this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
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[–] Ferrous@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

This is not leftism. What you're proposing is just a shiny new liberal party. This hypothetical new party would be subject to the same mechanisms and forces that corrupted the democratic party. Give it 50 years, and we are back at square one: capital will swallow any agency that your proposed party once exhibited.

I really encourage you to do some reading on Marxism and leftism before you throw around the term so carelessly. https://socialistworker.org/2012/07/20/what-is-a-vanguard-party

Decrying actual leftists for not participating in american electoralism that is wholley orchestrated by capital is going to fall on deaf ears. Leftists have no interest in creating a new capitalist party and subsequently refining capitalism.

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world -1 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Then I was right. Leftists don't want to win elections.

But Democrats do. So why should Democrats listen to leftists?

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Maybe to avoid losing presidential elections?

Just an idea...

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world -1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

If leftists ever won a presidential election, then they might have useful advice to others who wanted to do the same.

But they never have, and apparently they don't even want to.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

So, no interest in trying to represent the working class...

And also wondering why you think they deserve to win....

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world -1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

If leftists think Trump best listens to the working class, then leftists should start advising Republicans instead of Democrats.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Trump agreed with the working class that the economy is in the shitter. He lied about wanting to fix it.

Harris declared anyone who thought the economy was in the shitter was hallucinating, and they just need to shut up, and vote for her, because "I'm not Donald".

That's the difference. And Harris' strategy was a losing one.

No leftist has any illusion on if either oligarch truly wanted to represent us, rather than their actual constituents: other oligarchs.

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

So lying to the working class is your winning strategy.

Thanks, Lenin.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 31 minutes ago (1 children)

I suppose that's a take... I mean, the Dems could of course lie to the working class, just to win votes. Like they did under Obama, Clinton, etc. Or, they could, you know, not lie to the working class, and actually enact change?

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 0 points 22 minutes ago (1 children)

You just told me the difference between Harris and Trump is that Trump lied to the working class, and that's why Harris lost.

The only logical conclusion is that you believe lying to the working class is a winning strategy.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 19 minutes ago* (last edited 18 minutes ago) (1 children)

The difference is Harris lied to the working class too, by stating the economy is doing great. Or, she's completely disconnected with the reality of the working class?

The only logical conclusion is that you believe lying to the working class is a winning strategy.

No, that's your very, very, myopic reading of what I wrote... Especially after clarifying. It's almost like you're being purposefully obtuse, or something.

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 1 points 12 minutes ago (1 children)

The economy is traditionally measured by GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation. All those numbers were good when Harris was running.

If you want to redefine "good economy", that's on you.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 4 minutes ago

he economy is traditionally measured by GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation. All those numbers were good when Harris was running.

Ah, so we only care about the numbers that show if the economy is working for the oligarchs, and not the working class?

I don't care if the economy is good for oligarchs, and makes it easy and profitable to exploit the working class... And, honestly, the working class voters don't care if stonks go up, if their stomachs are empty.

If you want to redefine “good economy”, that’s on you.

I'm not "redefining" a "good economy"... There are many numbers behind an economy.... Wealth distribution, maternal deaths, infant deaths, educational outcomes, monetary velocity, etc etc.

We can pick any set of numbers to talk about, but objectively, the economy is not good, nor has it been good, for the working class since 2002 or so.

[–] Ferrous@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

So why should Democrats listen to leftists?

What are you on about? Democrats, in one of the most embarrassing defeats in recent history, literally just made it clear to the world that they would rather lose than cater to leftists. Biden decided that carrying out genocide in Gaza was more important than defeating Trump.

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world -2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

That's the usual explanation leftists give. But I'm not sure Democrats should listen to that, either.

Especially since the largest shifts towards Trump in 2024 occurred in the Latino and Gen Z male demographics. Both of them are more centrist than average Democrats, and they are the demographics that Democrats need to win back in 2028.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Do you think any of that loss might have been caused by the Dems declaring a great economy, and telling voters to stop whining, and just vote Blue No Matter Who?

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 0 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

I don't know.

