Comment on There's no money for education and health care but they'll always find some for war.
ristoril_zip@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
It’s important to be clear about “they” here. Most of the Democrats in Congress and President Biden tried to pass money for education and health care, but they were blocked by all the Republicans and a couple Democrats. If John Fetterman had been elected in 2020 instead of 2022, there’s a decent chance we could’ve gotten it. Not a sure thing, but decent.
On the other hand, almost everyone in Congress supports military spending because it almost always benefits their constituents directly because military contractors have shrewdly built production facilities in nearly every state.
If we can give Biden another term (moderately difficult against Trump, hard against anyone else), expand the Democratic lead in the Senate (difficult), and flip the house (probably easy), we can probably get some education and health care spending. Maybe even a minimum wage increase and a permanent expansion of the child tax credit. Maybe a small UBI. Lots of things!!
(And yes the lavish spending on the military will certainly continue.)
Fredselfish@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Even with a majority in both chambers Biden and Democrats will not pass any of that.
If you look at elections you will see the Democrats like having only a slim margin in control and they always have someone who will fall on the sword and vote against things if it looks like something progressive will pass.
Hell they put money into Republicans to beat progressive Democratic candidates.
Only way you going get any of that is when we get rid of the two party system. Like with rank style voting.
explodicle@local106.com 6 months ago
This is why I vote single issue for voting reform. If a Democrat supports IRV, I’ll vote Democrat. If not, I vote third party.
“But Explodicle, you’re effectively just voting for Republicans! This is the most important election ever, past and future.”
No. I’m not voting Republican either. People who do vote Republican have not voted twice. We’ve been voting lesser evil for decades and it does not work. “Buying time” for nothing to change does not work. Giving Democrats the house, senate, and presidency does not work. They refuse to even try to expand the Supreme Court. We’re being played.
The Democrats need to go and we need an actual leftist major party. Each candidate can either get on board with that, or wait for revolution to become our only choice.
Fredselfish@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I agree lets start a third progressive party and start taking over towns and city elections. Hell we can probably get Congress if we try hard enough.
Democrats have no support in red states like here In Oklahoma. They can’t win but a good third party could.
lolcatnip@reddthat.com 6 months ago
They only had a majority on paper thanks to Manchin and Sinema.
jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 6 months ago
“Only democrats have agency” is an interesting trope.
lolcatnip@reddthat.com 6 months ago
You’re gonna have to explain that one to me.
orrk@lemmy.world 6 months ago
when the issue is assuming the radicalization of the Democratic Party’s platform? ya, or would you argue that republicans should be working to help democrats pass their legislation