From my end of the spectrum, it appears the left scolding those who disagree rather than trying to win them is standard operating procedure. It’s campaigning based on the believe-or-you-are-bad-person premise and it’s wearing thin.
It’s sad that the Democratic Party is blinded by this cash, again. How does it benefit them?? They are so in the groupthink that they blame us when we call them out for their own shortcomings. Instead of doing what would give them the election. They don’t need any more money, they need votes
And now there’s people on the left that come at people like you, TYT and progressives like me with so much vitriol. Just to get views on YouTube. They do this because they know there’s an audience for it since we hold our side accountable and it hurts the feelings of those that can’t stomach anything but their own validation and circlejerking. They don’t get that they’re hurting their own side. I just saw some people on YouTube saying TYT doesn’t stand for its principles and continued to bring up things and then contradict them, not just with a straight face but with real hate. They do this to stir up views for the drama. How does that help the progressive cause? News flash, it doesn’t. And they should know that but they are too busy circlejerking over their virtue signaling (which they claimed TYT does) to realize it
To build meaning full change, we have to do what you’re working hard to do Ana. Hold all sides accountable and fight for what is right. Not by flinging shit to one side and demanding that our side stays in line no matter what. It’s such braindead, entitled politics and only hurts what we’re trying to do in this country
I may disagree with some of the sentiment here when I say democrats DO NOT have to value voters in order to win. Democrats and politicians in general often can and DO win while being total shits to their constituency through some combination of fear, shaming, and misleading ads. Furthermore, there may be SOME evidence that shaming in the form of social pressure can work under certain circumstances (see studies below). So maybe that's why I get all of those bonkers emails from Nancy Pelosi shaming me for not doing my part. IDK.
However, what you touch on here is important. If we value democracy, the only MORAL way to get a vote is through INSPIRATION. Taking advantage of people's fear of public ostracization plays on the very fascist tendencies we hope to combat. Obviously, Trump is by all accounts the significant threat to democracy, but if we hope to plant a seed for future generations so that fascism does not take root, we have to learn to create a truer democracy by speaking to the better angels of the the electorate.
“We find that, in the absence of social monitoring, defection is not uncommon, but that racialized social pressure — as demonstrated by monitoring signals from other blacks — has a unique ability to rein in such defection.”
"Overall, the findings suggest that social pressure from receiving any kind of information about past turnout led to a 23 percent increase in the number of votes cast."
These are fascinating studies. Thank you for sharing. I hate the shaming and it's having an opposite effect on me. But it's good to know the impact on people in general.
It is astonishing to me how unresponsive the DNC is to it's voters. It's almost like it's intentional. I don't understand how you can get into office and then make every bad decision you can possible get away with... I said in one of your other posts here that, "They say the words we want to hear and then run back to their paymasters for the checks" And it's true, that is what they do. Both sides... It's uncanny.
'They' dump one billion dollars on Harris in three months and no one bats an eye... But if Elon gives a few checks out to normal people that's "the real crime"?... Quite frankly, you can miss me with that logic. We all see this right? We see the money dumped into politics?... We see it right?... Or am I just losing my mind?
What do you think a billion dollars and the promise of insider trading buys? As far as I can tell, pretty much the whole of congress, the court and the executive branch apparently.. It buys the whole thing. Votes need not apply... And no one cares, its become normalized... My stomach hurts ...
But it is in fact our underlying problem. Money... This is why the right voted for Trump... I know them, I talk to them... It wasn't "racism", or for the "control of women's bodies", or the trans'ss.... They thought he had "Fuck you money" and couldn't be bought.... That was enough for them... Someone who isn't bought and paid for is all they wanted.... And while 'we' all know that's not true, the underlying sentiment remains ... People are upset with this, left, right, and center... But we don't know what to do about it, and we are not talking about it outright.... It's so frustrating to me...
But none of that matters though, you know why? Because Ana is leaving the left. Never-mind that billion dollars or the men behind the curtain... Ana is now 'right wing' and that's totally more important than the multi billion dollar industry that our government has become... Right? RIGHT!? ..... She didn't say Ben Shapiro was lying... And we all know what that means ....
I know what that means.... It means you don't actually know what the real problem is... As far as I am concerned the real grift is ignoring the money... It's staring all of us in the face... What do we do about it?What will we do about it..? I hope something...
Bauks, you get it: "As far as I am concerned the real grift is ignoring the money." Very true regarding corruption in politics. But I'm curious, why do you think political factions fight each other rather than focus on doing something about that core issue?
