about it, but even revolution isnt out of the question if you can get enough support, the problem as always is that broad support.
Well, I’ve now thought for that past two adminstrations that nothing meaningful can be done long-term until private money can be removed from politics altogether. To speak pragmatically, as you point out people want “gotta make ends meat” policy that impacts them meaningfully and immediately… and that’s gonna take a lot more than some $1000 one-time tax-credit.
Arguably, I’ve transcended “frustration”, though and I’m no longer convinced the Democrat party does anything but act as the controlled opposition party that is meant to crush any sort leftist movement. I sincerely doubt they will ever meaningfully address campaign-finance again in my life. The half-measures that they are known for are no longer adequate, but as long as they hold primaries I will cast my vote even though the establishment has already picked someone else. -A democratic system, indeed.
Here’s pragmatic, democratic Idea: Host all primary votes on the same day.
I can certainly agree with the money in politics being an openly corrupt system. Maybe that’s the rallying cry for the midterms? The neo liberal status quo is indeed bullshit, and you’re right that they just toss us breadcrumbs. This is a big enough breadcrumb to make a difference though.
I actually did this more before but the republicans have just infiltrated to much so even with local I have to vote anti republican. I live in a liberal state but a sorta conservative area (old school conservatives that are aghast at maga so its pretty much swung democrat but its risky to vote 3rd party. successfully fought of maga crazies trying to get into school boards and such.)
I think that’s appropriately cautious. It may be more safe and feasible in solidly blue cities/towns/districts, and it will have to get a lot more support than the tea party did for it to have any hope at spreading to “battleground” elections without serious risk.
I mean my states blue but we have had republican governors and we have republican reps. Even solidly blue you have to be careful.
We’ve been telling them to move further left than further center for years, and yet they wonder why they keep losing elections.
There’s a lot of reasons they’re losing election. One of the least of which is that they are too far right.
Full disclosure I am anarchist/anarco communist. Yes democrats should move left. But it isn’t some sort of Panacea that would see them suddenly start winning elections regularly. Democrats moving left would see a lot of the party’s funding evaporated. Which on one hand would be good. Because a lot of that funding is coming from some of the worst people. But on the other hand. Campaigns have been made very expensive. It would put Democrats at a distinct disadvantage, and see them losing just as much if not more than they already are. Without that money. Yet it is still the lazy go to answer.
The truth is Democrats don’t even need to move left one iota to start winning again. All it needs to happen is for us to stop leaving everything to National leadership. Which is bought and owned. Completely disconnected from all constituency other than the donors. We need to revitalize state democratic parties. Have them take leadership back.
We have a year and a half to reform the Democrats before the midterm elections. If they win then just because of pure backlash without reform, they’ll take it as a neoliberal status quo mandate and use it as an excuse to sleepwalk into entrenched fascism even more.
In this thread I’ve had two separate people mention the major problem with campaign finance or money in politics. And I think I have to agree, part of the reason that the Democrats are so disappointing because they serve the same masters.
Maybe that could be a concentrated goal and and the rallying cry for the Democrats approaching the midterms, that you shouldn’t even try to run on the Democratic ticket unless you’re going to push for campaign finance reform that ends citizens united. That might be a big enough change to start improving our democratic system.