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Define Liberalism
(lemmy.ml)
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this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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Lefty Memes
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I'm not sure I understand what your point is. The US has been a plutocracy for a long time. The Republican vs Democrat debate is all about to what degree that is the case. The Democrats are slightly more benevolent when they are at the head of the plutocracy, I'll grant you that.
Not sure if you actually read that, but the modern Republican vs Democrat political parties have very likely been intentionally polarized and turned into what they are today because of the Heritage Foundation, in order to destroy democracy and create an oligarchy.
I am not a fan of the DNC, but again it's blatantly false to claim the actions of shitty individuals in the DNC are representative of all liberal values. Calling them slightly more benevolent when in power is either an extremely misinformed opinion or a blatant attempt to spread disinformation.
Over the last 4 months (starting literally on Jan 21) I have personally watched the polarized GOP take a literal sledgehammer to publicly funded programs in science and healthcare that (while imperfect) did an extraordinary amount of good for everyday Americans. The amount of damage done to individuals in my state who were dependent on Medicaid (some were patients in the free clinic where I volunteer and some were my own family members) is appalling and inexcusable.
I hope anyone that reads your comment will not be misinformed. I'm sorry if it wasn't your intention, but (even putting aside losing my own job in science) this is something I've watched unnecessarily hurt so many people around me, as healthcare systems begin to ramp down acceptance of Medicaid in preparation for cuts that the Republicans said over and over weren't going to happen. That was bullshit, and your description, is bullshit.
An imperfect system of very basic benefits is being made even worse in order to justify a tax cut (in addition to the billions that were already stolen via "DOGE" savings) for people who already take so much, and don't contribute their fair share to society while leeching off corporate welfare and accusing people relying on those benefits of being the leeches. "Slightly more benevolent," is an ignorant and dangerous way to describe imperfect but expanded access to healthcare vs the the passive aggressive genocide of undesirable populations through Mediciad cuts that are only necessary to benefit the wealthy who have taken so much more than what they have contributed.
It seems to me we are really only arguing about the degree to which the Republicans are worse than the Democrats. You are arguing the case that the Dems are significantly more benevolent, but that's a very subjective assessment and depends what type of issues you decide to focus on. If you are more focused on international affairs and the number of brown people being killed by US manufactured weapons then there is no significant difference between the parties. If you are focused on domestic issues like health care then, sure, Obamacare is significantly better than nothing, even if it is a pale imitation of what a properly functioning health care system looks like.
When you look at the big(ger) picture, the US is governed under a plutocratic system of government whichever side is in power. The only way to have a properly functioning liberal democracy is to prevent owners of private capital from having any say in how the country is governed (so no more corporate donations, industry lobbyists, legislation written by large corporations, etc). But neither mainstream party has any intention of tackling those issues, or tackling wealth inequality. There's sadly very little policy difference between the two parties on those issues in my opinion, and I don't think it's misleading to point it out.
Omgaaaauuuuhghhd bruuuhhh, one group was shitty and wouldn't take a firm stance against Israel bc they didn't have a fucking backbone. They're shitty people that need to step down. They are not essentially the same.
The group you're comparing them to:
•has said they wanted to bomb Gaza into oblivion and build a resort.
•are currently snatching students who attended pro-palestenian protests off of U.S. streets and shipping them to detention centers hundreds of miles away, (these detention centers are located in my own state in the desolate middle of nowhere, where even lawyers are afraid to even go protest because of threats of harm or being disappeared)
•are dismantling 3 civil rights offices for getting in the way of their immigration policies, one exists to provide benefits to refugees, one that exists to investigate claims of inhumane treatment in those detention center, and the third isn't even focused on immigration, it exists to protect civil rights and liberties for all Americans dealing with DHS agencies and had to be created after the patriot act was passed by Republicans following 9/11 and too many rights were being violated
•have repeatedly openly ignored and publicly joked about just tossing due process, which is a constitutional right that anyone in this country is supposed to be entitled to, regardless of citizenship. When asked a little over a week ago if he needed to uphold the constitution, Trump said he didn't know. Not like a joke. He really didn't know if that was something he would be expected to comply with as president, as long as his lawyers told him he could ignore it.