Anthony Kiedis is right. So, what is the actual solution if you are Liberal leaning? This truth is not enough for me to vote Republican.
So lets do some History ?
Waves
#262
We need to be clearer that neoliberalism and being a member of the āleftā are two completely different things. The Democratic party is now openly a neoliberal party i.e. one that is corporate first and foremost and trying to maintain the status quo with its wealthy donors and influential families. While also pandering to generally āliberalā social beliefs about equality and identity politics which is really all they openly sell themselves on anymore. Most of the politicians arenāt that in favor of increased financial regulation, public insurance, a progressive immigration policy or anything that the actual left has moved towards. BUTā¦I think the party is about to reach a breaking point and will have to acquiesce to the more progressive wing. Trump was the breaking point for the traditional ways of doing things in both parties. Thatās clear in the GOP already, but I think weāll start to see that with the Dems as well. If they canāt simply rail against Trump anymore, what will they stand for?
IKEAMonkey
#263
Honestly though, nothing going on right now in Washington is political. Trumpās only agenda is to get as much attention and adulation as he can. The people who laud his āI donāt give a fuckā attitude will, Iām afraid, find out that that attitude extends to them when the chips are down. There is so much wrong with this guy, but the most worrisome thing is his massive ego. I wonder how far he will go to keep himself in the White House. I donāt think it is a laughing matter, to be honest. He is quite capable of being your countryās Putin.
highlife
#264
In Huellebecqās Submission, his central character is a professor with a specialization in Huysmans. Hereās some of his ruminations:
āI was about as political as a bath towel. No doubt it was my loss. To be fair, when I was young, the elections could not have been less interesting; the mediocrity of the āpolitical offeringsā was almost surprising. A center-left candidate would be elected, serve either one or two terms, depending on how charismatic he was, then for obscure reasons he would fail to complete a third. When people got tired of that candidate, and the center-left in general, weād witness the phenomenon of democratic change, and the voters would install a candidate of the center-right, also for one or two terms, depending on his personal appeal. Western nations took pride in this system, though it amounted to little more than a power-sharing deal between two rival gangs, and they would even go to war to impose it on nations that failed to share their enthusiasm.ā
IKEAMonkey
#265
I didnāt know you were a Huellebecq fan. Thought it was just me and joost who talked about him. Hard to keep track of him, but always look forward to his next book.
Waves
#267
The reality is that both parties stand for corporatism, lax financial regulation and generally unchecked free market capitalism more than anything else. That being said, there are still important policy differences between the two that most obviously affect POC and the poor in this country as well as the environment. At the end of the day, Iām swayed into voting for the slightly left of center candidate because I know these basic realities.
The real effects of the current administration wonāt be fully known for years, but Iām willing to venture that our standing in the world, our environment, womenās reproductive health and the living conditions of the poor and working class have been complicated if not marginally to markedly down graded. Lost in all the resistance BS and Trumpās odious behavior is the fact that real peopleās lives are altered.
Ely_Plains
#272
For a country that only knows propaganda from their state controlled media, well, I think making a film like this for mass N. Korean consumption is actually VERY saavy.
If youāre going over to a vegetarianās potluck, youād probably bring hummus, right?
Monkey
#273
True. I thought it was a very clever tacting, making this fake trailer. Itās what N. Korea does often and share with its people. Probably a very good chance of them putting this out on the tele.
Ely_Plains
#280
Heās already given her the linguistic kill shot of āPocahontas.ā She seems like a phony now to people who donāt read (which is a large part of the electorate).
Kaine is good, but did you see him in the debates with Pence? He had the temperament of a Pomeranian in heat. Needlessly aggressive, annoying.
Biden: Weāve literally run out of options if this is a suggestion.