this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2025
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“Trumpism is not going to be defeated by inside-the-Beltway politicians,” he said.

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[–] TheGoddessAnoia@lemmy.ca 25 points 6 days ago

My, my! It's good to see so many younger Americans ripping on an 83 year old man who has lived his socialist beliefs since high school, regardless of cost. Bernie has been outvoted, dragged, beaten, arrested, and then gone right back out to the front lines and done it all again: what, pray, are you doing , now, when it is needed, to compare? Aside, I mean, from waving your keyboard at the big, bad socialist who is at least still out there trying to push the stone up the hill once more, because it's what he can still do?

I thought the fascists were the problem.

[–] tastysaganaki@reddthat.com 20 points 6 days ago (9 children)

There’s some people who just hate on Bernie regardless of what he says or does. He if makes no comment in this time of authoritarianism, you’ll say he’s useless. If he does speeches like he’s doing, you’ll say he’s useless- as many comments here currently reflect. He typically says things that have a moral core or decency to them. He’s of course not perfect. He also has to politically function within a broken two party bullshit system which, unless there’s a significant change to how it functions, limits how he can try to enact laws. But to many here he’s clearly damned if he does and doesn’t. I’ve read through all of the comments here so far and none of the people critiquing Bernie have offered up a tangible suggestion for what Bernie should be doing instead, rather just pointing out how ineffective they feel Bernie is. Bernie made a huge national culture shift to the left through his historic runs for president. He was stifled by the DNC and ultimately lost, but the enduring left of center message continues in many politicians running in the country on the Democratic side. I am not defending the Democrats as a party at all, but I’d argue Bernie successfully used the Dems to get his message across during his presidential runs, and now as an Independent continues to have a platform for left of center messages. Whether he’s sufficiently left enough or effective enough is the eternally tired debate with some on the left who, besides shitting on Bernie, don’t themselves offer solutions.

[–] Spzi@lemm.ee 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

none of the people critiquing Bernie have offered up a tangible suggestion for what Bernie should be doing instead, rather just pointing out how ineffective they feel Bernie is.

People reacting to activism, in a nutshell.

[–] JimmyMcGill@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Defense mechanism

That way they feel less bad about doing nothing themselves

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[–] Breezy@lemmy.world 22 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Someone needs to take a page outta VP trumps book and start dog shitting on how bad hes making it for the every day person. Direct the hate those people have to the ones fucking us all and a revolution will happen. Itll be an uphill battle for sure, but the big trumpers are small minded and once they are negatively affected and are given a new target, they'll jump at it if you can convince them they'll benefit.

Edit: forgot the word 'it', oops.

[–] Breezy@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

There needs to be a voice organizing this! Bernie would be great, however i dont think he has it in him to be like that. Thats why AOC (Alexandria Ocasio Cortez) needs to become a firebrand and galvanize any forward thinking person to push for change and not to accept anything less than better.

No more lesser of the two evils. We need to become better than we are.

A giant "fuck you" to every movie and TV show that's had a character based on/inspired by/parodying AOC and keep putting that character up against the protagonists in some way

Is she a perfect politician? No, and I wouldn't trust anyone who came across as a perfect politician. But it definitely feels like she's intentionally being at best turned into comic relief and at worst villainized at every opportunity

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

Bernie Sanders needs to start a leftist party

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 14 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I heard them described as 'Limp Dick Democrats' today.

And that's pretty fitting.

[–] skeezix@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

Yes, when you equate it to a fear that men understand, then you get the “ah” moments of enlightenment

[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago (3 children)

It is good to see Bernie out there active. The only issue is where does this all go? Harris lost and no leadership changes has been made. Dems are actively throwing their hands up saying they can't do anything.

[–] isles@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

The only issue is where does this all go?

I can only hope to people not looking to the DNC for answers and we break their duopoly with some sort of working class / labor party.

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[–] limer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Some are getting enthusiastic, but if you look at the past decades: one realizes that it’s the same small group/ type of people being motivated and excited again and again, with zero effect seen years later.

The federal government and many states are not democracies; any strategy that assumes this will not work. Any movement that will not fix bad voting systems will fail.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (5 children)

Some are getting enthusiastic, but if you look at the past decades: one realizes that it’s the same small group/ type of people being motivated and excited again and again, with zero effect seen years later.

Big changes that become extremely popular and supported by the public and are largely looked back on by future generations as positive or even necessary are often instigated and initiated by small groups of passionate people who are genuine in their desire for a better world.

Do not underestimate the power of small groups of passionate people who want to make the world a better kinder place. You can't bribe these people, you can't distract these people, you can't silence these people, you have to jail and kill every single last one to stop them from agitating the shit out of the general population to get normal people to fight for better treatment for themselves and others. Every single one of these people is from the perspective of an authoritarian dictator a nightmare to deal with since like a catastrophically deadly virus, it only takes one of these people spreading the contagion uncontrolled and unnoticed to tear the body apart.

The federal government and many states are not democracies; any strategy that assumes this will not work. Any movement that will not fix bad voting systems will fail.

Agreed, I don't mean to downplay the gravity of this situation, but on the other hand I think many people are comfortably past the point of needing to hold on to the structures that define the status quo. Government does not exist once the majority of people stop believing in it a basic level. Violence and control still exist, and they yet may win the day, but no matter what happens in the realm of physical bodies struggling against other physical bodies in the realm of ideas they have already lost and that means that no arrangement of threats or violent systems of control will truly ever be stable.

I take hope in that.

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Most of them are totally fine with most everything that's happening. They have all the tools to keep their stock portfolios stacked, they never cared about poors, and they get to campaign on "omg look how awful." They're gonna whine performatively and not do a damn thing to actually stop a single thing. If they had half a collective spine and a fractuon the moral fortitude Bernie does, we never would have gotten here to begin with.

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

well that is Bernie's role.
Act the part full of piss and vinegar and eventually tell you to vote for the fimal corporate dem.

[–] Crikeste@lemm.ee 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Don’t get mad at Bernie because the people won’t act. He can say the most correct, moral and ethical things imaginable; it doesn’t mean shit until people stand up and fight for it.

And since we’re considering roles, what’s yours? To piss on any and every semblance of progress because it doesn’t meet your exact moral criteria? lol

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Bernie did not have to capitulate. But he did.

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