To paraphrase James Baldwin, ‘we can love and disagree with each other, as long as that disagreement isn’t about my humanity and right to exist’

Yeah, and I know the Mussolini quote you’re referencing. Mussolini was deliberately dismissing the several aspects of fascism that made it look re brutal than mere corporatism. The integration of mobilized militias with government, the criminalization of all descent and popular organization, the elimination of out groups, etc.

You’re being dismissive of what rights we have to protest and organize. Or the rights of some people to just exist. Guessing you don’t use them so why would you appreciate them.

If you look around the world at the Orbans, the Bolsanaros, the Le Penns, the AfD, etc., you will find that polarization and the rising far right is global. First past the post is not a good thing, but the causes are far deeper.

A past global trend was how the center left parties (Democrats in the US, 2nd International Socialist parties in most of the rest of the world) discredited themselves, abandoning their core constituencies and pushing neoliberal economic policies (in the US, free trade, dismantling welfare, the banking deregulation behind 2008). I think that’s the proximate cause in the rise of the global far right.

The cause of that trend is the inability of regulated capitalism to both provide for everyone AND provide the necessary ever increasing rate of profit.

While there have been stirrings of possible left reformist parties (Sanders, Corbyn, Lula, etc) even those that make it into state power are ineffective at creating a new, stable, political economy.

Meanwhile climate change is haunting the globe and the clock is ticking.

My impression of the Russian communist party is that they’ve become more a nationalist party than anything promoting class struggle.

He says it contains DNA. There’s a grain of truth to that but it’s still bullshit:

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/dna-in-covid-19-vaccines-7-pieces

Yet one more way we are more complicated than middle school biology

There have been many spans of time when Democrats had enough control of government to push through what they profress. They don’t use those opportunities.

Not arguing that the two parties are the same. They are better than the Republicans by far, but the Democrats are still not our friends. They either need to be destroyed or changed.

Since Eugene McCarthy, to the Rainbow Coalition, and then the campaigns of Kuccinch and then Bernie working inside has not worked. Of course, neither has working outside.

I doubt you’ve even seen them. Even the protests organized by Palestinians welcome Jewish Voices for Peace who have signs that say, “Never Again Means for Everyone”. And Jewish Voices for Peace organize a lot of protest themselves. Antifa peeps show up to make sure Nazis don’t infiltrate.

Who says they aren’t voting Democrat when it comes down to it? They’re trying to improve their voting choice. Ffs.

This is not that. There’s nothing in the article to suggest that they are supporting Republicans.

They even admit they may have to ‘recalibrate’ if their campaign doesn’t achieve results.

They are announcing that they want change from the Democrats. Frankly, this is what environmental, labor, feminist and police reform movements should be doing. The Democrats are better than. Republicans on all those issues, BUT THEY STILL SUCK.

This is pressure to make the Democrats better, whether by changing their stance or getting different Dems.

Would you suggest accepting that the Democrats as they are is enough to stop climate change, end wealth inequality, provide housing and healthcare, end discrimination, reform the police, etc?

Are you saying "housing first" works or not?

Because just labeling something "housing first" without actually providing housing of course doesn't work and that may be what you're say. But a proper "housing first" DOES WORK to significantly improve people's lives and reduce their engagement with emergency services (ie, cops and hospitals), which is quality of life for the rest of us.

Here's a study from the Lancet (n=1103): https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00117-1/fulltext

If I told an evangelical to "go rapture yourself", would that be a threat or incitement to self harm?

Choosing to support the right wing guy, Hindenburg, that didn't really believe in democracy who in less than 2 years later appoints the guy who ends democracy is not a big stretch of cause and effect.

No, it's worth noting that it was lesser evil voting in a sense that got Hitler appointed. The Social Democrats blocked with the Conservative Hindenburg, who won. Hindenburg then appointed Hitler Chancellor.

One wonders what would have happened if the Social Democrats had blocked with the Communists in a left slate, or at least gotten concessions from the Conservatives.

Edit to add link to 1932 election. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_German_presidential_election

Targeting a journalist, not opposition Hezbollah.

I would have said that West was smart 6-9 months ago. But flirting with the dumpster fire that is the Progressive Party, then jumping into and then back out of the Green Party, and finally settling on being an independent with zero ballot access is a decision path that changed my mind about the practical nature of West's mind.

Both parties have separate voting bases and funding bases, which have some overlap but ultimately different priorities.

Hamas won the 2006 election, and Fatah and the rest of the world opposed them taking office. Hamas and Fatah fought it out, and Hamas won in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank.

You're right that Hamas hasn't allowed elections since then, but simply saying, 'violently pushing out Fatah ' is much less than accurate.

It should also be noted that Hamas won that election because Fatah's strategy of negotiations was seen as a dead end and Israel is responsible for that. And of course, there might not even BE a Hamas if Israel hadn't funded Hamas as a divide and conquer strategy against the Palestinian secular nationalist movement .

EVs do require fewer workers as they have fewer parts. Which is why the UAW demand of a 32 hour work week at the same pay is relevant: less work, so we should work less and maintain jobs.

It is fucking amazing how a militant and democratic leadership (Fain is the first UAW president elected by direct member vote) turned the UAW around.