US Authoritarianism

What if I told you the viable alternative wasn't to look further right, but further left?

I think the real lesson is that our government is so broken that it can't do its job.

I'm not American but, “the other party would do worse” is not a very… powerful argument. Even if true.

Classic whataboutism: shits on the topic without adding anything worthwhile to the conversation. These responses are only exceeded in worthlessness by trolling.

Its always baffled my how many government positions have perioidic pay increases, sometimes annually, a good pension usually as well, but they will never pass legislation to make other employers do the same.

They're referring to liberalism, not social democracy or progressive or whatever weird definition American media started using in the last 25 years or so.

Here's a book on what it's meant for the last 300 years, and what it still means in the rest of the world.

If 344 pages is too long for you, here's a song from the 60s about liberals that's no less true today.

It was. Then Reagan

We need a UBI. Then we could scrap minimum wage entirely. If a job can't pay you enough, you simply don't have to do that job.

Tie it to the GDP and now you double down on the incentive to work, produce, and buy local.

The downside is like 100 multibillionaires would be sad because their score multiploer went down.

Good idea, it should make companies think twice about raising prices as they have if raising them just means they have to payout more in the end.

Oh it gets worse. The Democrat's "failure" to do X, Y, or Z (in the face of fierce Republican opposition but never mind that) becomes a reason to either not vote or... gasp... vote Republican.

Like... WTAF?

Remember when the Democrats had both congress and the presidency twice? Remember when the Democratic party kept promoting extremely conservative Democrats that beforehand constantly voiced their opposition to progressive policies, over their progressive enemies? Remember people like Joseph Lieberman? Remember Jay Rockefeller, who was the deciding vote for the ACA who suddenly reversed his pro-public healthcare rhetoric and opposed it he said because "the timing wasn't very good"? Remember what they did to progressives like Jamaal Bowman? You know, putting all their resources into George Latimer (a blatantly pro-wealthy, pro-corporation, pro-Israel conservative) to get Bowman unseated, making it the most expensive house primary in the entire history of the United States? Remember the Democrat party leadership frequently donating tens of millions to centrist non-profits whose sole purpose is to get centrist/conservative candidates elected over progressives, and act as a "spoiler" for progressives in the party? Remember Democratic Party leaders infamously going on to work lobbying jobs time and time again when they leave the party? Remember when Obama and the Democrats could have gotten progressive Supreme Court judges in despite Republican opposition, but they just lied down and accepted not doing that in the name of "compromise"? Because I sure remember.

The Democrats constantly, intentionally, pump millions into blue conservatives which they can use to block leftist measures and use as the scapegoats to point to as the reason they couldn't get anything done. They always have a bunch of people to spare to block bills which are "too progressive" that they don't actually want passed. They ARE responsible for this shit.

Leftists have good reason to be absolutely pissed at the party. They know they're the only "left" option, and they abuse the FUCK out of that. Blue Dog Democrats even existing is a sin in and of itself.

Why would the Democrats do this? As with most things wrong with the American democratic process, the reason is lobbying. Corporations lobby the Democrats seemingly just as much as the Republicans to ensure they don't take away too much of their power. Shit's fucked.

The fact that you have the audacity to blame progressives or leftists for being mad at the clear lack of democracy and the messed up stuff the Democratic party does to block important bills & candidates is so fucked up, holy shit. People are starving and dying because of the Democrats actively working against progressives in the party. Them giving us a few crumbs of good does not absolve them of intentionally absolutely fucking us over again and again. The party isn't the friend of progressives, they're just the "only choice". I can only hope that the upcoming elections change that, and we don't just get a dozen more obstructionists who the Dems use to block any vaguely center-left policy.

Reminds me of a relative. He often hits me with a "And why doesn't Biden do more for Ukraine? Like use the money he has available as president?". He never manages to understand that 1. he did end up sending a part of that money (intended for emergencies) and 2. his preferred option (Trump/MAGA) was the one fucking blocking the aid for half a year! (the before mentioned emergency)

Oregon changed their minimum wage to step up over several years, split slightly between the major urban centers and rural areas, and go up based on consumer price index after that. Works well.

https://www.oregon.gov/boli/workers/Pages/minimum-wage-schedule.aspx