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Democratic Governance
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2024
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... As opposed to the superior Republican plan for increasing minimum wage?
Crickets
What if I told you the viable alternative wasn't to look further right, but further left?
Well, I don't know about you, but I can't teleport. the last time I checked, neither can the u.s. political zeitgeist. If we want more left, we are going to have to get there the long way.
...and saying "but Republicans blah blah blah" in no way moves us in a desirable direction. It's used as an excuse to not move at all because "at least I'm not the bogeyman".
How do you get there the long way? Is it maybe by pushing leftist agenda and leftist talking points? Is it maybe by like endorsing workers rights and fair pay? Is it maybe making sure people don't live in poverty by raising the minimum wage? Sure seems like a good road map to me.
The Dems have to win, repeatedly, for years, with such a landslide that the Republican party is completely destroyed and the new competition for the Dems is a party that is further left.
That's how progress can actually be made at anything other than a snail's pace.
That Trump won the last election and will likely win this one means the Democratic party is going to target center and right of center people, because that's where the votes are.
I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. You're right though when they lose the Democrats tend to run right. That's how we got Clinton. However by winning Democrats tend to Trend left. Continued winning is how we got the strongest string of civil rights and labor rights victories in American history. So not necessarily overwhelming destructive Victory but consistent Victory I think would move us further left. There's of course the other way which is the Grassroots Ray which is what Republicans have done. First with the tea party then with the trump movement. Consistent victories at small levels lend results to National levels. Their party moved much further the right because they moved it from the ground up. Both are options and both can be done simultaneously.
Fuck yea we do. I never said that choosing left was the easy option. It is the necessary option though.
I'm not American but, “the other party would do worse” is not a very… powerful argument. Even if true.
unfortunately it is for a two party system. if you don't vote Dem, the only lesson they'll take from it is "oh, people must want more conservative positions" and go further right.
the solution to this isn't to not vote Dem, it's to elect representatives that align with more leftist positions, which to the credit of democratic voters, has been happening more than in any time in history.
that is partly thanks to a new generation of people who don't fall for the red scare propaganda that previous ones did, and leftism and socialism being less stigmatized.
What really amazes me is how set up to maintain the status quo 'murican politics is. Political parties have to be registered on every state, otherwise they don't "exist". Gerrymandering ensures voting districts are always drawn in favor of specific parties. Delegate votes means popular vote isn't as important. Even fucking Brazil is more democratic by comparison.
don't forget that the election is on a Tuesday and a lot of people can't take a day off, and there's serious push to limit or remove early voting.
forget brazil, a lot of countries Americans would see as "shitholes" are actually more democratic in their process. they think they have it better because they don't have an obvious strongman on top (though that may change now, we'll see) but the people's will has been systematically suppressed more and more over the years. the boot of corporations has been firmly pressed on the neck of the public to make sure they can't raise their head for long enough to breathe, let alone participate.
https://youtu.be/OFi73TzEN_8
My country isn't a two-party system, but I have often to vote for parties I hate to to prevent the extreme right from coming to power. Fuck I even did that a few weeks ago. If I were American I would vote for the Dems, but I would criticize them harshly, as I criticize harshly the parties I have to vote for here.
This is one of the things a Primary is for. It I’ll almost certainly vote Democrat in the general election, but well before that I’ll vote in the Democrat Prinary to raise my voice for a more liberal or Progressive candidate.
For Biden’s first term, I do believe the strong showing for more left wing candidates like AOC and the popularity of the “Green New Deal” influenced the platform for the better, even if those candidates weren’t chosen to represent the party
I think the real lesson is that our government is so broken that it can't do its job.
Oh, as opposed to the Republican plan to do a bad job? Russian Bot Say What?
lmao
What
And therefore what?
Classic whataboutism: shits on the topic without adding anything worthwhile to the conversation. These responses are only exceeded in worthlessness by trolling.
"but republicans" is not a valid excuse for democrats to do nothing.
The question of issues within modern society shouldn’t constantly be boiled down to the two party system. That’s exactly how nothing gets done. Well, that and electoralism.
Federally isn't it still like 7.25 where it has been since like 15 years ago....