Does the Democratic Party have a plan for putting the era of far-right populism behind us?
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As an American, this feels like an important topic to me. If we are experiencing an erosion on US democracy, I would like to see a program in place to reduce that threat.
I am not a political scientist. Programs to reduce the effect of right-wing populism on democracy are rare in history. They've often been imposed externally by victors in war. I don't think there is an easy answer as to how to pull back from this brink.
@evan I mean, I have a solution but people aren’t going to like it because it would mean a huge majority of people would have to become very uncomfortable for a bit.
That said, as an everyday citizen, I can imagine a program that addresses underlying social issues, like improving public schools, universal breakfast and lunch programs, decreasing income and wealth inequality through wealth taxes, free post-secondary public education, reinvigorated public housing, and Medicare for All.
The other side of the far-right populism coin is plutocracy and government corruption. We need to change good government norms into regulations, add automatic enforcement mechanisms, finance elections publicly, and eliminate campaign donations except from individuals, with a common-sense cap affordable by anyone.
We also need to take far-right threats and intimidation seriously. Laws against threats and intimidation should be enforced against participants and organisers of brigading and swatting campaigns. Some form of effective opposition to insurrectionism is also needed.
Finally, many post-authoritarian states flourish because of a shared national project. We have many to pick from -- building a just multi-cultural society together, getting our economy to net zero and making our infrastructure resilient to climate change, developing a Half Earth biodiversity program.
I think many of these ideas are part of the Green New Deal. There are probably more that I haven't thought of.
So, my answer is no, but some Democrats do.
I guess I also think that tactical advances are fine -- like winning the midterms to end united government -- but I'd prefer plans for proactive work. Once you've won Congress, what will you do with it?
@evan so many of the "progressive" parties around the world have become so centrist that they're now incapable of pushing back against the rise of the far right. It's the same in the UK.
@evan The poll focuses on the wrong issue. It’s not about Democrats and Republicans. It’s about the Corporatocracy. The Billionaire & Trillionaire class versus the rest of us. Know who made them rich? CONSUMERS did. Convenience-addicted American consumers. Does Peter Thiel sell anything as critical as oxygen? Yeah-no, he doesn’t. Ya know who, besides consumers, keeps them in power? NON-VOTERS … the same demographic that decides election. Non-Fooking-Voters. (1/2)
@donhawkins cool. Make a poll with the question you want answered, and tag me in the comments. I'll boost it!
@evan Who does? Let’s hear it.
I love to complain about the Dems but it's a worldwide wealth concentration problem. the people are desperate and both wings of the establishment promise to change it but never do. they never intended to. the committed left are mostly kept out via control of public perception (something I think we need decentralized media and decentralized social media to fix) but also electoral chicanery (Bernie) or coup.
@evan@cosocialcal am from the Netherlands and I honestly don't see much difference in your 2 party system.
They are both far right.
As of my vote, 95% of hundreds of respondents do not believe the Dems have a plan to end far-right populism. Wow.
@evan the corporate Dems are satisfied with the status quo. They are, like the Republicunts, beholden to big corporations and oligarchs. That’s why there’s no backtalk from scum like Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, they’re owned by AIPAC and the rest of the traitorous Jewish money laundering cartel.
@evan No, but progressives could still implement detailed Green New Deal plans and improve everyone's lives. Remember when Manchin etc. cut childcare from Build Back Better? Build Back Better was short of a GND but it was generally a step in the right direction, unlike the Inflation Reduction Act which ended up doing as much harm as good to please the "centrists".
I haven't seen clear plans to e.g. deal with SCOTUS from anyone yet, but having a decent platform is a start.
@skyfaller @evan
Right. Incremental progress would be better than no progress at all.
@evan
How should that work?
Germany has a section in the German constitution (Grundgesetz) that provides a means to prohibit the far right AfD by a sentence of the German Supreme Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht), but politicians are cowards and don't initiate the prohibition process because the AfD is already too strong.
@evan The plan is A.I. : Appeasement and Incompetence
@evan No political party can change the American culture. This and future generations of Americans will continue to install a pedophile/rapist/criminal/conman as their POTUS. 🙄
@evan
I'm "No, but".
Where the "No" is for the centralized Democratic Party "machine" which is much more "center Right" and corporate captured than it is Progressive / leftist for the people.
And the ", but" is for individual candidates and lower level Democratic Party organizations at the county and local levels who have been thinking about and implementing plans to reach out to folks mired in far-right populism.
@evan the party doesn't, but the people might pull it off
@evan Poll is kinda unsuitable, cuz there's no "Oh, fuck, no" choice.
Thanks to everyone who responded to the poll and commented.