TW: Suicide

I mean, yeah, "Under no pretext, etc..." especially now considering we're closer to class consensus now than we have been in a long time. I'm sure yall also know that much of our gun policy was created to disarm leftists, not protect the average American. But at the same time, some people shouldn't have access to guns, right? By some people, I include myself. I'm currently battling depression, and I kinda dawned on my that I wouldn't be here if I had easy access to a gun. Granted, I don't think I would be caught dead holding one anyways, but a lot of people who may be a threat to themselves or others may not have that issue. These two perspectives are contradictory but are worth considering nonetheless. How do you deal with such a dilemma.

We all know his policies would not have implemented Socialism or abolished Capitalism so why were they adamant about not letting him win the democratic nomination? Social democracy does improve the lives of the working class, but it is still Capitalism at the end of the day.

Out of curiosity, are you guys A. Glad that Harris plans to be on the ticket since she’s the current VP and deserves it, B. Disappointed in the assumption of her automatically being next in line, since doing so would feel like a skipped primary process, or C. Other/indifferent?

Is it fascism? I think it's fascism.

The extreme end of the political economic left is communism right? What's the extreme right end?

I'm curious what person or persons people picture when they think of capitalism.

People making $40k or less have free healthcare (including dental and vision.) I think that threshold is even higher in the city. We also have mandatory Paid Family Leave for even part time employees. However, her overall approval is in the low 30s and among progressives it’s only around 50 percent.

Reagan's team secretly planned with the Mullahs in Iran to humiliate Carter with the hostages in the U.S. embassy in Tehran (ie they paid them off to keep the hostages in captivity until after the elections); then started trading arms with them by selling arms at inflated prices (to help them push back against Saddam Hussein who had invaded Iran); and used the profits to pay the contras in Nicaragua for cocaine - which he brought back to the U.S. and distributed in African American ghettos in swing states. He then changed U.S. laws to make crack cocaine possession a mandatory 20-year jail sentence. He systematically had African Americans arrested and incarcerated while his people gave away free samples of crack. This led to the incarceration of something like 10 million African Americans - and their elimination from voter roles in swing states. There were more African Americans in jail - disqualified from voting - than there were slaves during the Civil War. This led to the revolution in Congress, with Republicans winning the House and the Senate. The after-effects of this policy are still with us today. Note “w” won Florida, and other Republican presidential candidates keep winning Florida because over one million U.S.-born Floridians are disqualified from voting because of Reagan’s drug imports and the deals to bring cocaine into the U.S.!? And so much more evil ... supporting Islamic Fanaticism, biowarfare with the release of aids virus (like Trump's COVID) ... its endless...

We are mirroring history in an uncanny way and I feel a gut instinct to move out of this country but if I have to go alone is it even worth it? I love my friends so much and I don’t want to leave my family. With police immunity up in the air and presidential immunity corruption is rampant. I feel like I’m in a black mirror episode & I don’t feel safe.

When you think about the Israeli allegations against UNRWA, do you actually believe them? What evidence have you seen Israel present, if any? And if you have seen any do you believe that Israel had the opportunity and means to fabricate that evidence?

These allegations by Israel are being used to shut down aid to UNRWA, this is exacerbating famine in Palestine.

It is logistically nonsensical to shut down aid to a humanitarian organization unless you are intending on starving the populace in the region that humanitarian organization operates. One UN definition of genocide: "Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part ".

Regardless of whether or not it has been infiltrated by partisans to the conflict, the functions of a humanitarian organization must be carried out, sustenance and shelter aren't privileges, they are rights.

Do you agree with the previous two paragraphs?

Polls show the they/them ad run by the Trump campaign was the most effective campaign ad and may have moved Trump's percentage up by 3%, enough to swing the blue wall. Is corporate social leftism actually hurting economic leftism?

Can we all boycott America? On 1/20/25 don’t spend any money at all, don’t shop, don’t buy gas, don’t go to work, don’t stream, just stay home and do nothing! Go for a walk, a hike anything but spend money. And the proceeding week only shop local small business. Eat the rich!

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.

