Seriously, just start impeaching him. Left, right, center, waste congress' time so it cannot effectively pass legislation by filling the calendar day with impeachment hearings. If they want to clog all channels with crap, do it right back. Grind this country to a fucking halt, leave them having to fumble over constant demands for appearances. Just do SOMETHING.
While yes, they are doing some things, it ultimately doesn't really matter. If someone's house is on fire and the firefighter goes in for a minute, comes back out having done nothing, and says "Hoo, that's hot - I'm out." they're not a good enough firefighter.
Like, yeah, it's hard to do what they signed up to do, but they're the ones who signed up to do it, and in the case of politicians, they specifically went around making promises to be people to do it in order to get the job in the first place. Things need to get done, and they're the ones occupying the position.
I'm not a politician - I don't know how hard the left needs to work in order to undo what the right has done, but I know that they said they'd do it, so I expect them to do it. Anything less makes them a liar at this point - we can't afford mulligans this late in the game.
Their strategy is failing and yet they both make zero changes and denounce anyone else from coming in to try something new. Regardless of whether it's incompetence or malice, we need them out so we can get someone better in.
Republican House, Senate, Supreme Court, Executive Branch. What would you like for them to do? They're already getting arrested at protests outside ICE facilities, they're attempting to rally support via public statements and open letters, and progressives are starting to win primaries in preparation for the midterms.
You want Senator Kelly to show up to Congress with a rifle or something?
Idk if you've noticed but almost everything is passing on party line votes. Bills only need a simple majority to pass the Senate and the House, and Republicams have a simple majority. Democrats have done a few successful filibusters to prevent bills from making to the vote, but it's not possible to do for every bill.
I generally agree with that. That's a good step they should take. Assuming you're American, you should contact your Senator so they know their constituents want that.
This is a cop out answer. When Republicans are the majority they get everything they want, when Republicans are the minority they get everything they want. There's 2 possible reasons, and it's likely both. Democrats are complicit in what Republicans are doing, and/or they are completely ineffective in governing. Either way they don't represent the working class and need to be abandoned
I forgot the Republicans wanted the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act, ACA, Lina Khan as head of FTC, etc. etc. They definitely didn't attempt to block all of those because they get everything they want, always.
There's a third option: making things better is slow and complicated, but tearing things down is fast and easy.
Was literally the renegotiated and severely cut down version of the Build Back Better Act.
ACA
Was filibustered for years and only passed in reconciliation as a watered down version filled with pork for private insurance.
Lina Khan as head of FTC
21 Republican senators voted to affirm her.....
The problem with Democrats is that there are always around 3-4 of them that will reliably vote with Republicans on most issues. The build back better deal was killed by Joe manchin and krystin simea. The ACA was allowed to be fillibustered to death by a couple pro life senators for years. All these bills were already watered down to entice Republicans before they hit the floor, Republicans still refuse to play ball every time, and the next bill Democrats still fall over themselves to reach across the isle every bill.
The DNC is just unwilling to whip their party members into shape like the Republicans.
Claiming progress is slow is also a copout. The oligarchy loves for people to believe that progress takes time. The moments that have had the biggest impact on society, that benefited the working class did not take time. They like you to believe in incrementalism so that you don't see that those small little baby steps are marching to the right
Downvoting on principle, as this is the same shit centrists say when Democrats have power, and Donald and Mitch demonstrated for years now that possession of power or lack thereof isn't the problem, it's the will to act that matters.
They were "powerless" to stop Joe Manchin, whose daughter was price gouging people for pharmaceuticals and could have been the subject of a DOJ investigation if Dems gave a shit. They were "powerless" against Kyrsten Sinema, but could have stripped all her committee assignments and given her zero value as a lobbyist, diminishing her ability to monetize her seat significantly.
And what I think they should do is, I think, quite simple.
Expose the dirty secrets of every fascist motherfucker in Washington that supports this, en masse, as a unit, and fucking dare them to react. These people have the Epstein Files, security clearances, oppo firms, etc. Fuck, they can probably get their hands on Donald's medical records and taxes.
They don't need voting power in order to create consequences for fascists.
