a hopeful socialist

Something I don't think many people get is that #LiberalDemocracies have all these little slights of hand and obscure procedural rules that have this almost magical tendency to only ever get used to block progressive #social change.

"No no, we're not arresting people for #PROTESTING, that would be UNCONSTITUTIONAL. They're trespassers."

"No no see we really WANT to pass this life saving legislation but this pesky senate #filibuster rule that we could get rid of at any time has our hands tied"

"No no no its not that we're overriding local autonomy, it's that they just didn't follow the rules that only apply in these super specific circumstances and never any other time!"

Apr 27, 2024 at 11:21amWeb
Show threada hopeful socialistApr 27, 2024

These things exist in every #LiberalDemocratic country. #Canada has the #notwithstandingclause. The United States has the #electoralcollege. The UK has #section35.

Constituonal "quirks" that are actually tools for the ruling class that serve as a permanent ceiling on social progress and an mechanism to block anything that manages to slip past them

Show threadAlison CreeksideApr 27, 2024
@thecommunistpig This one is my fave:
"No, we're not arresting people for protesting; we're arresting them for violating the court injunction making the protest illegal."
Show threada hopeful socialistApr 28, 2024
@AlisonCreekside "oh no no no they have freedom of speech but only in the designated zones"