I personally feel it’s bc they can keep us divided that way, so they can continue to stay in power and get away with robbing the people. When you speak truth to power, their charade is exposed and they go on the attack. It makes me sick and thankful for this community, just my two cents
One too many beers to answer this properly... But if I just have to shoot from the hip I would say...
It's us... There is something about us as species of advanced primates that is drawn to conflict. To tribalism. ....We look at car wrecks... It is part of the human condition. I actually think its intractable for the foreseeable future. Political factions are meant to fight each other, for balance. But... There is / has been, a thumb on the scale, for a long time.
Words matter. Framing matters. First principals matter. Money matters. Influence matters.
We seem to just be sniping at each other from opposite edges of the horseshoe instead of coming together at the ends.... uhcuz it's easy.... It's msm and the algorithms ..They just keep driving that wedge... Kick the wedge harder!
Not surprised blue voters didn't respond to your post. Let's see if anyone's brave enough to respectfully debate below.
First, I concur money is A, if not THE, core problem in politics. PAC and campaign financing laws are simply NOT working as intended. While I applaud Ana's "unalignment" (doubt she'd agree she's "now 'right wing'"), the above definitely still matters because those $$$ are influencing policy. And that directly favors the interests of the rich/powerful and special interests BEFORE any benefits for the "PEOPLE" that the government is supposed to be serving/protecting.
Now, re: the democratic party and DNC. It's incredibly telling that they COMPLETELY disregarded blue voters. After nearly a YEAR's worth of campaigning, Kamala could only muster 3-4% support from the blue base. She was FAR behind in the rear view mirrors of Biden, Sanders, Warren, and more. Yet when Joe was pushed out from the '24 race, she slid into what would have been HIS nomination for the party. Yes, no laws/rules were broken since Joe technically hadn't been nominated yet. So the delegates could've voted for anyone. But the point and fact remains: previous polling of democrats had shown virtually NONE would VOTE for Harris as POTUS. And she later became the VP candidate ONLY because JOE (or the party?) had picked her.
Talk about subverting democracy.
And yes, some on the right voted/s for Trump believing he's not influenced by $. Some because of what he DELIVERED during his presidency...the positive RESULTS of his policies in economy and global affairs. And some because he isn't the typical politician that tells you what you want to hear via eloquent speech with impressive vocabulary (e.g. Obama). Kamala is NOT polished/eloquent (word salad anyone?), but she does imply she's trustworthy by claiming she "hasn't changed her values". Yet she's been flip-flopping her entire political career, depending on what was en vogue or whose support she was chasing (far-left or moderate). That history is easily accessible. Just Google the reports/articles chronicling all her official actions and stances since she first took public office in CA.
Admit it. Joe was "losing it" and couldn't be trusted to continue towing the far left agenda with his moderate base. Sanders was a staunch liberal (always has been), but just too white and too old for the new democratic regime. Same for Warren. But Kamala is younger, a woman of color, and could yield the warm & fuzzy liberal vibe. It's all about optics and "feeling", not substance or conviction.
I need to preface this with... I am tired, half in the bag, and bad at typing...But lets give this a go.
The whole first paragraph I agree with. You put your fingers right on my pulse...
The whole second paragraph I agree with...
The whole third paragraph I agree with.
Look man, I am perfectly fine with voting for democrats but, (I feel like) they are really messing this up bigly here. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse. Time will tell.
Thank you for shoring up my grip on reality, I really appreciate it. <3
(Edit: Damn man, you can't go editing it an hour after I post my response!!! I had to close one eye just to read the thing the second time around !!!! And now we are going to internet fight for at least teh next 3 days !!!! But first I have to rock a piss, pass out and do a 10 hour shift. But I will be back !!!!)
LOL. Look fwd to it. And my apologies - I was up way too late as well. But, saw one thing to edit which led to a second, and third...
I'll vote for a candidate that I feel will best serve us. Did that with Obama (still kicking myself for that one). Really don't give two shats for which party they're registered with. IMO, neither of the two, legacy parties are what they're supposed to represent.
1) You are arguing for the Democrats to appeal to the people in the party who are already going to vote Democrat. This is at best marginally helpful in shoring up the base who, let's face it, are extremely unlikely to decide to sit on their hands on election day over this issue.
2) The vast, vast majority of the independents (like me) who are persuadable do not consider Gaza to be an actual election issue. You may have a good point as far as Michigan goes; but I'd need to dig deeper. As I understand it, most are concentrated in and around Dearborn, a heavily Democratic area likely to go for Harris already, but given the knife edge many swing states are on, maybe it will help. However, it's hard for me to imagine that Dearborn is more interested in Gaza than in economic or industrial policy.