But that can't happen because the supposed opposition is dirty too, and pretending they're not acting because they're oh-so-powerless is, I think, generous to a silly extent after watching the last 20 years of supposed 'progressive' politics on the part of Dems.
Unless you're a billionaire, you don't have significant power to change anything outside your local zip code, so that's generally where I focus my efforts. I pick up trash around the neighborhood, help my neighbors when they need something, go to city council meetings and testify, attend protests, that sort of thing.
Maybe the most effectual thing I do is that I have a YouTube channel where I create videos to raise awareness of topics around intrusive tech and privacy, and intentionally choose stories that are under-reported, like the recent crusade against Samuel Tunick.
That's good that you're helping directly support your neighborhood. Much of Western politics starts local and ladders up from there.
I do find your perspective to be interesting, though. The statement "I have no power" appears disjoint with the notion of the government existing via the consent of the governed. You're also quick to give yourself a pass, but a senator with generally the same amount of hard/concrete power as you have using their greater influence area for similar activities (awareness, rallying support, etc.) don't get a pass.
It's not like Senators have direct access to the Epstein files. They're even being rejected their legal authority to inspect ICE facilities and getting arrested by the regime for "trespassing" when they attempt to exercise that authority. The DOJ is routinely rejecting their requests for information they legally are entitled to, as is the DoD and other executive branch governments. As the Congress has no enforcement arm, I'm not sure what you anticipate them to do other than attempt to educate the voter base as to the illegal things that are happening.
I think the notion that a US senator has the same power as an average citizen is, frankly, absurd.
Bernie Sanders got living wage increases for Disney and Amazon workers not via a vote, but traveling out of his way, showing up at their doorsteps, and giving public speeches about their labor practices. Mitch McConnell changed the entire course of US history, even when his party didn't have any voting power.
As for government existing at the consent of the governed, it sounds nice in principle but it doesn't and never has existed here. The US government has always existed and acted at the consent of the rich and established itself based on violence. You'll recall that originally only wealthy landowning white men could vote, and even Washington himself turned the US military against a group of petulant farmers after becoming president, because they had the balls to oppose a whiskey tax. Most of our founding fathers were rich dudes who abused their slaves in various ways.
I'm not giving myself a pass. I'm just acknowledging reality. Outside of your local zip code you are powerless if you don't have a massive fortune with which to bribe people, but I do firmly believe people should be active in their local sphere and do the good they can.
And I'm pretty clear on what I expect them to do. Use the resources they do have and play dirty. Problem is the Dems are dirty too.
In terms of hard power/concrete power, a minority senator with no executive backing or judicial backing is severely limited. They must request records from executive branch departments. They have no enforcement arm. They have limited ability to limit legislation. They cannot pass recall legislation of any kind. They cannot exercise their legally granted authorities.
Your example about Bernie actually proves my point - he rallied the base and got the citizens to apply pressure. He took no concrete actions but used influence to rally support. This democrat party letter is the same thing at the same scope. AOC and Co traveling around to various town halls is that same thing. Every "too weak" statement they put out is the attempted use of influence and soft power. You're only happy about that from Bernie because you like Bernie. What's Bernie done to get Epstein files released? Is he "dirty" too? All he does is tweet about it and write letters and broadcast his message.
I'm left wondering if you genuinely think any US senator can go on their computer and open epstein_files.pdf any time they wish, and they're simply choosing not to do so. They literally passed a law to force the disclosure of the full files and the DoJ just said "nah". The lawsuit to attempt to force compliance is working its way through the courts, but Congress' only enforcement mechanism is recall legislation which requires a supermajority which they do not have.
Also based if you stole from a chain but less based if it was a local mom and pop shop. I also haven't driven my car more than 3 times since March as I'm lucky to live in a bikeable area.
E: I guess if you want the full list, I did policy research for a local mayoral candidate's campaign. I lend my ebike to as many friends as possible in hopes they drive less. I put up "end parking mandates" and "excess parking kills cities" stickers around my city hall and on surface parking lots. I buy my beef from a local cattle farmer and vegetables from a CSA where possible. I bought a single American product in the past 6 or so months, only when a domestically produced alternative was not available. I've called and emailed my local constituency offices 10+ times over the past 6 months for my representatives for multiple levels of government. I attend and participate in public engagement sessions for public transit and energy infrastructure. I volunteered at a local soup kitchen preparing and packaging hundreds of meals for unhoused people on my city. And I type on a keyboard to spread the message.
