It's going to be very frustrating the next two years as people trot out the memes about incrementalism and insist to me that the Dems are powerless to do anything they promised, especially since these same people watched Republicans make change overnight repeatedly for the last two years.
I used to be one of those people. But this election cycle really opened my eyes, specifically the targeted attacks of progressive and DSA candidates(and Hasan Piker) from the establishment. They made it blatantly obvious that they are beholden to AIPAC and other moneyed interests.
Hell, during Haley Stevens press conference with Mike Rogers there was a known Israeli agent running the presser. The agent even physically went after a heckler who was yelling "traitor!" to Haley Stevens.
And while Texas flipped, Florida got tepid support at best from the establishment dems and quite often Angie Nixon was defamed by so-called moderate dems. In fact, the Senate Democrats pushed hard for wins in Mississippi while letting the bigger prize, Florida go fallow. Spending money in Florida was a two for one because there was a Governor's race as well as a Senate race. Imagine flipping Florida AND Texas!
You are correct that the Trump administration showed that it is possible to move fast when you want to. Granted, it is easier to destroy than it is to create, so the Republicans have an advantage of looking like getting stuff done when they are in "let's destroy all the good stuff" mode, but we can still move quickly but we have to drop the Obama nice routine of trying to placate people who are still going to vote against your bill even after you give them all they want. Don't worry about working with Republicans. You have the power, dictate the terms FFS!
To be fair, Trump made overnight changes; this has just been one of the least active Congresses in the history of the county which includes ignoring violations. Basically being effective by being ineffective.
But I'm with you on this one... between Senate filibuster and presidential veto, they go back to the whine approach we've had in the past. I hope not, but I'm not quite as enthusiastic as others. (But I am excited to see state legislation change for once, that might have long term ramifications!)
It wasn't just Congress, though that was certainly part of it. It was also executive orders and using people's dirt to get them to vote with the party.
Donald targeted every person who impeded the bills he wanted to pass and used their dirt against them. Biden could have done that. He could have gone after Joe Manchin's daughter, who was price gouging people on pharmaceuticals. He could have ordered the party to strip Kyrsten Sinema of all of her committee assignments, thus killing her bribery income from the PAC's, and lambasted her in the media every day until she got in line.
There wasn't a single person that opposed Donald who didn't resign or lose their primary. Every pencil pusher who dared to got fired or sued.
In short, Donald used the power the presidency has, and the excuse that 'Biden/Obama/Whoever are oh so powerless' is never going to hold water again. It is evidently and empirically untrue.
As for socialists getting elected, that's what really sucks for me. Missouri, my state, wasn't electing a senator or governor yesterday, so we almost certainly lost our only chance to ever elect a socialist to one of those offices.
And all this handwringing about the DSA has to stop. The DSA just wants a return to, and strengthening of, the New Deal. We had a democratic socialist president before and his policies were so popular that the country re-elected him three times!
Yup. Agree, especially in regards to Biden and Dems being ineffective; it's kind of weird to hope Trump set a new standard for what happens when a Dem takes office because I very much do not want to see ineffective leadership like that again.
Also, I have a close friend in Missouri and he expressed a similar sadness about that. I hope you and him are mistaken, but I know how short term memory voters have. None the less, there are Democrats everywhere, other states are a nice reminder of that.
None the less, there are Democrats everywhere, other states are a nice reminder of that.
Yeah, but there's a political grand canyon between Democrats and DSA's. Oh well.
I don't think it's a political grand canyon, that's an illusion pushed by the political consultant class. Establishment dems think you need corporate money to win, DSA candidates proved that's not true.
The establishment dems need to be reminded that the DSA wants a return to, and strenghthening of, the New Deal. And we need to identify and remove all the democrats who have loyalty to AIPAC. Not funding Florida because AIPAC didn't want Angie Nixon to win should be a career ender for Chuck Schumer, especially now that he's trying to take credit for this wave.
Got a bit of a push closer to DSAs but... yeah.
Iran's government doesn't have the right to speak about free elections. But every country should say no to war.
ah, so, their elections are kiiiind of okay, but they're still a repressive theocratic shit hole and I don't think the religious leaders are directly elected. they are literally the product of a revolution within living memory; it would be weird if they were totally undemocratic.
Didn't Americans really say no expensive gas?
And no to ICE thugs, concentration camps, ethnic cleansing and rampant corruption. But yeah, gas too.
does war ever not cause expensive gas? technically you die of lack of oxygen to the brain, not bullet or gun or cop.
In this case that's basically the same thing.
Yes but no. Motives matter.
Will Iranian's be able to say 'NO TO A RELIGIOUS AUTHOTARIAN REGIME'?
Will americans do anything about dismantling their rape colony?
Of course not.
Wym? I think they’ve already said no to the USA quite a few times already.
Don't confuse my comment for support for the US's actions against Iran. I'm simply highlighting that Iran is talking about a success of the US people being able to make democratic changes to their government (despite all its faults), whilst their own people can't afford the same luxury.
What's tragic is that, yet again, the US has helped the Iranian hardliners maintain and strengthen their grip on power.
So if you understand that there was no real pretext for an invasion, why are you comparing these two topics?
Can't I call out the hypocrisy? It's irrelevant what the pretext was, the Iranian regime is still brutal and doesn't allow it's people to vote on how it's government is run.
Can't I call out the hypocrisy?
Sure, but this is politics. All the bad things and the good things are true at the same time. If you try to make a scorecard of the lies and the truths, it will never end.
Are the Americans meddlesome? Yes. Is it terrible that the current administration ended WHO support and overseas medical assistance programs? Also yes.
We cannot have pure discourse, it doesn't exist.
They are from lemmy.ml, any enemy of _the west_™ will be their best friend.
If Katrina Van Den Heuvel had a bot army, is that where they'd live?
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