Overall, I think the Israeli war is one of many things that resonate much more in media coverage and online fights than it does in actual voting behavior.
So what could they do? Well, abortion is still a really hot issue that *does* drive voting behavior. Replace all talk of Israel and Gaza with talk about abortion and the Democrats probably see a net gain. Same for the economy -- either keep trying to convince the persuadable voters that Biden / Harris were good for the economy already, or convince them that Harris' plans for the economy will be superior to Republicans (hint: talking about grocery store price gouging is tantamount to a bald admission that you have no fucking idea what you are talking about when it comes to economics or business).
I like this new trajectory you’re taking. It’s how Jimmy Dore should’ve been but ultimately fell from grace. Don’t let partisan left factions gaslight you. Just like aspects of the right wing, tribalistic delusion also clouds their judgment to make objective statements and realizations on reality.
I know exactly what you mean. And Joshua, thank you for understanding where I'm coming from. I understand why people who haven't had some of my realizations would freak out and think this the political "pivot" of a careerist. But a huge part of me wishes I was still enjoying the comfort of that tribal slumber I was unwittingly stuck in. Life was a lot less complicated (and alienating) back then. But there's also something extremely liberating in no longer viewing the world from a hyper-partisan lens.
I would personally prefer the dick discourse over the other stuff coming out of the politician's mouths. lol. Something is happening in this country and I can feel it. I've studied how "no vote revolutions" happen in guided democracies around the world when citizens don't support either candidate. I think we might be heading in that direction, but the cronies will get scared when that starts happening. I'm considering that revolutionary path if we start seeing candidates win that lie to Americans about their political opponents attacking citizens with the military or being existential threats to democracy. The biggest threat to democracy is already happening. It's guided democracy. That's why I supported Wolf Pack getting money out of politics, that's why I supported American Anti Corruption Act. But those movements fizzled out and it's too late. If we know the government doesn't reflect the consent of the governed though, the declaration of independence already told us what to do. Stop supporting them. Including your vote. If you value your vote and voice as a citizen of the republic, then don't throw it away like it's worthless. Citizens need to start acting like citizens of Rome, and use their powers as citizens. Not voting doesn't mean you do nothing. It means you stop supporting the non-representative government and put your support into other political goals. I'm still on the fence though like many other Americans, but that's the sentiment that I feel is coming, especially if Kamala wins. Everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie, and she uses lies to strike fear into citizens. The government isn't helping us. So we should focus on helping each other to survive. We are on our own to take care of ourselves and our communities. What benefit do we get from her telling lies about her political opponents using the military to attack citizens? Zero. It only benefits her. It's only going to create chaos and violence until a revolution happens and we stop supporting them. One way to achieve power, is to focus your political efforts inward on your community, and just tell everyone else to stop focusing outward on some rich people that do nothing for us. My philosophy in science and my inventions is the same. Just produce results and get things done. If things don't get done, you're wasting your time. Better off talking about dick and getting it done.
This resonates with me so much. I haven't had the courage to say this as plainly as you. I've sent in my ballot. I didn't vote for either presidential candidate in this election. I have serious issues with Kamala Harris, including her lack of a real vision for this country, the lack of clarity on what she even stands for and her cozy relationship with neocons goes against my core values. I can't believe she's bragging about including one of them (likely Liz Cheney) in her cabinet. That's not an endorsement of Trump by any means. But the outward professionalism and civility of neocons doesn't erase their actions, which were particularly heinous during the Bush years.
I have to point out the "Nanci Pelosi Effect" here.... She has been in office for ~19 terms now... Between her and her husband they have a combined net worth of an "estimated" (heavy quotes on estimated) quarter of a billion dollars ... This is not an accident. "...shockingly better than most"... Yeah, we need to hand those ideas off to someone who will in fact implement them.... And not just take the money and dip.....
Nancy is an amazing politician but she is just that, a politician .... 400 million people in this country.. Find someone better already.... 19 terms .... She is 84.... I was born in 84' ! Lets not repeat Feinstein .....19 terms ....
We have to do something about individual stock trading by members of Congress. It's the most direct form of corruption and it's amazing to me that we just allow it to
Interestingly, the head of J-street also called for a limited arms embargo too. I guess they forgot to update their website.
