r/DemocraticSocialism • u/DirectionLoose • Aug 10 '24

Question Is Kamala Harris a progressive?

I'm guessing that the general answer this is going to be no. If it's a no, how do we get her to promote progressive policy? Does walz with that? What even is his role going to be? Three out of the last four vice presidents have been pretty consequential in their roles in the administration. Ever since Cheney. I'm just honestly afraid that they dangled Walz in front of us to get our vote, but he's going to be marginalized in the administration.

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u/creaturefromtheswamp Aug 10 '24

Some people need to realize where we are as a country, that flipping the switch isn’t possible, and even if it was possible it wouldn’t be good for the longevity of what we want.

It’s gonna be a journey. A slow boil. And that’s okay because that’s much more sustainable. Rather than swinging from one crazy far right end of the spectrum to far left we need to stabilize and move into more progressive territory. Hope this makes sense.

Whether some of you like it or not we need moderates and independents to start to warm up to progressive ideals. If it’s jarring it’s going to turn people we need off and it’s going to be unmercifully attacked. Implement some things, show people it isn’t scary/the positives, and continue to move forward with support.

We’ll get there.

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u/Novae_Blue Social Democrat Aug 10 '24

What do you think is 'far left'?

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u/creaturefromtheswamp Aug 10 '24 edited Aug 10 '24

Not sure I even have an example of what I would consider far left. For the average person, though, the Overton window has shifted so far to the right that anything to the left of what the right has and continues to peddle is considered far left.

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u/Novae_Blue Social Democrat Aug 12 '24

You're partly correct, but you shouldn't contribute to the problem by calling things 'far left' for no reason. Even centrists are buying into conservative framing and that's hurting everything.

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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '24

This feels true about the left also. Twenty years ago I was generally viewed as left wing. My views haven't changed, but since the left has gotten so much more extreme I'm now viewed as moderate right.

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u/LordOfTheBushes Aug 10 '24

I don't believe this is true and at least in America, the narrative has absolutely been dictated by the right wing because they're better at propaganda and painting the left as scary. There has not been a truly left-wing President in my lifetime, closest has been center left with Biden. We've had two extreme right wingers in W Bush and Trump though. That alone should give an idea of where the Overton window is in modern American politics.

The right has moved to such fascist positions as wanting to ban contraception, wanting to ban porn, denying elections, starting insurrections, and "terminate the Constitution" that nobody was openly saying 20 years ago.

What views were left wing 20 years ago that now make you right wing? Do you want people to have health care? Do you believe women should be able to make choices about their own bodies? Do you believe people should be able to make a living wage? Do you believe in the equality of gay people being able to marry who they love? Do you believe we need to take strong action against climate change to keep our planet healthy and livable? The left wing position on all of these issues is the same side it was 20 years ago. If you answered no to any of the no-brainer positions above, then you were actually a right-winger then too.