Centrists continue to prove themselves to be more toxic to the Democratic Party than the so called "extremists." Look at the favorability ratings of the Democratic Party as a whole vs. Zohran Mamdani.
Similarly with the right. Centrists are apparently all neocon warmongers now, while sensible freedom-lovers and true America Firsters are called "crazies" and "extremists" because they speak out against the Israeli infiltration of our government and the shabbos goying Trump administration's unprovoked war against Iran and support of Israel's terrorist genocide / holocaust in Palestine.
Thank you Ken. I hope this further exposes what the Left has been up against for years now and why candidates like Hong getting so close to victory illustrates incredible progress vs Goliaths from every direction.
This reminds me so much of something Martin Luther King said in his "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" about moderates. here's the first paragraph:
"I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
He has a lot more to say following this, but you get the point. I'm sure if you got some of these Third Way jerks in a corner and asked them what positions espoused by Abdul El-Sayed were "extreme" - Medicare for All, removing money from politics, more overall support for working people, etc., they would probably tell you that they agreed, but the timing isn't right.
Please keep exposing the sources of funds for Third Way and others who seek to destroy our Union.
I noticed that 2 days after Dr Abdul El Sayed won the D primary in MI- the massive money hurled against Michiganders to stop him—was now supporting the R candidate.
Third Way is more of that dark money.
Abdul said 1/3 of Michiganders have medical debt. Many are paying for health insurance every month, along w/ copays and uncovered medical needs. They fear bankruptcy if they get sick.
Medicare for all is simply a reform, long overdue and cheaper.
For capitalism to work we need people who are healthy.
I read somewhere on Substack, I believe Meidas, that people are lining up at blood collection centers to sell their plasma so they can afford groceries. This is dystopian.
"For capitalism to work we need people who are healthy."
They're hoping to reduce the number of people "we" need through what they're falsely calling "AI"....and it is going to work. Everyone I know in the PMC workforce is using it in one form or another and becoming true believers. Some even seem to think that "AI" will replace doctors and nurses soon.
We should be careful what we wish for, especially if that's "reforms" within the American style capitalist system. The system itself is the problem, and until it's structurally replaced or a separate, competing system can be built out, those with the power (i.e., money and influence) will simply find ways to further disempower (and disappear) the rest of us.
I suppose I'm now on some sort of Trumpian or centrist "terrorism" watchlist.
Progressives only appear extremist to the corporate sponsored status quo incrementalism, which has gotten us nowhere. For example, why isn't Medicare for All a shared goal of all Democrats? Why is ending U.S. funding of genocide a shared position of all Democrats who have proclaimed defense of human rights as part of its identity? The Democratic Party has become an ever diminishing shell of its FDR vision for a better future.
Because the Corporate Democratic Party (aka the DNC) is a capitalist-imperialist apparatus of the oligarchy.
A few years ago typing the above at a nominally progressive blog would get laughed off as "the sky is falling" far-left Marxist ranting. Progressives themselves have embraced incrementalism and are only now waking up to the fact that it won't work. Which is precisely why the Ministry of Truth (aka the Corporate State Uniparty) is redefining and expanding the definitions of words (antisemitism, terrorism, leftism) and surveilling us in previously unimaginable-to-the-unimaginative ways.
Funny how these Third Way, Republican lite asshats, starting with the Clinton administration their goal was to implement republican policy in a less repulsive manner, kinda like lubing it up before sticking it in. They are doing this in an attempt to remain relevant, I guess that’s out the window now.
"Third Way" LMAO - They can't even think up new terminology. Just a Trump era rehash of Bubba and Killary's Dick Morris 'third way' "traingulation" strategy to take over the Democratic Party (now Corporate DNC) to finally kill the remnants of the New Deal via the Reagan-lite embrace of privatization and neoliberal domestic/foreign policy. Which, of course, necessitated abandoning rational leftism only to later gleefully and profitably redefine the "left" as petty, corporate friendly/marketable idpol bullshit.
This just shows that they're genuinely afraid of regular people, who have begun to agitate against the extreme income/wealth gap, the job-killing "AI" (and coming Dotcom style bubble pop and Great Depression 2.0) coupled with "Israeli" style militarized societal coercion and intentional resource inequality enforcement.
All of which would, in other contexts, be easy to laugh off. But this shit is getting Kafkaesque, Orwellian and damn scary, to be honest.
It was about time for another Red Scare and here we go again. The ruling class cannot tolerate anyone who doubts their benevolence and virtue. Sociopaths are like that. Hang on to your hats Lefties. It is going to be a doozy!
One of the things we've gotta remember is to the leaders of a business class based society like ours, anybody to the left of a nice well-spoken liberal is quite literally The Enemy.
The fash, to these leaders they are at worst frenemies.
