this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2026

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politics

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594

Zohran Mamdani: ‘If You Aren’t Willing to Fight, You Will Never Win’ (www.rollingstone.com)

submitted 4 days ago by Kozuella@sopuli.xyz to c/politics@lemmy.world

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[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 17 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Ppl don't want to win, they want someone else to win for them, which is how we got in this mess in the first place. American Democracy, in practice, encourages the notion that someone else will work on your interests, on your behalf, without requiring sustained effort on your part. We let elected official operate largely in secret and with zero oversite from those they represent, for 4 years.

Until the electorate is able and willing to sustain oversite over the actions of their elected officials, with the tools necessary to step in and influence or remove their representatives, if needed, then there is no power outside voting every 4 years.

[–] cantstopthesignal@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Democracy is as strong as its voter base. Right now we have a third of people ingesting complete nonsense propaganda on purpose, a third with no media literacy and many with no actual literacy and most of those people don't vote, and the remaining third is a split between more corporate centrists and various leftists who disagree with the centrists and may or may not agree with the rest of the left on anything at all.

[–] bagsy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

we dont have a democray, we set up a system where the rich only have to bribe 100 senators to get what they want.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A single Sociopathic Oligarch could make each of those senators rich beyond their dreams without ever even noticing a blip in their bank account. And there are a LOT of Sociopathic Oligarchs. Somebody must have tried it, and probably succeeded for the most part.

[–] bagsy@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

There is an entire industry dedicated to doing just that. If you really want to be disgusted, check out a book named Dark Money. It discusses just the work of the Koch's. Maybe find a summary or cliffnotes, its eye opening.

[–] bagsy@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Agreed, freedom aint free. I truly believe this, even if I get down voted every single time I say it.

[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago

Yeah, it ain't, and the people are willing and able to pay for it, get to direct it.

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You can replace "American Democracy" with "Electoralism".

The electorate will always be at the whim of those in power under this type of system because that is the fundamental nature of hierarchy.

[–] TheJesusaurus@piefed.ca 67 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Fight?!?! Jeez what a violent extremist

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 37 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yikes, people are clearly having difficulty detecting the obvious sarcasm in this comment

[–] TheJesusaurus@piefed.ca 28 points 4 days ago (4 children)

I mean, its my own fault for posting like this here on the autism social media

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (6 children)

There are also a lot of non-native English speakers here. English is a tricky enough language when used sincerely, then add to that the fact that we English natives are huge fans of sarcasm, and I'm surprised misunderstandings don't happen more often. (I had major culture shock moving to Japan and finding out sarcasm was not really a thing there. I always assumed it was part of the human condition.)

[–] robear@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Japanese people can be just as sarcastic as English speakers. It flies over your head unless you're actually good at the language. Same as English.

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[–] beejboytyson@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Idk that Jimmy guy was having a whole convo with himself

[–] MonkRome@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

That person is an eccentric red scare loon, the only thing they talk about is how anyone left of center is a commie. They appear to have no other thought in their mind.

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[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You'd think people would be able to put the /s in by themselves...

[–] TheJesusaurus@piefed.ca 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I come from a time before the /s and I refuse to adopt it

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Ah, I see you too are from the before times.

[–] INHALE_VEGETABLES@aussie.zone 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I was born yesterday

[–] TheJesusaurus@piefed.ca 3 points 3 days ago

Keep inhaling them vegetables me son.

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[–] ProfThadBach@lemmy.world 31 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh that's just like the DNC. They never fight. Just look at the North Carolina dnc. Tim Moore is up for reelection and the woman they have put up against him they have done absolutely nothing to get her message out or their message out or any message out. I have only seen one little tiny sign at the Democratic headquarters and then a big ass Roy Cooper sign. They have no fight in them at all. And their whole mantra is vote blue no matter who what choice do I have not vote?

[–] orgrinrt@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Voting for a third party is only valid if a movement, a real one, forms around it. It will never work if it only siphons votes out of the dem bucket and lets republicans to kind of win by default. It has to have real momentum, real commitments, have visibility and voice across the states, so everyone will know they will not be just giving the republicans the win, rather, committing together as a big one, to something better. Even better if the various ideologically motivated but distinct camps within republicans would join the effort. Libertarians are the classic example, but I bet if things get momentum and it looks like the two parties are simply getting fractured either way, a lot of people will jump on the chance to get actual real representation and voice, not just a small camp within a big ambiguous mess the two parties kind of force.

So instead of just voting for a third option and wasting your vote in the current system, organizing would be the real answer, the prerequisite for the third options to be valid. And it’s not that complicated, just needs to get viral and real commitments

[–] commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Republicans don't blame libertarians. they know that the people who want to vote for libertarians aren't Republicans. the same can't be said for Democrats. they believe they are owed every vote people choose to give to greens. it's entitled.

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[–] hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I think we just need to put up everyday, regular workers who refuse PAC money and operate ethically, as well as presenting a socialist platform. That would overcome a lot of disillusionment with left voters and even poor MAGA, who were betrayed by the neoliberal establishment; who thought Trump would bring socialist elements and advocate for them. I think this would build enough broad support to win.

People are broadly tired of political corruption and capitalist exploitation; they’ve just been brainwashed by the Epstein class to blame socialism.

Also, we need to arm up for the plan B. The SRA is one organizational resource.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago

And practice with your weapons. Fancy guns will not make you better unless you're already decent to begin with. I recommend CZ, good guns, not too expensive.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Waiting for a third party person to get support before you support them kills any chance of a movement right away. Until then, you just get the center-right using the far-right boogeyman.

We have a viable third party here in Canada but people’s main excuse “they’ll never win”. Like, no shit, you keep saying you like their platform so fucking DO something about it!

The dumbest thing for the US specifically is that there IS a movement forming. Progressives are winning primaries, Mamdani is fixing NYC in record time and pulling no punches, and people are getting excited about it even in other countries. It’s all there, and if you vote against that what the fuck do you think is going to happen? If you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

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[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Nothing wrong with voting third party. If you want votes then court the non-voters.

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 13 points 3 days ago

Countdown to the DOJ declaring his words a "legitimate islamic terrorist threat" in 3 -- 2 -- 1--

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

We won't win without organization. With that we need some white populist candidates. Wtf is wrong that we have 0 white populist left candidates?

Seriously, something is wrong.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 12 points 3 days ago (2 children)

What's wrong is the dnc would rather fight the left than the GOP.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 6 points 3 days ago

“For far too long, our party has seen its job as managing decline instead of delivering material change for working people." - Mamdani

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 4 points 3 days ago

You know it.

[–] Folstar@lemmus.org 4 points 3 days ago

Sorry, I would help you out there but I was banned from r/democrats for saying Biden shouldn't run for re-election and was spoken to like a child and made persona non grata at my local democratic party meeting for saying we should actually get people on the ballot in every race. Granted, the later was over a decade ago so maybe some non-asshole non-idiots have started to show up.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

As opposed to fighting and never winning, which is what I’ve been doing for decades.

[–] tio_bira@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 days ago

A encouraging message for a bunch of morons who doesn't "bother with politics" or think "all parts are the same" thinking some miracle solution or a mighty savior would come for them, living like the metaphor of the boiling frog.

If you not turn on to politics, politics will turn on you

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