2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumYou know who has really had it?
The regular folks.
We are sick and tired of the radical right, and the radical left.
Both of the above mentioned are the squeaky wheels who get the grease, but the rest of us are sick and tired of it.
The above mentioned are always angry, always aggrieved, and never satisfied.
Enough.
We are ready for sane, practical, and rational leadership. We are the majority, and we have had enough.
Don't confuse our silence for acceptance. We may not be complaining and angry about everything under the sun, but we do vote, and we will vote.... in record numbers.
And when we do, and do so in record numbers, I hope the radical right, and the radical left will finally shut up and let us proceed with progressive accomplishments.
Nobody has time for all of the loudmouthed idiot haters. It's time to get to work and start doing things, instead of complaining about things. Some are just never satisfied. We have all had enough of them.
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)Doctor Jack
(3,072 posts)Oh my god, they are mildly annoying! Just as bad as Trump's Klan Redux.
I hate it when they do that.
lostnfound
(16,138 posts)Just like the tea party, fundies, nra, and Wall Street
Turin_C3PO
(13,649 posts)The radical right is far more numerous and dangerous than the radical left. Not to mention their ideas are far, far, worse.
ashtonelijah
(340 posts)Turin_C3PO
(13,649 posts)But as reprehensible as neo-nazis, they ain't. Most of o the far left at least want a good society for all, even if it's unattainable.
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)There was no opposition. We voted for thei tax cuts and their Patriot Act, and their wars, enabled or turned a blind eye to torture and then refused to hold them accountable.
And after years of deregulation and a feeding frenzy where money drunk thieves bought and sold and insured bad mortgages with no assets to back them up the house of cards fell and it was Democrats that passed TARP to bail the crooked bastards out. We crippled the budget with a $19 trillion dollar national debt that is 106% as a share of our GDP. We have 47 million peopld living in poverty
So I say bullshit on your condemnation of the left.
cliffordu
(30,994 posts)And Al Gore gave Bush the presidency.
ashtonelijah
(340 posts)without Rove and Nader's hand-holding efforts to pull votes from Gore.
cyberswede
(26,117 posts)rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)I am sick of them, but not as sick of the radical right which has been the white supremist, who have been around forever.
So the left has never been as radical as the right.
KMOD
(7,906 posts)rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)Why don't you tell me what makes up the radical left.
HERVEPA
(6,107 posts)Very liberal people on this board who are sick of the garbage term radical left, whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.
This is not the Third Way Underground
KMOD
(7,906 posts)and I know, and see the difference.
Just sayin'.
HERVEPA
(6,107 posts)KMOD
(7,906 posts)or don't see the radical left.
Especially since there is not much breathing room between them and the alt-right group.
Anyone who can call themselves left, and yet be against social justice issues, ... well, it speaks for itself.
It's just two sides of the same coin as far as I'm concerned.
Neither group wants progress. And both group show the same tendencies of anger, hatred and selfishness.
The "radical left" that I've seen is never conservative on social issues. That would make them, by definition, not left. Same thing if someone called themselves far left but was an economic conservative. It wouldn't compute. They would be libertarian in that case.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,150 posts)Or an example of the 'grease' you think they've received (from the media, from some level of government)?
"Anyone who can call themselves left, and yet be against social justice issues" - someone who attacks capitalism, but doesn't want LGBT rights? The Pope, perhaps?
On edit: Julian Assange, perhaps? I think he could qualify for "anyone who can call themselves left, and yet be against social justice issues". But he's not American, and being stuck in a tiny embassy for a few years, it's hard to see that he's "got the grease", apart from perhaps in terms of publicity.
Is there an American public figure you can give as an example?
NanceGreggs
(27,813 posts)... who the radical left is, especially over the past year.
Theyre the people who can (and do) rattle off a thousand reasons why the Democratic Party is doing everything wrong but can't think of a single thing the party is doing right.
They will tell you (whether you ask or not) who is a True Progressive , and (rather impatiently) explain that if you dont agree with them 100%, (a) you are a DINO who supports DINOs, (b) youre a water-carrier for The Establishment, and/or (c) you have your head in the sand and dont know whats really going on, man. Or theyll just call you Third Way whatever the hell THATS supposed to mean.
