- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
You must log in or register to comment.
I swear to God, people spend more time blaming Democrats for not fighting Republicans well enough than they do Republicans for doing things that need fighting.
American democracy is completely broken.
You basically get to choose between fascism and fascism-light.
Yes, Democrats are the better choice out of the two, but it’s still absolute shit.
When representatives in democracy aren’t representing. You kinda lose democracy.
The ire has to do with the representative government where the representatives are not representing.
Which would, in fact, prevent Republicans from doing things that need to be fought.
Well I think there’s some validity to this, but not just because “democrats bad”
We are seeing across the western world a resurgence in far right parties that are largely running on a populist sentiment that “things are bad and we were great once and let’s go back”
Why does this messaging resonate with so many? Propaganda has its role to play, but propaganda works best when there is a truth to the underlying message.
We are at the tail end of over half a century of neoliberal policy. Now I don’t use neoliberal as so many do as a pejorative, but as a descriptor. As Nancy Pelosi so eloquently stated “We’re capitalists and that’s just the way it is.”
Now if you enjoy your life subscription under capitalism, especially our super fun late stage capitalism, there’s lots to dislike. The right has decided that while they will wholeheartedly support the capitalist machine, they are going to go out and stump like populists, telling people that they are getting screwed over and a vote for them is a vote to end the screwing, even better, it’s a vote to screw over people you don’t like, you get to do the screwing for once!
The Democratic Party can’t seem to find a coherent message because at the end of the day, the neoliberal project they are working on is going smoothly. The fact that your rent is going up, that private companies own the prisons and all the houses, that’s the free market free marketing baby.
I think the ire is misdirected, but it comes from this gnawing feeling that while the right is awful and doing awful things the democrats aren’t articulating any real alternative. And you don’t have to believe me, I think the trump - Biden - trump pattern shows you that to a lot of Americans things didn’t get better.
Now you and I might sit here secure in the knowledge that within the neoliberal world order as established, Biden did amazingly well. Our economy the envy of the world in how we tackled inflation and had one of the softest landings. But we exist in a system that has expected catastrophic failure roughly every 7 years and we see it happening more and more often. A system that doesn’t seem capable or willing to tackle the most pressing issues that people face. And so it is cold comfort when the Democratic Party goes “yes everything sucks and is getting worse, but believe us this is the best we can do with how the system works”
It’s not super surprising that if someone comes around and says “that system is bullshit” that people are excited. It sucks major ass that the guy saying it has no idea what the system is, how to build a better system, etc. But it also sucks that the democratic party’s response is basically, “put us back in charge and we will restore this system that is hurting a lot of people and really kinda sucks ass and only benefits a few super wealthy donors”
People want someone to stand up and articulate a compelling vision for the future and then deliver on it. For everything wrong with trump, he understands that first part, and he’s unmoored by any kind of morals or ethics so he’s willing to spend hours painting in great and baffling detail just how wonderful his future is going to be. He’s so good at it that his followers don’t even mind that it never happens.
The thing I object to is saying the Democrats don’t have a vision for the future.
Universal healthcare, free education, loan forgiveness, a green economy, a higher minimum wage, all manners of increased social spending, electoral reform, civil rights expansions. The Democratic Party has, as an institution, spent decades trying to accomplish this. It has failed, largely due to the Republicans and splitters within it’s own ranks. But the failure to accomplish it’s goals is not the same as not having them or not saying they have them.
That’s why all the criticism of the Democratic Party is so eye roll inducing. People accuse Democrats of just trying to maintain the status quo when they have a whole platform that would constitute major changes to our country.
I think a lot of the things on this list are not actually goals of the Democratic Party.
Here’s their platform https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf
The term “universal healthcare” is not in there. Instead they want to continue a market based approach to increase access to healthcare and health insurance. (Page 19)
“Free education” is also not part of their platform, instead they want affordable education. (Page 26)
There is a pretty lengthy chapter (chapter 4) on the climate crisis and how they want to tackle that, so I’ll give you a green economy.
Page 13 does include a paragraph about raising the minimum wage.
Page 50 includes a (to me at least) very underwhelming fig leaf towards some minor electoral reform.
Chapter six talks about expanding civil rights to more people but not really materially increasing the scope of civil rights.
—
I would love for there to be a party aggressively pursuing the goals you are talking about, I think you and I would likely agree on the most important things for this country.
