Do any of them know what the word “liberal” actually means?

  • Baahb@feddit.nl
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    5 months ago

    Op, are you in the US?

    In the US, the choices for voting are Republican and Democrat.

    Which of these parties is “liberal?”

    The argument being made when non conservatives dislike liberals is when the liberals in question align with the Ds, because the Ds have every interest in pushing vaguely progressive policies during elections and never actually follow through in office.

    Remember student loans? Still out there Remember universal healthcare? Still gotta pay for insurance Remember tax reform? Still paying higher rates than people who can’t conceivably spend all of their money.

    The primary goal of the Dems when in power is to maintain power. Fuck those guys. Not quite as hard as Republicans, but it stands.

    Signed, Not a fucking tankie

    • scoobford@lemmy.zip
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      5 months ago

      The democrats are the liberal party. They support abortion, religious freedom, police reform, civil rights (sometimes), drug decriminalization, etc.

      That being said, they are trying to encapsulate and entire half of the political spectrum. There’s going to be gaps, disagreements between individual party members, and places where one policy or value has to override another.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        They support

        • Abortion (in campaign ads and fundraising emails)
        • Religious freedom (by wagging a finger when Republicans don’t and then doing fuck all about it)
        • Police reform (by throwing cash at cops for “better training” while refusing to actually change the inherently abusive system)
        • Civil rights (sometimes) (when it won’t effect the bottom line of their owner donors like AIPAC and the fossil fuel industries
        • Drug decriminalization (in theory, but never in practice)

        they are trying to encapsulate and entire half of the political spectrum

        No. They are trying to be IN CHARGE OF over half of the political spectrum. The only ideologies other than their own (which is center right to right wing) that they ever try to appeal to is the couple dozen “undecided that are almost but not quite Republicans” left in the country.

        There’s going to be gaps, disagreements between individual party members, and places where one policy or value has to override another.

        Nope, there’s going to be nothing but neglect and abuse towards anyone to the left of the leadership, which is now to the right of Reagan.

        In spite of the name, the Democratic Party is not democratic or even a party. It’s a private for-profit corporation controlled by a small group of people who are in turn controlled to varying degrees by rich people, other corporations, and industry lobbying groups.

      • Baahb@feddit.nl
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        5 months ago

        Nah, your first statement is close, but you miss by a bit:

        “The democrats are the liberal party. They [pretend to] support abortion (when trying to get elected), religious freedom (when trying to get elected), police reform (when trying to get elected), civil rights (when trying to get elected), drug decriminalization (when trying to get elected), etc.”

        When not trying to get elected they don’t actually DO anything.

        Drug decriminalization was a big deal in the 70’s and we are maybe just now kinda getting around to it.

        I didn’t even call out the shit behavior on civil rights, you did that.

        They seem a-ok with police fucking with college kids right now.

        They’ve had 50 years since roe v wade to guarantee the right to abortion, and they didn’t.

        What DID they do?

        Helped give money to people who are already rich through tax breaks. Helped give money to people who are already rich through deregulation they allowed through. Helped give money to people who are already rich through defense contracts. Helped give money to people who are already rich by overthrowing foreign governments with control over resources out oil barrons want.

        Id call those “gaps”, yeah.

    • FozzyOsbourne@lemm.eeOP
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      5 months ago

      I am not, and I’ve observed that every American seems to have their own definition of what “liberal” means, which is not really very helpful when trying to use the word in a discussion

      • Baahb@feddit.nl
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        5 months ago

        I’m reasonably sure making discussion difficult is the goal. When the right refers to libs, they mean “anything left of me” without ever acknowledging that a significant number of people being referred to are neither progressive lib or left. The American D party is a center right organization, so how do I, as a leftist express “fuck the platform of the ‘liberal party’ is pushing, they’re clearly bought and paid for too, and are serving the bourgeoisie and don’t give a fuck about me, but I still have to put the guy in charge back in charge cause the alternative is dictatorship.”

        Yep, sounds about right.