“Both sides bad” is a thought terminating cliche designed to deter people from honestly comparing the two parties and seeing the gulf between them. I’m not defending the dems. I’m not defending the two party system. I’m not defending any of it.
There is an active authoritarian takeover of our country, which is right now taking away people’s rights. Harassing them for what they say, and shipping them out of the country without even the token gesture of checking their legal status. They have already tried to prevent a peaceful transfer of power, and confidently talk about ending term limits.
For some reason supposed leftists have no interest in this, and would rather do the far right’s work for them. Do you think these things would be happening no matter who was in power? Push the party left in primaries and local elections, fight for ranked choice to make third parties viable, call out the dems when they do something bad. Don’t pretend the two sides are the same, and don’t imply that voting is a waste or counter-productive.
RE your edit: Why are you so antagonistic to people saying it’s important to vote against the far right? Mamdani was the clearly better option, and I hope his proposals are proven effective. This is the kind of local election win that can nudge the party to the left. Just don’t disown him the moment he is seen working with dem leadership.
Do you think these things would be happening no matter who was in power?
Yes they would be, but in different ways. Democrats always set the stage for Republicans to commit crimes against the working class. Trump put kids in cages built by Democrats. Trump militarized ICE and deportations after Democrats increased their funding to their highest levels with the largest increase of detention center construction. Liberals were outraged when they found Trump was denying due process to those he deported while ignoring Obama did the same thing with upwards of 75% of those he deported denied using a law signed into law by Bill Clinton.
And the Democrat ratchet effect prevents anything started by Republicans from ever slipping back.
Push the party left in primaries and local elections
This is another failed strategy that’s never worked, after electing them they have no obligation to fulfill their promises, all they need to do is create another manufactured crisis before the elections that require everyone to come together and defeat their imaginary foe, ‘the most important election of our lifetime.’
Calling out Dems when they do bad holds no weight when they know you will come back afterwards and reward their bad behavior with reelection.
no, it’s not. The content of that post is explaining why they criticize Democrats more than they criticize Republicans. it’s not saying “both sides bad”
Could you explain the context? I am clearly missing something, because most of what I see here reads like dems are the greater threat.
Here’s an example: “They are not equally bad, the side that poses as an ally and a protector of is the marginalized while actively causing them harm is by far worse.”
“Why do I criticize Democrats” “…because both parties are terrible in every way, but the dems are terrible in a bonus way too.” I don’t see how that first bit changes the meaning of the rest.
Do you consider the two parties to be equally bad, or do you consider one to be worse than the other?
“Both sides bad” is a thought terminating cliche designed to deter people from honestly comparing the two parties and seeing the gulf between them. I’m not defending the dems. I’m not defending the two party system. I’m not defending any of it.
There is an active authoritarian takeover of our country, which is right now taking away people’s rights. Harassing them for what they say, and shipping them out of the country without even the token gesture of checking their legal status. They have already tried to prevent a peaceful transfer of power, and confidently talk about ending term limits.
For some reason supposed leftists have no interest in this, and would rather do the far right’s work for them. Do you think these things would be happening no matter who was in power? Push the party left in primaries and local elections, fight for ranked choice to make third parties viable, call out the dems when they do something bad. Don’t pretend the two sides are the same, and don’t imply that voting is a waste or counter-productive.
RE your edit: Why are you so antagonistic to people saying it’s important to vote against the far right? Mamdani was the clearly better option, and I hope his proposals are proven effective. This is the kind of local election win that can nudge the party to the left. Just don’t disown him the moment he is seen working with dem leadership.
Yes they would be, but in different ways. Democrats always set the stage for Republicans to commit crimes against the working class. Trump put kids in cages built by Democrats. Trump militarized ICE and deportations after Democrats increased their funding to their highest levels with the largest increase of detention center construction. Liberals were outraged when they found Trump was denying due process to those he deported while ignoring Obama did the same thing with upwards of 75% of those he deported denied using a law signed into law by Bill Clinton.
And the Democrat ratchet effect prevents anything started by Republicans from ever slipping back.
This is another failed strategy that’s never worked, after electing them they have no obligation to fulfill their promises, all they need to do is create another manufactured crisis before the elections that require everyone to come together and defeat their imaginary foe, ‘the most important election of our lifetime.’
Calling out Dems when they do bad holds no weight when they know you will come back afterwards and reward their bad behavior with reelection.
Would you agree with this statement? “Both sides are irredeemably bad, people should not vote or participate in American politics”
They are not equally bad, the side that poses as an ally and a protector of is the marginalized while actively causing them harm is by far worse.
So you agree with the statement? Or are you saying the dems are meaningfully worse so people should participate in opposition to them?
no one said this. you are fighting a strawman
That is literally the content of the original post that spawned this entire conversation.
no, it’s not. The content of that post is explaining why they criticize Democrats more than they criticize Republicans. it’s not saying “both sides bad”
“both sides bad”
this is literally ignoring all the context. please try to practice some intellectual honesty
Could you explain the context? I am clearly missing something, because most of what I see here reads like dems are the greater threat.
Here’s an example: “They are not equally bad, the side that poses as an ally and a protector of is the marginalized while actively causing them harm is by far worse.”
the first clause is the context: "Why do I criticize Democrats’
“Why do I criticize Democrats” “…because both parties are terrible in every way, but the dems are terrible in a bonus way too.” I don’t see how that first bit changes the meaning of the rest.
Do you consider the two parties to be equally bad, or do you consider one to be worse than the other?