Mastodawn

nerdybutcute May 30, 2023

y'know, in some other time, some fantasy world where Joe's biggest competition is a progressive socialist in the Dem primary bc the GOP just has no chance in the general, fuck yeah i'd be digging into Biden like crazy

but that ain't where we are, my fellow lefties

praxis is a harsh mistress

and the fash are the clear & present danger, as they say

popular fronts are a thing in times of crisis

and fuck me if it isn't a time of crisis

Sean May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute if a progressive/leftist/socialist ever became "viable option" like if Sanders had won the nom in '16 or '20, you can be certain that we'd see the centrist/corporatist/Establishment be jumping on board with the fascist. Look at the German Revolution in 1918, where the Social Dems sold out the the Leftists and basically let the fascist Freicorp go on a killing spree to wrest control back from the Leftists. Biden & his ilk would have AOC & Sanders face a firing squad

@Sean @nerdybutcute History is not prophecy, my friend. Is that a risk? Of course. Do we really think the Dem establishment (which is slowly growing to support candidates like Fetterman) would line leftists up for a movement which wanted to hang Pence, **Pence**, for not being fasc enough? I don’t without some serious evidence straight from our actual politicians, not the foreign politicians of a short-lived, corrupt Republic of over a century ago. Much love.

@Reason @nerdybutcute firing squad is hyperbolic, but I do believe that compromising with fascists that are adamant to never reciprocate that compromise, will inevitably leave the fascists in control while the Establishment will say there was "nothing we could do" other than kneecapping progressives like Jessica Cisneros and Nina Turner as they squander a defense against fascism of delivering material benefits of a robust welfare state like every other OECD nation

@nerdybutcute

Do you, @Reason, really think that the DLC-styled Dems who are beholden to the donor/owner class are ever going to buck their corporate patrons? Which primary did DCCC or DSCC support the more progressive candidate over the conservative candidate? When progressives won NV party positions, the outgoing party officials transferred the entire balance of their accounts to the national party, these are who are open to the Left? https://theintercept.com/2021/03/08/nevada-democratic-party-dsa/

Entire Staff of Nevada Democratic Party Quits After Democratic Socialist Slate Won Every Seat

The battle between insurgent progressives in Nevada and the Harry Reid machine began building in 2016.

The Intercept

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Revolution_of_1918%E2%80%931919

@Reason @nerdybutcute and to correct your understanding of history, there wasn't a corrupt Republic, that's what the SDP (centrists) sought out with nobility, industrialists, and miltias rather than allow the Leftists (who initiated the revolution that caused the monarchy to fall) to exist. I think that the centrist betraying anyone to the left, leaving us with Weimar-esque Republic to inevitably lose to fascists is the track we're on

German Revolution of 1918–1919 - Wikipedia

David LaFontaine May 31, 2023

@Sean @nerdybutcute no

@pineywoozle ‘s #3WordNote May 31, 2023

@Sean @nerdybutcute Horse fucking shit.

@Pineywoozle @nerdybutcute

https://news.yahoo.com/nevada-democratic-party-staff-quits-131355169.html

Oh horse shit, really? Conservative/centrists Democrats threw a temper tantrum when they lost NV State Party's committee to progressives and transferred the balance of the party's funds to the national party stomped their feet and left en masse. If they can't have it then they'll burn down the party letting GOP win and then blame the progressives for intraparty election & never their tantrum.

Yahooist Teil der Yahoo Markenfamilie

EarthOne May 31, 2023

@Sean @nerdybutcute You're 100% wrong. I'm 71, a liberal Democrat all my life, and I support most of Bernie's positions, though his aged sexism toward Hillary was a major turn-off.

We elders come from a world you don't know, 180 degrees from today. GOP Fascists want to push us back. Stop helping them...or maybe that's your point.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/06/politics/gloria-steinem-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-boys/index.html

@EarthOne @nerdybutcute

Do young women also support Sanders' policies or are they too focused on getting their "Mrs." and simply follow wherever the boys are? There was some brazen prejudice in 2016 but it was not on the side that you are claiming it to be.

