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I think it’s important to distinguish between what the American people want and what the system produces. The majority of Americans support policies that would

by erentz 6y ago

I think it’s important to distinguish between what the American people want and what the system produces. The majority of Americans support policies that would make a more compassionate society.[1] But these policies don’t get traction or passed due to a corrupt system that fails to represent people. [1] E.g. the latest Medicare for All poll shows overall 69% of Americans support it, rising to 88% of Dems support it. So overall the population wants it yet it doesn’t happen. You also see similar disconnect between what people support and what we have with other policies that would make American society more compassionate one. (https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/25/poll-shows-nearly-90-democratic-support-biden-told-hostility-medicare-all-no-longer https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/25/poll-shows-near...)

eli_gottlieb 6y ago
>E.g. the latest Medicare for All poll shows overall 69% of Americans support it, rising to 88% of Dems support it. So overall the population wants it yet it doesn’t happen. It's important to note that, with the Democratic primary having wound down, most of these 88% of Dems seem to have voted for an imagined version of Joe Biden who was, at the least, not explicitly against Medicare For All.
- samdamsamm 6y ago
  Right. It’s pretty unbelievable and very sad that the media has been able to somehow convince so many Americans that Joe Biden is some kind of New Deal Democrat. He was a pioneer of the policies we now know as actually existing neoliberalism. Yet again, it is even more obvious than before that the United States is an oligarchy without exception.
  - toomuchtodo 6y ago
    The suffering will continue until older cohorts age out and younger cohorts grow as a majority, supporting progressive policies, along with the passing of existing elderly incumbent politicians who aren't "on board" (neither Biden nor Pelosi support Medicare For All, but they're also 77 and 80 years old respectively). https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/20/a-wider-partisan-and-ideological-gap-between-younger-older-generations/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/20/a-wider-par... (A wider partisan and ideological gap between younger, older generations)
    - eli_gottlieb 6y ago
      I agree that there's a large partisan and ideological gap between the young and old, but people have been predicting the "aging in" of a new, more progressive electorate for about as long as I can remember. It never seems to actually happen. eg: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/2020-republicans-doomed.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/2020-republicans-doo...
      - toomuchtodo 6y ago
        Shifting politics takes time, a glacial pace. Lots of progress so far (LGBTQ+ rights, marijuana legalization state by state, minimum wage increases, restoring voting rights to felons), just have to keep applying pressure. Lots of work left to be done. See you on the campaign trail.

by erentz 6y ago

eli_gottlieb 6y ago

>E.g. the latest Medicare for All poll shows overall 69% of Americans support it, rising to 88% of Dems support it. So overall the population wants it yet it doesn’t happen. It's important to note that, with the Democratic primary having wound down, most of these 88% of Dems seem to have voted for an imagined version of Joe Biden who was, at the least, not explicitly against Medicare For All.

samdamsamm 6y ago
Right. It’s pretty unbelievable and very sad that the media has been able to somehow convince so many Americans that Joe Biden is some kind of New Deal Democrat. He was a pioneer of the policies we now know as actually existing neoliberalism. Yet again, it is even more obvious than before that the United States is an oligarchy without exception.
- toomuchtodo 6y ago
  The suffering will continue until older cohorts age out and younger cohorts grow as a majority, supporting progressive policies, along with the passing of existing elderly incumbent politicians who aren't "on board" (neither Biden nor Pelosi support Medicare For All, but they're also 77 and 80 years old respectively). https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/20/a-wider-partisan-and-ideological-gap-between-younger-older-generations/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/20/a-wider-par... (A wider partisan and ideological gap between younger, older generations)
  - eli_gottlieb 6y ago
    I agree that there's a large partisan and ideological gap between the young and old, but people have been predicting the "aging in" of a new, more progressive electorate for about as long as I can remember. It never seems to actually happen. eg: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/2020-republicans-doomed.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/2020-republicans-doo...
    - toomuchtodo 6y ago
      Shifting politics takes time, a glacial pace. Lots of progress so far (LGBTQ+ rights, marijuana legalization state by state, minimum wage increases, restoring voting rights to felons), just have to keep applying pressure. Lots of work left to be done. See you on the campaign trail.