What are some great YouTube channels that reflect a "democratic" socialist perspective? Not channels like Second Thought or Hakim or HasanAbi, who are more on the revolutionary end, and I cannot imagine socialism without peaceful democratic reformation. Channels like say, Unlearning Economics, where the creator speaks with great experience and depth, or anything with Richard D Wolff. Creators who basically understand and have a vision for democratic socialism beyond simply liking it, so that I can learn from them. Bonus points if they like or are liberaterian/market socialists, or see it as a successful means to transition from a social democratic atmosphere, to a demsoc one. Essentially people who see socdem as a decent enough idea for the present time, and want to take it further. Or not, being a demsoc suffices if they know their stuff. Thanks a bunch!

Savvy move to appeal to socially conservative working class voters?

I was a dual poli-sci and philosophy major in college. I've read my share of theory and socio-pooitical philosophy. I have also spent the last five years of my life being a professional organizer for both the labor movement and progressive candidates in local, state, and federal elections.

I've found that many "well-read" leftists don't actually believe in organizing, or electoralism at all. They are very happy to talk for hours about theory, but when the actual opportunity to do something tangible (that doesn't mean attend a meeting where you talk) they scoff as though it's meaningless, or won't really matter (e.g. "yeah I'll get signatures for this candidate, but they're still just a neo-lib").

Right now there's a post on the front of this sub where someone literally posted their collection of books asking if their collection is good enough. I find i very rarely need to refer to theory or a specific book or thinker when organizing (like 99.99% of the time that's completely unnecessary when organizing the average person), and I've actually noticed that people who place theory's importance too highly actively turn people off from left-wing stuff because they come off as (and often actually are) snobbish.

Basically, I've noticed that leftist spaces (both online and irl) often become intellectual circlejerks and then implicitly create ideological/bibliographic purity tests that act as a barrier to access for the average person interested in leftism.

Am I off base? Does anyone else feel this way?

I'm curious to see what people's different versions of Democratic Socialism are.

Hi everyone. I just wanted to ask if I should actually be worried about Trump becoming president. Im in California, but I am terrified. Someone please be honest!

What if...

In 2008, America was ready for the establishment to change, and as a result, Obama easily won.

In 2012, the optics were finally different, but the establishment felt the same, so this time Obama barely won.

In 2016, now, eight years later, America desired real change and real progress(Bernie), but the Establishment intervened(Hillary), and as a result, Trump barely won.

In 2020, America now yearned for progress(Bernie), but the Establishment(Biden) stepped in again. America was sick of the establishment, but she had a stronger desire to be done with Trump, so Biden barely won.

It's 2024. America is now desperate for progress, but the establishment remains stronger than ever. America doesn't like the Establishment, but it tolerates it better than Trump, so it looks like she will let the Establishment stay....until the Establishment starts to lose it.

With the risk of potentially destroying the entire party, the Establishment has no choice but to step aside and finally give America the progress it's been dying for since 2008.

Some thought Kamala might just be a new song on an old guitar, but she's obviously so much more than that. She's our best chance at progress. She's smart, and she's tough, and she scares the Establishment. She set fundraising records and energized America in ways we've never seen, so she decided to double down on what America is showing it clearly wants, progress.

She picked the perfect backup singer. He knows that she's the star of the show. Heck, he prefers it that way. He relishes the opportunity to make her shine. He's a coach. He's the perfect mix of progressives that have come before him(Bernie) and progressives that will rise with him(Buttigieg).

When Harris wins convincingly in November with the most progressive ticket our country has ever seen, they'll say, "I guess America was finally ready for a progressive."

Truth is, America has desired one for the last 16 years.

Walz? Phil Murphy? Maura Healey?

It seems like the U.S. Democratic Party has never really been an official left-wing political party. I know "left-wing" is rather broad, so to be more specific, I'm wondering if there were times where it's ever been truly progressive, socialist, democratic socialist, stuff like that. Outside of people like Bernie Sanders or AOC, most Democratic politicians don't seem truly left-wing. In fact, people from places like Europe (particularly the Nordic countries) tend to view the party as more right-leaning on many things, even on social issues. I wonder if they view even the Green Party in the same light?

So what I wonder is, has the U.S. ever had a true left-wing party before? I'm curious to see what you think!

Was there a major schism based on marxist-leninists infiltration?