Quote:
Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield
But can they really get along? The Bernie folks are closer to populist than liberal. Liberals are incrementalists. The Bernie folks know that liberals won’t go to the extremes that Bernie followers desire. They view aligning with liberals as a bait and switch. Kind of like social conservatives with the old line moderate GOP. They’d vote for the Republican and demand social conservatism and after Election Day they’d be ignored.
I think the Bernie people suspect, and they’d be right, that letting it all burn down is more likely to get them what they want than getting in bed with Clintonites. The Clinton Democrats are never going to give the Bernie faction what it wants. The demands are simply too insane. No one can give them that. The only way they get what they want, which is truly very close to actual socialism, is if the capitalist system all but collapses and we have widespread severe social unrest.
That could happen if Trump wins another term. Not as likely if Biden wins.
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Yes, the defining feature of a Bro is sufficient privilege to believe 1) nothing much worse than the status quo is a likely outcome of a revolution and 2) they will personally come through it fine.
Both of those beliefs are irrational and ahistorical. They can’t even win elections but are sure their side wins in a revolution.
That said, there’s nothing remotely insane about Medicare For All, living wages and some degree of free higher ed. The “actual socialism” that exists all around the developed world is, in fact, possible here too. These things are only extreme in our deeply stunted politics that prioritizes low taxes on the very rich and upwards redistribution of wealth.
