There's a distinction between war and terrorism. Terrorism is done by non state actors, wars are done by states. For example, there's a very big difference between the democratic government of the Philippines voting to fight ISIS in their southern islands, and some random ISIS terrorist trying to kill the Filipino president to intimidate non muslim candidates from running for president.
Let me ask you this, why can't we regulate capitalism to work for us? Just think of what we can do:
- Greatly expand and enforce strong environmental regulations
- Expand and enforce anti trust laws to break monopolies
- Improve working conditions
- Remove money from politics
- Ban lobbying
- Increase the minimum wage to something livable and tie it to inflation
- Improve the justice system to hold CEOs and other big executives accountable for any crimes they commit and punish them accordingly
- Tie worker wages to CEO salaries or company revenue
- Fix all the tax loopholes and have corporations and billionaires pay their fair share
- Improve the social safety net so people can have their basic needs met
- Expand regulations to protect consumers
- Expand regulations for price gouging and enforce them
- Update our outdated zoning laws to allow for the building of more houses
- Remove the shitty regulations that prevent public transport from being built
- Ban any attempts to equate corporations with people
- Implement ranked choice voting and get rid of first past the vote
- Change the way we measure the health of the economy from GDP and stock market trends to things like median income, life expectancy, levels of happiness, mental and physical health, childhood success rate, rates of substance abuse, crime rates, social mobility, and so on
- Incentivize companies and people that do more to help their communities and punish those that actively harm them
These are not radical ideas and they're not new, these are all already in place in capitalist societies all around the world. We know they work and we know capitalism works, so why not make it better? Capitalism doesn't have to be this dystopian reality where corporations own everything and everybody else lives in poverty struggling to make ends meet. It could also be this great system that is centered around humanity and works to the benefit of the people. A system where the value of a person matters more than a dollar amount. These ideas aren't antithetical to capitalism. Capitalism is just tool, it's a flexible one too, there's nothing stopping us from shaping it to serve us and our values. Why not pursue that instead of trying to pursue some an ideology that has literally failed? After so many attempts, so many failures, so many people killed, when is it time to move on? Marxist socialism isn't the way forward, it's a way of the past.
What truth is buried? You just sound mad because I openly criticize the far left for how shitty they are since you are probably one.
Marxists: "Here is misinformation to justify destroying Israel and implement a failed tyrannical ideology that killed tens of million of people"
Normal people: "No, can criticize and condemn the actions of the Israeli government while also acknowledging reality and working for a resolution where both Israelis and Palestinians get to coexist peacefully. We can also criticize our economic system and call for actions to improve it with stronger regulations"
You: "What are you? A boomer?"
You are quite literally a genocide supporter. You support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I remember you from that other post about Ukraine where you were all of over the thread simping for Putin, blaming the US for the invasion, and calling the 2014 revolution in Ukraine a US orchestrated coup. You're in no position to call out fascists when you're one yourself.
For anybody who's curious, I highly recommend you read his comments on that read. This guy is nuts. Here is the link:
It's really not. Let's go through some basic stats:
- There are 330 million Americans
- There are 258 million adults
- There are 161 million registered voters
- Of those, less than 1/2 vote in midterms and less than 2/3 vote in presidential elections
- Of those, only around half vote Republican and that includes independents
If we include the Republican leaning independents, that number comes out to around 40 million to 50 million people depending on the election cycle. That's 12-15% of all Americans, 15-19% of all adults, 24-31% of registered voters, and around 50% of active voters. Keep in mind, this includes independents, if we only includes partisan identified Republicans, all these percentages would be lower. Keep in mind, this includes the very small minority of reasonable Republicans like Adam Kinzinger or Mitt Romney.
The reality is that the Trump and his brand of fascism is pretty unpopular. People mistakenly think that the country is split 50/50, but that's not true. While most people dislike both Trump and Biden, the amount of people who actively like either is very small. But that's how far right and far left movements gain power, not through popularity but through technicalities, violence, and the zealously of a propaganda fueled base of supporters. This is why it is so important to try and get people who are usually disconnected with politics to tune in and vote against these extremists.
