Why does the Democratic Party have to put up with this?

[mia]

Are we Democrats or Democratic Socialists?

[msongs]

1. not anymore we are now the progressive capitalists lol nt

[mia]

5. Democratic Capitalists

Share the wealth instead of the misery. The underground economy is alive and well where I live. Immigrants are making their way and are eager to succeed - exciting times for those who are new to our country. They give me hope and I wish them well.

[aikoaiko]

2. It's a big tent, Mia.

[WeekiWater]

3. I wish they would use a different term but it's important for their branding.

They are capitalists but they give firepower to Republicans decades long argument. I think they would be better received if Sanders wasn’t the one carrying their torch.

I accept and support Manchin. Democratic Party adversary Sanders can go pound Sand but I’m going to do my best to support AOC and the like. I’m free to criticize Manchin or AOC at any point but they are important for our majority. They have their roles. They are the extreme ends of a really big party.

[shanny]

4. Do you want all the allies you can get, or not?

And, speaking for myself, I am a Social Democrat and always have been. I'm delighted that the party I have always voted for and been registered with has decided--at long last--that maybe I'm not some scary bogeyman.

[scarletwoman]

8. Hear, hear! (nt)

[mia]

13. What's wrong with being a Democrat?

Don't we advocate for a wealth of social issues?

[shanny]

15. Not strongly enough imo...worse, we have made a number of missteps over the last 4 decades.

Furthermore so far only a few Ds are solid behind a Green New Deal, which we desperately need for a variety of reasons, and have needed for some time. If we don't solve the problem of catastrophic climate change, everything else will amount to rearranging the deck chairs as the boat sinks.

[mia]

18. Enlightened Capitalists

recognize that climate change is a nationwide problem. Miami, for example:

National report: climate change already affecting Florida | Miami Herald
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article222086110.html

Nov 27, 2018 - The Fourth National Climate Assessment, the most comprehensive report on climate change science ever released, shows Florida is already ...
Will climate change turn Miami into a 'future Atlantis'? | PBS NewsHour
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/.../will-climate-change-turn-miami-into-a-future-atlanti...

Oct 3, 2018 - Florida research professors studying climate change have serious warnings for the Magic City. They say that Miami's buildings have come a ...
As Climate Change Hits Miami, Only The Rich Will Be Able To Protect ...
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/.../climate-change-gentrification-miami-displacement...

Dec 19, 2018 - With sea levels rising in Miami, "climate gentrification" is driving up prices in high-ground areas, pushing people out of working-class ...
'Climate gentrification' is changing Miami real estate values - CNBC.com
https://www.cnbc.com/.../climate-gentrification-is-changing-miami-real-estate-values.h..
.
Aug 29, 2018 - A new study finds home values are both rising and falling in certain areas due to climate change and the rising risk of more extreme weather.
Climate Change Report Describes How Screwed Miami Will ... - Inverse
https://www.inverse.com › Science › Climate Change

[shanny]

20. uh huh

Capitalism got us here: it's extractive, exploitative and requires continuing growth to work--in a closed system. This planet is a closed, finite system, and capitalism is the opposite of "sustainable."

[mia]

21. 4 Reasons Why The Future Of Capitalism Is Homegrown, Small Scale, And Independent

You won’t learn about it in business school, hear about it from Wall Street, or see it in Palo Alto. But if you spend time in Bushwick, Brooklyn, or on Rivington Street in Manhattan, you just might detect the outlines of an emerging “indie” capitalism. This new form of capitalism is not just about conventional startups and technology and venture capitalists. If you add up all the trends under way today, I believe we are beginning to see the start of something original, and perhaps wonderful. It may prove to be the economic and social antidote to the failed financial capitalism and crony capitalism that no longer delivers economic value in terms of jobs, income, and taxes to the people of this country.

It’s too early to define the exact shape of this latest iteration of capitalism, but what indie capitalism appears to have is a distinct sensibility. Let’s take a look at a few key features.

Indie capitalism is local, not global, and cares about the community and jobs and says so right up front. Good things come from and are made locally by people you can see and know. The local focus makes indie capitalism intrinsically sustainable–energy is saved as a result of a way of life, not in an effort to reach a distinct and difficult goal.

Indie capitalism is socially, not transactionally, based. It’s not just Internet social, involving 5,000 friends, but personally social. Take Kickstarter, for example, where people fund the music, books, and products that they can watch develop over time. In this model, consumer, investor, audience, fan, helper, and producer conflate. People find and prepare their food the same way they find and prepare their music. And then they share it all....

https://www.fastcompany.com/1665567/4-reasons-why-the-future-of-capitalism-is-homegrown-small-scale-and-independent

[shanny]

27. Sounds nice.

And ineffective for the biggest task at hand. Catastrophic climate change requires a massive, global response. It will not be addressed via Kickstarter.

[brush]

19. Social Democrat (as in western Europe) is quite different than...

a democratic socialist. But you know that. Many don't.

[shanny]

28. I do indeed.

Something else I know: Bernie is not and never has been a socialist so why he chooses to tag himself with that label is beyond me. It makes no sense at all.

[brush]

29. Agreed. I don't see how he walks away from it now though...

since he's self-labeled himself with that tag for years. AOC unfortunately did the same thing when she came onto the scene.

The repugs are licking their chops at being able to use the negative oppo research they have on Bernie being a socialist.

[JHB]

6. Republicans call everything they don't like 'socialism'

[gratuitous]

12. That's why it's important to define your terms

Because, yeah, whatever Republicans don't like nowadays is socialism. Their effort to make liberal an epithet has fizzled after all these years. Liberals are identifying themselves as liberals again. And because they're not an imaginative bunch, Republicans are trying to bring back socialism (and after that, I predict communism) as the great ooga-booga for their aging and diminishing base. We've seen this before, and for all the time it took to rehabilitate liberal, it will take far less time to do the same for socialism.

When you're in a discussion and a conservative slams down socialism like the ace of trumps, ask him what he means by socialism. Force him to stop and think. Maybe move back a bit, in case of splatter.

[mwooldri]

7. Put up with what? Social Democracy?

If it's social democracy Scandinavian style then we should be for it. Admittedly I'm from the SDP wing of the UK Liberal Democrats, once upon a time I was a card carrying dues paying member.

[lapucelle]

14. Isn't the OP about democratic socialism?

Which one advocates ethical socialism, reformism and gradualism, a humanized version of capitalism, a mixed economy, political pluralism and liberal democracy?

[meadowlander]

9. Some of us are Democrats and some are Democratic Socialists.

I'm a Democratic Socialist whose been voting for Democrats my entire adult life because I've been told that supporting a third party makes me a unicorn-fantasizing traitor who might as well be voting for the George Bushes and Donald Trumps of the world.

But by all means, continue to question whether or not the Democratic Party should "put up with" people like me and see how far that gets you in the next election.

[ForgedCrank]

10. We don't HAVE to put up with anything.

I understand the contextual goals, however.
What is always left out of right-wing commentary (basically memes) is that most of us generally know the value of socialist style programs, but with appropriate limitations.
Unfortunately, it leaves open the opportunity for the pricks to call us communists by using the terms completely out of context.
99% (just a wild guess) of US highways are "socialist". The other 1% are not, and they are toll roads that people avoid as much as they can. That alone is a prime example of a "socialist" program done properly and compared to a "capitalistic" program.

[GulfCoast66]

11. I not a socialist. I believe in private ownership of capital.

But because I’m am a liberal I believe that the government should insure those with no or limited capital should also reap the benefits of the wealth capitalism creates.

You know, like FDR.

Call me a liberal. Call me a social democrat. Never call me a socialist.

[rusty quoin]

23. So I won't call you a socialist. But we do believe in certain things.

I don’t know what to call myself except a FDR Democrat. I usually just say Democrat.

They are words and there will be time to figure out labels, but now we have stop a sinking ship.

[Doremus]

16. Come up with a new term and get it to CNN stat. nt

[lapucelle]

17. I have a feeling that many who call themselves democratic socialists

have no idea what that actually means.-

[rusty quoin]

24. Bernie knows. AOC knows.

I like what both are doing. They are leading by example.

[lancelyons]

22. Don't let republicans define who we are.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

25. I'm a liberal Democrat. That means I support liberal values including a strong embrace of capitalism

combined with social programs that help those in need.

I do not share the socialist belief that private enterprise should be eliminated. I do not believe the state should own the means of production and distribution, which is the definition of a socialist economy

I am definitely NOT a Socialist.

Sweden, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand, et al. are liberal Social Democracies with advanced capitalist economies and generous social welfare programs. Social Democracy and "Democratic Socialism are two very different ideologies.

[procon]

26. What's wrong with being a socialist?

I think the meaning of socialism needs to be defined before the question can be answered?

We already have some fine examples of how successful socialism can be with some of our most popular programs. No one would give up their Medicare or SS, so don't start bashing the benefits or a custom designed socialist/regulated capitalism government such as we see in many thriving countries around the world.

What other socialized benefits are you proposing doing away with?

Guaranteed public education

Public transportatioon

NASA, weather forecasting

National disaster aid

Flood and wildfire insurance

Police and Fire departments

Public libraries

Every branch of the US military

Roads, bridges, interstate highways

Public hospitals, the VA, the CDC

Public parks, hiking trails, campgrounds

USPS

Clean up of contaminated lands and waters

Public everything else.

[mia]

30. Your examples are functions of our federal and independent agencies.

Who is proposing doing away with any of them? Republicans.
Who benefits by calling any of these programs Socialism? They do.

[procon]

31. Nope. Think about how those agencies are funded....

All of those programs relies on taxes collected from everyone. Even though everyone may not directly use those services, everyone benefits in indirect ways that improves our communities.


Even those who have no children still pay their taxes for socialized schools because it uplifts the whole community and improves opportunities for everyone. Without it, education would only come from the private sector and be too expense for most working class kids.

Without socialism to say that since we all use roads, even if those who don't have a car, we still pay taxes because everyone benefits by having safe roads available to bring in all the consumer goods we depend on. Without everyone"s tax money, we would have expensive toll roads installed and maintained for a profit by private companies.

Socialism means that we tax everyone to pay for emergency services even if an individual never needs to call the police or the fire dept. Without those first responders there would only be profit taking companies who charged a premium to subscribe to their service, and if you couldn't afford it they would stand by and let your house burn. This concept is still being used today in some communities to avoid raising taxes to pay for a common community service that benefits everyone.

Everything I've listed relies on taxes that everyone pays even though they don't necessarily use the services directly. Republicans are actively engaged in strangling those 8socialized services and agencies, with the goal of selling them off to the private sector in exchange for large donations to GOP candidates. It's already happening with privatized education, private prisons, the post office, for profit junk healthcare provided by private companies to scam those who can least afford it.

[pwb]

32. Social Democrats but anything as long as we are democrats.

Justice democrats. Socialists are usually communists.

[Joe941]

33. Well Bernie is running as a D.