They are always concerned, and dont hesitate to throw a turd in every punchbowl they see. No one is ever pure enough, and nothing is ever good enough.
Along with being perpetually pissed-off, they feel perpetually pissed-on and insist they are being persecuted by the less-enlightened (i.e. anyone who isnt with them), or ignored by the Party PTB whoever they are.
They are often above actively participating in politics because theyre too busy coming up with excuses not to. They stand on the sidelines, complaining about not being heard and never seem to notice that the people who DO actively participate are the ones being listened to, and are the ones effecting change BY participating. Imagine that.
KMOD
(7,906 posts)canetoad
(17,088 posts)AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)BooScout
(10,406 posts)You summed it up perfectly.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)betsuni
(25,126 posts)Boo hoo, Perpetually Disgruntled True Progressives.
jalan48
(13,797 posts)Cary
(11,746 posts)catbyte
(34,170 posts)forest444
(5,902 posts)Moneypenny: "Oh, do be careful James!"
GoDawgs
(267 posts)By the very nature of being extremist. There's no room for impure 'others' that have a less vigorous enthusiasm than the truest believers. This elevates the more extreme viewpoints & advocates among the peer group. Members/believers absorb and feedback into a new initial condition state for the group.
That's why it's often quite easy to get inside an extremist's OODA loop (Boyd Cycle) when one engages in a discussion with them.
The agility and engagement and diversity of centrism isn't sexy, but it's what works best and most reliably for most...Although I do prefer my centrism to be Left oriented.
me too!
Thank you. You nailed it.
SHRED
(28,136 posts)...to want universal healthcare?
To want a federal government that is not dominated by corporate profit influence?
To want our tax dollars spent on us for a change instead of the military/petroleum/corporate complex?
cliffordu
(30,994 posts)NanceGreggs
(27,813 posts)... no one but "the radical left" wants those things, when they have been - and continue to be - the shared goals of Democrats of all stripes - so-called centrists, moderates, and liberals alike.
The "radical left" seem to believe that if THEY want _____, that means no one else does. In fact, they invented ______, and no one even knew about _____ until they "changed the conversation".
SHRED
(28,136 posts)That's on you.
The OP didn't define "radical Left" and I'm asking questions.
NanceGreggs
(27,813 posts)... that the things you've referenced are things desired by all Democrats.
So why ask if the desire for such things is a sign of being on the "radical left"?
SHRED
(28,136 posts)...that being against the TPP and hydrologic fracking would be every Democrats desire however showing concern for the hiring of Ken Salazar invokes scorn here.
So I'm not sure anymore.
KMOD
(7,906 posts)Do you consider yourself the radical left?
Do you consider yourself different from everyday regular liberal minded Democrats?
SHRED
(28,136 posts)...and refuse to define it yourself and are asking others?
Strange.
Okay...here's a "radical Left" group of yesteryear: The Weather Underground. And no I never associated with them nor approved.
Your turn.
KMOD
(7,906 posts)and I'll add that not only am I shocked at those who seem to refuse to understand this, and it's not that difficult to do so, but they also seem to take much umbrage and demand a definition for their obstructionism.
They aren't left, they aren't liberal, and they aren't interested in progress.
Radicals, be they right, or left, are holding us all back. They have merged into the same thing. Neither wants progress, they just want to whine and complain. They all need to get out of the way. Their anger and bitterness is holding us back. It's time to move on without them.
rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)It has all come from the right. The left, and even the so called radical left, socialism, in this country, has worked for regular people. When I hear radical left, my first thought..Bill O'Reilly is speaking.
KMOD
(7,906 posts)So is that your definition?
Where do you place liberal Democrats who don't follow your logic?
rusty quoin
(6,133 posts)I asked you before as to who are the radical left, and you did not answer me.
DFW
(54,051 posts)Universal health care (NOT available all over Europe, where I live, despite what some would have us believe), getting big money out of government, and more taxes spent on improving our lives than the taking of lives in other countries--these are no longer "radical" notions. It is not 1965 any more.