Your blatant corruption and bald faced desire for nothing but wealth and power is causing untold damage to our ability to do the same less brazenly when its our turn.
We sternly request you tone it down so we can properly maintain the status quo.
Yeah... As an outsider its odd seeing almost every check and balance on his power get stripped away because those in charge of said checks and balances not only refuse to hold him to account, but seem to even aid in making him unaccountable!
A letter is probably the worst method of reaching him. The man can't read for more than. 10-15 words at a time. And thatta if he even cared to engage in the first place.
56 replies
democrats be like:
Had to fish this one out of my saved posts lol https://lemmy.world/post/36678776
He can't read.
Unless there was anthrax in the envelope it won't do anything.
Sending a letter to a man who cant read is insulting.
Put on a puppet show. You have to go down to his level.
Sternly worded, I bet!
I bet they occasionally used all caps to make a point
Oh man, Trump is so screwed.
Dear Mr Trump. We know what you did... pLz ShArE gAiNz
This is only about setting a record so that nobody can later say that they didn’t care.
*they don't care
Seriously, just start impeaching him. Left, right, center, waste congress' time so it cannot effectively pass legislation by filling the calendar day with impeachment hearings. If they want to clog all channels with crap, do it right back. Grind this country to a fucking halt, leave them having to fumble over constant demands for appearances. Just do SOMETHING.
They won't because they condone what he's doing while claiming they are powerless.
https://algreen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-al-green-files-articles-impeachment-against-president-donald-john-trump
Sorry, you were saying?
I don't disagree that the Democratic party should do more, but its disingenuous to ignore what (little) has been done
While yes, they are doing some things, it ultimately doesn't really matter. If someone's house is on fire and the firefighter goes in for a minute, comes back out having done nothing, and says "Hoo, that's hot - I'm out." they're not a good enough firefighter.
Like, yeah, it's hard to do what they signed up to do, but they're the ones who signed up to do it, and in the case of politicians, they specifically went around making promises to be people to do it in order to get the job in the first place. Things need to get done, and they're the ones occupying the position.
I'm not a politician - I don't know how hard the left needs to work in order to undo what the right has done, but I know that they said they'd do it, so I expect them to do it. Anything less makes them a liar at this point - we can't afford mulligans this late in the game.
Their strategy is failing and yet they both make zero changes and denounce anyone else from coming in to try something new. Regardless of whether it's incompetence or malice, we need them out so we can get someone better in.
More of his preformative bullshit?
Something, even if you see it as performative, is better than nothing
Natalie Harp probably used it as a wet wipe when she wiped the diarrhea off her face from fellating his anus.
![email protected]
You gotta pay for all the angry people to show up in DC
Republican House, Senate, Supreme Court, Executive Branch. What would you like for them to do? They're already getting arrested at protests outside ICE facilities, they're attempting to rally support via public statements and open letters, and progressives are starting to win primaries in preparation for the midterms.
You want Senator Kelly to show up to Congress with a rifle or something?
Blocking unanimous consent on everything in the Senate until their demands are met would be nice.
Idk if you've noticed but almost everything is passing on party line votes. Bills only need a simple majority to pass the Senate and the House, and Republicams have a simple majority. Democrats have done a few successful filibusters to prevent bills from making to the vote, but it's not possible to do for every bill.
You don’t understand. I don’t mean a filibuster.
Daily business in the Senate operates under unanimous consent. That way, they avoid voting for things like setting schedules and super minor nonsense.
It takes only a single Senator to force votes on everything to grind the Senate to a halt.
This is the way, if you're one of the morons (or outright collaborators) who still thinks civility is important.
Bog eveything down with procedural bullshit. It's what Mitch would do.
I generally agree with that. That's a good step they should take. Assuming you're American, you should contact your Senator so they know their constituents want that.
