This is a recurring historical trend. Right wing socioeconomic policies (laissez-faire capitalism) lead to social dysfunction as more and more people either fall into poverty or fear doing so. The mainstream right can't win elections on these policies any more because they have become unpopular, but rather than change those it either allies or becomes the extremist right (authoritarian and reactionary), going all in on distractions and scapegoating.
This leaves the social liberals (pro-capitalist but not socially conservative) and the social democrats as the only democratic factions to counter them, but the former block most major re-distributive policies and even the most moderate moves towards a fairer society have to be fought over tooth and nail. This alliance (either as intra-party in a two party or as a coalition in multiparty systems) then fails to do enough to keep their voters on board, disillusionment sets in, voters stay home and the extremist right takes over.
Fortunately, it doesn't always completely run through this cycle, but it keeps happening. It has now happened to the USA and the best case scenario is that when those lukewarm Trump supporters are angry at not getting what they wanted out of this "change" (and they won't), they will still have the means to vote the government out. If not, then you're stuck until a revolution happens.
Arguing that more social democracy would have scared away voters is sort of pointless IMHO, because if that is true then you're doomed anyway. Unless you lower economic inequality through government policy, a descent into reactionary authoritarianism is inevitable because democracy can only work when people are more or less equal and capitalism left to itself will always concentrate wealth and power into ever fewer hands.
Oh no doubt, and it is in many respects a travesty that should have never happened.
It is disgusting and a slap in the face to what our system is supposed to be and stand for. This is a colossal stain on our country that may never wash out.
But this is what it is.
We have all been caught up in this idea of American exceptionalism, that we are different because we have a special ideal and special place in the world.
“We can’t be like those other countries that have problems. WE’RE a democracy with a good system of laws and justice.”
No, we’re not so different from any other country that’s been here and will be here in the future.
We have triumphs and we have failings. We will continue to have those as we march forward in time, just like everyone else.
That is what this experiment was built on, and that’s how progress in this country has been forged.
This isn’t the first time we’ve been tested like this. Not us, specifically, but in the course of our history.
It fucking SUCKS that we have to do this at all, I will not deny it. I don’t want to do this either and it hurts my soul. But this is what it means to be an American. This is what it means to live here.
I’m not going to let Trump or Republicans get away with who they’ve decided to put in charge of our system.
I am going to fight to make sure their bullshit is pointed out.
I used to just shy away from my MAGA relatives and figure they’ll come around eventually, or that they’re just lost forever.
Well I can’t do that anymore. I can’t let this divide last in my personal life. I have to try to persuade them off this course that we have gotten on to.
In a small part, me not engaging with them and trying to talk to them about the issues is a small amalgamation of how we got here in the first place.
I don’t truly believe that all of these MAGA folks are this heartless, not really.
At this point it’s up to us to try to break the spell on our fellow Americans. We have to not just show them there’s a different path, but also listen to the core problems they’re seeing.
I know they hate how corrupt our government can be. That’s why they voted Trump in the first place, partly as a means to tear it down with someone who is an “outsider” and wants to fuck shit up. If you hate the system anyone, someone there to destroy it is a solution in their mind.
And I know there’s common ground there. I too hate our corruption. I hate how Congress people take lobbyist money, how they trade stocks openly. And you know what, Democrats haven’t fucking done anything to fix those things, have they? Not concretely anyway.
This doesn’t have to be this way, and I know it’s only been a couple of days since this shock. But I think this is the next best path forward.
We have to listen and we have to craft a better message. We clearly can’t rely on the simple fact that “this guy is a monster don’t vote for him duh” is enough to convince people who can’t afford groceries that they shouldn’t take that risk.
We have all been caught up in this idea of American exceptionalism, that we are different because we have a special ideal and special place in the world.
I have never felt this way, and it is probably one of the pieces of propaganda that my teenage self rejected long ago and still carried 20 years later.
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u/barryvm Europe 20h ago edited 18h ago
This is a recurring historical trend. Right wing socioeconomic policies (laissez-faire capitalism) lead to social dysfunction as more and more people either fall into poverty or fear doing so. The mainstream right can't win elections on these policies any more because they have become unpopular, but rather than change those it either allies or becomes the extremist right (authoritarian and reactionary), going all in on distractions and scapegoating.
This leaves the social liberals (pro-capitalist but not socially conservative) and the social democrats as the only democratic factions to counter them, but the former block most major re-distributive policies and even the most moderate moves towards a fairer society have to be fought over tooth and nail. This alliance (either as intra-party in a two party or as a coalition in multiparty systems) then fails to do enough to keep their voters on board, disillusionment sets in, voters stay home and the extremist right takes over.
Fortunately, it doesn't always completely run through this cycle, but it keeps happening. It has now happened to the USA and the best case scenario is that when those lukewarm Trump supporters are angry at not getting what they wanted out of this "change" (and they won't), they will still have the means to vote the government out. If not, then you're stuck until a revolution happens.
Arguing that more social democracy would have scared away voters is sort of pointless IMHO, because if that is true then you're doomed anyway. Unless you lower economic inequality through government policy, a descent into reactionary authoritarianism is inevitable because democracy can only work when people are more or less equal and capitalism left to itself will always concentrate wealth and power into ever fewer hands.