A couple real important ones you think the democrats are attempting to achieve don’t appear to be things the Democratic Party actually intends to do. Universal healthcare and free education being the big two that would really make a massive difference in the nation. And you don’t have to believe me, you can read their platform and see they don’t intend to deliver those things, not with any size majority.
Further, platforms are talk and talk is cheap. It’s one thing to say you want to raise the minimum wage, it’s another to do it. The minimum wage was last raised in 2009. That’s 16 years, and this isn’t even a cornerstone they run on because they know it would scare off their moneyed backers. This is why you see pictures of Bernie sanders or the squad fighting for $15 while the rank and file dem politician stays far away.
Universal healthcare
What major figure in Democratic party has seriously fought for this?
electoral reform
No Democrat is seriously looking into real electoral reform that doesn’t benefit their party. First-past-the-post will never be changed under their leadership. This voting system allows them to shift blame to voters to the left of them (that they alienate) for voting Green/et. al. They engage in more voter suppression activities than they spend time arguing for serious electoral reform.
https://www.carolinajournal.com/nc-democrats-forced-to-pay-green-party-for-frivolous-intervention
https://arizonaglobe.com/legal/democrats-sue-to-block-green-candidate/
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevada-democrats-sue-to-block-green-party-from-2024-ballot
It goes on and on and on and on if you look at lawsuits and complaints against other parties or look further into the past.
If Democrats had even 1% of the fight that they have against third parties and put that towards positive change and actual solutions, they would’ve been able to accomplish some of the things you listed.
I mean, what’s the larger problem: the operator of the orphan crushing machine, or the guy that won’t try to stop them because there’s a ‘no trespassing’ sign on the lawn?
Americans love to complain but hate to take action.
What we need to do is normalize violence against Nazis again.
The problem with that mindset is that you will never win at violence with nazis. They are much more skilled and ruthless.
You will never be able to match them and if you try you will lose the very thing you wanted to protect.
What you need to focus on is a pragmatic action like in an RTS or game of chess. Strategic thinking.
How can you turn the tides of this Cold Civil War or at least contribute to its, desirable for us, outcome.
The current issue is that the left cannot agree what the desired outcome is and hence cannot effectively act if they cannot agree on what they want.
Right have simple agenda and thus it is simple to rally people around it. Good old times. Can there be something more straightforward?
Left have some several nebulous proposals no one quite fully understands. Of course enemy capitalised on these mistakes creating their own simple narrative what left intends to do that is clear and easily digestible therefore much more vocal and viral.
As if this wasn’t bad enough the left then proceeded to furiously engage with this false narrative trap bait.
Democrats have ~45% in spite of their actions not thanks to them. Just because conservatives are so insane that even their incompetence seems better for many
1. Violence is a Losing Game Against Nazis/Far Right
- Attempting to out-violence or out-escalate hardened extremists is futile. The far right often thrives on street fights, militarized posturing, and martyrdom. Engaging them on their terms risks legitimizing their narrative (e.g., “leftist mobs”) and alienating the broader public.
- Alternative: Focus on asymmetric tactics—legal, cultural, and institutional strategies that undermine their influence without playing into their strengths. Examples:
- Deplatforming: Removing their access to social media, financial systems, and public spaces (e.g., what worked against the Proud Boys post-January 6).
- Counter-mobilization: Mass nonviolent protests (e.g., labor strikes, voting drives) that dwarf their numbers.
- Intelligence and preemption: Monitoring and disrupting extremist networks (e.g., antifascist research groups like Bellingcat).
2. Strategic Thinking Like an RTS/Chess Game
- The left often gets bogged down in reactive, emotional, or ideological purity battles instead of long-term strategy. The right, meanwhile, plays a patient game (e.g., Federalist Society stacking courts, decades of libertarian/religious think tanks).
- Key Moves:
- Localism: Focus on school boards, county elections, and state legislatures (where the right has dominated).
- Narrative Control: Stop engaging with bad-faith right-wing framing (e.g., “defund the police” was a gift to the right). Craft simple, positive messages (e.g., “Healthcare for All” beats “Medicare Expansion”).
- Coalition Building: Prioritize shared goals (e.g., abortion rights, labor rights) over divisive internal fights. The right unites evangelicals, libertarians, and oligarchs despite contradictions; the left can unite labor, minorities, and youth.