Policy is paramount, that's why AOC, Cori Bush, Jamal Bowman, and the rest of the squad support the same policy and get the same individuals supporting them as Sanders.

lexande Jun 5, 2023

@Sean @nerdybutcute In modern day Germany the SPD forms state level coalitions with Greens and The Left all the time, especially when necessary to oppose AfD. People have learned some things about how seriously to take the threat of fascism in the past 105 years.

Sean Jun 5, 2023

@lexande @nerdybutcute yeah I don't think that the modern day DNC is operating with the same logic, they still would prefer to work with Republicans than ally with any Democrats who are further to the left than corporations are comfortable with. 1919 SDP chose the right wing over the Spartacists, just like the Congressional leadership will be willing to compromise with GOP rather than the far less radical (compared to Spartacists) Sanders/AOC/progressives.

@nerdybutcute Remember as well, it is possible to dig into Biden with the reason of leftism view without painting him as evil or indefensible or reducing the debate to one of personal attacks. General election civility is gone, but the more civil it can be within a party, the better for all involved, especially on a long enough timeline

@nerdybutcute We're looking at a situation like the two elections of 1856 & 1860. In the first, the nascent Republican Party was not able to beat the Democratic party. In the second, the Republicans, under Lincoln's guidance, managed to split the Democrats, forcing them to choose slavery as their hill to die on. They won by dividing & hamstringing the pro-slavery, proto-fascist party.

@nerdybutcute This is what Biden, Harris, Jeffries, Schumer, & the rest of the Dem leadership is doing right now. GOP holds the House by a fingernail. They should have had a comfortable majority. They are trying to claw back the Senate. Biden just tossed a bomb buried in a flaming bag of doggie doo into McCarthy's lap.

This has bupkis to do with legislation & everything to do with fracturing the GOP beyond repair for several generations.

Staid Winnow May 31, 2023

@Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute

The Republicans of today are far more united than those Democrats. Dissent is not tolerated in the least.

When legislators who vote with the fuhrer more than 93% of the time are ousted, good luck getting them to fracture. There is no split coming, even as it is a regular masturbatory fantasy of the mainstream media.

Biden caved. I am happy though that he did not allow a default.

And yes, I will vote for him in 2024.

@staidwinnow @nerdybutcute Both core & habitual GOP are at risk. The core, like the pro-slavery core of the original Dems, is unshakeable, but is vulnerable to a well-placed hammer tap, like a diamond being split. Think of McCarthy's battle to become Speaker. The mass is clearly breaking off outside of blood red states. This is why they failed to gain a clear majority in the mid-terms & why they are losing ground in several states.

Staid Winnow May 31, 2023

@Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute

Over the last 10-15 years, I have seen states generally turn redder. Ohio, Iowa, Florida, NC have all gone solid red. Obama won them in 2008.
Abortion is now banned or restricted in > 40% of the states. 41% of millennials voted for Trump in 2016!

McCarthy was elected without opposition on the 15th try *because* he moved right.

There is NO opposition to the book bans, trans bans from any faction in the GQP.

I do not share your optimism that the GQP will splinter.

Coach Pāṇini ®May 31, 2023

@staidwinnow @Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute Can the #radicalmoderate hold the center?

Nicole Parsons May 31, 2023

@staidwinnow @Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute

GOP fascism is beyond left vs right.

It's also a war on the young:

1. Student debt relief
2. Attacks on LGBTQ, immigrants, women, & POC civil rights
3. Gun violence
4. IRS defunding
5. More military money
6. Voter suppression on colleges
7. Public education & colleges attacks
8. Book bans
9. TikTok bans
10. Tax cuts for the old & rich
11. Thwarting climate action
12. Oil drilling & pipelines
13. Medical debt
14. Housing affordability

MauiLover May 31, 2023

@Stybba3019 @staidwinnow @nerdybutcute The educated GOP suburban base has FINALLY woken up (ha) to what their party has morphed into and are distancing themselves from the loons. Banning books, forcing women to bear babies, attacking minorities, nazi marches…they just wanted lower taxes!

