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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: August 21st, 2023

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  • The Republicans will never reduce the debt because the only cuts that would make a difference are the ones that are the most popular with their voters. Couple that with tax cuts and the math just doesn’t work for deficit and debt reduction with a Republican government.

    Are they going to cut Social Security? No, too many older voters that depend on that income. Medicare? Nope, same thing.

    Will they cut the military? Of course not, they wouldn’t be able to virtue signal about how patriotic they are.

    They’ll surely cut the education and IRS budgets, but the education cuts wouldn’t make a significant difference and the IRS cuts actually increase deficits because then the IRS can’t go after the rich.

    The Democrats wouldn’t cut any of those things either, but if the Democrats increased taxes for top earners and top-earning corporations, and implemented a wealth tax, the increased revenue actually could reduce the deficit.


  • MA had a ballot initiative that would have gradually brought the minimum tipped wage in line with the state’s minimum wage over the next 5 years or something.

    Restaurants posted signs at their door to vote NO and that 90 percent of tipped workers opposed the bill.

    A bartender I know told me that I should vote no because if it passed then restaurants would have to reduce headcount and servers who were bad at their jobs would get paid just as well as servers that offer good service.

    So it seems like the restaurants just threatened people with losing their jobs and so they voted NO and convinced others to do the same.

    The measure didn’t pass.


  • I’m not thrilled with the DNC either, but I’m not buying this whole idea that they are shooting themselves in the foot on purpose. The DNC does better when they win elections.

    In previous elections, the candidate that raised the most money was more likely to win. Also, a moderate Democrat won the last election. They made the decisions they made in this election cycle because they thought it was their best chance of winning.

    I don’t have access to the data that they have to determine whether the leftist that Lemmy wants on the ticket could actually win the general.

    I’d certainly like to believe that it’s just that simple and all the DNC needs to do is put up a pro-Palestine Democratic Socialist and the election is in the bag… I just don’t know if that’s the reality on the ground. If that is not the reality on the ground, are the leftists that stayed home still committed to their protest? Or is there a point at which they would admit that we haven’t had a true leftist on the ticket because a true leftist is not viable?

    I hope someone can put together some clear data to answer that question soon… I’m afraid that a pro-Palestine Socialist will get crushed by AIPAC funded attack ads about Marxism and supporting terrorism that will really stick with moderates, and that no matter how energized the base is it wouldn’t be enough to win the general.



  • OpenPassageways@lemmy.ziptoLemmy Shitpost@lemmy.worldUS Democracy
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    1 day ago

    People handed the election on a silver platter to a guy who refused to concede in 2020, and shills are on here saying that Harris is incapable of leading because she took a while to concede?

    And I bet those same people complain that Gore conceeded too soon in 2000.

    What’s this about the Dems having control of the house? Another person that needs a civics lesson? It’s like the cultists saying that “Kamala had 4 years to fix these problems” because they don’t know how our government works.

    The Dems have had control of the government for exactly 2 years since 1980. I don’t understand how anyone can blame the Dems for the state our country is in.

    The silver lining in all this is that now that Republicans have complete control, it will be impossible for shills and cultists to blame the Dems.


  • OpenPassageways@lemmy.ziptoPolitical Memes@lemmy.worldWe did it, guys!
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    1 day ago

    I don’t mind progressives staying home in 2016 to send the message to the DNC that a more progressive candidate was needed.

    What I have a problem with is those same progressives showing up for Biden in record numbers in 2020, which sends a conflicting message to the DNC that you do need to put up a white moderate against Trump, and then staying home in 2024 when another moderate is on the ticket.

    I hear you Bernie bros, I wish Bernie had been on the ticket in 2016 as well, but we’ll never know whether he would have beat Trump in the general. I would have rather given Trump four more years in 2020, then have to still deal with him now.

    If he had just won in 2020, then we wouldn’t have had a violent insurrection that WILL happen again because it was validated by re-electing this guy and failing to hold him accountable.

    Now it’s both totally unclear whether a progressive candidate could actually win in the general, and we have to deal with Trump until 2028. If the Democrats put up a progressive candidate like an AOC for 2028 and still lose… Then we’re completely fucked and would have to swing moderate again in 2032… would progressives still stay home out of protest if it’s shown that progressive policies are unpopular in the general election? Or would progressives finally agree to get behind a moderate candidate?

    To be clear, I hope the Democratic primaries for 2028 do yield a more progressive candidate, and that they do win the general, but this is a really dangerous gamble. I hope the nation, world and vulnerable groups can hang on while we see if it will pay off.









  • My Subaru needed head gasket twice, transmission failed, and needed a catalytic converter, among other things that don’t even exist on an electric car. Maybe if ICE companies and dealerships didn’t screw people over so hard, I’d consider buying one again. I’m going to try something different this time.

    Dealer lied to me to get the sale in multiple ways, saying that the head gasket issue was fixed (it was, but not for the car they were selling me) and told me that the transmission fluid was not supposed to ever be changed (it was, and not changing it is probably why the transmission failed). Bunch of scammer scumbags, my next car will NOT be purchased from a dealer. If their business model requires a state law forcing them into the middle of a transaction, they’re parasites.

    I’d donate to Trump by buying a Tesla before I’d purchase a car from a dealership again.






  • No, I’m sure you’re right and children in Gaza are just born evil with rocket launchers in their hands. I’m sure their disposition towards Israel is in no way the fault of religious Zionists in Israel who describe them as animals and treat them as such. I’m sure Hamas and Hezbollah would still be able to convince the children of Gaza to sign up to to launch rockets at Israel even if those children had adequate access to food, water, trade, and sovereignty.

    Oh wait, actually that’s total bullshit that makes no sense and you know it. You know Israel is either fully or partially to blame for the conditions that make it so easy for terrorist groups to recruit these people. If a bunch of religious zealots showed up to take my land and kill my family, I’d be the first one to shove a rocket up your ass too.