The easy lie is to equate all 'socialism' with the brutal, totalitarian, ostensibly 'Communist' regimes of Stalin and Mao. I think the reason they don't do this so much anymore is that those regimes are fading in the country's collective memory. Students haven't been taught about them (or about any history) very well, and they are becoming dimly-lit events and figures. So they have to tie 'socialism' to increasingly unrelated things, and just say vague stuff about how it's the enemy of Freedom and Opportunity.
As always, the racists and fascists have worked for generations to get what they want, and now they don't like it.
Why have we based our economy on low-paid immigrant labor? Why do we import stuff made by even lower-paid workers elsewhere. Why are there immigrant truck drivers who can't read road signs in English?
Exploitation by the Oligarchs. That's why. America has always relied on labor from enslaved people. We legalized enslavement by turning it into wage slavery; not because we're so virtuous but because it's cheaper for the Oligarchs. They no longer have a capital investment in their own labor, dumping those costs onto the workers themselves. Just as Uber dumps all the costs of running a taxi company onto the workers.
Once the fascists achieve their dream of a lily-white America, they're still going to need a massive underclass of cheap labor.
And just whom do the denizens of the rural diner think that will consist of?
Today, The Cook Political Report is moving 18 House races, all in Democrats' direction. With these new moves, we’re also adjusting our range: the most likely outcome is now that Democrats will pick up nine to 19 seats.
I'm just imagining as the dementia gets really bad and he's down to maybe 6 words left in his vocabulary, and he's just blurting out "No! Socialist!" At anything and everything.
I kind of wish someone put out an ad defining socialism in the United States as Medicare, libraries, national highways, roads, fire departments, the police, trash pickup, street lights, water, parks, nutritious food for expectant mothers and infants, safety inspections for the food we eat to keep us healthy, aid in rebuilding from natural disasters, and just go down the list of all of the benefits we get from acting as one for the benefit of all.
Define this shit as community, taking care of each other, and making life a little less nasty, short, and brutish.
And just keep hammering that over and over and fucking over again.
Life doesn't have to be like this. We don't have to live like this.
They need to keep beating that drum of nativism so we can have a reason to apply the term correctly. Columbus Lied.
I despise this timeline so much. These far-Reich reprobates work SO damned hard at contriving something and someone to HATE.
Can you even begin to imagine what sort of wonderfuls would be achieved if that same energy was expended toward something positive?
It's heartbreaking. Think of what this country could be.
It's nothing short of fucking gutting.
But but but biden let in 50 million ill eagles to take everything from realamericans and vote for communism! Facts! 😭😭😭
"Blessed are the white men?! Oh, that's nice, isn't it? I'm glad they're getting something, 'cause they have a hell of a time."
Every time I hear someone say the “Dems are bad at messaging” I want to bang my head against a wall.
Has no one in our country heard republicans speak?
Trump: They’re eating your pets. They’re eating your cats.
Vance: Socialism is boys playing girls sports.
Hegseth: no fatties, not trannies, no weirdos, no beardos.
Do you honestly, think this shit is “good messaging” and that’s why they won?
"dems are bad at messaging" is a republican trope
alas, too often borne out by reality
no, but apparently an awful lot of Americans do.
Did you know that I need to drink coffee or I'll die?
Okay, that might be overstating it a little...
"(IYKYK)"
IDNKATMBOFODNSWTE
Oh yeah? IHOLAASMICJS!*
*I hate overly long, arbitrary abbreviations so much I could just shit!
The easy lie is to equate all 'socialism' with the brutal, totalitarian, ostensibly 'Communist' regimes of Stalin and Mao. I think the reason they don't do this so much anymore is that those regimes are fading in the country's collective memory. Students haven't been taught about them (or about any history) very well, and they are becoming dimly-lit events and figures. So they have to tie 'socialism' to increasingly unrelated things, and just say vague stuff about how it's the enemy of Freedom and Opportunity.
And meanwhile that total REMF Kegseth is going to televise a firing squad execution. Who are the fucking barbarians?
There's also the problem of the mismatch between reality and their words.
"We want to give school kids food."
"WHY!?! BECAUSE STALINISTS!!!!?!"
Eventually everyone just thinks your a weirdo who thinks everything is communist.
