Man, reading a Robert Evans Cracked article from 2016 takes me back.

The necessary prerequisite to this is to organize.

Corporations have used social media to colonize and profit from our attention spans, including those of children. Our mental capacity and attention spans are limited, especially children’s. When the advertisers have had their fill, how much is left for learning?

I know the phrase is ambiguous but from context they clearly meant actual metal.

Don’t bring me into this.

Are you from the mirror universe?

This fact perfectly dismantles the idea of meritocracy, which is why the “lottery curse” lie is pushed by the wealthy. The lottery selects specifically for people who are prone to gambling and poor choices, and yet the majority do just fine with their winnings, because the truth is that wealth protects you from the consequences of your choices.

If I did that where I live a mob of MAGA hats would descend on my home within a week, if my neighbor doesn’t shoot me first.

Andy Beshear isn’t a Republican who flipped, he’s always been a Democrat.

There are communities for that across Lemmy that could use some extra activity:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

You’ve reminded me that I should be contributing more too. I want to see these communities more active.

I do not like the false dichotomy that it is either one group’s fault or another. Lazy non voters are largely to blame.

You’ve gotta be trolling me.

Obviously we need better candidates, standing up against the these rich fucks, and better messaging. We need a good platform we don’t back down from, namely, something like building a decent healthcare system.

If you believe this, then why do you have such a problem with people calling for the Democrats to move left? This is exactly what we’re all asking for and somehow you’re offended by it despite claiming to agree with it. I don’t understand your position.

There’s this tendency to want to blame one group and make every problem simple and it’s not helpful. “Oh if democrats would just go more left than most of americans, that will fix everything. those idiots!” is enraging, simplistic, and ignorant. That is the thought process I’m pissed about.

The faulty assumption you’re making is that most Americans would disapprove of the Democrats going more left, and I can prove it. Here’s a list of “lefty” progressive policies that the Democrats have abandoned and their approval ratings:

Medicare for All shows majority support in nearly every poll.

55% support raising the federal minimum wage.

An overwhelming majority support ending citizens united.

59% support the green new deal.

79% support raising taxes on the rich.

These numbers vary by single digit percentage points from poll to poll, not enough to change the conclusion - that progressive policy is overwhelmingly popular - which is why it’s so frustrating that you’re defending Democrats shying away from those policies to appeal to a mythical “moderate.”

What do you think should be learned from this past election, and what should Democrats do differently going forward? Answering that question is what matters. Laying the blame at the feet of non-voters is pointless because it’s the Democrats’ job to inspire those people to vote for them. The last thing I want to see Democrats doing is crying that the voters are too stupid and avoiding all responsibility.

I personally voted for Kamala and agree that was the right choice to prevent Trump from winning, but not everyone is perfectly rational at all times and in all ways and you need to get over it and adjust to that reality instead of going “oh, woe is me. I am oh so smart and everyone else is oh so stupid. It’s their fault we’re in this mess and there’s nothing the Democrats can do about it.” Taking responsibility is more important than placing blame.

Alright, I understand your position. Personally, I disagree with it because it’s unrealistic to expect perfection from everyone who fights for a cause. I feel that it’s important to have some baseline tolerance for hypocrisy because it’s counterproductive to police your allies on every small thing.

I agree that tailored suits should not be a precondition for success, and choosing not to wear them in congress is absolutely a statement to that end, but I’m not going to discount AOC as a potential ally because she chose not to fight that particular battle. In the same vein, I’m also not going to allow John Fetterman’s choice to fight that particular battle convince me that he’s a working class ally in more important ways.

When you allow yourself to get hung up on the appearance of hypocrisy you make yourself vulnerable to exactly the type of manipulation that Fetterman engages in. Look past the surface and consider the bigger picture. You don’t have to be someone who works within the system, I’m not that type of person either, but don’t write people off for choosing that path. Everyone has a part to play.

They’re supporting a system that exists to pass a bunch of money around at the top.

By… wearing a suit? You’re gonna have to go into more detail here to get your point across.

I’m glad we’re at least on the same page here.

I’d like to get there, but I’m really not sure that we are yet.

I don’t keep up with Fetterman, but isn’t he also an ally of the working class?

Fetterman ran as a progressive and presented himself as an unpretentious ally of blue-collar workers, then after getting elected he made a hard right turn starting with support for Israel’s genocide and eventually going back on every progressive stance he ever held, even claiming he never held them to begin with. He’s now just a conservative - registered Democrat. A turn-coat who claims “I didn’t leave the left, the left left me.” Many such cases these days, unfortunately.

If you’re arguing that AOC is the same, I really don’t see it. I don’t agree with everything she does, of course, but for someone working within the system she’s as radical as it gets.

Purity testing political leaders based on the way they dress is self-sabotage. If you think someone can’t be a real ally if they wear nice suits then you’ll find few allies in life. The reverse is also true, John Fetterman isn’t an ally of the working class just because he wears a hoodie to congress, for example.

What a great and despicable crime they’ve committed, to exist without the proper paperwork. How unacceptable it is that they failed to renew their visas, truly they deserve imprisonment without due process in Guantanamo Bay, where they can be abused like the scum they are without the pesky bleeding hearts demanding consequences. You are a truly moral and good person, and your strong words will surely be rewarded with low grocery prices.

/s

See the top comment.

It could not possibly be more relevant in your line of work than it is right now.

Perhaps acting as if Arab Americans are a cohesive voting bloc rather than a sea of individuals making individual decisions is a mistake. Quoting Rashida Tlaib as if she’s part of the problem is ridiculous.