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this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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I read till I saw "radical Democrats" and I knew all I needed to. You're one of them "I'm totally a leftist on the Internet trust me bro" types, but probably some opposition bot or some shit
It's entirely fair to call me on that. To be more specific I had AOC in mind when I'd written this, particularly her decision to vote present when the Biden admin was forcing striking rail workers back to work. It'd kind of felt like a stab in the back at the time and still does but she's shown herself to be a person of principle and character since then so whether it was a misstep or a tactical decision I was misunderstanding I've softened a lot since then where she's concerned. She's not perfect obviously, no one in politics is and I learned a long time ago to not let perfect be the enemy of good but that still doesn't excuse enabling the status quo when other options exist. I think we're in a real crisis and I was especially angry about that when this was written, I'd said it was important to organize and network within your community, to take real action to reduce harm and to drum up support for real justice when the time comes, only to be hit with "Why organize when so many 'leftists' wouldn't even vote for Harris?" I'm paraphrasing as the comment has long since been deleted. This argument that we're in this mess because others voted wrong or stuck to a purity test boils my blood because not only do I think it's factually incorrect, it doesn't do a damn thing to fix the very real problems we're currently facing. I'm fed up with Schumer and the establishment Dems, and I'm even more fed up with progressives who wind up like Fetterman and compromise on their earlier principles but I recognize the need to work with less radical liberals because the alternative is pretty plainly fascism
Counterpoint: Beggars can't be choosers, but choosers can become beggars. Those who didn't vote for harm reduction and are currently without income and social assistance personify that fact. I appreciate your stance, but have no sympathy for those who chose 2024 to "put their foot down".
Which is a valid position to take. I never intended to change anyone's mind on what the right path was in 2024. For better and very much for worse we're all in the same leaky ass boat and it's going to take serious and sustained cross popular activism to keep us all from drowning. Harris Stans, hard line progressive Puritans, hell I'll take remorseful Trumpets because at this point it's more important to be doing damage control and repairs than it is to litigate who was responsible for getting us into this mess. To be clear I'm not suggesting you or most others in this thread are attempting to relitigate that, but I've seen an infuriating tendency to dismiss potential allies because something is "their fault" rather than doing the work of building a strong coalition. I'm of the opinion the only successful long term strategy is grassroots, pushing for principled candidates from all backgrounds who will follow through on their stated goals. Our first goal must be to stop the bleeding, but to heal the damage we MUST put a stop to the duoparty ratchet effect which has been pushing the US to the right for decades, and the only way to do that is to primary Dems from the left. To provide real and actionable solutions to the crises facing the US, and in a really fucked up way Trump has given this movement a generational opportunity. These idiots have shit the bed so hard they've created an opportunity for a seismic change in policy, and a corresponding appetite with swing voters.
I hope when you say you have no sympathy for those folks you're speaking facetiously. I understand how you feel, but it makes me very sad. Not that you in isolation are feeling this way but that such a position is understandable in the first place. This is a messed up time