"We have urged the President to withhold shipments of offensive weapons to press Netanyahu and his allies to adhere to the rules of war, to American law and to the moral standards we expect from a democratic ally. We supported the recent withholding of a shipment of munitions. But more leverage must be exerted and more offensive weapons should at this point be withheld."
I agree and also find the shaming both unhelpful and ridiculous. Three things stand out to me as being particularly problematic. One, Americans generally don't give politics a genuine thought until they're in the booth voting for President, if even then. Two, Americans think even less about politics the further down the ballot you go, even though these elections arguably have a larger effect on their everyday lives. Three, we have yet to figure out effective ways to engage people and teach them how to become involved in politics in a tangible and meaningful way. Without an understanding of how our government works, or perhaps more accurately how it doesn't, we'll remain a highly uneducated and ignorant mass that does little but give the rest of the world something to laugh about as we fight amongst each other in our pathetic bipartisan groups.
Therein lies yet another problem. The educational system has been hijacked by biased teachers and admin (akin to "news" by journalists in legacy media), telling students what to think, not how. Their opinions on why something happened/s, not historically what.
And it seems a majority of their parents previously drank the Kool-Aid or also weren't taught by their parents/mentors how to think critically and come to their own conclusions. People need to wake the hell up from being woke...or pull their heads out of their a$$ and breath some some oxygen, so their brains can start functioning with clarity.
Society is spiraling completely out of control. And frankly we're enabling the dangerously moronic to pull us in that direction.
I'm referring to, what I'll call, well-intentioned (I'm giving benefit of doubt, but not implying I support or oppose) ideology that has gone off the rails. Some people are manifesting wokeness or advocating the application of it to a disturbing levels. For example:
- allowing trans women (fka men) to compete against biological women in combat sports
- supporting an organization like 'BLM' whose leadership has usurped millions of dollars in funding
- misrepresenting abortion as "healthcare"
- refer to Eclectic Miscellanea's comment below: "...a party that is so deeply corrupt they're greenlighting genocide -"
First of all, trans women ARE women (what does "fka men" even mean?). Also, I support BLM because this country was founded in Colonization (resulting in the death of many of my ancestors via forced removals, not well-intentioned settlers, and Indian Boarding Schools) that is rooted in White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism. Finally, abortion care IS healthcare (I had two full-term births and two miscarriages of babies I dearly wanted to have and grieve daily that could have likely left me flat lining on an operating table-- if they even let me get that far in a Red State). My intentions are for me to worry about; I am very sorry if you find this disturbing.
I'm sorry you had those experiences. No doubt it was awful and nobody should have to go through that. Unfortunately, others have and will.
That said, some people aren't against abortions for limited scenarios, myself included. And I acknowledge one can have a perspective that abortion might be necessary in order to protect the life of the mother. That's assuming there was a predetermination the fetus was not going to survive or would be severely compromised post birth. But at the core, an abortion is by definition a deliberate termination of life. Thus, excepting the aforementioned perspective, any other scenario is NOT healthcare as it is nothing more than a deliberate termination of the fetus.
We can agree to disagree re: trans women. You can, of course, continue to:
- cherry pick when, why and what "science" to believe in
- accept the bastardization of well-established words and definitions thereof
Re: BLM, I would argue and hope that you support the purported MOVEMENT. NOT the organization, as I had stated. it was founded/led by nothing more than marxist con-artists.
The amount of contempt and disregard from the Democratic establishment is infuriating and counterproductive. Some people do believe Trump must be stopped, but can't bring ourselves to actively vote for a party that is so deeply corrupt they're greenlighting genocide — even when poll after poll shows that they would *gain* votes if they called for an embargo. The goal isn't to take the moral position, the goal isn't even to win — the goal is to raise money and keep the moneyed class happy, damn the consequences for the rest of us.
The thing I fear will hand the White House to Trump is that the center-left just can’t hold a coalition together. When the stress builds, too many on the left eat their own and start evoking purity tests. The coalition to defeat Trump must be a very diverse one that includes (for example) former republicans.
From my end of the spectrum, it appears the left scolding those who disagree rather than trying to win them is standard operating procedure. It’s campaigning based on the believe-or-you-are-bad-person premise and it’s wearing thin.
