serendepity

Calling them fascists is a little far-fetched. Do you have evidence to back up that claim? Linking a screenshot does not prove your point, it’s just more rhetoric. Yes, we have reached that point, because it’s a first-past-the-post system. We need to increase political engagement rather than stoking political apathy. We are in the mess that we are because less than 50% people vote in the first place.

The USA has a very strong and effective propaganda machine in action. It uses the Illusory truth effect, suppresses dissent and makes it so that you have to look hard to seek out the truth. I would argue that it is perhaps the most effective propaganda machine on the planet. Not really comparable here.

You say that with a lot of certainty, but without any evidence to back it up. If history is any indication, lasting change is won from the bottom-up. You have to get the masses at large on your side first and the best way to do it is to show them, in small steps, that it can be done and that it’s effective.

And waste my vote in a de-facto two party, first-past-the-post system, thereby accelerating the downfall of democracy? No, thank you. They might both be pieces of shit, but one is significantly less so than the other.

That’s a very myopic view of the whole thing. In a two-party system, first past the post system, not voting for the party for which you would have otherwise voted is virtually the same as voting for the other party. A two party system is a zero sum game and unfortunately for us, it’s the system we have.

Fascism cannot flourish without the presence of a weak, ineffective liberal party.

And I agree; the onus is on us to strengthen it. We need to change it – which is why wee need build awareness and start changing things from the ground up. Even revolutions cannot be sustained if the working class is not politically engaged. Forcing the democratic party to run more working-class, progressive candidates at the local and state levels is one of the most effective ways to do it. At the same time, we must not forget that we’re stuck in a zero some game, lest we undo the progress we have made.

Do you really think that liberals are fascists? I’m curious to know why you think so. Blatant corporatists and complicit in keeping the war machine running? Sure. But I don’t see how you can call them fascists. That’s a very broad brush you’re painting with.

I think this is missing some nuance. While Marx accurately notes that liberals will talk about the imminent threat of fascism to gain public support and push the Overton window ever so slightly to the right in the name of bipartisanship, voting strategically to keep the right from taking reins is unfortunately the only viable option until such a time that grass-root campaigns can be used to change the political makeup at the municipal, district, and state levels first. It takes time to raise awareness, get the working class politically engaged, and build political momentum. Not voting for the lesser evil in a two party system, until such a time that you have built up ideological support with the masses, is a very privileged position to take because it assumes that the damage done by doing so won’t affect you that much.

I’m sorry but short of a revolution (which is unlikely), or slow, measured positive change over the course of decades (which we’d still have to fight hard for), we’re stuck with a two party system and you shouldn’t blame people for sticking with the lesser of two evils. I do agree that Liberals can be heavy handed with their bans, but I guess they’re doing so to keep the discourse focused. Trump is a very real and immediate threat who might commit far more heinous crime if he becomes the president again.

“Settlers” is such mild terminology. We should be calling them “colonizers”. Tbf though, the Pilgrims and other early American settlers were no pacifists. That’s just the image public education and the media has painted for us.

If this is indeed real, can somebody please point me to the paper/text? That introduction has piqued my curiosity and I wanna read the whole thing, even if the math might be incomprehensible.

Lurker checking in to acknowledge my shame. I like that the fediverse has better discourse than reddit and I want to contribute to it. It’s just that I have been a lurker for so long that it’s gonna take some time to start actively engaging.

“…women as second-class citizens”. Dude, you’re the ones trying to limit access to female reproductive care.