"Left" used to mean something that I could feel good about. I was Left because I didn't want to wage wars to protect Capital. I was Left because in the struggle between workers and business, I was on the side of workers. I was Left because it meant freedom of speech and freedom from arbitrary rules made by self-righteous busybodies.
The words "Left" and "Liberal" have been stolen from us. Now that Kamala Harris is denounced by Trumpsters as a "communist" while she has the enthusiastic support of Dick Cheney -- what can it possibly mean to be "Left" today?
Even when you felt good about being left, it still pit you against people who identify as right. Now that is has become meaningless, many don't notice the changes and go on as before. That is why I chose to write descriptors which have meaning.
Yes, Josh. I distinguish between what I call the AUTHENTIC left, to which you and I belong, being anti-imperialists to the core, and the FAUXI left which is indeed utterly false. Defenders of this empire are not in the slightest Left, though a few like Sanders lean left but never embrace it.
Ah Diane, brilliant perceptions! And what ever happened to "Thou Shalt Not Kill."? I want to bring what you wrote to the attention of the Braver Angels people who create safe space for people to converse who share varying views. The two-party system is so dysfunctional. when people run for a political office they usually only talk on the campaign trail with people of their own party who organize the events. This was made painfully clear to me the two times I ran for Congress. The two-party system seems custom made to keep the 99% at each others throats rather than questioning how the top-dogs got and maintain their power base. When we they ever learn.... Perhaps sufficient numbers now are waking up. One can hope...
Thanks for your wonderful comment. I think the 2 party system is shaken up for this election and on its way out - much work to do to make this happen. Thanks for sharing with Braver Angels and anyone else. Excellent point about keeping us at each others' throats. Off the right/left axis. Much work to do and things are more fluid now.
Sensible, deep, real, as is all you write, Diane ... My thoughts on this moment and MAHA (or MAHAHA, that's great :) ), are that the first name on the Republican presidential ticket is a man who often speaks impulsively (or so it seems), and has a brash immaturity that naturally turns many people off, and has also been exaggerated and exploited to turn as many people as possible into TDS-zombies, incapable of curiosity.
I'd surely rather a President Kennedy than President Trump. But, the DNC-aligned blob made that impossible, so, here we are.
And surrounding Trump, whose character it's hard to even really know at this point, with all the media manipulation, but who, yes, has said obnoxious things - are so many people of such deep, admirable, amazing maturity. Some are only aligned with Trump because at this point its the only way through, given what the party of mandates, censorship, prosecution of heroic doctors, and endless war, has done.
And the TDS mindset is locked in to focus on the obvious immature qualities of one man, amplified immensely by media gaslighting and things that are not even true at all ("very fine people on both sides" completely out of context, for one of many examples),
And they are so afraid of him, hate him so, so much ... that they refuse to be curious about people like the wonderful souls who spoke at Ron Johnson's hearing on Monday, about restoring health to soils, people, and the scientific process. ...
Unfortunately he keeps giving TDS a lot of material to work with. One person's TDS is another persons "Trump Anxiety Syndrome - like putting kids in cages, cancelling the Iran nuclear deal, improving relations with Cuba and now inciting fear of immigrants and blaming Jews if he loses. Kamal is dangerous and in bed with AIPAC and the military industrial complex with a civilized persona. I started working on creating a Shadow Cabinet of ideal people qualified for each role. It's a really tough call. There is definitely political hysteria and whichever way it gos there will be chaos in November and intense emotions.
your forum is the only place where people understand things are not black/white, where people understand that unresolved issues are passed to the next generation, where people try to understand what motivates war and hate and think outside that mental box most of are are trapped in. Not just the Israeli Arab conflict but things seem to be getting worse and more dangerous regarding Ukraine and Russia. Mike
Yes, agree with all. Tragically while reacting to generational trauma they are sewing seeds for future unless there is a lot of healing processes and new leadership. I hope you are safe.
I'm 78 and for years I have said what you are writing about. Knowing many people I have always said there are woman who vote Republican who are pro choice. That the first racist people I encountered were long time Democrats living on Chicago's south side. Ridiculous to believe just because one chooses to vote a certain way everyone embraces the platform or is the epidemy of what the Media calls a Republican or a Democrat.