It’s sad that the Democratic Party is blinded by this cash, again. How does it benefit them?? They are so in the groupthink that they blame us when we call them out for their own shortcomings. Instead of doing what would give them the election. They don’t need any more money, they need votes
And now there’s people on the left that come at people like you, TYT and progressives like me with so much vitriol. Just to get views on YouTube. They do this because they know there’s an audience for it since we hold our side accountable and it hurts the feelings of those that can’t stomach anything but their own validation and circlejerking. They don’t get that they’re hurting their own side. I just saw some people on YouTube saying TYT doesn’t stand for its principles and continued to bring up things and then contradict them, not just with a straight face but with real hate. They do this to stir up views for the drama. How does that help the progressive cause? News flash, it doesn’t. And they should know that but they are too busy circlejerking over their virtue signaling (which they claimed TYT does) to realize it
To build meaning full change, we have to do what you’re working hard to do Ana. Hold all sides accountable and fight for what is right. Not by flinging shit to one side and demanding that our side stays in line no matter what. It’s such braindead, entitled politics and only hurts what we’re trying to do in this country
I may disagree with some of the sentiment here when I say democrats DO NOT have to value voters in order to win. Democrats and politicians in general often can and DO win while being total shits to their constituency through some combination of fear, shaming, and misleading ads. Furthermore, there may be SOME evidence that shaming in the form of social pressure can work under certain circumstances (see studies below). So maybe that's why I get all of those bonkers emails from Nancy Pelosi shaming me for not doing my part. IDK.
However, what you touch on here is important. If we value democracy, the only MORAL way to get a vote is through INSPIRATION. Taking advantage of people's fear of public ostracization plays on the very fascist tendencies we hope to combat. Obviously, Trump is by all accounts the significant threat to democracy, but if we hope to plant a seed for future generations so that fascism does not take root, we have to learn to create a truer democracy by speaking to the better angels of the the electorate.
“We find that, in the absence of social monitoring, defection is not uncommon, but that racialized social pressure — as demonstrated by monitoring signals from other blacks — has a unique ability to rein in such defection.”
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/selling-out-the-politics-of-navigating-conflicts-between-racial-group-interest-and-selfinterest/067DAC12A46715BAFAF1172F239AEA1F
"Overall, the findings suggest that social pressure from receiving any kind of information about past turnout led to a 23 percent increase in the number of votes cast."
https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/effectiveness-encouraging-voter-participation-inducing-feelings-pride-or-shame
These are fascinating studies. Thank you for sharing. I hate the shaming and it's having an opposite effect on me. But it's good to know the impact on people in general.
It is astonishing to me how unresponsive the DNC is to it's voters. It's almost like it's intentional. I don't understand how you can get into office and then make every bad decision you can possible get away with... I said in one of your other posts here that, "They say the words we want to hear and then run back to their paymasters for the checks" And it's true, that is what they do. Both sides... It's uncanny.
'They' dump one billion dollars on Harris in three months and no one bats an eye... But if Elon gives a few checks out to normal people that's "the real crime"?... Quite frankly, you can miss me with that logic. We all see this right? We see the money dumped into politics?... We see it right?... Or am I just losing my mind?
What do you think a billion dollars and the promise of insider trading buys? As far as I can tell, pretty much the whole of congress, the court and the executive branch apparently.. It buys the whole thing. Votes need not apply... And no one cares, its become normalized... My stomach hurts ...
But it is in fact our underlying problem. Money... This is why the right voted for Trump... I know them, I talk to them... It wasn't "racism", or for the "control of women's bodies", or the trans'ss.... They thought he had "Fuck you money" and couldn't be bought.... That was enough for them... Someone who isn't bought and paid for is all they wanted.... And while 'we' all know that's not true, the underlying sentiment remains ... People are upset with this, left, right, and center... But we don't know what to do about it, and we are not talking about it outright.... It's so frustrating to me...
But none of that matters though, you know why? Because Ana is leaving the left. Never-mind that billion dollars or the men behind the curtain... Ana is now 'right wing' and that's totally more important than the multi billion dollar industry that our government has become... Right? RIGHT!? ..... She didn't say Ben Shapiro was lying... And we all know what that means ....
I know what that means.... It means you don't actually know what the real problem is... As far as I am concerned the real grift is ignoring the money... It's staring all of us in the face... What do we do about it?What will we do about it..? I hope something...
Bauks, you get it: "As far as I am concerned the real grift is ignoring the money." Very true regarding corruption in politics. But I'm curious, why do you think political factions fight each other rather than focus on doing something about that core issue?
I personally feel it’s bc they can keep us divided that way, so they can continue to stay in power and get away with robbing the people. When you speak truth to power, their charade is exposed and they go on the attack. It makes me sick and thankful for this community, just my two cents
One too many beers to answer this properly... But if I just have to shoot from the hip I would say...
