This type of thing goes through my head constantly. Im kinda surprised trump is even trying to hide epstein given how well just breaking laws and being openly corrupt has been for him/they/them.

  • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    citizens united was only another milestone in a series of milestones that the rich & powerful achieved and they did it with our consent, as i mentioned earlier.

    the only litmus tests that ever matter was whether or not you were capable of seeing that “spoiler effect” or “first past the post” or “the electoral college” were bullshit excuses meant to trap us into the team sport mindset.

    • LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      Caring about citizens is a litmus test for whether someone is an ignorant liberal or not

      Liberals think if it weren’t for that, “there wouldn’t be money in politics.” In the real world, capitalism affords inordinate political and economic authority to the capitalist class, and this is true even if you have really strict rules on direct donations or funding campaigns or whatever.

      Liberals have this fucking fantasy in their heads of a pre or post Citizens United world where the rich don’t influence politics, but that’s what it is, a fucking fantasy. Capitalism is inherently incompatible with actual democracy because the ownership of capital itself is what affords the capitalists political influence. Biggest employer in a town? You have inherent influence. Own the newspaper, TV or radio stations? You have inherent influence.

    • HubertManne@piefed.socialOP
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      1 month ago

      Oh that ludicrous. The spoiler effect gave us bush over gore and trump1. There are plenty of chances to get the canidates running but when it comes down to the wire not choosing better over worse fucks everybody.

      • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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        1 month ago

        there will always be another trump so long as people keep failing these litmus tests.

        • Maeve@kbin.earth
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          1 month ago

          Mmm, tell me again how Clinton got elected and balanced the budget. Tough on crime and austerity for low income is what I recall.

            • HubertManne@piefed.socialOP
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              1 month ago

              I think its a reference to him being vilified for his adult affair when he did a pretty decent job as far as presidents go. Thats my take anyway.

              • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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                1 month ago

                enabling a genocide in the balkans sounds very much like enabling a genocide in gaza to me.

                • HubertManne@piefed.socialOP
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                  1 month ago

                  see now I don’t get that in the context of the chain. I me I get it, but it sounds like a non sequitor.

                  • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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                    1 month ago

                    clinton & nato gave the croatian government weaponry to help croatia to ethnically cleans serbians from croatia.

                    biden/trump & nato give the isreali government weaponry to help isreal ethnically cleans palestinians from gaza

                    clinton broke campaign promises to fuck over marginalized groups and his own base.

                    trump broke campaign promises to fuck over marginized groups and his own base.

                    clinton and trump took different approaches, but both ultimately wanted the same thing; enforcing american hegemony.

      • Nakoichi [they/them]@hexbear.net
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        1 month ago

        That is demonstrably false. And even if it were true it doesn’t change the fact that these parties are complicit in all the same shit. Maybe they should appeal to peoples material needs. They never will though because that is not their function.