It’s moments like these that help us remember Trump is actually pretty dumb.

A lot of his shittier behavior can be chalked up to anger, misogyny, racism, etc. (which are indirectly signs of stupidity), but in no way, shape, or form has he generally brought people together. He could wax on about how he “pointed out and tackled the real threat to our country,” blah blah blah, but… he’s definitely a divider and rabble-rouser of the highest degree.

The only way Obama divided anyone was:

• Made racists mad at Democrats (for nominating and electing him)

• Made the people who voted for him mad that his presidency wasn’t much like his campaign promises (drone strikes, NDAA, etc.)

But calling him a bad president? That’s also simply inaccurate. Trump - on the other hand - is almost certain to be viewed by historians as in the bottom 5.

No idea what that means.

Obviously Schumer is not a progressive. We were talking about AOC.

🤞

To be honest, I’ve learned better of hoping for things to go the predictable, sane way in this administration.

The minute we’re sure the bad thing won’t happen, something worse will.

I never made that argument. I called you a boot licker. It’s an insult, not an argument.

Yeah fair enough, I blended your two inane takes and misremembered.

Oh, imagine a straw man you’re constructing? How about no thanks.

That’s not what a straw man is, but okay.

You’re the one policing communism online. Part of the reason I called you a boot licker is because I’ve seen you on these threads before.

Hey, if you think my disliking authoritarianism makes me a boot licker, that’s a really interesting opinion of yours that I’m positive I can’t change.

Anyways, I can’t be bothered with your type. It’s not worth it, olive branches get swattered away, politeness and goodwill gets ground down with begging further arguments and concessions.

Sorry to hear you think “sorry I participate in discussions in bad faith” is some kind of panacea.

Good riddance. Go on, reply, I know you like to complain endlessly. Product of a relentless personality.

Likewise!

There’s a wide variety and storied history of anti-communist organization that acted as fronts or ways to recruit fascists.

True, but does not substantially support your argument that I’m a fascist.

They are closely associated, I have every right to joke about it after you’ve misidentified me as a communist (red scare style).

To say that my suspicion you could be a tankie (not a communist - because not all communists are tankies) is Red Scare shenanigans is a pretty clear overreaction. Let’s flip the script so you can see what I mean, starting with your ad hominem from earlier:

Imagine a thread where the Holocaust was being discussed.

Now imagine someone hopping in with the following out of nowhere:

“Did you know the nazis’ camps weren’t even illegal at the time? The Nuremberg Trials were convened explicitly because there was no law prohibiting their atrocities, and the term “crimes against humanity” and their subsequent trial ex post facto had no legal precedent! That’s not something most people know!”

… okay, sure, but… why insert that unless you’re a fact-bot spitting out random related facts or you’re a nazi? So if I mention that’s kinda suspicious and they blow their lid, does your suspicion of them increase or decrease?

Pressing on after I apologized as if it’s a police investigation was its self a dick move. You wanted total demoralization by begging that I conceed further “see you were quacking like a Communist” after I clarified that I wasn’t one… and now you’re still here? We’re ONLY here because you couldn’t stop and let it go.

Kinda rich to police my internet etiquette when you so happily embrace ad hominem.

Couldn’t agree more with the exception that it’s possible schipelblorp is in fact simply a misguided progressive/leftist/etc. that thinks taking her down will magically make an equally popular and effective but slightly more progressive candidate emerge from her ashes. It won’t.

As you say, she’s great, but not perfect; insinuating she’s been a fake progressive this whole time is counterproductive at best, disinformation at worst.

Not that I expect a good faith reply from you, but mostly just to signal to anyone reading that I’m unwilling to return the disrespect you started:

What exactly have I said that’s capitalist or fascist?

Fair enough, but you do see that you’ve quacked like a duck here, right?

Especially in the context of a post that’s bound to draw tankies to run to the defense of fellow tankies, as you can see elsewhere in the comments.

But you do understand it makes you and yours look ridiculous - and is thus counterproductive - when you can’t help yourself (due to your stated strong opinions) but to participate in such bad faith, right?

Between that and the suspicion I have that you were implying the massacres would be more acceptable if they weren’t pro-communist protestors and it’s just one more anecdote of tankies having bizarre and unconscionable stances.

Guarantee his promotions and such will be “mysteriously” denied, and any subjective performance reviews will similarly “mysteriously” state he’s just not quite meeting expectations any more.

Source: My own career was stymied and then extinguished for reasons “unrelated” to my refusals to follow illegal orders as a cop.

Getting pissed off at voting for a house speaker with a history of opposing progressive causes after a once-in-century change election isn’t purist pique.

It is when you try to argue that AOC is No True Progressive.

Dems have a chance to redefine the party into something people want to vote for. If we can’t do it, we’re giving racist Christofascism another shot at a permanent majority. We have a lot of work to do at every level and we can’t do it with a corpodem at the top of the hiearchy.

Cool soapbox, but I never said anything different; you’re acting like I disagree with you here.

I can see why yours is incoherent nonsense.

No, I just try to figure out whence cometh ridiculous behavior so I can point it out and others can ignore it in peace.

No True Progressive

If someone is a Progressive 99% of the time and fucks up 1% of the time, tHeYrE eStAbLiShMeNt NeOlIbS!!!

With this much purity testing, it’s no wonder the left has no ground to stand on in the US - the rug keeps getting pulled by people further left of whatever platform they’re on.

Meanwhile the conservatives and fascists are patting each other on the back for putting aside their differences.

Ah gotcha, you’re a purity tester; my mistake.

What in the mental gymnastics is your comment meant to be?

Your edit comes across as, “Oops, looks like I was trying to rage against someone without realizing we agree; better edit to add a subtle retraction. Oh, and I’d better add a whataboutism out of nowhere too.”

That’s an important thing to educate others on, but… so?

The problem is they massacred protestors, not what the protest was about.

If the people want to speak in support of communism, let them. If they want to speak in support of capitalism, let them.

Enlightened Centrism, then?

Not part of any definition of “liberal” I’ve heard of, no.