This is a cop out answer. When Republicans are the majority they get everything they want, when Republicans are the minority they get everything they want. There's 2 possible reasons, and it's likely both. Democrats are complicit in what Republicans are doing, and/or they are completely ineffective in governing. Either way they don't represent the working class and need to be abandoned
I forgot the Republicans wanted the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act, ACA, Lina Khan as head of FTC, etc. etc. They definitely didn't attempt to block all of those because they get everything they want, always.
There's a third option: making things better is slow and complicated, but tearing things down is fast and easy.
Passed with 17 Republican senators.
Was literally the renegotiated and severely cut down version of the Build Back Better Act.
Was filibustered for years and only passed in reconciliation as a watered down version filled with pork for private insurance.
21 Republican senators voted to affirm her.....
The problem with Democrats is that there are always around 3-4 of them that will reliably vote with Republicans on most issues. The build back better deal was killed by Joe manchin and krystin simea. The ACA was allowed to be fillibustered to death by a couple pro life senators for years. All these bills were already watered down to entice Republicans before they hit the floor, Republicans still refuse to play ball every time, and the next bill Democrats still fall over themselves to reach across the isle every bill.
The DNC is just unwilling to whip their party members into shape like the Republicans.
ACA was Romney's bill.
Claiming progress is slow is also a copout. The oligarchy loves for people to believe that progress takes time. The moments that have had the biggest impact on society, that benefited the working class did not take time. They like you to believe in incrementalism so that you don't see that those small little baby steps are marching to the right
Ok
Yeah
Downvoting on principle, as this is the same shit centrists say when Democrats have power, and Donald and Mitch demonstrated for years now that possession of power or lack thereof isn't the problem, it's the will to act that matters.
They were "powerless" to stop Joe Manchin, whose daughter was price gouging people for pharmaceuticals and could have been the subject of a DOJ investigation if Dems gave a shit. They were "powerless" against Kyrsten Sinema, but could have stripped all her committee assignments and given her zero value as a lobbyist, diminishing her ability to monetize her seat significantly.
And what I think they should do is, I think, quite simple.
Expose the dirty secrets of every fascist motherfucker in Washington that supports this, en masse, as a unit, and fucking dare them to react. These people have the Epstein Files, security clearances, oppo firms, etc. Fuck, they can probably get their hands on Donald's medical records and taxes.
They don't need voting power in order to create consequences for fascists.
But that can't happen because the supposed opposition is dirty too, and pretending they're not acting because they're oh-so-powerless is, I think, generous to a silly extent after watching the last 20 years of supposed 'progressive' politics on the part of Dems.
Besides typing on a keyboard, how are you personally resisting? Just curious.
Unless you're a billionaire, you don't have significant power to change anything outside your local zip code, so that's generally where I focus my efforts. I pick up trash around the neighborhood, help my neighbors when they need something, go to city council meetings and testify, attend protests, that sort of thing.
Maybe the most effectual thing I do is that I have a YouTube channel where I create videos to raise awareness of topics around intrusive tech and privacy, and intentionally choose stories that are under-reported, like the recent crusade against Samuel Tunick.
That's good that you're helping directly support your neighborhood. Much of Western politics starts local and ladders up from there.
I do find your perspective to be interesting, though. The statement "I have no power" appears disjoint with the notion of the government existing via the consent of the governed. You're also quick to give yourself a pass, but a senator with generally the same amount of hard/concrete power as you have using their greater influence area for similar activities (awareness, rallying support, etc.) don't get a pass.
It's not like Senators have direct access to the Epstein files. They're even being rejected their legal authority to inspect ICE facilities and getting arrested by the regime for "trespassing" when they attempt to exercise that authority. The DOJ is routinely rejecting their requests for information they legally are entitled to, as is the DoD and other executive branch governments. As the Congress has no enforcement arm, I'm not sure what you anticipate them to do other than attempt to educate the voter base as to the illegal things that are happening.
I think the notion that a US senator has the same power as an average citizen is, frankly, absurd.
Bernie Sanders got living wage increases for Disney and Amazon workers not via a vote, but traveling out of his way, showing up at their doorsteps, and giving public speeches about their labor practices. Mitch McConnell changed the entire course of US history, even when his party didn't have any voting power.
