Locating and setting the corner stone.

[GhostofKinski]

One of the reasons I signed onto this forum is to search for ideas. Perhaps, it is more accurate to say. Engage in the conversation and assess what I can absorb that may help build a more just society in the U.S. in particular. Bernie Sanders has been the most stalwart proponent of concrete solutions to better the challenges facing the working class. Unfortunately, he has simultaneously been tasked with corralling the segment of of the electorate that passes for left/remnants of the new deal & great society being dismantled by the corporate duopoly we call our government. Effective fighters like Ralph Nader have been effectively cancelled.
The MAGA GOP, and the Neoliberal DNC have locked down virtually any hope of seeing meaningful change for the better of the 99% of citizenry.
The reactionary right has the arms, the numbers & have been successfully co-opted by the wealthy, powerful interests that are counter to the very interest of the WC (not news to all readers here I’m sure).
The schism and infighting are far too easy in a country of immigrants and the offspring there-of. The ‘Right’ speaks to the fear & gut emotions of their base. The Dems are interested in maintaining power when & where they can with supposed reasoning and very impotent, microscopic consolations.
I guess what I’m getting at is: any solid ideas on how radical change can be articulated in the vernacular?

 

[version]

The schism and infighting are far too easy in a country of immigrants and the offspring there-of.

Not sure whether it's simply because it generates clicks and heated debate or whether there's something more nefarious going on, but there seems to be a massive amount of 'content' appearing online designed to keep men and women at each other's throats. There's this constant stream of AI-generated anecdotes and heavily-edited videos popping up on Reddit and stoking the flames. I saw one yesterday about an interaction in a gym which had a bunch of people debating it and lamenting the state of the world before someone pointed out the story was most likely fake and came from a ChatGPT prompt.

 

[GhostofKinski]

I'm not sure whether it's simply because it generates clicks and heated debate or whether there's something more nefarious going on, but there seems to be a massive amount of 'content' appearing online designed to keep men and women at each other's throats. There's this constant stream of AI-generated anecdotes and heavily-edited videos popping up on Reddit and stoking the flames. I saw one yesterday about an interaction in a gym which had a bunch of people debating it and lamenting the state of the world before someone pointed out the story was most likely fake and came from a ChatGPT prompt.

Yeah, myself being not an online social media type (FB, X, Twitter or insta) I wasn’t even thinking of that aspect, beyond YouTube.
I was referring more to the ethnic, religious, gender,…native born vs foreign born, English speaking vs. Spanish (and every other language) white/black, there are so many ways to divide & keep each other at our neighbors throats. I’m sure there are plenty of parallels in Europe these days but the U.S. seems the OG of this type of tactic in modern WC history. I’m not adverse to disagreement on that point though.

 

[Walt Thizzny]

asses

loll

 

[thirdform]

One of the reasons I signed onto this forum is to search for ideas. Perhaps, it is more accurate to say. Engage in the conversation and assess what I can absorb that may help build a more just society in the U.S. in particular. Bernie Sanders has been the most stalwart proponent of concrete solutions to better the challenges facing the working class. Unfortunately, he has simultaneously been tasked with corralling the segment of of the electorate that passes for left/remnants of the new deal & great society being dismantled by the corporate duopoly we call our government. Effective fighters like Ralph Nader have been effectively cancelled.
The MAGA GOP, and the Neoliberal DNC have locked down virtually any hope of seeing meaningful change for the better of the 99% of citizenry.
The reactionary right has the arms, the numbers & have been successfully co-opted by the wealthy, powerful interests that are counter to the very interest of the WC (not news to all readers here I’m sure).
The schism and infighting are far too easy in a country of immigrants and the offspring there-of. The ‘Right’ speaks to the fear & gut emotions of their base. The Dems are interested in maintaining power when & where they can with supposed reasoning and very impotent, microscopic consolations.
I guess what I’m getting at is: any solid ideas on how radical change can be articulated in the vernacular?

First command is not to move your bacon infected rectum and study.

second command is to understand that communism is inevitable, so what you must do is anticipate it, not advocate it.

third command is to never debate.

 

[thirdform]

@sufi now that that is done, lock thread please.

 

[GhostofKinski]

second command is to understand that communism is inevitable, so what you must do is anticipate it, not advocate it.

In keeping with that principle I have successfully predicted ten out of the last two economic collapses.
As we’ve seen, particularly in the Middle East where pre-1979 most viable secular/nationalist movements with a decent/modicum of public support were sacrificed (killed, jailed, disappeared) on the alter of fighting the Cold War. The vacuum left over & cultivated by the west (what could possibly go wrong?) was religion.
The same is at stake over here. It’s not too far a stretch to envision a Christian fundamentalist movement that will emerge from the void left over by the two party dictatorship.

 

[thirdform]

In keeping with that principle I have successfully predicted ten out of the last two economic collapses.
As we’ve seen, particularly in the Middle East where pre-1979 most viable secular/nationalist movements with a decent/modicum of public support were sacrificed (killed, jailed, disappeared) on the alter of fighting the Cold War. The vacuum left over & cultivated by the west (what could possibly go wrong?) was religion.
The same is at stake over here. It’s not too far a stretch to envision a Christian fundamentalist movement that will emerge from the void left over by the two party dictatorship.

