Progressive Politics

Generally they come for the vagrants and otger undesireables first, and anyway, it's Communists that they came for, the SPD lasted a while, and then the USA let them remain in the west becacse they're not actually a threat

Because they can count on having the help of centrists.

Because socialism offers an alternative channel for the frustrations of which inevitably arrives from the inequalities capitalism creates.

Socialism competes for the same energies which fascism looks to channel into its own movements.

Fascism takes the disenfranchised and gives them an easy to digest narrative which addresses their grievances. Its the other. Its the immigrant, the homosexual, the minority religion; they're why you are suffering. The issue is that fascism as a movement is entirely cynical. Its the conception of that energy with no intent to actually address the issues which create the conditions to begin with.

Socialism is competing for the same minds, and this is something hard to hear, but every mind that is now a fascist is a mind that could have become a socialist if we had gotten to them first. Socialism is also trying to give the disenfranchised a way to understand and then do something about their suffering. But it also doesn't give easy answers. It makes the point that we need to fundamentally restructure society and how we distribute wealth. Its harder to understand. But generally, unless you go off the tankie deep-end, it doesn't suffer from the same cynicism.

The problem, that we as socialists have (where ever you end up on the spectrum), is that we're forced to caucus with liberals who are fundamentally in opposition to the principal of restructuring of society. Fundamental to liberalism is the idea that "the system works"; look at Harris and Bidens' 2024 campaign. Its central premise was that "nothing would fundamentally change". Media and commenters here were continuously gaslighting people about their lived experience, trying to tell them they weren't suffering because "economic indicators" (like the stock market) were doing fine. Liberals effectively argue that your grievances aren't valid.

And voters didn't buy that shit, because they don't need economic indicators to see that their lives are continuously degraded.

If liberals maintain control of the Democratic party from now moving forwards, there is not a single chance of stopping fascism through elections. They don't have what it takes. Schumer and Jefferies are all the evidence you need of the pure facade which is a liberal resistance to fascism.

Fascists need to go after socialism first because socialism can actually address the fundamental grievances, which are fascism relies upon to develop support.

It is sad to me that this even needs to be pointed out. That the distorted worldview pushed by MAGA is seeping through all discourse, infecting it.

But thanks, I guess it bears pointing out as much as possible.

They don't know who the Socialists are. Not here, in The U.S. They think the neoliberal Democrats are Socialists for example. This is one of the few areas of politics I don't feel insecure about.

First they came for the Tankies and I said nothing...

In hindsight, we could really use some tanks about now