Well, yeah, they’re socialists. Why shouldn’t they want to abolish capitalism and establish socialism? There’s nothing vile about that.
No, that in itself is vile. The reason why neo Nazis are despised is because they subscribe to a hateful, idealist, and tyrannical ideology that ended up failing every time it was tried and has killed tens of millions of people. There's another idealist ideology that also got popular around the same time, but had the same fate of failure, tyranny, and resulted in the deaths of tens of millions... what was that ideology again? Oh that's right, it's Marxist socialism. You're not morally superior to fascists, you're just as trash as them. If Marxist socialists had a similar movement in size and influence to Trump and MAGA and were in a position to win, the sane majority would be just as terrified, and rightfully so.
The dissolution of the state of Israel
"We stand against genocide!!! ...but not that one, that one is okay"
Jews, Christians, Muslims and others co-existed in Palestine before the Zionist state of Israel was established, the two-state situation is segregation caused by the establishment of a Zionist regime.
This is the type of ignorance that I expect from Marxists. Israel and Palestine are both artificial states created around the same time. There has literally never been a moment in human history where a sovereign state called Palestine existed. Before the current states Israel and Palestine, there was the British Mandate that was arbitrarily drawn... just like the British and French did with the rest of the region. Before that, it was the Turkish Ottoman Empire, and they had completely different divisions of the region. Before that, it was the Egyptian Malmuk Empire, and they also had their own divisions of the region. The same thing goes for the Ayyubid Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem... but at that point we've gone back 1000 years. This narrative that you cling to is not true.
That is a perfectly-appropriate time to rally support.
Ukraine just got invaded, quick, hold a pro-Russian rally. What? ISIS just massacred a Yezidi village? I guess it's a perfectly appropriate time to hold a pro ISIS rally. Hmm, Al Qaeda appears to have launched planes into buildings in New York, I guess it'll be wise to stand solidarity with the islamist resistence.
Because why be principled and stand with victims against senseless violence when we can be a brain dead ideologue who's pro terrorism and genocide when it suits your ideological goals and anti terrorism and genocide when it doesn't? If you ever wondered why the far left never seems to get a foothold anywhere, this is why.
They are pro-Palestinian and wanted to make it clear that people believed the resistance was supported, regardless of whether they are critical of the methods. The mass media gets to have its voice immediately, so rallies should not wait either.
What kind of a heartless ghoul do you have to be to support the Oct 7th terrorist attacks against innocent civilians?
Yes. Democratic socialists are not capitalists and would not consider liberal democracy (especially the US version!) a working form of democracy, and don’t consider social capitalist parties within it to be effective because they must work within a broken system. Social democracy is a false hope to them.
Of course, of course. I mean why would you ever support a pragmatic ideology that has consciously proven to be a success to those who have tried it and has resulted in the freest, most democratic, and most prosperous societies in human history when you can support a failed tyrannical ideology that has killed tens of millions? Clearly, with the power of hindsight at our disposal, we can clearly see the latter is a better choice than the former /s.
Most socialists will understand the US as a settler-colonial imperialist state from day 1,
That's literally the origin of every single country in history. What alternate reality do you live in?
so yes, their interests are ultimately that the US (as we know it) should stop being imperial terrorists that most of the world (including state allies) hate.
So let me get this straight, you unironically think that America is an illegitimate terrorist state and you're openly working against American interests, and you expect Americans to support you? How dumb do you have to be to think that Americans in America would cheer on for idiots that think their country is evil, illegitimate, and should be destroyed? Not only are these claims false, but you're not really driving home that your ideology is not the result of foreign adversaries.
But to call that being “nothing more than assets of our foreign adversaries” is ignorant of the very real and growing discontent with the US’s own borders.
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. When you cheer on for America's adversaries, when you interests are openly against the country, when you conveniently align with foreign adversaries on most things, when you employ tactics like revisionism, propaganda, and double standards to demonize the US but justify, excuse, and downplay America's adversaries doing questionable shit... then your movement is probably a foreign assest.
