Ah, gotcha, sorry!

Yes and moreover, the proportion of government spending that goes to TANF is teeny tiny. The whole GOP hypocritical house of cards really collapses when you compare it to what they spend on defense contracts, especially procurement of war machines we don’t need and that will never see combat and that sometimes don’t…

Yeah that makes sense. Thanks.

I’m aware of the motivations of the people who run the media. I’m curious as to the mindset of the viewers that makes their brainwashing narratives successful. The motivations of producers, etc, are not complex nor interesting. The motivations of viewers- what it is that resonates with them that allows them to…

Yes it’s hard, and it’s harder still for younger people now.

Well this is kind of my point though. People who own property without debt and can meet their responsibilities are certainly wealthy and privileged and all that. But they are not necessarily rich- not in the same sense that Bezos and millionaires and billionaires are. And what I’m trying to say is that I think…

Here’s what I think. They have no clue what being rich is, and so they think that anything that isn’t extreme poverty is perfectly fine, wealthy even. This would also explain why they identify themselves with the very rich, as if Bezos and an average middle class person are in the same category.

Well I guess that’s where we differ. I don’t think that compromising with the expansion of the powers of the executive branch (murdering citizens abroad without due process, surveillance at home extrajudicially, increasing secretiveness and lack of oversight of drone wars) is necessary. Nor enabling the continuation…

That’s amazing. Our healthcare system is so insane, that when I read something like this, I can’t even believe it. And just right across the border.

I’m not sure what you are trying to say here. The majority of people don’t vote, so I don’t know what you mean by you can’t find enough votes for this or that among that majority. Moreover, the strategy that you suggest- relying on the tried and true that are currently defending their interests- has led us to where we…

Every quote I can find from a very quick google search has her saying they will seek compromise but stand firm if not possible, etc. Nonetheless, I’m not going to get into an argument about semantics here- finding common ground is compromise- it’s the same story that has led to where we are now. One side finds common…

I don’t know what you mean by progressive. Guess you’d have to define that here. Populism is not inherently progressive or conservative by any definition. But it mobilizes people to vote because it responds to their material interests. Fascists are very good at doing this. So if you continue to ignore them, the…

There’s an argument to be made for voting lesser evil. That’s a totally separate argument from what political options have a chance in hell of winning in a particular state. The fact that I’ll vote less evil when the other choice is most evil isn’t an argument for only centrists having a chance in hell in the first…

Well you could stop ignoring the fact that half the country does not participate at all and start considering how to build a coalition with them instead of with the current establishment.

Look, a not-too-bright hard Green supporter who went through an anarchist phase is probably a “no chance in hell” category. But she backs the GOP 60% of the time, which leads me to think, what’s the point of even pretending there’s an opposition? 

I haven’t heard anyone mention AOC, but if they are, I suspect the only reason is that Crowley is one of the people that the Dems consider seriously as speaker. So maybe someone is confused and think that the position would just go to AOC since she won his seat? Or maybe it’s worse than that and people think that…

This I can actually answer. She takes moderate compromising positions on issues that could galvanize a large segment of her base, even if it means enabling fascism. See her recent positions on ICE, minimum wage, medicare for all, climate change, district judge appointments, for example. She takes right wing positions…

Since you asked about Republicans, I’ll leave out all the reasons that the left hates her, which I think are better justified.

AOC is very young and inexperienced, and surely no one in their right mind is thinking she should be speaker.

Lots of people have been pointing out that Barbara Lee, also a senior Dem woman in the House, would be a great alternative. Aside from being a woman of color, far less willing to cooperate with the Reps and generally more progressive, she is also the only member of Congress (both houses) to vote against the…