General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Hypothetical Question: Would Obama and the Clintons be as successful if they were actually Liberal? [View all]Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)One thing I hear over and over around here and elsewhere in the liberal-sphere is the notion that moderation and compromise are always the correct answer. Liberals are always willing to sell out some of their positions to TRY to get some other positions taken. eventually we end up selling ourselves into a corner. Our "leaders" are mostly just men and women who can sell conservative positions to liberals. And half the time they get away with this because of the braindead mentality of "OH DYUR THEY'RE DEMOCRATS THEY MUST BE GOOD LIBERALS!"
So long as we keep giving up and selling out, this is how it's going to be. It doesn't matter that the Republicans are beating themselves in the face with hammers all damn day long; they're sticking to their guns (literally) and so their agenda still gets pushed through.
It's time for liberals to ditch this culture of compromise. Take radical positions and stick by them. YES, socialized medicine. Yes sturdy safety nets. Yes comprehensive national public education - enough with letting Texas set the curriculum in Vermont for fuck's sake. Yes to aggressive environmental protection.
And it's saddening to realize that only in the US could these actually be considered "radical" positions.