A lot of US citizens hate the US governments and how they work, and to blame that on foreign adversaries will ultimately prevent them from being solved and prevent their numbers growing
There are real problems within the country that need to be addressed, however, you're not an alternative or a part of the solution. The far left is a part of the problem. There will never be a day in this country where you will see power, and hopefully the same exact thing is true for the far right. Extremists belong in secluded online echo chambers, not in positions of power.
True, which is why now is the most important time to condemn political violence, get people politically active, and vote to keep the fascist wannabes out of power.
Can I just say FUCK The Democratic Socialists of America, those scumbags can eat a bag of dicks.
Just look at their stances, views, and activities:
- They blame the US for the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- They want the US to pressure Ukraine to surrender to Russia under the guise "negotiations"
- They want the US to leave NATO
- They support the Venezuelan dictator, Maduro, so much that they literally sent a fucking delegation there to meet him
- They organized a tone deaf pro-Palestinian rally on Oct 8th right after the attacks when the world was still in shock
- They outright want the destruction of Israel. Not a two state solution, not coexistence, but the eradication of Israel
- They quite literally want open borders
- The organization is full of full blown vile Marxists who to "abolish capitalism" and establish socialism
- They condemn social democracy
- In 2016 they refused to endorse Hillary and spearheaded the movements that called for people to boycott voting Democrat, which led to Trump winning
- In 2020 they refused to endorse Biden and spearheaded the movements that called for people to boycott voting Democrat, which helped Trump make the election closer than it should've been
- In 2024 they're doing the same exact thing by refusing to endorse Biden again
They have ALWAYS simped for all the dictators and authoritarian regimes. They have always had the most brain dead stances on foreign policy issues. They subscribe to a colossal failure of an ideology, and their interests are not with the US succeeding. They are nothing more than assets of our foreign adversaries.
The organization and movement at large is nothing more than the far left and the most whacko of Bernie Supporters that even he is uncomfortable with. I'm glad AOC went from being a fringe extremist politician to becoming more pragmatic and moderate. She has been winning me over more and more lately, and this just proves that she's moving in the right direction. Once again, the DSA can get fucked.
No, I'm talking about the actual far left. The Afd has more momentum atm, but there has always been presence of both the far right and far left in East Germany. Here's some bits of an interesting article from September 2023 by Bloomberg that demonstrates what I'm talking about:
A fifth of German voters would consider backing a new party that may be established by a far-left politician who has opposed weapons deliveries to Ukraine, according to a poll published Monday.
Sahra Wagenknecht of the Left party — which traces its roots to East Germany’s communist party — has said she will make a decision on whether to set up a breakaway group by the end of this year.
Wagenknecht’s move is potentially significant, since she could potentially woo voters away from the far-right Alternative for Germany, which is leading in the polls in the three eastern German regions due to hold elections next fall.
Among AfD voters, 29% said they could contemplate backing Wagenknecht, compared with 55% of Left voters, according to the Sept. 15-20 YouGov poll of 2,134 people. At 29%, potential support for Wagenknecht is higher in eastern Germany than in the west, where it’s at 19%, the poll showed.
That's quite a bit of overlap. The far left isn't exactly dead in East Germany as you seem to describe it, and neither is the far right. They work in tandum alongside jihadists to keep normal Germans up at night. That's why Germans constantly protest extremism and vote in guys like Scholz.
Being an introvert does not mean being socially inept, it just means that you prefer certain types of stimulations. You can be introverted and socially capable at the same time.
I'm not too tuned in into European politics outside of specific areas, but my understanding is that people generally gravitate towards the boring moderate types because they tend to be the most safe and pragmatic option. The choice becomes a no brainer when the alternative is indeed fascistic. It's kind of like how we ended up with Biden. During the Democratic primaries, guys like Bernie or Yang had a more populist appeal. However, Biden was seen as the moderate with the wide appeal because he was safe, boring, pragmatic, experienced, etc even though nobody really had him as their initial first choice. When he won the nomination and the general election came down to him and Trump, everybody flocked to Biden because Trump is batshit crazy.
