xenomor

joined 1 year ago
[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

First off, it’s not about majority, it’s about plurality. But that’s just nitpicking.

The disagreement here is about how a party achieves pluralities. They could follow a strategy of running toward the positions in their opposition, or they can do it by attempting to convince members of their opposition about the merits of their principled positions. Some compromises will frequently be practical, but enshrining compromise itself as a core principle, as opposed to policy, is only a strategy for maintaining power for power’s sake. Democracy should be more than team sports IMO.

Again, just look at what happened in the last 40 years. Asymmetrical consensus seeking has fueled the march of American fascism. Unless you want to argue that democracies will always inevitably slide toward fascism, I refuse to accept your characterization of democracy.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago

Speaking as an American, it’s because we are bad guys. I’m not saying all Americans are bad. I’m not saying that everything we do is bad. But as a collective, in the context of our actions and their consequences, we inflict tremendous harm on the world and our own citizens.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

This is the strategy that Democrats have followed since 1988. In that time, the Overton window has relentlessly shifted to the right. It is the dynamic that makes it politically practical for Republicans to also relentlessly shift further right. It’s a positive feedback loop that eventually spirals toward fascism. Just examine the last four decades. It’s right there.

It’s not ‘consensus building’ when the other party has a principled opposition to consensus. It’s just a pre-negotiated concession. It is a lack leadership. That is the Democratic Party in a nutshell.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

And just think, President Biden is just sorta okay with this.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

I should also point out that invoking “secularism” in defense of Israeli brutality is absurd. Religious exceptionalism is a foundational characteristic of that state. The fanatical zealots that run their current government invoke religious providence all the time when rationalizing their own brutal policies. Lastly, the root of US patronage for Israel, the thing that allows the state to persist at all, is evangelical Christians who hope to usher in the end times described by their religion.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Every single rationalization that I’ve heard Israel and the US use for the inhuman violence they are inflicting, if applied consistently, would also justify both October 7 and the behavior of Hezbollah. “We have a right to defend ourselves.” “They deserve it because they are terrorists that target innocent civilians.” “This is our land.” “They hide behind civilians.” “We support our Allies without condition”. Secondly, “secularism” is worthless if it is employed in the the service of racism and fascism. Thirdly, please examine history and realize that all of this brutality always, always sows the seeds of more violence that will be visited upon you later. Israelis are sacrificing their own long term security for the sake of wanton short term bloodlust. It’s sick, self destructive and short sighted.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Justice would be hauling Joe and his Secretary of State in front of congress and appropriate courts, to be tried for violating the Leahy laws and actively lying to congress. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a rules-based society.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world -3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

There is no depth to which Joe Biden will not sink to prop up, arm, cover for, pay, or deflect accountability from Israel. He is a zealot, devoted to a racist, un-democratic state and its culture of ethnic purity and regional domination. He is a monster who would be undeserving of his role as president, if the country he presided over wasn’t itself a violent, racist stain on humanity. Harris should be given an opportunity to course correct, but we all know that she won’t. She has no actual ideology other than self promotion. Her party has been captured monetarily by the Israeli lobby, as has most of congress. Despite a lot of flowery rhetoric, the only consistent US principle is a willingness to ignore US principles if there is profit or power to be had. As a US citizen, I hope our allies realize how duplicitous we are, and how shallow our calls for unity, peace and order are. The US should not be trusted, and our demon child Israel should never, ever be legitimized as anything other than the cancer it keeps choosing to be.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Israel is a cancer.

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 98 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

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[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 54 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Why should it feel a need to respond? This administration and congress have shown nothing but breathless support for every illegal and inhuman action they’ve taken and imposed exactly zero meaningful consequences for violating the few feckless ‘red lines’ Biden has feigned to impose. They have nearly complete ideological and/or monetary capture of the administration and congress, and the US professional media is salivating about having more wars to cover. Both presidential candidates have promised no change in policy. Furthermore, the international community seems to be largely unwilling to meaningfully intervene and challenge US hegemony.

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