I hear people say things like “if Obama (or anyone left of Republicans) did what Trump did, there would be hell to pay.”

Why isn’t that argument taken more seriously by people on the left as an implicit admission that the left is politically weaker or less effective at wielding power?

If one side “can’t get away with” actions that the other can, doesn’t that suggest a real imbalance rather than moral superiority?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 18 points 10 months ago (9 children)

Follow-up question: why do Americans think there's an active mainstream political "left" in the US, and how is it related to the Democrats?

  • source
  • hideshow 9 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago

    We’ve been told for generations that the Democrats are “left”, so many people have accepted it as truth. Repetition is powerful, especially when it’s been going on since before you were born, and your parents and grandparents believe it, too.

    Not enough of us realize that Democrats aren’t “left”; they’re just not as obviously, painfully “right” as Republicans.

    I hate our two-party system.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago* (7 children)

    Define left.

    If it's 'not republican' than the Democrats are it. If it's 'socialist values' than no, that's considered fringe politics. Sanders is a moderate socialist who'd be a center or center-right figure it many european countries, but American overton window makes him a extremist because our political history is far more libertarian and less centralized than most european states.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (6 children)

    Left politics generally supports social change, equality, and greater government intervention in the economy to help the marginalized, often favoring progress over tradition, and is associated with values like social justice, workers' rights, and expanded public services.

    I hope that helps.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] -2 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    The right also supports all that. It's just disagree about who should benefit and what the government should intervene about.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    The right also supports all that.

    Oh yes, the well known progressive right 😂.

    The right naturally doesn't support any of that to any extent. They're about their own wallets (that's what you meant with benefit I suppose). Words have meanings, my apologist buddy.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] -1 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    the left supports their own wallets too. everyone does.

    nobody is voting to give their money away to other people.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    There's more to ethical politics than just money. Might not seem like it from below.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (1 child)

    there is no ethics in politics. there is only power.

    the ethics is what the people in power say it is.

    hence why the dems eat their own over a misunderstoodjoke, and the republicans promote child rapists.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment