There’s a trope going around, lately (i.e.: since 2016) that goes something like:
Person A: says something critical of democrats
Person B: (rageflail) If you don’t support democrats you’re setting us up for another Trump, and you’re killing the planet! You’re probably a Bernie Bro!
That’s the two party system at work: the political landscape is bounded by minority-rule fascists on one end, and a squabbling, incompetent, bunch of patsies in the more-or-less center. The republicans are outright sadists, enacting legislation that goes directly against the interests of the brainwashed gomers that voted for them. The democrats relaxed placidly in their role of “the only alternative” and worked on important issues like: settling scores, and pretending to believe corrupt fossil Susan Collins who was pretending to believe Brett Kavanaugh, etc. The democrats have been reaping the dragon’s teeth they planted in their own caucus when they decided that “we’ll run anyone who says they’re a ‘democrat’ and has a chance of getting elected!” We have to watch them pretending to believe that it simply never occurred to them that there might be stealth agents in the staff. Basically, Susan Collins is pleading stupid (she believed a stack of candidates who everyone knew were put in line for a purpose) and it doesn’t matter because, like fellow butt-pimple Manchin, the political system is rigged to make it effectively impossible to dig them out and replace them. Which gives the democrats another great excuse to wring their hands and say, “we can’t do anything – But, if you give us a lot of money, we will pretend really hard to try really hard, and you’ll fall for it, because you have no choice if you don’t vote for us it’s tantamount to voting for Trump!”
It’s been like watching a chess game, where you can see that one side is going to be mated in 6 moves. 5. Now they’re talking about how they’re going to spend the prize money. 4. 3. Oh, look we’re under threat! 2. 1 and mate. OH MY GOD HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!? Hey don’t complain about our playing, it’s tantamount to voting for Trump!”
This is all so fucking stupid. Everyone knew that the supreme court was being stacked – that is why people complained when Obama’s chance to nominate someone to the bench was taken, with an entirely predictable and obvious maneuver by Mitch McConnell, who has never bothered to be subtle. So democrats had to sit around hoping that falling-apart basket case Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be able to resign at the right time so that the court-stacking could be counter-stacked, or something. Except Mitch McConnell, predictably, did not play fair. Waah, waah, waah. We’re supposed to pretend to be surprised, because if we don’t pretend to be surprised, we have to point a finger at the democrats and ask them why they’re such epic losers
Sure, “not all democrats” applies. There are a few bright lights. Lights that Nancy Pelosi is going to make damn sure she snuffs out, because they had the impertinence to not do things the way the democrat party does things (i.e.: the fail way)
But let’s call all that water under the bridge, because it was all probably a foregone conclusion, for at least the last decade. Step back and look at the big picture and the “minority rule” the democrats are complaining about, today, is just an election-year “get out the vote” issue. They never did anything about it when they had the chance. Or, perhaps you want to tell me that they never had a chance – in which case, the whole party should pack up shop. Walk out, refuse to pass a budget, let the government implode – whatever – because it has already imploded and, as usual, the democrats are just begging for money and “get out the vote” to put the party’s anointed in place. And they’re going to make the usual stupid choices of who they anoint.
[Note: I am a registered republican, because in Pennsylvania, there’s no worthwhile action in the democrat primaries. I just vote for the republican that is most likely to shit the hot tub.]
Here’s the problem: the democrats are not just fuckups, they’re actively evil too. For example, they made a bunch of noise about the “Green New Deal” – which they knew was never going to pass to any degree, in any way, shape, or form. So they made up a big budget and legislation and ran it up the flagpole because they knew Mitch McConnell was going to shoot it down. He even said that’s what he was going to do. And we’re all supposed to put on our best Susan Collins face and say we’re surprised that the republicans didn’t play nice. Meanwhile, they had no problem at all, tacking on another $30+ billion for the military. The rapidity and smoothness with which the democrats gave the pentagon a whopping pay raise is a huge indication where their priorities lie. Did they try to hold the pentagon budget hostage? Nope. Did they even try to hold the pentagon accountable? Nope. Meanwhile Biden – see if you can parse this – issues a press release that he is thinking about doing some student loan forgiveness. Oh, Joe, say it ain’t so; you’ve been thinking out loud about that for 2 years, now, you worthless worn out popsicle stick. Do it, or don’t do it. But we all know what’s going to happen: they’ll find Joe Manchin just can’t get his mind around that kind of money – in spite of the $30bn they just tossed to the pentagon – we just don’t have the money you know?