However, the notion that they can be brought about in seconds with the wave of some magical electoral wand, is not only radical, but on a par with the tooth fairy. The process that got us to this point was not an overnight thunder bolt. Neither will its solution. Cheney and Rove set about the planning of the Citizens United decision at SCOTUS when they got Junior to nominate Roberts and Alito to the Court. We're talking 5 years before the actual decision. MAYBE the subject wasn't brought up when they were meeting privately with Cheney prior to their nomination by Bush Lite. MAYBE Elvis is alive and living in Romania, too.
rbrnmw
(7,160 posts)The very nature of our Govt was constructed to work together. I believe most Americans are sick to death of this partisan insanity coming from mostly the right, but we have our own malcontents as well.
G_j
(40,366 posts)my, oh my, I haven't heard that before!
where the hell am I?
GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)DemonGoddess
(4,640 posts)I'll tell ya, Nance had the BEST responses to your OP! Totally agree though, when you have extremists of ANY stripe demanding this, that and the other thing, and unwilling to work WITH anyone, there's a definite problem.
You're absolutely right. We DO come out and vote, the majority of us who are NOT extremes.
duncang
(1,907 posts)That is what killed the repub's. As to radical right- radical left. To me it is more along the lines of being authoritarian or not. People understand most on the left aren't authoritarian. The my way or the highway type. Authoritarianism is not necessarily a left right thing. Discussion with the understanding that not everyone will agree is what moves us forward. Wanting a progressive agenda is not wrong. And most ideas I really agree with. But there are some where I split off from some.
betsuni
(25,126 posts)CrispyQ
(36,225 posts)jodymarie aimee
(3,975 posts)I protested the war in 1969-70 in Berkeley. Below is my February letter to my local paper about Bernie. I knew Bernie had no chance, and HRC would be our nominee. I am happy to campaign every day for her. When the Tea People made their debut, I said time for us to do that on our side. WE DID NOT. So for you to say there is some false equivalency is nuts. The Republican batshit crazy radicals are nowhere to be found on our side. What planet are you living on? My letter follows and if you can find anything batshit crazy in the New Deal and the 2016 version of same, let me know.
**************************************************************************************
In 1951 America was prosperous with a 90% tax rate. Conservative writer Russell Kirk predicted if the middle class grew to the point where they started to feel their own economic power that would lead to chaos. He contended change was ok if small slow and incremental. Progressives, in line with the new Deal, said just the opposite. Kirk predicted women, minorities, 18 year olds, soldiers, gays would demand their rights. He wrote that we've got to dial back the middle class. Reagan said the middle class is too fat and happy. "Why should I pay for free tuition for some kid who's just going to challenge my policies and call me names?"Reagan did away with tuition free college. Since the 1980s Republicans have promised to grow the economy by cutting taxes, privatizing the public sphere and deregulating. Democrats have mainly promised to limit he damage done by the Republicans.
Why are the middle class voting against their own interests and not demanding what we demanded in the 1930s and 1960s? Right now the only person saying stuff like this is Bernie. Corporate media ignore him, they are too busy fawning over the Vulgarian. Bernie is calling for a political revolution and appealing to our better angels. The seeds of the better have always been there. It is quite simply a new humanity. While we are fortunate to have 2 great candidates on the Democratic side, Hillary is a Corporate Democrat and Bernie is a Progressive Democrat. Bernie has lived his politics for decades, he has no baggage. He will not move to the middle for votes, that is nuts.
Some are rightly scared, they have all their marbles in the system. But, that system is unworkable. The problems we are up against relate to a power structure that is ruining this county. Social inertia. Crystallization means the more pressure you put on coal the sooner it turns into diamonds. This guy has captured the entire minority so that is isn't a minority anymore. .It's a majority of minorities. Bernie's stirring our brains with a spoon. JFK said we are going to do big things, things they say are impossible. The future's about nerve.
You say America won't vote for a Socialist Jew? I say to you, America celebrates a Socialist Jew every December 25th. Socialism didn't poison Flint. Austerity and capitalism run amok did. Some say his policies are pie in the sky. 170 economists beg to differ. They will work, they have worked.
The New Deal and Civil Rights Movement created a country that was for things, not against things. We succeeded in creating a place, for a brief shining moment that embodied all we had been taught to hold dear, that all men were created equal and destined for a place where the pursuit of happiness was an achievable goal. Halfway down the stairs is a stair. Bernie is that stair.
goldent
(1,582 posts)I've dropped out.