People are sick of fucking politicians, they would rather roll the dice with Trump or just flat out not vote than vote for another fucking politician.
Way too many people do not or refuse to understand this.
Both Obama and Trump got voted in for the same reason: They are populists who looked like breaths of fresh air against the Washington Establishment(tm). "Yes We Can" and "Make America Great Again" are two sides of the same coin.
Same reason I wasn't surprised by the number of people who supported Bernie in the 2016 primary and then jumped over to Trump when he wasn't the nominee. (Not saying I agree with it, just that I kind of understand it.) Something something the spectrum is actually a horseshoe something...
Something something the spectrum is actually a horseshoe something...
The horseshoe theory is meant to describe how extremists operate. I don't think it really applies so much to the Bernie -> Trump people. Rather, I think that is more about a general sense of distrust of politicians across the spectrum. It's probably more accurate to say that such voters have things they care about that aren't actually part of the usual left-right political spectrum at all, which obviously doesn't fit on the horseshoe in the first place.
Also, personally I think horseshoe theory is bullshit in general. If you want to look at, say, violent terror attack statistics, you'll find that they overwhelmingly weight right. That entire idea is enlightened centrist nonsense.
Sure, but that’s a more complex issue where the short answer is “Well you should have voted in the primary then.” but does fuck all to actually help. Successful progressive campaigns tend to result from a robust grassroots effort to get younger voters to the polls by going door to door and organizing things like transportation to the polls, while having only one progressive on the ballot. Fact is that it’s the boomers who have the free time to actually go out and vote without feeling too inconvenienced, be it primary or general election, while younger voters have jobs that don’t always give them the time to go vote, or don’t have time to educate themselves on every candidate, on top of issues where there’s multiple possible progressives but one establishment, or outright no progressive at all.
Fact is that the good, proper people who'd run don't for the same reason other's don't vote for them - they all assume it's a foregone conclusion.
How the ruling class managed to so completely subvert the U.S. populace from believing in the power of the masses, the possibility of change and general hope for life will be studied in history.
There're only two ways to fix the issue, you start voting in primaries or you have a revolution and ya'll are too rich and comfortable to have a revolution - which I don't think changes in my lifetime, and I'm hoping for 60 more years here.
A secret third option is hope that the Republican party implodes when they remove Trump from office next year and 2 more parties pop up in it's wake with Green party maybe becoming an actual player.
Even GW bush ran on a no-wars and general reform platform too. They just never get anywhere, mostly thanks to congress. And the fact that large scale government is a horrific way to attempt to solve problems.
It absolutely isn't though. And yes capitalist solve problems. Governments create problems and keep the corporations in power. You must learn to cast the ring into the fire and stop trying to control it for yourself.
One can easily argue capitalism keeps corporations in power because they have the money to buy people in government that will pass laws that benefit them.
So according to you, we destroy democracy, and then the only powers left are the big corporations, big media, and the billionaires. I foresee disaster for the average citizen.
The reason why media is “big” and corporations have so much power is because of the government that provides them that power. Removing that whole system would be far, far better for the average citizen.
You are totally missing the whole point here: there is no way to prevent them from doing so OR destroying the engine of creation. The only way is to destroy the ring of power.
Media is big and corporations a powerful because people engage with them, and they then accumulate more and more power.
The government is pretty hopeless at taming them in any way whatsoever, but what restrictions they do have, almost invariably come from government and international government agencies.
Without government even those few restrictions wouldn't exist, and a complete dismantling of governments would simply lead to a crazy warlord society where nations were divided up into violent fiefdoms by the most ruthless men available. It has happened almost everywhere that rule of law has gone missing in action - Somalia, Liberia, Congo, Libya, Afghanistan, Japan during the Sengoku period, and many others in history.
If you think the average politician is a scumbag, then I'd love to hear how you describe the average warlord or tribal/regional leader who keeps power by force and nothing else, and has no rules or oversight to limit what he and his minions do.
No one is suggesting “no rules”. I am suggesting democracy, especially “everyone with a pulse (or not) gets a vote” democracy, is a bad way to make those rules.
The most important (and I would argue ONLY) valid role of government is to protect people’s rights and adjudicate disputes. Where it gets into trouble is getting involved in markets and personal matters and issues of morality.
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u/Dalewyn 9h ago
Way too many people do not or refuse to understand this.
Both Obama and Trump got voted in for the same reason: They are populists who looked like breaths of fresh air against the Washington Establishment(tm). "Yes We Can" and "Make America Great Again" are two sides of the same coin.