3. The Left’s Messaging Problem
- The right’s narrative is simple: “Restore traditional values/glory.” The left’s messaging is often fragmented (e.g., “Abolish ICE” vs. “Immigration reform”) or easily distorted (e.g., “CRT” panic).
- Solutions:
- Simplify: Pick 2–3 universal goals (e.g., “Democracy, Dignity, Fair Wages”).
- Humor/Memes: The right dominates meme culture; the left needs its own (e.g., “Dark Brandon” worked because it was playful and resilient to backlash).
- Pre-bunking: Actively define your terms before the right can (e.g., “DEI = Fairness for Everyone”).
4. The Right’s Insanity is the Left’s Only Advantage
- The left often wins by default (e.g., Republicans nominating unelectable extremists). But relying on this is dangerous—it’s how Hitler rose (the center-left assumed no one would vote for Nazis).
- Proactive Steps:
- Electoral Pragmatism: Support the least-worst viable option (e.g., mainstream Dems) while building progressive power locally.
- Discrediting the Right: Amplify their extremism (e.g., Project 2025’s unpopular policies) without seeming hysterical.
- Alternative Institutions: Unions, co-ops, and community networks can build left-wing power outside electoral politics.
5. Cold Civil War Dynamics
- The U.S. is in a “cold” conflict where the right seeks to exploit democratic systems to end democracy (e.g., gerrymandering, voter suppression). The left must:
- Play the long game: Focus on voter registration, judicial appointments, and constitutional safeguards.
- Deprive the right of oxygen: Economic policies that reduce despair (e.g., student debt relief undercutting incel/white supremacist recruitment).
Final Thought:
The left’s biggest weakness isn’t policy—it’s discipline. The right marches in lockstep; the left overthinks. To win:
- Unite around a few clear goals.
- Stop feeding the right’s outrage machine.
- Build durable power (not just viral moments).
What can invidual do to contribute?
An individual can have a meaningful impact by focusing on consistent, strategic actions that plant progressive seeds in their community, shift narratives, and build long-term power:
1. Shift Mindsets (The Battle of Ideas)
-
Talk to people outside your bubble.
- Most political change happens through personal relationships. Have calm, empathetic conversations with coworkers, family, or neighbors—focus on shared values (e.g., “Everyone deserves healthcare” vs. “Medicare for All”).
- Use the “deep canvassing” method: Ask questions, listen, and share personal stories (studies show this changes minds better than facts).
-
Combat disinformation passively.
- Share positive progressive content (e.g., worker victories, policy successes) rather than endlessly debunking right-wing lies (which spreads them further).
- Use humor/memes (e.g., “Dark Brandon,” “Unionize Your Starbucks”)—emotion beats logic in viral messaging.
-
Be a “bridge” for normies.
- Avoid jargon (“abolish ICE,” “ACAB”)—reframe issues in accessible terms (e.g., “Accountable policing” or “Fair immigration rules”).
2. Build Institutional Power
-
Join or support an existing group.
- Local: Unions, tenant unions, mutual aid networks, DSA chapters, progressive religious groups.
- National: Swing Left, Indivisible, MoveOn (for electoral work); ACLU, SPLC (for legal/civil rights).
- Key: Consistency matters more than bursts of activism. Attend meetings, volunteer skills (writing, design, organizing).
-
Disrupt right-wing networks.
- Support/watchdog groups (e.g., Bellingcat, Accountable Tech) that expose extremism.
- Pressure platforms to deplatform hate (e.g., mass-reporting violent content).
-
Run for something—or help someone who does.
- School boards, city councils, and state legislatures are where the right gained power. Groups like Run for Something train progressives to win locally.
3. Daily Actions (Small but Scalable)
-
Voter work:
- Register voters (especially young people) at concerts, fairs, or campuses.
- Volunteer as a poll worker (critical to combat right-wing “election fraud” narratives).
-
Money as a weapon:
- Donate to progressive candidates in swing districts (even $5 helps).
- Boycott/support businesses aligned with your values (e.g., unionized stores).
-
Skill-sharing:
- Offer your professional skills (coding, graphic design, legal help) to grassroots groups.
4. Psychological Warfare (Against the Right)
-
Deny them attention.
- Stop quote-tweeting Tucker Carlson or Ben Shapiro—it feeds their algorithm. Mock or ignore instead.
- Starve their propaganda: Share alternatives (e.g., left-wing podcasts, Substacks).
