137
'The Oligarchy Is the Enemy': Maine Oyster Farmer Launches Senate Bid to Oust Susan Collins | Common Dreams (www.commondreams.org)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/usa@lemmy.ml
22 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Julia Conley
Aug 19, 2025

Launching a US Senate run to unseat five-term Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, oyster farmer Graham Platner on Tuesday made clear in his inaugural ad that beating the "fake" moderate also means taking on the power-hungry billionaire class that has helped keep her in power all these years.

The enemy that the vast majority of Americans and Mainers have in common, said Platner, "is the oligarchy."

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (9 children)

If platforming universal healthcare and economic change is conservative then sign me the duck up as a staunch conservative. People are attacking him for having a business but that doesn't make him the enemy. Plenty of good solid people have a business and pump the money back into their employees and community. It's the billionaires, the ultra wealthy who think they can play god that are the problem.

I swear, "progressives" can be the most backwards people and their own worst enemy all in the name of ideological purity.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 9 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    Socialists aren’t “progressive” liberals. They’re socialists. We don’t think the problem is the billionaires: we think the problem is capitalism itself. It’s private ownership of the means of production, which is foundational to liberalism.

    Plenty of good solid people have a business and pump the money back into their employees and community.

    This is petit bourgeois “job creator” talk. Those good solid people exploit their employees’ labor. This isn’t a moral judgement, it’s simply how capitalism works.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    You're arguing with someone from .ml, it's not worth the effort

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I learned a while back that arguing with someone is less about convincing that specific person, and more about convincing the bystanders who read/hear the argument.

    It's actually made it less frustrating for me to engage with people online. The person I'm taking to I know will never change their mind, but someone else might that I don't know about.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Definitely applaud that effort and patience!

    I've lost some enthusiasm for it as they generally seem argue with the same tactics as from the right-wing playbook. Really designed to muddy the water and confuse the whole conversation in their favor.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [+] -8 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    I am not progressive, or democrat.

    I do believe in better health care, of course. But, let us count how many candidates who promised this before and have failed to keep their campaign promises to even do the minimal effort?

    How is this person different from the normal grifter type? Are there mitigating stories about his character or background that shows one should give him a doubt?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Fuck it, dont vote for anyone ever again, I guess

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Or find ways to make a difference.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •