"Progressives should not make the same mistake that Ernst ThƤlmann made in 1932. The leader of the German Communist Party, ThƤlmann saw mainstream liberals as his enemies, and so the center and left never joined forces against the Nazis. ThƤlmann famously said that ā€˜some Nazi trees must not be allowed to overshadow a forestā€™ of social democrats, whom he sneeringly called ā€˜social fascists.ā€™

After Adolf Hitler gained power in 1933, ThƤlmann was arrested. He was shot on Hitlerā€™s orders in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944."

  • GarbageShootAlt2@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    Thereā€™s no need to be so smarmy. Anyway, the individuals may behave in aberrant ways (or perhaps as a red herring, up to your interpretation), but the Democratic Party will reject it just as the Republicans will. Iā€™m talking about classes and political parties, not every person as an individual.

    If it passes, Iā€™ll eat my hat, but it doesnā€™t have a snowballā€™s chance in Hell.

    • geekwithsoul@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      So even when Democrats do the right thing, you donā€™t give them credit? Got it.

      • GarbageShootAlt2@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        Making a declaration is worthless. This is three people saying that theyā€™d like to do something and they will fail just as these attempts have always failed. I can give them as people some amount of credit for trying to make the world better, but that does not exonerate the system! The system ā€“ including the rest of the Democratic Party ā€“ will still put their attempt down regardless.

        Do you not see the difference here? The fact that people can and do propose to do good things now and again and those attempts are shot down even by the so-called left wing party is not a defense of the republic, but an indictment!

        • geekwithsoul@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          How do you think legislation happens? This isnā€™t just ā€œthree peopleā€, this is a sitting Democratic Senator and two Democratic Reps. All with long histories in the party. Hell, Beyer was Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. These arenā€™t nobodies.

          And theyā€™re not just ā€œsaying that theyā€™d like to do somethingā€, this is actual legislation that was submitted in both the House and Senate. These kinds of bills may have to be introduced a number of times before they pass but Dems are the only ones doing the work to at least try and if nothing else keep the issue alive and active as a discussion.

          This is how the legislative process works all over the world, and if you canā€™t or wonā€™t bother to understand that, than I canā€™t imagine thereā€™s anything else really for us to talk about.

          • GarbageShootAlt2@lemmy.ml
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            2 months ago

            It has very little support, itā€™s DOA. Thatā€™s just what happens. Look at all of Bernieā€™s failed bills; they just donā€™t push the needle. You can tell me that at some point in the future the Rapture will definitely happen, the righteous will be saved and the sinners will be cast into perdition and so on, but I donā€™t see any reason to believe it considering the history of the Democrats for the last 40 years and their incredible ability to pretend to want good things while either conspiring with open rightists or making limp gestures like this.

            You will not see the Democratic Party vote its own power away, it just wonā€™t happen.