At the moment? None, but East Germany used to be a part of the eastern bloc, and there's still an uncomfortable amount of far left whackos that want that era back. They're not as popular as Afd right now because the big issue in the country at the moment is immigration, and Afd's platform is more much more hardline on that which is more appealing to the whackos than what the far left is offering.
Germany and France in particular are worrying cases when it comes to Europe because the have a sizable far left and far right that can be unhinged at times. What's worse is that there a good amount of whackos that are even further left than the fringe far left Marxist parties and the fringe neo Nazi parties.
In the case of Germany, it's pretty plausible that some infinitely far right neo Nazi would try assassinate her because she's a lesbian or some infinitely far left Marxist would try the same because she's the leader of the Afd or perhaps some crazy jihadist would try to assassinate her because she's both a woman and a lesbian.
I hope Europe in general tries to keep the lunatics out of power and continue to have pragmatic people rule. I don't want Europe to go through what we're going through with the Republicans right now. The end result would be something like Hungary with Orban, and nobody wants that.
no, but nothing is so black and white. do you perhaps think that bullies should always be acquiesced to? that defending yourself from attackers is inherently and unilaterally immoral?
You tell a teacher or parent on a bully and they'll punish them accordingly, or if you're an adult you report them to your HR department or whereever. You don't go and fucking shoot dead a bully. That's not a sane solution to anything.
they’re the ones constantly (publicly) cheering for me and my kind to be dragged out of our homes and shot for virtue of being born either non-white or non-straight (depending on flavor of republican, maybe both).
I understand they're discriminatory bigots, but Jesus are you overexaggerating. Like who is advocating for this? I want specific names and sources if you don't mind, bonus points if they're from prominent politicians.
the reason violence is no longer acceptable as a mechanism for political change is that we built a system to address grievances without it: our representative democracy. we rose above the need by using the law to ensure everyone can be heard
Exactly, that's the point, we have a functioning system, so why are you trying to justify terrorism?
they’ve already thoroughly corrupted the highest courts in our country to do so. they intend to continue to close all reasonable avenues of political resolution specifically for the purpose of being able to call any resistance to their rule “terrorism”, as you just have. this itself is an act of political violence.
Assassinations aren't resistance, what in the fuck are you talking about? Do you seriously not see the problem with self righteous assholes going on terrorism crusades killing political candidates they don't like? That's how we move from a stable democracy and into a failed state.
if I corner you in an alley with a gun so you have nowhere to run and tell you to give me your wallet, but I haven’t shot at you or even aimed it at you yet, does this make me non-violent? is it acceptable? would you fight back, or capitulate? how about if I then tell you to leave but not your partner?
What? These situations aren't even remotely comparable. You're trying so hard to justify terrorism that you're not even being logically coherent. No, somebody shooting someone who's directly threatening them in person as an act of self defense is vastly different from some rando shooting political candidates they don't like.
the police won’t help you, they don’t help your kind, and you probably brought it upon yourself in their eyes.
Idk what alternative reality you live in, but here in the real world, terrorism is condemned and legitimate peaceful avenues are pursued. Trump should be prevented from becoming president again, but this is done by defeating him in the election, not by fucking killing him and turning him into a martyr. Trump should be brought to justice via the criminal justice system, which has already found him guilty of a crime, not by some self righteous rando shooting.
You take him down either by defeating him through the election or by taking to trial via the justice system, preferably both. Assassinations are not a fucking legitimate means of achieving political goals in democracy. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills for even having to explain something this simple.
the word right has different meaning in different contexts, I assumed you were talking about human rights as in the legally protected privileges that are granted to people... idk wtf you're talking about
Let me put things in German terms for you, this is like Alice Weidel and Olaf Scholz running against each other in a close election for Chancellor, where Weidal is the batshit crazy candidate that spews conspiracy theories and Scholz is the sane guy that nobody likes but is better than the alternative. While Weidal is doing a rally for her campaign, some neo nazi, perhaps even further right than she is, attempts to assassinate her for whatever reason. Despite Scholz having nothing to do with the incident, Weidal and the entire Afd crowd start blaming him for it because of the conspiracy theories that she, her party, and her supporters spew and believe. That's how you get our current situation.