That's the way it is to the business class and to those who march to their tune.
And it isn't going to change just because DSA candidates and others who have similar views are advocating serious, intelligent, achievable and popular policies.
Any change in this situation is going to have to come from below.
Some "business people" are realizing that the company is more than just the owner(s) and its mission. To be successful, the employees much embrace the goals. If you can find them, support them. Don't automatically buy from Amazon.
Indeed, you are right on again, Ken. The "Third Way" is a movement that is trying to position itself between Corporate Democrats and Republicans. It's a head fake: They are espousing the same Racism, Misogyny and Corruption as Republicans.
As a linguist, I'm very alarmed that as you pointed out, they dropped the word "violent" that always accompanied "extremists". It changes the intention from stopping folks who ARE "violent" to zero in on folks who do not think like us. That's a whole different kettle of fish!
I'm inviting my "extremist friends" to write to their democratic Mocs : "If you are supported financially or otherwise by Third Way, I will not support you. Your ball!"
My next protest sign will say: "Yes to DEI, no to Racism, Misogyny and Corruption."
Third Way has been around for a long time, and I don’t see a meaningful distinction between it and the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. It seems more accurate to say that corporate Democrats use organizations like Third Way to repackage or provide respectable cover for their racism, misogyny, and corruption.
They removed or stopped using the word "violent" because they're the ones committing violence *illegally* at home and all over the globe, and they know that us (presently) non-violent proles have the moral and legal high ground.
This is hardly different than Newspeak from Orwell's "1984" put to practice IRL.
From Gaza to Minneapolis to Iran to D.C. to Latin America to Yemen and Africa. Our violent, law breaking Epstein Class would-be overlords are now openly and officially moving to the next phase; the perversion of language and legality writ large.
Centrists continue to prove themselves to be more toxic to the Democratic Party than the so called "extremists." Look at the favorability ratings of the Democratic Party as a whole vs. Zohran Mamdani.
Similarly with the right. Centrists are apparently all neocon warmongers now, while sensible freedom-lovers and true America Firsters are called "crazies" and "extremists" because they speak out against the Israeli infiltration of our government and the shabbos goying Trump administration's unprovoked war against Iran and support of Israel's terrorist genocide / holocaust in Palestine.
Thank you Ken. I hope this further exposes what the Left has been up against for years now and why candidates like Hong getting so close to victory illustrates incredible progress vs Goliaths from every direction.
This reminds me so much of something Martin Luther King said in his "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" about moderates. here's the first paragraph:
"I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
He has a lot more to say following this, but you get the point. I'm sure if you got some of these Third Way jerks in a corner and asked them what positions espoused by Abdul El-Sayed were "extreme" - Medicare for All, removing money from politics, more overall support for working people, etc., they would probably tell you that they agreed, but the timing isn't right.
I think about that passage all the time!
I repeat that passage all the time. There's a lot of people I don't hang out with any more that passage describes perfectly.
Exactly. Prevarication is them.
This looks like an effort to demonize and suppress the vote and voices of younger people
Or intelligent people. Yeah.
I’ll take the lower bunk.
Please keep exposing the sources of funds for Third Way and others who seek to destroy our Union.
I noticed that 2 days after Dr Abdul El Sayed won the D primary in MI- the massive money hurled against Michiganders to stop him—was now supporting the R candidate.
Third Way is more of that dark money.
Abdul said 1/3 of Michiganders have medical debt. Many are paying for health insurance every month, along w/ copays and uncovered medical needs. They fear bankruptcy if they get sick.
Medicare for all is simply a reform, long overdue and cheaper.
For capitalism to work we need people who are healthy.
I read somewhere on Substack, I believe Meidas, that people are lining up at blood collection centers to sell their plasma so they can afford groceries. This is dystopian.
But a good idea. They don't need it and cancer patients do.
"For capitalism to work we need people who are healthy."
They're hoping to reduce the number of people "we" need through what they're falsely calling "AI"....and it is going to work. Everyone I know in the PMC workforce is using it in one form or another and becoming true believers. Some even seem to think that "AI" will replace doctors and nurses soon.
We should be careful what we wish for, especially if that's "reforms" within the American style capitalist system. The system itself is the problem, and until it's structurally replaced or a separate, competing system can be built out, those with the power (i.e., money and influence) will simply find ways to further disempower (and disappear) the rest of us.
I suppose I'm now on some sort of Trumpian or centrist "terrorism" watchlist.
Progressives only appear extremist to the corporate sponsored status quo incrementalism, which has gotten us nowhere. For example, why isn't Medicare for All a shared goal of all Democrats? Why is ending U.S. funding of genocide a shared position of all Democrats who have proclaimed defense of human rights as part of its identity? The Democratic Party has become an ever diminishing shell of its FDR vision for a better future.