It's us... There is something about us as species of advanced primates that is drawn to conflict. To tribalism. ....We look at car wrecks... It is part of the human condition. I actually think its intractable for the foreseeable future. Political factions are meant to fight each other, for balance. But... There is / has been, a thumb on the scale, for a long time.
Words matter. Framing matters. First principals matter. Money matters. Influence matters.
We seem to just be sniping at each other from opposite edges of the horseshoe instead of coming together at the ends.... uhcuz it's easy.... It's msm and the algorithms ..They just keep driving that wedge... Kick the wedge harder!
Not surprised blue voters didn't respond to your post. Let's see if anyone's brave enough to respectfully debate below.
First, I concur money is A, if not THE, core problem in politics. PAC and campaign financing laws are simply NOT working as intended. While I applaud Ana's "unalignment" (doubt she'd agree she's "now 'right wing'"), the above definitely still matters because those $$$ are influencing policy. And that directly favors the interests of the rich/powerful and special interests BEFORE any benefits for the "PEOPLE" that the government is supposed to be serving/protecting.
Now, re: the democratic party and DNC. It's incredibly telling that they COMPLETELY disregarded blue voters. After nearly a YEAR's worth of campaigning, Kamala could only muster 3-4% support from the blue base. She was FAR behind in the rear view mirrors of Biden, Sanders, Warren, and more. Yet when Joe was pushed out from the '24 race, she slid into what would have been HIS nomination for the party. Yes, no laws/rules were broken since Joe technically hadn't been nominated yet. So the delegates could've voted for anyone. But the point and fact remains: previous polling of democrats had shown virtually NONE would VOTE for Harris as POTUS. And she later became the VP candidate ONLY because JOE (or the party?) had picked her.
Talk about subverting democracy.
And yes, some on the right voted/s for Trump believing he's not influenced by $. Some because of what he DELIVERED during his presidency...the positive RESULTS of his policies in economy and global affairs. And some because he isn't the typical politician that tells you what you want to hear via eloquent speech with impressive vocabulary (e.g. Obama). Kamala is NOT polished/eloquent (word salad anyone?), but she does imply she's trustworthy by claiming she "hasn't changed her values". Yet she's been flip-flopping her entire political career, depending on what was en vogue or whose support she was chasing (far-left or moderate). That history is easily accessible. Just Google the reports/articles chronicling all her official actions and stances since she first took public office in CA.
Admit it. Joe was "losing it" and couldn't be trusted to continue towing the far left agenda with his moderate base. Sanders was a staunch liberal (always has been), but just too white and too old for the new democratic regime. Same for Warren. But Kamala is younger, a woman of color, and could yield the warm & fuzzy liberal vibe. It's all about optics and "feeling", not substance or conviction.
I need to preface this with... I am tired, half in the bag, and bad at typing...But lets give this a go.
The whole first paragraph I agree with. You put your fingers right on my pulse...
The whole second paragraph I agree with...
The whole third paragraph I agree with.
Look man, I am perfectly fine with voting for democrats but, (I feel like) they are really messing this up bigly here. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse. Time will tell.
Thank you for shoring up my grip on reality, I really appreciate it. <3
(Edit: Damn man, you can't go editing it an hour after I post my response!!! I had to close one eye just to read the thing the second time around !!!! And now we are going to internet fight for at least teh next 3 days !!!! But first I have to rock a piss, pass out and do a 10 hour shift. But I will be back !!!!)
LOL. Look fwd to it. And my apologies - I was up way too late as well. But, saw one thing to edit which led to a second, and third...
I'll vote for a candidate that I feel will best serve us. Did that with Obama (still kicking myself for that one). Really don't give two shats for which party they're registered with. IMO, neither of the two, legacy parties are what they're supposed to represent.
1) You are arguing for the Democrats to appeal to the people in the party who are already going to vote Democrat. This is at best marginally helpful in shoring up the base who, let's face it, are extremely unlikely to decide to sit on their hands on election day over this issue.
2) The vast, vast majority of the independents (like me) who are persuadable do not consider Gaza to be an actual election issue. You may have a good point as far as Michigan goes; but I'd need to dig deeper. As I understand it, most are concentrated in and around Dearborn, a heavily Democratic area likely to go for Harris already, but given the knife edge many swing states are on, maybe it will help. However, it's hard for me to imagine that Dearborn is more interested in Gaza than in economic or industrial policy.
Overall, I think the Israeli war is one of many things that resonate much more in media coverage and online fights than it does in actual voting behavior.