-
Flip their tactics:
- Use their nostalgia against them (e.g., “Real patriots tax the rich like FDR”).
- Co-opt their symbols (e.g., “Make America Kind Again”).
5. Protect Your Mental Health
- Avoid burnout. The right thrives on outrage exhaustion. Limit doomscrolling; focus on actionable wins.
- Celebrate small victories. Every union formed, every voter registered weakens the far right’s grip.
Most Important Rule:
Be the “water” (persistent, adaptable, everywhere), not the “rock” (rigid, easily avoided).
The right wins by being relentless; the left must out-persist them.-
You forgot to add the corporations raining down money on both sides to keep things this way.
They’re not doing anything because they are complicit. The DNC and the majority of Democrats are completely fine with fascism as long as it does not impact themselves.
It’s not even a question anymore, every single House Democrat proved it recently by voting in favor of the “Take it Down” act.
We all need to do what we can do to fight back including civil disobedience. One of the most powerful but unfortunately forgotten ways of fighting back is protesting. The powers at be don’t like it because they have no control of the information. Reddit perm banned me for being too outspoken. So here I am. Please people rise up and get loud!!!
Absolutely. Republicans aren’t afraid of losing their seats with 5M people in the streets nationwide. We need a lot more of us to scare them into dissent.
Ever since Trump won I sloooooow walllllkkk everything at work. It’s been great for my mental health. I can’t give up my job because I have a family to feed. But I can slow down machinery at work and cause lots of inefficiencies. Fuck you, trump voting industry.
Unpopular opinion: The problem is the people, roughly 30%-40% of them but continuing to grow, and their inability to cope with modern propaganda herding techniques through big data, social networks, and now AI.
What we have today are governments, whether they be two party or more, being divided into the ideological parties, those willing to operate within the framing and intent of their constitutions, to those willing to game it. Those willing to game it and those attracted to oligarchs and easy lobby wealth only seem to have an ideological factor to them because they adopt the political ideologies of least resistance - which they will gladly go back on, and have done so as their attempts to game the system have led them to the sort of voter menagerie they have now.
People blaming the “democratic party”, in this context the US democratic party, are ignorant enough to not realize that a “party” in the US is just a donor list to finance candidate race’s for congress and that it is very easy for a corrupt candidate to run for the “party” in states where it is beneficial for them to do so - as long as they can cajole that list of donors long enough. This isn’t like some other countries where being part of a party actually means something. In the US, both parties have a significant degree of corruption, and it was already arguably an oligarchy.
But within the democratic party, due to the aforementioned biases, it has less members willing to outright game the government and more of those operating from an ideological basis. An ideological basis is basically the only thing a government can be built around, once parties start getting in that don’t operate from an ideological bases, you are just voting on who scams you. Yet nowadays the portion of those action from an ideological position within the US government is no longer the majority. There was even a rift in the Republican party a few years ago, and because it is inherently the party dominated by those most willing to game to government instead of serve it, it was MAGA that won out.
More to the point, an ideological basis limits what candidates do to working within the constitution and actual good faith.
So people blaming the democrats are people who have a deluded world view, blaming a governing minority party who by their very nature will operate in a handicapped ideological fashion versus a dominant authoritarian insurgency willing to do anything to game the system and make it that much more subservient. They are the sort of people who think they will still get fair elections for the midterms and subsequent elections, and they don’t realize their democracy is now over and that what they will need is either secession into a new governing entity (not going to happen any time soon, because today’s Americans can’t comprehend things like the UK being able to leave the EU and the EU and UK continuing to exist and having that be the normal way federal and state interactions could occur, never mind the shadow of debt being a chain to the central government) or a Civil War (and while Americans will virtue signal all the way to kingdom come, it is in their ignorance, those countries that were democracies but are today authoritarian states, that shows most of society will be quite willing to bend the knee - if US society were for some reason different than the rest Trump wouldn’t have gotten so far).
At a personal level, what people can do and will do is resistance, and be honest, let me ask you, supposing 1/3 of the US was doing the same effort, the same investment at resisting that you, personally are doing right now, given that 1/3 are inert “undecideds” more likely to get caught and the other 1/3 is MAGA, and keeping in mind that the authoritarian government is operating outside of society and is choosing to game it, what change would you really affect? How about we make it an even easier question? What if the authoritarian was a foreign monarch in Europe with an ocean of distance between them and you, if the most advanced form of travel was by ship and there was no AI, no big data, no social network herding, no instant communication, if your actions right now were representative of what the rest of society was doing, how much of a change would they be likely to make?
