Bernie Has A Mean Followers Problem

Monica Dream

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Bernie Or Bust is bad, but I get it
slate said:
Because the truth is this: Every threat these Sanders stans are explicitly making is one the venerated Centrist Swing Voter makes implicitly—and isn’t judged for. The centrist never even has to articulate his threat. The media narrates it for him. “What does the swing voter want?” is the kind of question that rescues this brand of voter from owning or even admitting any moral consequences at all. The question is framed as sensible, and so is its subject. The swing voter—which, let’s be clear, is diminishing in this political landscape —is typically treated as the antithesis of a Bernie stan: as a rational and passionless subject (as if contemplating just not voting in an election were a morally neutral choice). That the swing voter is arguably worse than the Bernie or Bust crew—in that in lieu of just staying home and not voting at all, he might actually vote for the other guy—doesn’t even register. That’s how accustomed we all are to being held hostage to the centrist concerns. As for leftists, who are undeniably real? Well, the Democratic machine has never wondered what they thought; it’s simply taken them for granted. After all, who else are they going to vote for?
 

Innula Zenovka

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I just do not understand this terror of socialism in the US.

Bernie Sanders is a mainstream social democrat in European terms. Back in 2016, he described himself as a democratic socialist, and said that
"I think we should look to countries like Denmark, like Sweden and Norway," Sanders said, "and learn what they have accomplished for their working people."
Here in the UK, and throughout Europe, the vast majority of people, including most people on the right, would agree with him.
 

Clara D.

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I just do not understand this terror of socialism in the US.

Bernie Sanders is a mainstream social democrat in European terms. Back in 2016, he described himself as a democratic socialist, and said that
Here in the UK, and throughout Europe, the vast majority of people, including most people on the right, would agree with him.
Because only pinko commies would support socialism.

MERIKA BOOOYAH.
 

Aribeth Zelin

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This morning, one of my political FB friends said that if Warren didn't drop from the race, she wasn't a true progressive, or else she would step aside for Bernie. This, combined with another FB friend [family, but...] prompted a rant about who no one said shit when Bernie got in the race when there were already good progressive candidates, that people need to look at where their articles were coming from on both sides of the isle [aimed at my cousin who believes -everything-], and that we need to stop with the fighting over disagreements.

Then pointed out that basing the primary on the two states almost as white as me and far more rural was stupid af.

I get people supporting Bernie - but then someone shared a series of tweets from Warren and well, it occurs to me she's more practical solutions, but also still paying attention to what's going on with our government right now, than Sanders - like she's still actually doing her job and not just campaigning.

PS - also told everyone on my timeline to maybe figure out if they are just being sexist re: Warren/Sanders - because its pretty sad the collective attitudes I'm seeing from supposed progressives. Heck, even my spouse is buying into the whole 'only a man can beat Twitler' narrative.
 

Dakota Tebaldi

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For many Americans (even these days), Socialism = Communism.

Period.
Also for many Americans, the government paying for anything = Socialism

I really don't get this. Even Medicare-for-All and the vaunted Free-College-Tuition-For-All aren't really socialist, because yeah the government is paying for them with tax money, but that money is being paid to private service providers (i.e., doctors, hospitals, universities, etc).
 

Kamilah Hauptmann

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I really don't get this. Even Medicare-for-All and the vaunted Free-College-Tuition-For-All aren't really socialist, because yeah the government is paying for them with tax money, but that money is being paid to private service providers (i.e., doctors, hospitals, universities, etc).
Government administrating the medical basics and paying private service providers for the benefit of the American public is socialism in the same sense as government administrating the military needs and paying private industry for weapons for the benefit of the American public.

jfc i just managed to make it sound kinda evil
 

Innula Zenovka

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For many Americans (even these days), Socialism = Communism.

Period.
I can see -- vividly remember -- how that worked when the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries were available as examples of socialism, since there were many aspects of life in the various People's Republics that were clearly highly undesirable to anyone used to the political and economic freedoms enjoyed in the other industrialised nations.

How many Americans (or Brits, or French people or citizens of the Federal Republic of German) wanted to live somewhere like East Germany? Very few.

But Scandinavia, when everyone can see the Scandinavian countries are all free, democratic, peaceful and prosperous places?

I can understand people pointing things about those countries they don't like, such as high taxes, but I just don't see how it work when people try to say, "He wants to turn the US into some kind of socialist hell-hole like ... Norway."

To me, that just doesn't work.
 

Shiloh Lyric

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I get people supporting Bernie - but then someone shared a series of tweets from Warren and well, it occurs to me she's more practical solutions, but also still paying attention to what's going on with our government right now, than Sanders - like she's still actually doing her job and not just campaigning.

PS - also told everyone on my timeline to maybe figure out if they are just being sexist re: Warren/Sanders - because its pretty sad the collective attitudes I'm seeing from supposed progressives. Heck, even my spouse is buying into the whole 'only a man can beat Twitler' narrative.
As far as I'm aware, she's the first one who reiterated the call for Barr to resign today. And she's the one with the plan to root out corruption, something which needs to be done and which few, if any, of the other candidates even talk about.

But, she apparently needs to yell louder, or something, to get noticed.
 

Lady Darnk Juniorette

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I can see -- vividly remember -- how that worked when the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries were available as examples of socialism, since there were many aspects of life in the various People's Republics that were clearly highly undesirable to anyone used to the political and economic freedoms enjoyed in the other industrialised nations.

How many Americans (or Brits, or French people or citizens of the Federal Republic of German) wanted to live somewhere like East Germany? Very few.

But Scandinavia, when everyone can see the Scandinavian countries are all free, democratic, peaceful and prosperous places?

I can understand people pointing things about those countries they don't like, such as high taxes, but I just don't see how it work when people try to say, "He wants to turn the US into some kind of socialist hell-hole like ... Norway."

To me, that just doesn't work.
Taxation is theft!!!!!
If they're poor thats their own fault!!!!!
BOOT STRAPS!!!!!
etc etc.