The Left is Losing Because It is Not Confrontational Enough

[The Hammer]

All whites are racisits
All Republicans are racists
If you disagree with our policies you are a racists.

Never seen his codified as a democratic policy. Weird.

 

[Nakosis]

The Left Is Losing Because We’re Not Confrontational Enough ❧ Current Affairs

I suspect the majority of voters don't want confrontational.

Also. when you're in power, you don't want confrontational. When your out of power, you do.
When the republicans were in power a few years back, they couldn't get any of their "right wing" policies passed either.

Personally, I've stopped having any reliance on government fixing problems.

 

[Heyo]

I think the worst that can happen is when Corporate America unites with Political establishments (on either side of the aisle)

I think the worst has already happened. Corporate America owns the political establishment (on both sides of the aisle).

 

[Heyo]

Since success in politics relies on money, both parties have to pander to corporate interests and not the people. As long as members of congress get elected this way they aren't going to set reform. Unless there is a national campaign for election reform there won't be reform. So like any undisciplined person with a bad habit, the US voter and US politician won't allow change.

Never let a good problem go to waste by solving it.

 

[MikeF]

corporate, neo-imperialist "global economy."

Interesting, if not somewhat emotionally charged turn of phrase.

...
I think the bigger problem has been their support of free trade agreements, outsourcing
...
I also think that it's geopolitically incongruent to tout NAFTA as something that was supposedly North America's equivalent to the EU, yet we militarize our border and try to wall off a supposed friend, ally, and trading partner.
...
I think our best bet would be to help build up Mexico and help improve its standard of living, infrastructure, end the cartel violence by ending the War on Drugs. It's not just bleeding-heart liberalism, but also an investment in America's future. For America to survive, we will need the goodwill and cooperation of our neighbors to the south - not just Mexico, but all of Latin America. This is especially vital now more than ever, with the growing levels of hostility evident in the Eastern Hemisphere.

In the selected quotes above, I see a somewhat conflicting stance. You seem to see benefits of free trade with the US for lower-income countries (Mexico and somewhat extended to South and Central Americas), yet negatively frame free-trade as being a tool of neo-imperialist corporations, which I assume are bad actors from your point of view.

What is your stance on free-trade policies? For? Against? If the standard of living of middle and lower income Americans stagnates, or declines, is this cost worth-while if a much greater number of people outside of the US see an appreciable decrease in overall poverty?

I think good arguments can be made to encourage policies that are beneficial to the well-being of all people, globally, and that improved global standards leads to global stability. However, we see historically that there is always great resistance for any group to surrender a perceived or actual advantage, and I think this will hold true for a majority of Americans. If the goal is to win national elections, paying lip service to "America First" will, unfortunately, always appeal to a large swath of the electorate. The Republicans have taken firm hold of this ground and it is working for them.

 

[Revoltingest]

Never seen his codified as a democratic policy. Weird.

The beauty of subtext is plausible deniability.
Trump might be the current king of that.

 

[Father Heathen]

Until the Democrats stop making every issue about race they are doomed to failure.

Any specific examples?

 

[Father Heathen]

The Left is losing because it’s the Left.

A thoughtful, compelling argument. Well done.

 

[Father Heathen]

open you eyes and ears then

I.E. Misrepresentations and strawmen fed to you via the Fox News trough.

 

[Father Heathen]

That's because they aren't a working class party, and haven't been for at least 30 years. Their main platform is social "progress", secondary to that is the corporate economy; the working class barely gets a passing nod in the hallway for old time's sake.

An actual sensible point. Rights, equality, and liberty should always be a priority, but for the most part the democrats do seem to place corporate interests above those of the people, hence why they chose Biden; they saw him as the "safest" and least likely to rock the boat.

 

[Twilight Hue]

The Left Is Losing Because We’re Not Confrontational Enough ❧ Current Affairs

Many of the points raised in this article chimed with me, particularly the differences between progressive Democrats and the Democratic establishment.



So, in a nutshell, the progressive left is losing because it's sucking up the establishment. I've noticed that for quite a long time now.

The article outlines a possible solution, since progressives don't have the protection of corporate backing which Sinema, Manchin, Pelosi, Schumer, and other establishment Democrats have. Someone like Sanders could organize a grassroots movement of progressives to double down and push harder on the progressive agenda. Among other things, it would simply call upon the Biden Administration to carry out his campaign promises.



The main trouble seems to emanate from the party leadership, which is trying to get progressives like AOC and Sanders to tone things down and play at being friendly and cooperative with the establishment. Predictably, this has been a failure for the progressive left and has seen a concurrent rise of the extreme right.



So, in a nutshell, the optimal strategy for defeating the right would be for the left to become more aggressively anti-establishment, something they're clearly afraid of doing. That's how they end up losing the hearts and minds of so many who would otherwise support them.

The article cites an example of a progressive politician which has successfully used the confrontational approach against establishment-level Democrats: Kshama Sawant, a Seattle City Council member and a member of the Marxist party, Socialist Alternative.



She successfully pushed through an increase in minimum wage and the Amazon tax, targeting Seattle's wealthiest business.