Because the Corporate Democratic Party (aka the DNC) is a capitalist-imperialist apparatus of the oligarchy.
A few years ago typing the above at a nominally progressive blog would get laughed off as "the sky is falling" far-left Marxist ranting. Progressives themselves have embraced incrementalism and are only now waking up to the fact that it won't work. Which is precisely why the Ministry of Truth (aka the Corporate State Uniparty) is redefining and expanding the definitions of words (antisemitism, terrorism, leftism) and surveilling us in previously unimaginable-to-the-unimaginative ways.
"Progressives themselves have embraced incrementalism and ... are only now waking up to the fact that it won't work."
If only now they were waking up to that. If only.
Otherwise, post is right on.
The answer to both questions is large campaign contributions, of course.
Funny how these Third Way, Republican lite asshats, starting with the Clinton administration their goal was to implement republican policy in a less repulsive manner, kinda like lubing it up before sticking it in. They are doing this in an attempt to remain relevant, I guess that’s out the window now.
Re both the Clinton and Obama administrations, "Neoliberalism with a human face" is a good way to describe their orientation.
Now, now . . . ! Nothing wrong with lots of lube before sticking it in . . . .
There's a better metaphor that doesn't call pleasure into disrepute: date rape by the DNC. (The Right prefers just rape.)
This is particularly frustrating after the years of Third Way types blaming progressives for losses and demanding "Blue No Matter Who."
"Third Way" LMAO - They can't even think up new terminology. Just a Trump era rehash of Bubba and Killary's Dick Morris 'third way' "traingulation" strategy to take over the Democratic Party (now Corporate DNC) to finally kill the remnants of the New Deal via the Reagan-lite embrace of privatization and neoliberal domestic/foreign policy. Which, of course, necessitated abandoning rational leftism only to later gleefully and profitably redefine the "left" as petty, corporate friendly/marketable idpol bullshit.
This just shows that they're genuinely afraid of regular people, who have begun to agitate against the extreme income/wealth gap, the job-killing "AI" (and coming Dotcom style bubble pop and Great Depression 2.0) coupled with "Israeli" style militarized societal coercion and intentional resource inequality enforcement.
All of which would, in other contexts, be easy to laugh off. But this shit is getting Kafkaesque, Orwellian and damn scary, to be honest.
It was about time for another Red Scare and here we go again. The ruling class cannot tolerate anyone who doubts their benevolence and virtue. Sociopaths are like that. Hang on to your hats Lefties. It is going to be a doozy!
One of the things we've gotta remember is to the leaders of a business class based society like ours, anybody to the left of a nice well-spoken liberal is quite literally The Enemy.
The fash, to these leaders they are at worst frenemies.
That's the way it is to the business class and to those who march to their tune.
And it isn't going to change just because DSA candidates and others who have similar views are advocating serious, intelligent, achievable and popular policies.
Any change in this situation is going to have to come from below.
Some "business people" are realizing that the company is more than just the owner(s) and its mission. To be successful, the employees much embrace the goals. If you can find them, support them. Don't automatically buy from Amazon.
Jeez, I’m starting to wonder if I might be a terrorist! Wait. Am I a terrorist???
Pretty sure everyone here is.
We are anti-terrorist terrioists.
Are you someone the fascists don't like? Then...
How’s this for extremist rhetoric, third way: get a fucking grip!
Indeed, you are right on again, Ken. The "Third Way" is a movement that is trying to position itself between Corporate Democrats and Republicans. It's a head fake: They are espousing the same Racism, Misogyny and Corruption as Republicans.
As a linguist, I'm very alarmed that as you pointed out, they dropped the word "violent" that always accompanied "extremists". It changes the intention from stopping folks who ARE "violent" to zero in on folks who do not think like us. That's a whole different kettle of fish!
I'm inviting my "extremist friends" to write to their democratic Mocs : "If you are supported financially or otherwise by Third Way, I will not support you. Your ball!"
My next protest sign will say: "Yes to DEI, no to Racism, Misogyny and Corruption."
Third Way has been around for a long time, and I don’t see a meaningful distinction between it and the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. It seems more accurate to say that corporate Democrats use organizations like Third Way to repackage or provide respectable cover for their racism, misogyny, and corruption.
They should be scared. We're coming for these obstructionist assholes.
They removed or stopped using the word "violent" because they're the ones committing violence *illegally* at home and all over the globe, and they know that us (presently) non-violent proles have the moral and legal high ground.
This is hardly different than Newspeak from Orwell's "1984" put to practice IRL.
From Gaza to Minneapolis to Iran to D.C. to Latin America to Yemen and Africa. Our violent, law breaking Epstein Class would-be overlords are now openly and officially moving to the next phase; the perversion of language and legality writ large.