1/3 of people don’t vote. They are disenfranchised or politically apathetic. 2/3 of people are propagandized or coerced into voting for parties that don’t serve anything besides capital, greed, and their own lust for power.
We need a new system. The concept of “political parties” is harmful to human progress. We don’t need people on imaginary teams playing tug of war with each other while the world burns.
What we do need is strong and principled leadership, that is not poisoned by capital or team politics, that is motivated towards improving the planet and actually working to solving critical issues instead of worrying incessantly about “cost” at every single step.
There’s no need to play the blame game, but if we want a future that is not undesirable, it necessitates positive action and a willingness to identify what is blocking or stagnating us as a species.
imagine functioning as controlled opposition while not even being controlled opposition. those desk jobs are way too fucking nice
If you assume that Republicans will ever compromise, it makes an ass out of you and me.
Not shown: the people who hate the left side of this photo while yelling at the right side and not doing much else.
Atleast the elephant has his side doing whatever he wants. The donkey is stuck fighting a battle with no support.
Now yall go ahead and downvote since that’s the full extent of your power
I know Republicans won’t listen to me.
I assume Democrats might.
After all, I vote in all their primaries.
Or does that mean they don’t have to care because who the hell else am I going to vote for in the general?
I was just ranting about all the independents that would rather vote 3rd party or not vote at all because “the democrats are just as bad/lazy and don’t get anything done” crowd
Every time the democrats have power they use it to try to help out to most common people, yet it’s all brushed under the rug all the same because it’s not normally headlining news.
The democrats try.
Republicans come into office with a 130+ page manifesto and the party in lock step.
Hell, the Democratic senate whip didn’t even know someone was going to be absent and they lost a fucking lay-up vote.
My problem isn’t that the democrats try. It’s that they fail so goddamn always.
And that wraps back around to my original rant. Republicans can do anything and have full support from thier party. One wrong move and a democrat loses most of their followers.
Or maybe the Democrats have slowly shifted so far right that the left in this country no longer has any political representation outside of like 20 house seats.
Yeah because the actual left keep staying home when it comes to vote but then are the loudest to whine about it online
Alternatively: Democrats don’t have to follow the party line to still be considered Democrats.
Fetterman.
Manchin.
Sinema.
Lieberman.
The feckless party lets them sabotage important legislation and does absolutely nothing because “they’re the best we can do.”
Meanwhile any Republican who doesn’t like Trump is threatened until they either lose their primary or resign out of fear for their personal safety.
Literally no democrat thinks theyre actually democrats though?
Go to any thread and you’ll have people saying they’re traitors and a disgrace to the party
Edit: i literally see all the time how Fetterman was a democrat and it’s funny how he turned right leaning after he had his medical problems. Brain damage = republican mindset
All of them were registered Democrats, won the party primaries, won the election, and caucused with the party in the Senate.
Fetterman still has the D next to his name.
The Donkey could refuse to participate, rather than licking the elephant’s boots.
Yup! That’ll get them more support from the people who already say they don’t do anything!
Doing nothing is sometimes a big help. Many things in Congress cannot move forward without quorum. If Democrats don’t show up for those things that require quorum, MAGA can’t move their agenda forward. Democrats don’t do nothing, they vote with MAGA to take away our rights.
If any of this were actual congressional legislation, Democrats could also stop it with a filibuster. All of this damage is being done through executive order. If you can’t identify the problem, your criticism will fail to address it.
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t
Executive orders that wouldn’t be possible if Democrats had put Trump in prison, where he belongs, the day Biden took office. Tell me that if Obama had mobilized thousands of BLM supporters to attack Congress so he could have a third term that the GOP wouldn’t have locked him up. The Dems aren’t fighting because they are complicit.
When they were giving that power, they turned around and said " do we become the exact thing we swore to destroy? Or do we trust the process that’s been laid out for us and hope for the best?"
Whether they made the right call is up to interpretation. But do you really want to live in a country where either political party can just lock away their opponents whenever they deem fit?
Whenever they deem fit? No. When one of them is butt-hurt over losing and tries to incite a rebellion to overthrow the legislature and install themselves as a dictator? Absolutely.
