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@futurebird yeah but he has a show on MSNBC and we all know that there is literally no difference between neoliberalism and communism

@hazelnot @futurebird
> “literally no difference between neoliberalism and communism “

I can’t figure out whether conservatives who say stuff like this misunderstand liberalism, or communism, or just don’t care. Help a guy out and tell me?

@alloydflanagan @hazelnot

The 2nd issue is most Americans have a vastly truncated political perspective. "Communism" means the same thing as "left."

This is in part the fault of us media which has for decades only given air to a very limited spectrum of ideas. And when people felt constrained by the sameness of their options they have opened the escape valve on the right ONLY.

Because they know the OTHER escape valve leads to social democracy and the end of the wealth gap.

@futurebird @alloydflanagan @hazelnot This is why I've been saying for years now that the Democrats aren't gaining anything by attempting to meet the Republicans halfway on any issue.

They scream and call Biden a communist while he busts the rail workers' unions. It's absurd. Biden could try to pass actual communist policies, and he would apparently get the exact same amount of pushback. So why not? What is he getting out of "cooperating" with people who won't cooperate back?

@sidereal @alloydflanagan @hazelnot

Well... Biden is a centrist, if not right leaning and he has no interest in doing left wing things. He's been dragged kicking and screaming to do the few good things he has by "political realities"

Did you know they have a poll that shows that if Biden talked more about "taxing the rich" etc. he'd go up like 5 points in polls? They know. But ... that part of the Democratic party would rather not. Their ONLY redeeming quality is that they might... half way.

@futurebird @sidereal @alloydflanagan @hazelnot On the one hand, you're describing how representative democracy is supposed to work.

On the other hand, Biden seems pretty unequivocal about the need to raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations.

It's kinda funny to me that you're replying to someone who says that Biden "busts the rail workers' unions" when he... didn't? He got them the deal they wanted without a strike that would have hurt (literally) everyone.

@tob @sidereal @alloydflanagan @hazelnot

Really unless you want to try to argue that Biden isn't a centrist I don't see what we have to talk about here? He is a centrist who is out of step with vast portions of his party and he's doing his best to keep up. That isn't ideal for leadership.

Student loans is another issue. He has, slowly and painfully done a great deal to keep his promise. All while almost acting embarrassed about doing it so much that many people think it didn't happen.

@futurebird @sidereal @alloydflanagan @hazelnot I don't really want to argue at all. The only reason I'm going to reply is because your replies feel like gaslighting.

Take out your subjective reading of how Biden *feels* about things and just look at what he's made happen as President.

@tob @sidereal @alloydflanagan @hazelnot

This happens a lot. People explaining how no, in fact, Biden is really great but for some reason it's just not catching.

I'm suggesting that reason is in part because of the image he projects.

It doesn't matter if you make things happen and no one knows about it. How he "feels" to the general voting public is kind of the entire problem.

I do think he's trying if only because he understands how bad this could get.