The discourse on American politics sometimes devolves to “Leftists who won’t vote” & “MAGA Republicans” teaming up to “getting revenge on liberals”.

  • knightly the Sneptaur@pawb.social
    47·
    8 months ago

    Liberals never pay attention to popular protests unless the talking heads on TV tell them to.

    I lost my faith in American “Democracy” during Occupy Wall Street, when the national media completely shut out any of the actual demands being made in favor of a “they don’t even have any goals” narrative.

    • orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts
      29·
      8 months ago

      I still remember how well that propaganda worked on people. It became commonplace for liberals to complain that the OWS protests were aimless and lacked message.

    • zbyte64@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPEnglish
      22·
      8 months ago

      Even when liberals are shown protests on TV, they often walk away with the wrong message. It seems the only time it doesn’t happen is when the state uses violence in a way that is indefensible.

    • SpaceCowboy
      1·
      8 months ago

      Well that’s on you for thinking of democracy like it’s a holy religious institution that can make a decree to give you what you want. That’s not what democracy is.

      Democracy is a grind. You have to vote in every election and over time things improve. If you aren’t willing to do that because “you lost faith” it shows you aren’t really dedicated to these causes. You are conceding decisions to others who are dedicated enough to what they believe in to vote in every election no matter how long it takes to get what they want.

      And that’s not really a bad thing is it? You went to a protest and then gave up. Why should you get what you want as opposed to someone who will vote in every election, volunteer to help the political party that’s closest to their beliefs, phone bank, go door to door, get that party elected, then call their representative explaining what they want. Why shouldn’t they value what people with that level of dedication want over the wants of the people that give up when they encounter a single obstacle?

      • knightly the Sneptaur@pawb.social
        1·
        8 months ago

        Democracy is bullshit when public opinion is managed by three multimedia conglomerates. It doesn’t matter how many hours you spend trying to push the envelope when the range of acceptable political opinions is already constrained to what the billionaires who own this country find acceptable.

        I mean, fuck! They’re going to ban TikTok nationally just because AIPAC doesn’t like the kids being so pro-Palestine! The media landscape is 10x worse than it was even just 12 years ago.

        • SpaceCowboy
          1·
          8 months ago

          You’re simultaneously complaining about corporations influencing other people while also not even considering that TikTok is a corporation that’s influencing you?

          You ever consider the possibility that people reading the news from mainstream organizations are not mindless idiots that can’t think for themselves?

          You’re someone that’s been consuming propaganda from an authoritarian regime being spread by a corporation that’s beholden to another authoritarian regime and you believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories. Some people may indeed just go along with whatever a corporation tells them to think, but consider the possibility that you might be one of those people.