The GOP has gone completely off the rails and I promise you that neither DeSantis OR Trump will ever win a nat'l election.

Coach Pāṇini ®May 31, 2023

@staidwinnow @Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute The fact that plantation slave owners of 1850’s are more united than corporate shills of 2020’s is kind of impressive, tbqh

Larry Garfield May 31, 2023

@staidwinnow @Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute If we want the GQP to fracture, we need a voting system that allows that. Like #RankedChoiceVoting

Drusilla Bloeme May 31, 2023

@Stybba3019 @nerdybutcute I’m an atheist, but your mouth to God’s ears.

@drusillabloeme @nerdybutcute Look at what is happening *right now* in the House. McCarthy can't get his own caucus to move forward on a bill that is hateful & hurtful - but not depraved enough for the true believers. He owns this debacle. Biden can point to it and say "Hey, we compromised. We didn't want any of it. Up to Kev to get this passed."

nerdybutcute May 31, 2023

@Stybba3019 @drusillabloeme yup. and it's happening all over. GOP state senator in LA blocks an anti-trans bill from his own party. GOP judges in OKLAHOMA rule AGAINST the abortion ban passed by their own party. etc etc etc

@nerdybutcute @drusillabloeme The rules pass, but with 30 Democratic votes, rubbing it in that Kevin couldn't keep the GOP in line to do ordinary governing. Now he gets to do it all over again on the actual bill.

We haven't even hit the Senate yet, lol.

I just said elsewhere that real campaigning for 2024 kicks off in a few weeks. The question now is who in the GOP will campaign *with* Kevin & who will campaign *against* him.

AamirAnAuthor May 31, 2023

@nerdybutcute the problem is society has engineered a never ending crisis where Biden's status quo of a slow walk towards environmental and social collapse is the absolute best we can hope for as the only alternative is a quick descent tofascism. The fascists like that coin flip.

James Trickle uP May 31, 2023

@Azih @nerdybutcute succinct and accurate

MOVED TO PLUSH.CITY May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute I don't really know if he is trustworthy though. who's to say he won't do the same shit just on a lower scale? but I hope I'm wrong.

nerdybutcute May 30, 2023

@tillianisafox i think it would be fatally foolish to lose our grasp on the distinction between neoliberalism and outright fascism

joe biden has done and no doubt will do a lot of stuff i Do Not Like

but he is very certainly, from his LONG political record, not a fascist

if we start seeing everyone right of anarcho-communism as the fash, we lose ALL ability to make any practical changes

Holly 🇨🇦

May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute Yes. This is what I think when left America spouts off on how terrible he is. He’s what you’ve got. And he is waaaaay better than the other option. He’s a good starting point, so it is probably in your best interest to support him until the political climate recalibrates, and then you can carry on carrying on.

TransitBiker May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute 100% agree.

Pinko Palest May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute Pinko here, The Pinko. What you say sounds eminently sensible, and has the pink seal of approval 💐

VHasch May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute

Yup. I'd prefer Bernie or AOC, but they're not on the current menu, so I'll go with the closest thing available. 👍

Larry’s Motivational Vids May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute Amen to that

Xenofact (he/him)

May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute The best way I put it is this.

No politician is your friend. The bad ones hate you or will exploit you.

The good ones, even TRULY good ones, have to make very hard decisions that may hurt you, though it's not personal.

But the good politician isn't actively trying to destroy you at the very least, and you and others may actively benefit.

Küpa 🇻🇪 🇵🇸May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute I just want to point that Joe Biden administration has economic sanctions on my country, Venezuela, and other countries. "Embargo". These are crimes against humanity, even if they don't affect you directly... Likewise, that government has sent weapons around the world and it's fueling another war. I'm surprised by what can be called "far-left". I guess everything can be held up virtually.