Naturally, big business (especially Amazon) threw a lot of money to try to unseat Sawant, but to no avail.

The article stresses grassroots, popular movements, as opposed to backroom deals or playing nice with the corporate suck-ups.





This article echoes something I've been saying for years now. The left will not defeat the right by sucking up to Corporate America.

The Left Is Losing Because We’re Not Confrontational Enough ❧ Current Affairs

Many of the points raised in this article chimed with me, particularly the differences between progressive Democrats and the Democratic establishment.



So, in a nutshell, the progressive left is losing because it's sucking up the establishment. I've noticed that for quite a long time now.

The article outlines a possible solution, since progressives don't have the protection of corporate backing which Sinema, Manchin, Pelosi, Schumer, and other establishment Democrats have. Someone like Sanders could organize a grassroots movement of progressives to double down and push harder on the progressive agenda. Among other things, it would simply call upon the Biden Administration to carry out his campaign promises.



The main trouble seems to emanate from the party leadership, which is trying to get progressives like AOC and Sanders to tone things down and play at being friendly and cooperative with the establishment. Predictably, this has been a failure for the progressive left and has seen a concurrent rise of the extreme right.



So, in a nutshell, the optimal strategy for defeating the right would be for the left to become more aggressively anti-establishment, something they're clearly afraid of doing. That's how they end up losing the hearts and minds of so many who would otherwise support them.

The article cites an example of a progressive politician which has successfully used the confrontational approach against establishment-level Democrats: Kshama Sawant, a Seattle City Council member and a member of the Marxist party, Socialist Alternative.



She successfully pushed through an increase in minimum wage and the Amazon tax, targeting Seattle's wealthiest business.



Naturally, big business (especially Amazon) threw a lot of money to try to unseat Sawant, but to no avail.

The article stresses grassroots, popular movements, as opposed to backroom deals or playing nice with the corporate suck-ups.





This article echoes something I've been saying for years now. The left will not defeat the right by sucking up to Corporate America.

Democrats need to lessen their compulsory oriented mandate by fiat mindset. Not increase it.

 

[metis]

Democrats need to lessen their compulsory oriented mandate by fiat mindset. Not increase it.

I do think you've seriously misplaced where the problem is because the Pubs under Trump did this in spades.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I do think you've seriously misplaced where the problem is because the Pubs under Trump did this in spades.

Hardly. The green deal forcing people to get evs , all the covid garbage ..

Mandate after mandate .... compulsory after compulsory.

Republicans do it but nowhere as much as democrats do.

It never ends.

 

[Father Heathen]

Hardly. The green deal forcing people to get evs , all the covid garbage ..

Mandate after mandate .... compulsory after compulsory.

It never ends.

How do you feel about speed limits, stop signs, traffic lights? Or health codes for restaurant kitchens? Are these forms of nanny state tyranny?

 

[Twilight Hue]

How do you feel about speed limits, stop signs, traffic lights? Or health codes for restaurant kitchens? Are these forms of nanny state tyranny?

Depends.

Red-light cameras keyed for the nano second for pork barrel revenue as they rape people's wallets.

Speed traps placed in inconspicuous places. More raping people's wallets.

Stop signs with trees that are not trimmed. Probably not budgeted in would be a great excuse to use making it a great selling tool for even higher and higher tax increases for the pork barrel.

Restaurant food tastes like crap. Bring back the lard and beef tallow and keep ones nose out of people's private choices as to what they want to eat.

 

[Father Heathen]

Depends.

Red-light cameras keyed for the nano second for pork barrel revenue as they rape people's wallets.

Speed traps placed in inconspicuous places. More raping people's wallets.

Stop signs with trees that are not trimmed. Probably not budgeted in would because great excuse making it a great selling tool for even higher and higher tax increases for the pork barrel.

Revenue traps aside, would you trust your fellow citizens to drive safely while you and your family are on the road if there were no traffic laws? Or do you think that in publicly shared areas safety might supercede freedom?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Revenue traps aside, would you trust your fellow citizens to drive safely while you and your family are on the road if there were no traffic laws? Or do you think that in publicly shared areas safety might supercede freedom?

Worked in the 60s and 70s just fine. Didn't need it then, don't need it now.

Laws within reason.

Not your 'no laws' farce as if that applies to the debate. Democrats are taking things too far so they can control and rape people's wallets for themselves.

 

[Father Heathen]

Worked in the 60s and 70s just fine. Didn't need it then, don't need it now.

Speed limits, stop signs, traffic lights, health codes, etc. are all forms of nanny state tyranny and we can trust our fellow citizens to drive safely and wash their hands after taking a **** and before preparing our meals, etc.?

 

[Twilight Hue]

So

Speed limits, stop signs, traffic lights, health codes, etc. are all forms of nanny state tyranny and we can trust our fellow citizens to drive safely and wash their hands after taking a **** and before preparing our meals, etc.?

Like I said , everything was fine in the 60s and 70s.


It's kind of a nothingburger your proposing.

 

[Father Heathen]

Like I said , everything was fine in the 60s and 70s.


It's kind of a nothingburger your proposing.

If it's simple why can't you give strait answers?