Are people not paying attention, or just love to blame Democrats? They’re not asking for compromises. They’re making clear demands and getting voted down. Most recently, the House Judiciary Committee voted on the deportations. Democrats insisted that citizens be exempt from deportation. Republicans voted them down. This is what happens when you have full Republican control of our government. Keep bitching about the minority party fighting for you, and this is here to stay.
You want fresh blood in the seats? Me too. Vote in the congressional midterm primaries next year. We all have a say in who sits in those seats, but only the elderly retirees show up for the vote.
100% of Dems voted in favor of Trump’s first 2 picks for his cabinet, despite spending hours upon hours grilling them and talking about how unfit for the jobs they are.
It was only after they started getting outraged calls in the thousands per day compared to the usual 30 that they started voting against Trump’s cabinet.
Look at Schumer and Pelosi. Or the party appointing a man practically on his deathbed over fresh blood to one of the most important positions in the party. A man who had to resign 4 months later, IIRC.
The Dems only offer up any real resistance when they’re forced to by us. Otherwise, they vote no, voice a few complaints, and then go about their day like it’s any other.
It’s our job to replace them in primaries if they don’t represent us. It’s also our job to inform them of our stance on issues, just as it’s their job to vote in line with those requests.
You just said they do their job, like it’s a bad thing. There are Republicans getting lambasted in town halls that go right back to DC and do whatever Trump wants. How is that the same to you?
And they’ve been sitting on their hands for years even when they did have power. They routinely allow this shit to happen and it’s a little late to say them asking if maybe US citizens could be exempt shows how great they really are. Like, they should be demanding that any deportation needs far better scrutiny, and that would right there take care of the citizen part while also protecting so many others. It’s basically the meme we’re commenting on!
They aren’t protecting the US from shit, and it fucking shows. Your country is bad and you should feel bad, not be making excuses and complaining about Democrats not getting respect for unsuccessfully doing the bare minimum and then saying “guess that’s that.”
The only time in the last 30 years that Democrats had the same control that Republicans have now, was the 111th Congress. It was considered the most productive Congress since the 89th Congress.
Joe Biden took office directly after J6, allowed Garland to pull pud for four years, then got the biggest fucking stick an American president has ever gotten from the SC, and handed it to Trump.
I feel the Dems can take some blame.
Oh they’re far from ideal. They’re also far from the Republicans. Actively voting in congressional primaries is how we can make them into the opposition party we want.
To vote in a primary election, I would have to join one of the parties holding primaries. I would never join a party that supports fascism and genocide, which means no Democratic party and no Republican party. Joining one of those two is no different than signing up for the Nazi party or the KKK. I would never want to be associated with either party. If I ever join a party it will be the Green party.
You could use it to vote for Democrats not funded by AIPAC in the primaries.
I think you misunderstand. The majority of politicians in both parties fully support MAGA and Israel, though the Democrats perform a lot of theater about not liking MAGA while they vote in favor of MAGA every chance they get. The point is, before I would even consider joining the Democratic party, the party would have to abandon MAGA and AIPAC as a part of their platform. They would have to kick people out of the party for voting with Trump or taking money from AIPAC. Then I might join them.
You talk about blaming people but that’s a waste of our time. We actually want to make things better in the future, and to do that you need to look at how we got to where we are, and it’s clear that we got here by corporate Democrats caving to Republican and corporate interests. That’s been going on for the past 30 years. Of course the Republicans are more to blame than the democrats, but if you can’t recognize that the old Washington Democrats are largely worthless sandbags, then there’s no way you’re going to make things better in the future. They simply lack the values that we have, they don’t actually want to make life better for the average American, and that’s never going to change.
If you want to ask what more the Democrats can do, I think there are a ton of good examples. They can obstruct the process in so many ways, they can have independent press conferences, they can generate a ton of PR by creating videos for Facebook and YouTube and TikTok. They can go visit prisoners held in Central America. Just go look at what the active newer generation of Democrats are doing, go look at what Bernie Sanders does, and ask yourself why we don’t have hundreds of people doing that every day. Quite simply, we don’t see that in large numbers because most of those people have s***** values. Most of them are out to protect their own power and their own seat and that’s it.
The Democrats had the power that Republicans have now only for two years in the last 30. The 111th Congress was the most productive Congress since the 89th. They’re not all good. Far from it. That’s what primaries are for. If people actually showed up and voted, we wouldn’t be here at all.
