The neolibs are too far right. The tankies are doing whatever that is. Where's the space for the people who want fully-automated-luxury-gay-space-communism, but realize that it's gonna take a while and there are lots of steps between now and then? Here. This is that space.
Here, people should endeavor to discuss and devise practical, actionable leftist action. Vote lesser evil while you build grassroots coalitions. Unionize your workplace. Participate in SRAs. Build cohesion your local community. Educate the proletariat.
This is a place for practical people to develop practical plans to implement stable, incremental improvement.
If you're dead-set on drumming up all 18,453 True Leftists® into spontaneous Revolution, go somewhere else. The grown ups are talking.
Rules:
-1. Don't be a dick. Racism, sexism, other assorted bigotries, you know the drill. At least try to default to mutually respectful discussion. We're all on the same side here, unless you aren't, in which case kindly leave.
-2. Don't be a tankie. Yes I'm sure you have an extensive knowledge of century-old theory. There's been a century of history since then. Things didn't shake out as expected, maybe consider the possibility that a different angle of attack might be more effective in light of new data.
-3. Be practical. No one on the left benefits from counterproductive actions. This is a space informed by, not enslaved to, ideology. Promoting actions that are fundamentally untenable in the system in question, because they fulfill a sense of ideological purity, is a bad look. Don't do that.
Nothing we have (had) societally that is worth a damn came to be without a collective fight.
The weekend.
40hr work weeks.
The end of slavery.
Women’s legal ability to vote.
Women’s legal ability to privately fold credit, a bank account, or a house mortgage.
Ending Jim Crow & segregation.
There’s more but I just woke up and have to get going. The point is, there’s an expectation of change from people who have no intention of leaving their chair, and that is both unreasonable and ridiculous.
not just “we must”. We want to!
I wonder if she ran for President, if she might be the only one willing to say she'll try and jail members of this administration and ICE. She's more likely to go for Senate and it's also still probably unlikely, but there really aren't a lot of high profile people with enough guts to suggest such a thing on the left, even if it's appropriate and not just an attempt to weaponize the legal system.
I see plenty of posts who say someone willing to do so would have their vote, too.
Last night was my favorite parade. Normally I would have people over and go all out, but the last year has made every season feel a lot less joyful than I can ever remember at any other point in my life. The morning of there was another government sanctioned murder by another fascist. Between the murder, rain, and the approaching freeze warning, I figured it would probably be best to just accept defeat. Maybe just move it to another day when shits not so fucking dark, and every single sign isn't telling you to just fucking give up. But instead, the city decided that in the spirit of this year's theme, they would be rolling rain or shine.
When the parade started, you could definitely tell something was off. It was smaller than normal, way less of a crowd than most years, and everything felt a bit forced and just wrong. At first I figured maybe this is just how it has to be, but gradually people just started to remember how to enjoy the music and the community of a neighborhood parade like they were remembering how to ride a bike. Eventually it became contagious, and for a few hours at least, things almost felt like normal. When it was over, I was still sad that it was time to go back to reality, but I didn't feel hopeless. I felt rejuvenated.
Rebellions are built on hope.
When you refuse to let go of the things that make your home a place worth fighting for, you're holding on to hope. When you refuse to let go of hope you're telling the terrorists to go fuck themselves.
Nothing an oligarch has ever done ever made America great. They always try to give themselves credit, but oligarchs did not build this country because they're incapable of greatness. This is not their country, it never has been, and it never will be. This is our country and our home. Hold on to hope, hold on to what you love, and tell the terrorists to go fuck themselves.
Me: I have no hope and can't see a better future, yet I will fight for it, no matter what and until the end.
I think you aren't giving yourself enough credit.
You will fight for a better future. Even if you can't see it. The mere desire of it means you do know it's possible. That's hope. You have hope buddy.
This would be great except most deteatists today were called crazy during the first term because "It will never get that bad."
Then it did.
And people went back and begged for it after 4 years of boeing run of the mill psudo normal.
What good is being right here? You're going to be right sometimes... Things get worse sometimes and then they have a potential to get better.
Calling attention to problems is fine, and sounding the alarm is needed. The problem comes when you start convincing others that action is pointless.
Also, we will fucking make it possible if it wasn't possible with current conditions. We just have to keep doing it. That's what evolution fucking is.
Time to break the system and rebuild it
That's a nice sentiment but if enough people had given a shit before, things wouldn't be what they are right now.
How can I expect the people to do the right thing now when they didn't before?
How can I expect the people to do the right thing now when they didn’t before?
It's not about expectation, it's about continuing the fight. Over a hundred years of seemingly unshakable Tsardom preceded the February Revolution. Conversely, Korea moved from dictatorship to democracy inside of a decade.
History is full of reversals. So far, they've been, on the balance, in favor of the people, despite numerous and prolonged setbacks.
Let us make this setback (relatively) short. We can reverse this far-right surge, if we fight it.