"Left" used to mean something that I could feel good about. I was Left because I didn't want to wage wars to protect Capital. I was Left because in the struggle between workers and business, I was on the side of workers. I was Left because it meant freedom of speech and freedom from arbitrary rules made by self-righteous busybodies.
The words "Left" and "Liberal" have been stolen from us. Now that Kamala Harris is denounced by Trumpsters as a "communist" while she has the enthusiastic support of Dick Cheney -- what can it possibly mean to be "Left" today?
Even when you felt good about being left, it still pit you against people who identify as right. Now that is has become meaningless, many don't notice the changes and go on as before. That is why I chose to write descriptors which have meaning.
Diane, Please note my comment to Josh.
Yes, Josh. I distinguish between what I call the AUTHENTIC left, to which you and I belong, being anti-imperialists to the core, and the FAUXI left which is indeed utterly false. Defenders of this empire are not in the slightest Left, though a few like Sanders lean left but never embrace it.
Ah Diane, brilliant perceptions! And what ever happened to "Thou Shalt Not Kill."? I want to bring what you wrote to the attention of the Braver Angels people who create safe space for people to converse who share varying views. The two-party system is so dysfunctional. when people run for a political office they usually only talk on the campaign trail with people of their own party who organize the events. This was made painfully clear to me the two times I ran for Congress. The two-party system seems custom made to keep the 99% at each others throats rather than questioning how the top-dogs got and maintain their power base. When we they ever learn.... Perhaps sufficient numbers now are waking up. One can hope...
Thanks for your wonderful comment. I think the 2 party system is shaken up for this election and on its way out - much work to do to make this happen. Thanks for sharing with Braver Angels and anyone else. Excellent point about keeping us at each others' throats. Off the right/left axis. Much work to do and things are more fluid now.
Sensible, deep, real, as is all you write, Diane ... My thoughts on this moment and MAHA (or MAHAHA, that's great :) ), are that the first name on the Republican presidential ticket is a man who often speaks impulsively (or so it seems), and has a brash immaturity that naturally turns many people off, and has also been exaggerated and exploited to turn as many people as possible into TDS-zombies, incapable of curiosity.
I'd surely rather a President Kennedy than President Trump. But, the DNC-aligned blob made that impossible, so, here we are.
And surrounding Trump, whose character it's hard to even really know at this point, with all the media manipulation, but who, yes, has said obnoxious things - are so many people of such deep, admirable, amazing maturity. Some are only aligned with Trump because at this point its the only way through, given what the party of mandates, censorship, prosecution of heroic doctors, and endless war, has done.
And the TDS mindset is locked in to focus on the obvious immature qualities of one man, amplified immensely by media gaslighting and things that are not even true at all ("very fine people on both sides" completely out of context, for one of many examples),
And they are so afraid of him, hate him so, so much ... that they refuse to be curious about people like the wonderful souls who spoke at Ron Johnson's hearing on Monday, about restoring health to soils, people, and the scientific process. ...
Unfortunately he keeps giving TDS a lot of material to work with. One person's TDS is another persons "Trump Anxiety Syndrome - like putting kids in cages, cancelling the Iran nuclear deal, improving relations with Cuba and now inciting fear of immigrants and blaming Jews if he loses. Kamal is dangerous and in bed with AIPAC and the military industrial complex with a civilized persona. I started working on creating a Shadow Cabinet of ideal people qualified for each role. It's a really tough call. There is definitely political hysteria and whichever way it gos there will be chaos in November and intense emotions.
your forum is the only place where people understand things are not black/white, where people understand that unresolved issues are passed to the next generation, where people try to understand what motivates war and hate and think outside that mental box most of are are trapped in. Not just the Israeli Arab conflict but things seem to be getting worse and more dangerous regarding Ukraine and Russia. Mike
Yes, agree with all. Tragically while reacting to generational trauma they are sewing seeds for future unless there is a lot of healing processes and new leadership. I hope you are safe.
I'm 78 and for years I have said what you are writing about. Knowing many people I have always said there are woman who vote Republican who are pro choice. That the first racist people I encountered were long time Democrats living on Chicago's south side. Ridiculous to believe just because one chooses to vote a certain way everyone embraces the platform or is the epidemy of what the Media calls a Republican or a Democrat.
Thanks for your comment. The two party system dumbs us down and blunts critical thinking.