So what could they do? Well, abortion is still a really hot issue that *does* drive voting behavior. Replace all talk of Israel and Gaza with talk about abortion and the Democrats probably see a net gain. Same for the economy -- either keep trying to convince the persuadable voters that Biden / Harris were good for the economy already, or convince them that Harris' plans for the economy will be superior to Republicans (hint: talking about grocery store price gouging is tantamount to a bald admission that you have no fucking idea what you are talking about when it comes to economics or business).
So people who want the US to cut back on support of Israel are going to withhold their vote from Kamala Harris in protest?
LOL, do it!
People that stupid really should not be pandered to.
I like this new trajectory you’re taking. It’s how Jimmy Dore should’ve been but ultimately fell from grace. Don’t let partisan left factions gaslight you. Just like aspects of the right wing, tribalistic delusion also clouds their judgment to make objective statements and realizations on reality.
I know exactly what you mean. And Joshua, thank you for understanding where I'm coming from. I understand why people who haven't had some of my realizations would freak out and think this the political "pivot" of a careerist. But a huge part of me wishes I was still enjoying the comfort of that tribal slumber I was unwittingly stuck in. Life was a lot less complicated (and alienating) back then. But there's also something extremely liberating in no longer viewing the world from a hyper-partisan lens.
I’m just ready for November 6 so all this can be over. What I’m more interested in is Ana’s podcast hopefully there will be sound effects.
I would personally prefer the dick discourse over the other stuff coming out of the politician's mouths. lol. Something is happening in this country and I can feel it. I've studied how "no vote revolutions" happen in guided democracies around the world when citizens don't support either candidate. I think we might be heading in that direction, but the cronies will get scared when that starts happening. I'm considering that revolutionary path if we start seeing candidates win that lie to Americans about their political opponents attacking citizens with the military or being existential threats to democracy. The biggest threat to democracy is already happening. It's guided democracy. That's why I supported Wolf Pack getting money out of politics, that's why I supported American Anti Corruption Act. But those movements fizzled out and it's too late. If we know the government doesn't reflect the consent of the governed though, the declaration of independence already told us what to do. Stop supporting them. Including your vote. If you value your vote and voice as a citizen of the republic, then don't throw it away like it's worthless. Citizens need to start acting like citizens of Rome, and use their powers as citizens. Not voting doesn't mean you do nothing. It means you stop supporting the non-representative government and put your support into other political goals. I'm still on the fence though like many other Americans, but that's the sentiment that I feel is coming, especially if Kamala wins. Everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie, and she uses lies to strike fear into citizens. The government isn't helping us. So we should focus on helping each other to survive. We are on our own to take care of ourselves and our communities. What benefit do we get from her telling lies about her political opponents using the military to attack citizens? Zero. It only benefits her. It's only going to create chaos and violence until a revolution happens and we stop supporting them. One way to achieve power, is to focus your political efforts inward on your community, and just tell everyone else to stop focusing outward on some rich people that do nothing for us. My philosophy in science and my inventions is the same. Just produce results and get things done. If things don't get done, you're wasting your time. Better off talking about dick and getting it done.
This resonates with me so much. I haven't had the courage to say this as plainly as you. I've sent in my ballot. I didn't vote for either presidential candidate in this election. I have serious issues with Kamala Harris, including her lack of a real vision for this country, the lack of clarity on what she even stands for and her cozy relationship with neocons goes against my core values. I can't believe she's bragging about including one of them (likely Liz Cheney) in her cabinet. That's not an endorsement of Trump by any means. But the outward professionalism and civility of neocons doesn't erase their actions, which were particularly heinous during the Bush years.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/05/pelosi-call-halt-us-weapons-transfers-israel
Yeah, even Nancy Pelosi called for an arms embargo like 4 months ago.
She's been shockingly better than most mainstream Dems on this issue.
I have to point out the "Nanci Pelosi Effect" here.... She has been in office for ~19 terms now... Between her and her husband they have a combined net worth of an "estimated" (heavy quotes on estimated) quarter of a billion dollars ... This is not an accident. "...shockingly better than most"... Yeah, we need to hand those ideas off to someone who will in fact implement them.... And not just take the money and dip.....
Nancy is an amazing politician but she is just that, a politician .... 400 million people in this country.. Find someone better already.... 19 terms .... She is 84.... I was born in 84' ! Lets not repeat Feinstein .....19 terms ....