In 2021, President Joe Biden issued 42 executive orders in the first 100 days of his presidency, more than any other president since Harry Truman. However, in 2025, Donald Trump became the president to issue the most executive orders in his first 100 days with 143, surpassing Franklin Roosevelt’s 99.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had another FDR? A real firebrand, you know. Someone who actually wants to do something and isn’t just filling a seat.
Executive orders are temporary measures. Biden spent his term on damage control, recovering from a pandemic and the damage Trump caused.
They just love to blame the democrats
Democrats should have demanded the removal of most of the republican party from office via the 14th amendment. Refuse to cooperate with this illegitimate government.
If republicans can do it as the minority. There’s no reason democrats can’t. McConnell was great at it. Just copy his playbook.
McConnell uses the filibuster, which the Senate could use to stop bills if any of these were bills passed in Congress. Unfortunately the only power they have against Trump’s executive orders is forcing a 15-day vote, which they’ve repeatedly done, while helping the ACLU bring these cases to the courts.
Voting isn’t enough, a lot of us are going to have to start volunteering for Bernie Sanders and the DNC. Our Youth and the nonpartisans are lost and without direction moreso than previous generations.
So what about 2021 - 2022, when the Dems had the Senate, the House and the Presidency? Where was the push to codify Roe v Wade? Why didn’t they put Trump in prison, pending trial? There were dozens of things they could have done when they had power. The don’t want to do any of the things they SAY they want to do. They want to ask for campaign donations to fight the MAGAs but they don’t actually want to fight. They’re scammers.
There will never be enough fresh blood.
Even if the democrats were all progressives and had 100% of the entire government things are too fucked to be fixed before the collapse.
Also, I vote in every primary and they always lose. Turns out we’re just a conservative country.
Only 22% of the nation voted for Trump. Many of them already regret their votes. Trump won on the apathy of the majority. Defeatism is simply fuel for that fire.
They won because the Biden admin was a dumpster fire.
How do you describe this administration?
It’s certainly off to an authoritarian start with chaotic economic impacts. My politics are extremely anti-authoritarian so I’m not at all happy. I don’t care as much about the stock market, I have zero investments. I do care about wages and the job market. But it’s pretty early to really judge his term. I’d guess he’ll lose his Senate majority in the midterms, maybe the House too. But what really matters is what people think 3.5 years in when they’re looking at the next election. I’m actually in Ohio so I’ve had my eye on Vance for longer than most, and I don’t like him at all. Will it be a dumpster fire then? Likely. That’s where the whole world seems to be going anyway. But I can’t predict the future.
deleted by creator
Well then he’s gonna win again because most people are apathetic and this country is doomed.
Serves me right for trying to do the right thing.
Your name is “Doomergod”. You’re just spewing doom for lols.
What a jerk.I wish this was for the lols but I’m legitimately hopeless. I keep looking for an argument that this hopelessness isn’t accurate but I just get the same platitudes.
I would argue total hopelessness is inaccurate because things can change in ways we don’t anticipate. The US will collapse as all empires have, and the world will become a better place, but it will be a rough transition and things will get extra fucked as climate change worsens. Many more people are working to make things better for each other than there are people working to fuck us over, they are just better organized right now.
But anyway the level of hope you feel is more likely to be dictated by whatever material reality you are experiencing. If you are actually looking for a logical argument against hopelessness in an effort to reduce it there are better ways.
Many more people are working to make things better for each other than there are people working to fuck us over, they are just better organized right now.
This is what it has been my entire life. Since 2001 the world has been on a cyclical descent into ruin, missing every chance it had to do something, failing at ever call to action.
My personal reality is pretty awesome, though. I just want to keep them safe from the rest of the species as it descends into barbarism.
Spreading apathy through pessimistic defeatism is the right thing? In that case, I’d rather be wrong.
We got here through division and disengagement. Only unity and action will get us out.
I’ve been engaged for 25 years and we still got here anyway.
Do you think fighting evil is an overnight thing?
25 years is hardly “overnight”
The Nazis rose to power and were defeated in less time.
You think a constant stream of pessimism is engaging others? C’mon. You know what you’re doing.
I have yet to see evidence to the contrary.
The alternative is me drinking or shouting at traffic at it whizzes by.
Convince me there is literally any hope at all and I might stop.
Or just block me. I don’t care anymore.
Let’s talk it out!