The only conclusion I can reach is that the democrats really do think we’re that stupid. They’ve got us by the “you gotta vote for us or Trump wins!” short and curlies, and the entire national political situation is not in the slightest bit a surprise to anyone.
[source]
This is a time where there is one opportunity that the democrats had (and they blew it) namely to invest in alternate energy, stop subsidizing fossil fuels, and load renewables onto the grid. Hell, even invest in nuclear and fusion. Invest in gerbil wheels full of methamphetamine-crazed squirrels – whatever.
Look at the writing on the wall:
[source]
This is a moment in time, and the democrats are not the party for the moment any more than the republicans are.
What should the democrats do? Simple: dissolve as a party. Quit. Tap out. Fuck off. Then, any former democrats who still want to be in politics can join the republican machine and vote their conscience once they’re inside the gears and levers. Now, wait, I hear you saying, “but the republicans would keep them out of the primaries!” True! But why the fuck didn’t the democrats manage to keep asswipes like Joe Manchin and Kirsten Sinema out of the primaries? Fucking losers. Tap out. You’re baked. Here’s another fun thing: the dissolved members of the former democrat party can establish themselves as a “liberty party” or something patriotic-sounding like that, and try to pick up the centrists and liberals. Make the party’s entire focus be a single issue, like undoing gerrymanders and vote suppression, then ruthlessly do that and don’t get sidetracked making Biden-like promises and “thinking out loud.”
As I mentioned in my posting about Malcolm X’s dangerous idea, the obvious thing the democrats could do is dissolve and build power-blocs around hispanic and black voters. They should also take some chances. In 3 years, they could run AOC for president. They should do that. The important point here is that it’s harder to attack the enemy you don’t know. The republicans had developed a well-honed machine for attacking Hillary Clinton; they even managed to get the FBI director on board. The democrats were fucking idiots to run Clinton (“but it’s her time!” they whine, “break the glass ceiling!” they say) The republicans are going to attack and smear anyone they run against, so the only chance the democrats have got is to launch exactly what the republicans are afraid of: a populist campaign with inspirational leaders, who come out of left field with new ideas – and who keep shifting positions while staying resolutely progressive. It’s really sad, to me, that the democrats are too weak and stupid to realize that the republicans are announcing their greatest fears, constantly: they are terrified of a populist “new deal” FDR2.0.
Honestly, it looks like it’s probably too late, anyway.
There are too many colliding thought fragments in my head that want to spill out here for me to have much hope of making any sense…
But, I feel like I’ve been hearing the same excuse about not voting for third party candidates for the past quarter century or so (and, I suspect that that angle of attack isn’t exactly new…), but yet, the DNC seems to be first in line to speak out against any proposals for anything other than first-past-the-post systems, whether it’s instant runoff, ranked choice, whatever, the Democratic Party always seems to be against it.
I’ve been trying to adhere to “strategic voting” because I realize the system is what it is, but I’ve long ago lost patience for those voices that try to lay the blame of a lost election at those who were fed up with the establishment and voted third party/independent, but then turn around, and block any attempts to reform the system that renders those thirdparty/independent votes irrevocably ineffective.
I’m also mad that for pretty much my entire adult life, the Democratic party has been chasing the Overton window to the far right, after some mythical “centrist voter” and still feeling entitled to the votes of leftist folk simply by being the lesser of two evils…
People have been proposing various strategies since before fucking orange asshole was even sworn in, as to how the Democrats could regain power and take steps towards making the U.S. a better nation, and ~6 years later, and nothing has happened. The Democrats are perfectly willing to accept McConnells arcane rules-lawyering bullshit, but won’t dare to take a step towards eliminating the fillibuster, or whatever, because that might violate some sacred tradition or whatever. And, to make it worse, they seem to be putting most of their money and effort into trying to combat, block and prevent people like AOC, and “the squad” from gaining any seats or power.
I distinctly remember one random conversation, about ~15 years ago, when I was talking to someone studying law and government and such, and I expressed my concern about the right wing push to overturn Roe vs Wade, and they gave me some big spiel about how much law folk, and specifically judges(even anti-choice, conservative ones…), respect and honor precedent, and therefore, RvW wasn’t in any danger, and I was just being silly and alarmist…
For fuck’s sake, if you don’t have a right to bodily autonomy, do you really have any rights at all?
