861
rule (lemmy.sdf.org)
submitted 10 months ago by lars@lemmy.sdf.org to c/196

according to @Custoslibera’s post

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] FakeGreekGirl 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

And how well has being the adults in the room worked for us? In the US, it's done nothing but marginalize the left time after time. Our choices for leadership boil down to a contest between center-right and fascist, and fascist is winning.

The fact is, people want anger. People understand anger. People are angry, and for good reason. Our society is completely, utterly fucked, and everyone knows it, even if they don't quite know how or why. And it's precisely that sentiment that fascists like the MAGA movement prey upon. They give people something to blame for everything being fucked, while what laughingly passes for the left continues pretending everything is fine. And so people go to the right, over and over and over again, because at least the right acknowledges their anger.

There's a reason that the last time the left had a real moment in this country was when there were massive protests all over the nation, screaming at the top of their lungs, "BLACK LIVES MATTER!" and "DEFUND THE POLICE!" We finally let our anger show, and guess what? This country stood with us, over and over, and mobilized like hell to get Trump out of office. And then the Biden administration abandoned us and called for "civility" and "reaching across the aisle" like we all knew they would, and now the fascists are back.

We are not going to get anywhere as long as we keep trying to be the "adults in the room" and try to be "civil". We need to get fucking mad, and stay fucking mad, and do the work to make real change whether the other guys want it or not.

[-] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 2 points 10 months ago

We can offer hope instead of fear. The right is steeped in fear, it fuels their entire ideology. If we are able to offer hope, hope is more powerful than fear.

But being the adults in the room we must remember who we are speaking to. We have to converse with them, not at them. If you converse at them, they will simply retreat into the fear bubble because it is familiar, comfortable, and makes them feel safe.

[-] FakeGreekGirl 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'm not saying we don't offer hope. But hope and anger are not incompatible.

You can't offer hope for a better tomorrow unless you are willing to point out and fix the problems of today. And as long as we are avoiding scaring the right, we cannot do this.

[-] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 1 points 10 months ago

Anger and hope are absolutely compatible, I have no idea why you would even say that.

You can point out and fix the problems of today while offering hope and solutions that lead to a better tomorrow.

I have no idea What kind of weird thought process led you to believe that these concepts are mutually exclusive.

[-] FakeGreekGirl 1 points 10 months ago

I'm not sure why you think I think they are mutually exclusive. I said the exact opposite of that.

[-] Zozano@lemy.lol 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Speaking of mutual exclusivity, I'm not saying we shouldn't be mad, we have every right to be. The problem I have is with optics, we need to be smarter.

Another example is during the black lives matter protest, community buildings were torched. This was really dumb and made us look really stupid in the eyes of the right.

I totally understand torching the buildings of multi-million dollar franchises, but not locally owned stores and facilities.

And I'm not sure the Defund or BLM movements actually did anything. People noticed for sure, but did anything change?

this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024
861 points (100.0% liked)

196

16714 readers
2569 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS