General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Beware of People Pretending to Be on Our Side [View all]Violet_Crumble
(35,961 posts)1. Can you define what 'our side' is? I could assume it'd be the side that cares about the community, believes in universal healthcare, paid parental leave, and all that stuff, but I don't like assuming, so I thought I'd ask.
2. Who are the 'people pretending to be on our side'? Any names? Examples? How are they pretending?
When it comes to change and progress, sometimes it is revolution and sometimes it's not. I'll use an example of universal healthcare. Here in Australia, it was a revolution rather than slow and incremental change. There was a social revolution in the late 60's/early 70's that led to a Labor government that introduced social change like Medicare, gender equality in the workplace, shortened working hours, protection for employees, maternity leave of 3 months etc etc. Those legislative changes are now considered a baseline that neither side of politics would be game to remove and there's been incremental improvements to them in the decades since.
Having given that example, I'm aware that the US is a whole very screwed up different thing from democratic countries around the world and large numbers of people blindly and tribally support a party that stands for everything that will make their lives miserable and quash their individual voices. Here's my solution. Get rid of that fillibuster thing. It doesn't make sense and it has no place in a democratic system. Then get that original bill that protects voting rights sorted out. My bet is Joe Manchin and that Arizona one whose name I can't remember will vote against it, or they may cave once they realise what their place in history will look like. Then get the infrastructure bill done because collapsing bridges and stuff is something only Republicans could support.
I do have another solution, though it's very incremental and longterm. Education in the US is pretty weak if it's churning out people who don't have the ability to tell the difference between facts and conspiracy theories. Democrats should focus on the grass roots side of things and get the messaging and education side of things right before it's too late and the US no longer is a democracy...