Unlikely. In the longrun, you're more likely to go to war with Europe.

Trump understands the needs of US capital better than the dems, but even he is just a symptom of the repolarisation.

Trump: The EU is ‘nastier than China’

U.S. president launches blistering new trade attack against Brussels, as he agrees to cool tariff war with Beijing.

www.politico.eu

 

[GhostofKinski]

The chances of the U.S. going to war with Europe is zero in my estimation. Although, I think we all can agree that Lichtenstein needs to be taken down a peg.
Seriously though, Trump is someone whose statements on any given day are not to be taken seriously. His appeal is that at certain times, like a broken clock he will say something that is profound in its honesty.
The rest of the time he is just reacting like the petulant man-child he is.

 

[thirdform]

The chances of the U.S. going to war with Europe is zero in my estimation. Although, I think we all can agree that Lichtenstein needs to be taken down a peg.
Seriously though, Trump is someone whose statements on any given day are not to be taken seriously. His appeal is that at certain times, like a broken clock he will say something that is profound in its honesty.
The rest of the time he is just reacting like the petulant man-child he is.

Why do you say that? Both China and russia are foils. Europe is the only imperialist power that can contend with the US (although I will grant it may be a European superstate than the present incarnation of the EU.) But all tendancies are headed that way. See Japan re-arming as well, no doubt intending to hedge its bets with the impact of the coming conflict in the pacific.

 

[GhostofKinski]

Why do you say that? Both China and russia are foils. Europe is the only imperialist power that can contend with the US (although I will grant it may be a European superstate than the present incarnation of the EU.) But all tendancies are headed that way. See Japan re-arming as well, no doubt intending to hedge its bets with the impact of the coming conflict in the pacific.

Because Trump is A full of shit. B. As provocative as his rhetoric has been towards the EU, the U.S. is spread too thin with ‘Enemies’ real or imagined around the globe.
China, Russia, Iran, N. Korea…it’s niether feasible or in American interests. What does Europe have that “we” want?
C. Even among his most ardent supporters, enough are crypto-Europhiles with American characteristics (read white nationalists) who won’t abide attacking ‘white Christian countries.”
If we are talking about proxy wars in other regions where Europe is viewed as having too much power/influence but populated with darker folks, perhaps. Trump though, and I say this as someone who finds him repugnant, is really not very Hawkish about using (in a direct action way) conventional forces.

 

[thirdform]

Because Trump is A full of shit. B. As provocative as his rhetoric has been towards the EU, the U.S. is spread too thin with ‘Enemies’ real or imagined around the globe.
China, Russia, Iran, N. Korea…it’s niether feasible or in American interests. What does Europe have that “we” want?
C. Even among his most ardent supporters, enough are crypto-Europhiles with American characteristics (read white nationalists) who won’t abide attacking ‘white Christian countries.”
If we are talking about proxy wars in other regions where Europe is viewed as having too much power/influence but populated with darker folks, perhaps. Trump though, and I say this as someone who finds him repugnant, is really not very Hawkish about using (in a direct action way) conventional forces.

no, I agree so far as that is concerned. Trump is a symptom of the political repolarisation. He will not be the one to inaugurate the war with Europe. I am talking 2040-2050, at the earliest. What I am saying is unlike the dems he is able to have some foresight about the longterm needs of American capital. He is an idiot, but no less idiotic than the dems, in fact he is the return of the repressed.

 

[GhostofKinski]

in fact he is the return of the repressed.

I've been around the block enough times to know that today's mortal enemies are tomorrow's BFF. I myself demure from making predictions about 2040.
I was following your line of thought though until the sentence quoted. I don't understand what that means. Can you break it down a bit?

 

[thirdform]

I've been around the block enough times to know that today's mortal enemies are tomorrow's BFF. I myself demure from making predictions about 2040.
I was following your line of thought though until the sentence quoted. I don't understand what that means. Can you break it down a bit?

The dems have tried to continue the cold war era American project with ever more labyrinthine appeals to race, gender, sexuality, etc. Trump has no such pretences. he knows what needs to be done and he will do it. This is precisely why he is mocked by the political élites. He merely vulgarises their decline.

Bernie was too tied to navigating this old political élite.

Not that I look forward to AOC2028, were it to come to fruition.

both the left and right are capitalist foils. Communism is the third turn of the dice that relativises the two. And before someone says muh fascism, it also relativises fascism as the liberal bourgeoisie in crisis. They are not two different class dictatorships but one and the same.

 

[0bleak]

ok, but which one is more likely to take away medicaid, social security, etc.

 

[GhostofKinski]

I’m becoming ever more convinced that job #1 is to overturn the Citizens United ruling and PAC’s, big money out of politics completely. It’ll take a Herculean effort to get this done.
In the NYC mayoral dem primary race we have ranked choice voting.
It’s a decent start but the big corporate friendly candidates still have a huge edge as long as they can stay in the top 3 or 4 picks, thier fortunes rise in each round as lesser known but better candidates get knocked off. Overall though it is preferable to the current winner take all system that every ther election has.
I still believe Bernie is a positive (but very flawed) presence in the Senate.
Internationally the difference between parties is almost non existent. Nationally the margin is slightly wider but where the fundamental differences exist (Medicare, environment, social security) they are imperative.