As for government existing at the consent of the governed, it sounds nice in principle but it doesn't and never has existed here. The US government has always existed and acted at the consent of the rich and established itself based on violence. You'll recall that originally only wealthy landowning white men could vote, and even Washington himself turned the US military against a group of petulant farmers after becoming president, because they had the balls to oppose a whiskey tax. Most of our founding fathers were rich dudes who abused their slaves in various ways.
I'm not giving myself a pass. I'm just acknowledging reality. Outside of your local zip code you are powerless if you don't have a massive fortune with which to bribe people, but I do firmly believe people should be active in their local sphere and do the good they can.
And I'm pretty clear on what I expect them to do. Use the resources they do have and play dirty. Problem is the Dems are dirty too.
In terms of hard power/concrete power, a minority senator with no executive backing or judicial backing is severely limited. They must request records from executive branch departments. They have no enforcement arm. They have limited ability to limit legislation. They cannot pass recall legislation of any kind. They cannot exercise their legally granted authorities.
Your example about Bernie actually proves my point - he rallied the base and got the citizens to apply pressure. He took no concrete actions but used influence to rally support. This democrat party letter is the same thing at the same scope. AOC and Co traveling around to various town halls is that same thing. Every "too weak" statement they put out is the attempted use of influence and soft power. You're only happy about that from Bernie because you like Bernie. What's Bernie done to get Epstein files released? Is he "dirty" too? All he does is tweet about it and write letters and broadcast his message.
I'm left wondering if you genuinely think any US senator can go on their computer and open epstein_files.pdf any time they wish, and they're simply choosing not to do so. They literally passed a law to force the disclosure of the full files and the DoJ just said "nah". The lawsuit to attempt to force compliance is working its way through the courts, but Congress' only enforcement mechanism is recall legislation which requires a supermajority which they do not have.
You've totally convinced me.
Senators are powerless.
Thank you for the discussion. Have a great day.
I stole some stuff from the hardware store to help build a bicycle trailer that will reduce my dependence on cars and gasoline.
Now what are you doing?
Also based if you stole from a chain but less based if it was a local mom and pop shop. I also haven't driven my car more than 3 times since March as I'm lucky to live in a bikeable area.
Well I'm not in the US, so... living my life?
E: I guess if you want the full list, I did policy research for a local mayoral candidate's campaign. I lend my ebike to as many friends as possible in hopes they drive less. I put up "end parking mandates" and "excess parking kills cities" stickers around my city hall and on surface parking lots. I buy my beef from a local cattle farmer and vegetables from a CSA where possible. I bought a single American product in the past 6 or so months, only when a domestically produced alternative was not available. I've called and emailed my local constituency offices 10+ times over the past 6 months for my representatives for multiple levels of government. I attend and participate in public engagement sessions for public transit and energy infrastructure. I volunteered at a local soup kitchen preparing and packaging hundreds of meals for unhoused people on my city. And I type on a keyboard to spread the message.
He could bring a cane at least
"Dear Mr. Trump,
Your blatant corruption and bald faced desire for nothing but wealth and power is causing untold damage to our ability to do the same less brazenly when its our turn.
We sternly request you tone it down so we can properly maintain the status quo.
Sincerely, Democrats"
King of the hill meme except instead of “would be very upset” the last line is “still wouldn’t give a shit”
And if he could read I’m sure he would be annoyed by it.
It’s more likely it went straight in the bin.
Should've sent him a pop-up book depicting his various crimes instead. So many possible motifs, so much room for creativity.
Maybe they should've sent him a doodle. He knows doodles. Words, not so much.
But they asked really really nicely!.......... /s
Yeah... As an outsider its odd seeing almost every check and balance on his power get stripped away because those in charge of said checks and balances not only refuse to hold him to account, but seem to even aid in making him unaccountable!
The concept of checks and balances in US government is to prevent progress for the non wealthy.
and it was a busy day for them
A letter is probably the worst method of reaching him. The man can't read for more than. 10-15 words at a time. And thatta if he even cared to engage in the first place.
I'm sure they learnt their lessons now!