Botahamec May 30, 2023

@kupaye @nerdybutcute I'd like to point out for context, that the sanctions against Venezuela were imposed by Trump. Biden has eased some of the restrictions, and as far as I can tell, he has not created any new sanctions.

Küpa 🇻🇪 🇵🇸May 30, 2023

@botahamec @nerdybutcute Well, that policy began during the Obama administration, hardened under Trump, and finally Biden stole CITGO. There is continuity between republicans and democrats for the imperialist pact. In fact, what they most agree on is maintaining/increasing military spending, enough to end world hunger by the way. This military power allows them to prevail in international politics and impose sanctions.

And I don't defend Maduro. He leads a very terrible and corrupt government.

@kupaye @nerdybutcute Understandable, but there is currently no real option in US politics which won’t continue the embargo for the foreseeable future. There are a variety of very real contenders that are very fasc. Though they claim to be isolationist, they are out for themselves and for business interests. As we know, the American business interests usually end up not being isolationist for long with respect to US interference in Latin America

Phillyinflorida May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute I know. He's the best shit in the show.

Clare Harris 🍁May 30, 2023

JustArmyRob May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute
I agree 💯with your assessment.

ditto

@nerdybutcute I appreciate this sentiment! 👊🏼

I too am left of Joe, but I always feel he’s trying his best.

Right now, I don’t see any other candidates that could garner his support

Benjamin May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute it drives me crazy when people say X and Y are the same. The people who couldn’t stomach voting for Hillary (because she’d be just as bad as Trump) handed Trump the presidency.

We all know how that turned out. And we’re all going to suffer for it for the next 30 years.

tptigger May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute Exactly. I disagree a lot with him, but given my other choices? He'll do.
The bus is moving sort of in the right direction, but that route is really roundabout and not the smartest...

jergy May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute
This is a pretty reasonable take.

DetectiveP May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute bro. This lesser of two evils is a bit exhausting after a couple of decades. Same ole story. Let democracy fail so it can be rebuilt.

@DetectiveP @nerdybutcute I dont think you quite realize what failing at a sufficient level to quickly implement leftist ideals would require. For all the faults in America, democracy is deeply entrenched, so dismantling it would require total collapse. It would be less like the French Rev and more like the Yugoslav collapse, especially with how many guns around. And remember, for every leftist fighting strong, theres a fascist willing to kill hundreds of innocents

GuerillaGrue May 31, 2023

@DetectiveP @nerdybutcute Except it isn't democracy that gets re-built in its place when it fails.
You ever heard the old phrase "Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss?"
Better yet, ever read Animal Farm?
Starting over from scratch isn't going to solve anyone's problems at this point: it's throwing out the baby with the bathwater, and just paves the way for MORE systemic abuse (or, worse, no systems in place to help those in need whatsoever.)
Rarely do such revolutions help the masses.

WandreCanada May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute Yep. Democracy is like a bus. You take what gets you closest and walk the rest of the way.

Then you bug your reps till they finally add a bus that stops closer.

Lizbon May 30, 2023

@nerdybutcute Yep, this.

garpu May 31, 2023

@nerdybutcute I'm probably the same politically as you. I think the difference between Biden and I is that he and I could probably sit down and find something to agree on without people getting harmed. I don't see that with the GOP.

CandyK May 31, 2023

@nerdybutcute
President Biden knows as i that Democracy for the American people is at stake.

It's Just Jenn 🏳️‍⚧️May 31, 2023

@nerdybutcute Well said my friend, and I agree. Was I a member of Our Revolution and did I campaign for Bernie twice? Yeah, and if somebody has a problem with that they can bite me. But when he lost, first to Hillary and then to Joe, did I put on my big girl panties and make the best choice available to me? Also yes, and I took some flak for that from some of my friends who just don't have it in them to be pragmatic and don't realize how self-destructive that is.

Ω 🌍 Gus Posey May 31, 2023

@nerdybutcute He's serially imperfect but Biden is also an exceptionally decent man who's been honing his political abilities for five decades. I appreciate your attempt to recognize his efforts.

#ThanksJoe