But I do know who Democrats need to win back if they want to win in 2028. And those voters are mostly centrists.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

Ah yes, the centrists! You know the ones who "both sides" everything, and turns out? They just vote Trump?

How many more centrists do you think the Dems will need to court? Wasn't Dick Cheney enough? You know, the war criminal?

How about, like, maybe just trying to listen to the working class?

[–] Ferrous@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Im dying to know: what sort of voters do you think democrats were focusing on grabbing for this past election?

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

Centrists. The ones who decided this election. And also decided the 2020 election.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

So, by "centrist" you mean Reich Wingers?

So, to win, they just need to become a more right wing party? I'm sure that's a winning strategy... Which it may be. Its certainly not a strategy to represent the working class, though.

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

By centrist, I'm specifically referring to Latinos and Gen Z males. They were Biden voters in 2020 and shifted to Trump in 2024. Democrats need to win those groups back. And they don't seem to care much about class war.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 29 minutes ago (1 children)

By centrist, I’m specifically referring to Latinos and Gen Z males.

That's not what a centrist is.

Have you bothered to look into why younger Latinos and Gen Z males flocked to the fascist candidate? It wasn't because fascism is closer to the center than the Dems are... Spoiler, go play some multiplayer FPS to hear why.

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 0 points 24 minutes ago (1 children)

Nobody knows for sure why, not even people who play FPS games.

What is clear is that Democrats need to win them back. Democrats don't seem to think leftism will win them back, and I agree.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 20 minutes ago (1 children)

Nobody knows for sure why, not even people who play FPS games.

I dunno, the racial slurs, homophobic slurs, misogynistic slurs tend to give it away to me...

What is clear is that Democrats need to win them back. Democrats don’t seem to think leftism will win them back, and I agree.

We disagree on the latter, maybe. But then what's your solution? Dems become just as openly fascist as the GOP?

I mean, just say you don't want a liberated working class at that point, and just start saying the quiet part out loud: The Dems and the GOP are two faces of the same ruling oligarchs.

If the goal is power, for power's sake, do you really want those people telling you what to do? Do you enjoy the image of a boot stomping on a human face for all eternity?

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 1 points 15 minutes ago* (last edited 14 minutes ago) (1 children)

But then what's your solution? Dems become just as openly fascist as the GOP?

Democrats won in 1992, 1996, 2008, 2012, and 2020 without resorting to open fascism. That's five of the last nine elections, which is roughly what you'd expect in a two party system.

I'm confident they can do it again in 2028.

Do you enjoy the image of a boot stomping on a human face

No. But that's an image of what has historically happened after leftists took power.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 11 minutes ago (1 children)

Democrats won in 1992, 1996, 2008, 2012, and 2020 without resorting to open fascism. That’s five of the last nine elections, which is roughly what you’d expect in a two party system.

It's also what I expect from a uniparty, with two faces, each getting "equal time".

I’m confident they can do it again in 2028.

Maybe. If we have elections.

No. But that’s an image of what has historically happened after leftists took power.

Ah, you're one of those people that also think North Korea is a Democratic Republic ran by the people, huh?

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 1 points 9 minutes ago* (last edited 7 minutes ago) (1 children)

I forgot all about North Korea.

So no. I was thinking of all the faces stomped by Lenin, Mao, and Pol Pot.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 1 points 6 minutes ago

Right, you think North Korea is a Democratic Republic ran by and for the people, because, well, they claim to be.

Now, extrapolate that to the USSR, which honestly wasn't even socialist since about 1918 when they decided to murder workers for going on strike, and also murdering the people who actually made the revolution happen.

And, the Nazis too... They weren't actually socialists, you know, right?

[–] Ferrous@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

So you're saying that democrats focused on catering to centrists for 2025, lost spectacularly, and the new strategy needs to be.... catering to centrists?

The DNC needs to hire you. Something something, the definition of insanity is....

[–] FlowVoid@lemmy.world 0 points 2 hours ago

I'm saying Democrats successfully won centrists in 2020 (and 1992, and 1996, and 2008, and 2012) but failed to do so in 2024.

They need to understand why. But the solution is probably not "be less centrist".