As always, the racists and fascists have worked for generations to get what they want, and now they don't like it.
Why have we based our economy on low-paid immigrant labor? Why do we import stuff made by even lower-paid workers elsewhere. Why are there immigrant truck drivers who can't read road signs in English?
Exploitation by the Oligarchs. That's why. America has always relied on labor from enslaved people. We legalized enslavement by turning it into wage slavery; not because we're so virtuous but because it's cheaper for the Oligarchs. They no longer have a capital investment in their own labor, dumping those costs onto the workers themselves. Just as Uber dumps all the costs of running a taxi company onto the workers.
Once the fascists achieve their dream of a lily-white America, they're still going to need a massive underclass of cheap labor.
And just whom do the denizens of the rural diner think that will consist of?
But they built all that "themselves" and don't have to share with anyone, least of all the "losers and left behinds."
One of my more favorite memes is something to the effect of
The Leftist Agenda: Everyone is fed and housed and is healthy and happy.
The Rightist Agenda: Every white person is working themselves to the bone at all times and everyone else is dead.
Well, ...*almost* every white person (insert gif here of Musk, gnawing a turkey leg on a golden throne).
And 6 people own 99.9% of everything.
@CookPolitical
Today, The Cook Political Report is moving 18 House races, all in Democrats' direction. With these new moves, we’re also adjusting our range: the most likely outcome is now that Democrats will pick up nine to 19 seats.
Read more from https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/eighteen-more-house-race-ratings-move-democrats-favor
Heads down. Vote!!!...
and here we see the intended effects of language having been murdered
every democrat (or anyone opposed to the current occupant of the White House, really)
is a socialist
(smoaks quantity)
I'm just imagining as the dementia gets really bad and he's down to maybe 6 words left in his vocabulary, and he's just blurting out "No! Socialist!" At anything and everything.
“How do you define socialism personally“
What is this? We just all have our own personal definitions for words now?
I know, I know; the English language, having been mudered…
This right here.
I know what Socialism is, I saw that Steve Hilton ad.
Sexy sexy Socialism.
(I haven't actually watched the ad).
ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER. DO YOU SPEAK IT?
I knew a wingnut who would tell me what words actually meant, according to AM radio talkers.
It’s all what they want it to mean. Just like their own reality.
Good grief.
...
The whole misnamed "conservative" movement of destructive radicalism began with opposition to child labor laws.
Well documented in "The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market" from 2023.
Thank you for that book recommendation. Adding it to my list.
“It's about their hatred of native-born citizens.”
Morherfucker, we’re not the ones kidnapping native-born citizens and sending them to Sudan or wherever, just because their name ends with a “z.”
I kind of wish someone put out an ad defining socialism in the United States as Medicare, libraries, national highways, roads, fire departments, the police, trash pickup, street lights, water, parks, nutritious food for expectant mothers and infants, safety inspections for the food we eat to keep us healthy, aid in rebuilding from natural disasters, and just go down the list of all of the benefits we get from acting as one for the benefit of all.
Define this shit as community, taking care of each other, and making life a little less nasty, short, and brutish.
And just keep hammering that over and over and fucking over again.
Life doesn't have to be like this. We don't have to live like this.
But it has to appear like a fear mongering MAGA PSA.
"Do you realize how SOCIALISM is taking over our country? It has to end NOW!" [cue short clips of your list and more]
To his credit, Zorhan Mamdani does most of what you're talking about in the first paragraph on a regular basis.
The thing is... I think the Republicans screaming about the Evil Socialisms is making a lot of people at least socialist curious.
After all, the guy who hates it is a deranged pedophile crook, anything he hates is probably worth looking into.
Life doesn't have to be like this but it also takes courage and bravery, which the people in this country don't seem to have.
They love nasty, short and brutish b/c they think they get to prove how manly and tuff they are. Survival of the fittest, dontcha know.
"Mr. Vice President, how do you define socialism?"
"Well, shucks, it's, it's, let's say it's an orb, a giant mind-control orb."
"An...orb?"
"You in the fake news are always twisting our words! This is why we have socialism, gol-dangit."
"It's a a hat or a brooch, or a pterodactyl . . ."
https://youtu.be/M7fchtEJpy8 ....