I’m sorry, that was way longer than I intended, but I’m fucking mad, and I don’t know what the fuck to do
A lot of money? When they raise the minimum wage , maybe then we can talk … no, fuck it. That’s not a lot. No.
Okay, plan B: I have Havana Syndrome. I’m not CIA, but I can still get the money, right? I’ve got the shakes real bad.
Uh, Marcus… you do know Susan Collins is a Republican, right?
Susan Collins is a Republican, right?
Yeah, I brainfarted. But whatever – they’re all republicans.
I just vote for the republican that is most likely to shit the hot tub.
Got an Oz sign in your yard too?
@Pierce R. Butler:
My yard has frontage along the road, but I let my neighbor keep his cows there. I’d be within my rights to put up a sign but people would think it was the neighbor’s – that might complicate things.
Out here, people show their disapproval by tearing down signs and smashing mailboxes.
Basically, it’d waste some money and create personal friction. Still worth a thought. Hmm.
I want to do something. How does one start an insurgency?
Marcus Ranum: How does one start an insurgency?
Send out invitations reading, “It will be wild!” (Further details available at current House Select Committee hearings.)
There is a very prescient talk by Gwynne Dyer, not sure if you were the one to link to it a few years back, where he talks about climate change and western miliatries response to it. The point was that all western politicians were aware of climate change already back in the ’90s, increasing the military budget is their response to the coming unrest because of climate change.
The same thing goes domestically, republicans and democrats alike know whats coming, thats why police budgets keep increasing even though crime has been going down. The collapse has already started and conditions will getting worse and worse for an increasing amount of people. Can’t really do anything either, except building forms of mutual aid.
I live in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District (I am not to blame for Ann Wagner, I promise) which is gerrymandered Republican, so I have a similar problem. Fortunately for me, Missouri has open primaries (you just tell the workers at the polling place whether you want a Democratic or Republican ballot…that’s it), and the presidential primary is a different election from the primary for the down-ballot races; so I was able to vote for Bernie in the last presidential primary while using the Republican ballot for the other races.
It didn’t actually do me much good, though. I tried to research all the Republican candidates…checked out all their websites, etc.; but I couldn’t really distinguish between them. They were all about guns for Jesus.
kurt1@#9:
There is a very prescient talk by Gwynne Dyer, not sure if you were the one to link to it a few years back, where he talks about climate change and western miliatries response to it. The point was that all western politicians were aware of climate change already back in the ’90s, increasing the military budget is their response to the coming unrest because of climate change.
Yeah, it was me that shared Gwynne Dyer’s cheerful vision of the future with everybody here.
It has greatly influenced my thinking. There’s a weird alignment I keep coming back to: in Dune Paul Atreides says “the power to destroy something is the power to control it” and Dyer says that “the US’ strategy is not to have the oil, it’s the power to control it.” In the long term it appears to me that the US is going to control the world simply by destroying it.
And that’s entirely true. Face it, America is, was, and always will be a conservative country, and there’s nothing anyone can truly do about it. And even if it collapses, whatever entity comes afterwards will be just as consevative. Obama really was more or less the best thing your country could aspire to, and if you ever manage to get back to that level you will either stagnate at that point or fall back once again with a Trump 2.0 as predicted.
I have read the argument that data idicates that the American populace as a whole is much more progressive/left wing that their leaders, and thus that getting rid to the ridiculous hurdles that your system imposes on voting* would help, but I don’t buy that for a second, it’s wishful thinking, an illusion. Centrists have tried to tell progressives this over and over again, and perhaps it’s time for you to listen and just give up trying to get ordinary Americans to help, they are not and will never be your allies no matter how progressive they claim to be. You are and will always be surrounded and outnumbered by your enemies, so instead, I suggest you focus entirely on creating a clandestine system-within-the-system, to actually turn the “deep state” conspiracy theory into a reality. Begin to build a new Underground Railroad, for minorities of all kinds this time, and make it span the whole country. I know you already have some “escape routes” between states in place, so you can begin by strengthening those. Yes, you’ll be playing a losing game forever, but sadly that’s just the way it is, fascists got the upper hand too long ago for you to catch up.
* I can’t begin to describe how bizarre the American voting system seems to me. When you say your country isn’t a democracy, I believe it.