We have to do something about individual stock trading by members of Congress. It's the most direct form of corruption and it's amazing to me that we just allow it to
happen.
https://jstreet.org/enough/
Interestingly, the head of J-street also called for a limited arms embargo too. I guess they forgot to update their website.
"We have urged the President to withhold shipments of offensive weapons to press Netanyahu and his allies to adhere to the rules of war, to American law and to the moral standards we expect from a democratic ally. We supported the recent withholding of a shipment of munitions. But more leverage must be exerted and more offensive weapons should at this point be withheld."
Great work Ana! So happy you are doing this!
I agree and also find the shaming both unhelpful and ridiculous. Three things stand out to me as being particularly problematic. One, Americans generally don't give politics a genuine thought until they're in the booth voting for President, if even then. Two, Americans think even less about politics the further down the ballot you go, even though these elections arguably have a larger effect on their everyday lives. Three, we have yet to figure out effective ways to engage people and teach them how to become involved in politics in a tangible and meaningful way. Without an understanding of how our government works, or perhaps more accurately how it doesn't, we'll remain a highly uneducated and ignorant mass that does little but give the rest of the world something to laugh about as we fight amongst each other in our pathetic bipartisan groups.
Civic education needs to start in pre-school.
Therein lies yet another problem. The educational system has been hijacked by biased teachers and admin (akin to "news" by journalists in legacy media), telling students what to think, not how. Their opinions on why something happened/s, not historically what.
And it seems a majority of their parents previously drank the Kool-Aid or also weren't taught by their parents/mentors how to think critically and come to their own conclusions. People need to wake the hell up from being woke...or pull their heads out of their a$$ and breath some some oxygen, so their brains can start functioning with clarity.
Society is spiraling completely out of control. And frankly we're enabling the dangerously moronic to pull us in that direction.
What do you mean by, "People need to wake the hell up from being woke?"
I'm referring to, what I'll call, well-intentioned (I'm giving benefit of doubt, but not implying I support or oppose) ideology that has gone off the rails. Some people are manifesting wokeness or advocating the application of it to a disturbing levels. For example:
- allowing trans women (fka men) to compete against biological women in combat sports
- supporting an organization like 'BLM' whose leadership has usurped millions of dollars in funding
- misrepresenting abortion as "healthcare"
- refer to Eclectic Miscellanea's comment below: "...a party that is so deeply corrupt they're greenlighting genocide -"
First of all, trans women ARE women (what does "fka men" even mean?). Also, I support BLM because this country was founded in Colonization (resulting in the death of many of my ancestors via forced removals, not well-intentioned settlers, and Indian Boarding Schools) that is rooted in White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism. Finally, abortion care IS healthcare (I had two full-term births and two miscarriages of babies I dearly wanted to have and grieve daily that could have likely left me flat lining on an operating table-- if they even let me get that far in a Red State). My intentions are for me to worry about; I am very sorry if you find this disturbing.
I'm sorry you had those experiences. No doubt it was awful and nobody should have to go through that. Unfortunately, others have and will.
That said, some people aren't against abortions for limited scenarios, myself included. And I acknowledge one can have a perspective that abortion might be necessary in order to protect the life of the mother. That's assuming there was a predetermination the fetus was not going to survive or would be severely compromised post birth. But at the core, an abortion is by definition a deliberate termination of life. Thus, excepting the aforementioned perspective, any other scenario is NOT healthcare as it is nothing more than a deliberate termination of the fetus.
We can agree to disagree re: trans women. You can, of course, continue to:
- cherry pick when, why and what "science" to believe in
- accept the bastardization of well-established words and definitions thereof
Re: BLM, I would argue and hope that you support the purported MOVEMENT. NOT the organization, as I had stated. it was founded/led by nothing more than marxist con-artists.
I totally agree!
The amount of contempt and disregard from the Democratic establishment is infuriating and counterproductive. Some people do believe Trump must be stopped, but can't bring ourselves to actively vote for a party that is so deeply corrupt they're greenlighting genocide — even when poll after poll shows that they would *gain* votes if they called for an embargo. The goal isn't to take the moral position, the goal isn't even to win — the goal is to raise money and keep the moneyed class happy, damn the consequences for the rest of us.
The thing I fear will hand the White House to Trump is that the center-left just can’t hold a coalition together. When the stress builds, too many on the left eat their own and start evoking purity tests. The coalition to defeat Trump must be a very diverse one that includes (for example) former republicans.
Great column! This has been the wildest election cycle and I’m trying to remain optimistic.
Just like our economic system doesn’t value labor (the people).